performance of beef cattle grazing native warm...

Patrick KeyserCenter for Native Grasslands Management and

UT Beef and Forage Center

11th Eastern Native Grass SymposiumErie, PA – September 18, 2018

Native Grass Forage Research –

Where We Have Been

ForageADG

(lb/hd)AUD

(days/ac)Gain

(lb/ac)

Switchgrass 1.74 172 435

Big blue/Indian 2.11 121 368

Eastern gamagrass 1.06 171 247

Animal Performance (Steers)

93 – 115 days grazing per year ; weaned steers (600 lb starting wt)

Backus et al., 2017 Journal of Animal Science 95:3143-3153

800

1,000

1,200

1,400

1,600

1,800

2,000

2,200

2,400

2,600

2,800

Stoc

king

(lb/

acre

)

Week

Switch

E Gama

BB-IG

Grazing Strategy

ADG* (lb/day) Steer Days/ac

Beef (lb/ac)

Continuous 2.18 162 357Heavy Early 1.92 141 276

* O N/ac applied since at least 2011

Aug 18, 2016 – 99 days continuous grazing

K. Brazil, Univ. TN, unpublished data

ADG Total BeefAnimal (lb/day) Grazing days (lb/ac)

Location Breed Class PBG RG PBG RG PBG RG

BGAD Angus X Heifer 2.5 2.3 79 87 198 200Steer - - - -

DREC Holstein Heifer 1.61 1.64 109 90 157 140Jersey Heifer 1.36 1.41

QUICK Angus X Heifer 1.69 1.63 63 70 101 113Steer 1.52 1.70

Keyser et al., Univ. TN, unpublished data

Cereal rye overseededinto NWSG

“Starving Heifer” Study

90 89 92

0102030405060708090

100

Preg

nanc

y ra

te, %

J. Richwine, Univ. TN, unpublished data

Courtesy, T. Mulliniks, Univ. TN

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

2006 2007 2008 2009Dry

Mat

ter Y

ield

(T/a

c)

Courtesy Dr. Don Tyler, Univ. TN

65% of 4-year average

21-year old stand of switchgrass

managed with: spring fire (every 1-3 yrs) no fertilizers added no spraying rotational grazing

$0.00

$0.10

$0.20

$0.30

$0.40

$0.50

Bigbluestem/indiangrass

Switchgrass

Keyser et al. 2016. Agronomy Journal 108:373–383

Heifer development:- most expensive aspect of production- mainly feed cost (75%) for 30+ months w/o any return

C. Boyer, Univ. TN, unpublished data

$0$20$40$60$80

$100$120$140$160$180

Berm Crab BBIG Gama Switch

Net

Ret

urn

($/a

cre)

BC C B AB A

Offer many benefits sought after in summer forage: Strong animal performance Strong carrying capacity Flexible management Exceptional drought resiliency Long stand life (perennials) Cost-effective production

Warm-season Grass Comparison: Grazing Days per Acre

Weaned heifers, 527 lb starting weight

K. Zechiel, MS thesis, 2017, Univ. TN, unpublished data

0.0

50.0

100.0

150.0

200.0

250.0

300.0

Berm Crab BBIG Gama Switch

B

AA

B B

0100200300400500600700800

Bermuda E. Gama Switch Big Blue

Gai

n (l

b/ac

)

Total Gain for Four WSG in NC Study

Jun 1-Sept 4 Apr - Sept 4

Burns and Fisher. 2013. Agron. J. 105:113-123.

Native Grass Forage Research –

Where We Need To Go

1. Putting it all together – systems research2. Impact on calf production3. Enhanced diversity in forage production settings4. Improved establishment reliability

5 ac TF E+ 5 ac TF E+

5 ac TF E+ 5 ac NWSG

5 ac TF E+ 5 ac NWSG




How much of the forage base should be converted to WSG?

- 10%, 20%, 30%, more?

Kallenbach et al. 2012. J. Anim. Sci. 90:387-394.

