Soil Health in Diverse Forage Systems on Beef Farms

Beef cattle contribute a major portion of pasture-based livestock production in the US and these systems support the nations single largest agricultural commodity. About 30 percent of the total cow population (8.7 million head) is in the Southeast, Mid-South and Mid-Atlantic regions. Beef cattle in the region are typically managed in low input systems that result in poor pasture condition and can have negative environmental impacts including loss of vegetative cover, soil compaction, nutrient concentration, erosion and nutrient loss through runoff and direct deposition of manure into surface water. Many best management practices, such as stream exclusion, have been developed to address these concerns. While these approaches are generally beneficial, their installation in the absence of a good forage system plan and improved producer management skills limits their overall benefit. Because of high input costs and the value of cattle the interest by beef producers in thoughtful pasture and forage management is increasing. This project will combine nutrient distribution mapping, grazing season extension using stockpiled forages, strategic use of annuals in locations of high soil nutrient concentrations, emerging concepts about soil health and active on-farm educational workshops featuring demonstrations of these important practices and testimonials from farm owners who have had the practices implemented for multiple years. The educational activities will build on already active programs in the participating states, resulting in an improved understanding of the benefits of using annual Cover Crops in these systems and how the use of mixed species Cover Crops compares to single species.