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Last summer's drought reduced hay and pasture production by more that 50 percent in many regions of Missouri. This, coupled with a near doubling in commodity feed prices, has led to something of a financial crisis for many beef and dairy producers this winter. While the options for dealing with this issue are limited until spring, it is a good time to consider strategies for improving forage production for next year.

Cow/calf producers rely on forage to supply more than 85 percent of all feed units to the herd. Yet, many producers do not think critically about the contribution of forages to the profitability of their beef or dairy operations. They should. As far as forages go, pasture is a far more economical way to deliver feed to cattle than is hay. Recent analyses show that forage from pasture costs 40 to 60 percent less than stored forage (hay, silage) per pound of beef produced. That is substantial. Records supplied by IRM-SPA from real beef operations show that the most profitable producers feed the least stored forage, relying on pasture more days of the year.

Successful forage systems consider more than annual forage yield or short-term beef production per acre. They consider plant persistence, long-term sustainability, cost per unit of beef produced and ultimately, profitability. Graziers should consider all of these factors before developing a forage system for their farms.

From a biological perspective, there are three important concepts to understand when planning a forage system. They are:

1. Forage yield and yield distribution
2. Forage quality
3. Stand persistence or reliability

Although these factors are interrelated, let's take a look at each of them separately.

Forage yield and yield distribution

Although forages vary in their seasonal yield distribution, no forage is productive during all seasons of the grazing year. An important principle for developing a productive forage program for a cow-calf operation is utilizing the inherent differences in seasonal growth patterns to provide grazing for as much of the year as possible without making the system so complex that it cannot be managed.

Forage quality

Almost any "mainstream" forage can be managed for high quality feed. Some forages inherently contain more energy and protein than others, but nearly any can be managed to produce beef. The overriding concept here is that forage must be kept in a vegetative stage of growth to be of acceptable quality for optimum beef production. In practice, this means that most coolseason grasses, mixtures of cool-season grasses and legumes, and short warmseason grasses like bermudagrass and caucasian bluestem, should be grazed when the grass reaches eight to ten inches in height. Tall warm-season grass pastures should be grazed when the grass reaches 12 to 18 inches. Waiting any longer than this will reduce forage quality and beef production.

Keeping the grass in a vegetative stage of growth may be diffi cult to accomplish on a whole farm basis, especially in late spring. During this time of year, grass growth often exceeds what the herd can consume. Paddocks that become more mature than the guidelines mentioned above should be "skipped" in the rotation and the herd "moved forward" to less mature paddocks. The "skipped" or mature paddocks should be harvested for hay or silage or grazed by other livestock as soon as is feasible. These paddocks can again be part of the rotation for the herd after the forage has been harvested and shows eight to ten inches of regrowth.

Stand persistence or reliability

Many producers undervalue longterm stand persistence of many perennial forage species. Considering that it costs $50 to $150 per acre to establish a new forage, it pays to make stands last.

Although we tend to equate persistence with the survival of individual plants, from a producer's perspective, we are more interested in the persistence of yield or productivity. In some cases, stand persistence may be the survival of individual plants, but in other instances, it may involve the natural reseeding capability of a species (i.e., annual lespedeza or crabgrass). What is important to know, is what mechanism the species you have or desire uses to persist. For instance, birdsfoot trefoil is a short-lived perennial legume. It is short-lived because it is susceptible to several root and crown rot diseases. But if birdsfoot trefoil is given a 45 to 60 day rest period to reseed every other year, stands can last almost indefinitely. Its mechanism for persistence is reseeding. Similarly, annual lespedeza and crabgrass pastures can almost act as perennials if allowed a period to reseed each year. On the other hand, a species like alfalfa does not reseed well. Instead, it relies on the survival and development of the individual plants that were seeded. Thus, its mechanism for persistence is plant longevity. Species that use this mechanism to persist must be carefully selected so that adapted varieties are planted. Selecting varieties that show resistance to common diseases, insects or that can tolerate less than ideal soil or environmental conditions are most important for these types of forages. Another mechanism for persistence is vegetative propagation. An example is smooth bromegrass. Smooth bromegrass has rhizomes or "underground runners" that continually develop new plants to thicken the stand. Forages that use this persistence mechanism are often among the easiest to maintain. In summary, understanding what mechanism your forages use to persist is the first key to managing to maximize stand life.

The soil environment is another factor that influences stand persistence. The most important aspects of the soil environment are the depth, drainage and fertility of your soils. As an example, alfalfa is one of the most productive and nutritious forages available on welldrained and fertile soils. However, it does not survive well on poorly drained soils and does not tolerate low soil fertility. In this situation, a better choice might be to plant reed canarygrass and manage it to provide quality feed.

Forages should also be selected for cold hardiness and drought tolerance. Many forages might survive a mild winter or a wet summer, but what happens when growing conditions are less than ideal? It is under these conditions that differences in forage species become apparent. For instance, if we have a wet, cool summer, both timothy and orchardgrass persist quite well, but because timothy has a shallower root system it does not persist as well when the weather turns dry.

Management also plays a vital role in stand persistence. Almost no forage can survive poor management and be productive. The major management factors that influence stand persistence are grazing frequency, residual leaf area after grazing and planned rest periods for reseeding or fall growth. MU Extension Publication M169, A Guide to the Common Forages and Weeds of Pastures can help producers choose those forages that best fit their circumstances.

Robert Kallenbach
Associate Professor
University of Missouri
kallenbachr@missouri.edu