Sheet1

5 ac TF5 ac TF

5 ac TF5 ac NWSG

5 ac TF5 ac NWSG

5 ac TF5 ac TF

5 ac TF5 ac TF

5 ac TF5 ac TF

Rye 100x16Mix 100x16

Mix 100x16Rye 100x16

Mix 100x16Rye 100x16

Sheet2

5 ac TF E+5 ac TF E+

5 ac TF E+5 ac NWSG

5 ac TF E+5 ac NWSG




Sheet3

5 ac TF5 ac TF

5 ac TF5 ac NWSG

5 ac TF5 ac NWSG

5 ac TF5 ac TF

5 ac TF5 ac TF

5 ac TF5 ac TF

Excess spring forage prodn converted to WSG acres How does this impact distribution & total grazing days? What about hay production?

Mar

1-15

Mar

16-3

1

Apr

1-15

Apr

16-3

0

May

1-15

May

16-3

1

Jun

1-15

Jun

16-3

0

Jul 1

-15

Jul 1

6-31

Aug

1-15

Aug

16-3

1

Sept

1-15

Sept

16-3

0

Oct

1-15

Oct

16-3

1

Nov

1-15

Nov

16-3

0

Dec

1-15

Dec

16-3

1

Growing animals do well on NWSG, but...most are cow-calf producers

How do NWSG impact calving rates, weaning weights?

0

20

40

60

80

100

E+E+ E+OtherM. Burns, Clemson Univ., PhD dissertation, 2012.

Weaning Weights

M&F: -31 lb/hd

M: -62 lb/hd*F: -44 lb/hd*

*Watson et al. 2004. J. Animal Sci. 82: 3388-3393.

-32.7%

UT annual pasture budgets, NWSG cost ~30% less than TF ($106 vs. $148/ac)

Widespread interest in enhanced plant diversity (forbs/legumes) in order to improve: pollinator habitat wildlife habitat soil health

In forage settings, what forbs/legumes can: establish (with grass planting or post-planting) persist under grazing still flower (pollinators) benefit and not harm forage quality/production not become pests be cost-effective

Common name Latin name Oz/ac Maximilian Sunflower

Helianthus maximilian 8

Black Eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta 8

False SunflowerPhoebanthus tenuifolius 4

Lance Leaf Coreopsis

Coreopsis lanceolata 16

Plains Coreopsis Coreopsis tinctoria 8Upright Prairie Coneflower

Ratibida columnifera 4

Purple Coneflower Echinacea purpurea 10Illinois Bundleflower

Desmanthus illinoensis 18

Partridge PeaChamaecrista fasciculata 8

Purple Prairie Clover Dalea purpurea 8Tickfoil Desmodium 8

total lb/ac 6.25

No rest Late rest

Late rest No Grz

Early rest No rest

Early rest Middle rest

No Grz Late rest

No Grz Middle rest

Early rest Early rest

Late rest No Grz

Middle rest No rest

Middle rest No rest

25' a

lley

J. Richwine, Univ. TN, Ph.D. project

May 31, 2018 – pre-grazing

July 31, 2018 – ‘No-rest’ treatment

July 31, 2018 – ‘Late-rest’ treatment

Maximilian Sunflower

Black Eyed Susan

Oxeye Sunflower

Lance Leaf Coreopsis

Upright Prairie Coneflower

Purple Coneflower

Canada Goldenrod

Cup Plant

Illinois Bundleflower

Partridge Pea

Purple Prairie Clover

Showy Ticktrefoil

“Variety trial” examining forage yield, quality, and persistence of 12 species imazapic tolerant potential for wildlife & pollinators potential for forage prod’n Mostly perennials (cheaper, less

work) S. Duiker, Ernst Conservation Seed Planted 2018 at PSU and UT

April planting, August picturecourtesy J. Jennings, U of AR Extension

Step 1 – quit with the myths already! NWSG are NOT “almost impossible” to establish

85-95% success to achieve production quality stands on 1st attempt

It does NOT take 3-5 years to establish NWSG grazable w/in 12 months (2nd year) production in year 2 about same as for TF but, in 2nd yr: 1 hay cutting only, rest after Aug 1, watch grazing ht.

But… Still need to improve. How to do that? Focus on good agronomy (weed control especially!)

ongoing studies to evaluate nurse crops (spring oats, browntopmillet) – through mechanical harvest and through grazing

Plant breeding – need material that germinates more quickly, high early seedling vigor Miss State Univ (B. Baldwin) – has such material in increase for BB,

IG, and LB + imazapic tolerant SG.

BMP idea?winter annual

sow improved seed summer nurse crop

- no lost forage, 1 year establishment

Will always take time, attention to detail, risk, cost good agronomy essential (weed control especially!)

Education (NRCS, SWCD, Extension + producers) And… Lose the myths!

Native Grass Forages –

Their Future Role

Q25. Pasture management practice

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Appliedchemicalfertilizer

Appliedpoultry litter

Applied lime Tested soil Sprayed tocontrol weeds

Irrigatedpasture

Resp

onde

nts (

%)

Used Didn't Use

Courtesy, C. Clark et al., Univ. TN, 2018

Q5. Rotate frequency (N=796)

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

Less thanonce permonth

One or twotimes per

month

Three or fourtimes per

month

More thanonce a week

Resp

onde

nts (

%)


28%

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Not Somewhat Interested Very

Resp

onde

nts (

%)

Margin of error = 1.81%

P. Keyser, Univ. TN, unpublished data

22%

31%

Q13-22. Adoption and cost of planting warm-season grass

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

$35 $70 $105 $140 $175

Adop

tion

Rate

(%)

Cost of planting warm-season grass

No

Yes


Q10. Livestock operation changed after grazing warm-season grass

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Resp

onde

nts (

%)

Increased No Change Decreased Don't Know


Recent research has documented many benefits - and practicality - of NWSG forages (all very positive) gain, yield/carrying capacity, profitability, drought resiliency,

manageability

But, lacking data on integrating at systems level – and impact on cow-calf operations (critical to producer acceptance)

Need better data on managing for optimum ecosystem benefits pollinators, grassland birds (esp. quail), soil health

Must improve establishment reliability (and messaging)

For widespread future adoption we must: repeat message >7X counter unfounded skepticism with SCIENCE (and objectivity) re-brand NWSG as not “just for conservation” or “nearly impossible

to establish” and will “take 3-5 years” to do so… focus on innovators and early adopters (~25%)

Maybe cost-share is less important than education and establishment reliability?

Seeing is believing! Demonstrate

Applied Research on �Native Warm-season Grass Forages: �Where Do We Stand, Where Are We Headed?Slide Number 2Slide Number 3Production Curve for Three NWSG ForagesSeason-long Grazing (Steers)Patch-burn vs. Rotational Grazing Dormant-Season AlternativesExceptional Drought ToleranceLong-lived Perennial...Cost of Gain ($ per lb) for Grazing HeifersNet Returns for Five Summer Forages Native Warm-season Grasses are a Viable Summer Forage ToolSlide Number 13Season-long Gains: Bermuda vs NativesSlide Number 15Four Critical Research Needs for Native Grasses Forages:1. Systems ResearchIntegrating NWSG into TF Forage ProductionCow-calf Systems2. Increasing Diversity2. Increasing Diversity2. Increasing Diversity2. Increasing Diversity3. Improved Establishment3. Improved Establishment3. Improved EstablishmentSlide Number 27Q25. Pasture management practiceQ5. Rotate frequency (N=796)�Producer Interest in Improving Summer ForageQ13-22. Adoption and cost of planting warm-season grassQ10. Livestock operation changed after grazing warm-season grassSummary and ConclusionsConclusionsQuestions?

performance of beef cattle grazing native warm...

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