Managing Droughty Pastures For 2013 Production.

1. Managing Droughty Pastures For 2013 Production. Making Efficient Use of Moisture Brian C. Pugh Area Agronomist OSU Extension

2. Oklahoma’s Annual Precipitation History 1895 to 2010.

3. Water? • A Texas study in 1958 found that it takes about 20 inches of water to produce one ton of un-fertilized Bermuda. • Under high fertility it only took 4 inches per ton. • Oklahoma’s rule of thumb is 6 inches under good fertility management.

4. This amount of moisture should ensure us a good stand of planted ryegrass or cereal grains, as well as recovery and growth on our fescue stands.

6. Many producers rely on 5 months of Bermuda production to supply the cow’s needs for the whole year. What happens if we don’t get summer rains?

7. 2013 Goal: Utilize rain and forage as it’s available! – Rely less on hay! – Don’t Overstock! How can we better utilize rainfall?

8. Adaptability - Native Grasses

9. How can we make more efficient use of rainfall? • Native grasses • Adapted under wetting and drying cycles for thousands of years • Very deep rooted and therefore able to extract deep soil moisture • Will take some management to maintain a healthy stand • Could go a long way to forage needs during a drought

10. Native Range - Stocking Rates are the Key!

11. 6 Year Fertilizer Yield Response Mayes Co. Oklahoma NO Fertilizer! It Won’t Pay!

12. Native Range Restoration? • Get the Stocking Rate Right • Add fire back to the management equation

13. Grazing/ Mowing Height

14. How can we make more efficient use of rainfall? • Many producers over graze and mow hay fields too short and this halts growth…reducing yield over the season • Open canopies tend to see higher soil temps and therefore increased evapotranspiration rates • This management technique also tends to reduce the root system mass, reducing the ability of plants to harvest moisture from the soil profile

15. Clipping height and frequency effects on plant yield

16. Moisture Efficient Grasses

17. How can we make more efficient use of rainfall? • Some grasses are naturally more drought tolerant than others • This can result from a more efficient root system or from a reduced transpiration rate • Crabgrass is a great example of a high moisture forage that even when Bermuda browns out will still be green • This would make a useful grazing option for summer, expect 2-3 tons/A with fertility and higher quality than Bermuda

18. Warm Season Grass Growth in Late Fall

19. How can we make more efficient use of rainfall? • Namely stockpiling Bermudagrass • The past two years, most appreciable growth of Bermuda has occurred in the fall • Plan on this timeframe to grow forage for early winter utilization • If you have traditionally fertilized in May-June, consider moving this fertility to early September.

20. Stockpiled Bermudagrass (Nov-Dec)

21. 3500 3000 2500 2000 1500 1000 500 0 Late Summer Fertilization, Cherokee Co. 1996 (LB./a) Yield lbs./A 0-N 50 N Urea 100 N Urea 150 N Urea 150 N Am. Nit.

22. Notes: If cow needed 50# forage/day: 1 acre would provide 1 cow 60 days of grazing at this site. South field was grazed out by Jan. Cow needs 8% protein and 53% TDN when dry, 10% protein and 59% TDN when lactating. It was a dry winter!

23. Cool Season Forages!

24. How can we make more efficient use of rainfall? • Slightly less efficient than C4 grasses • But, due to their growing season are ideal for capturing moisture as it falls and converting to useable forage • This happens to be in the spring and fall • Many times these cool season forages are of better quality than our Bermuda fields • Capitalize on moisture when we have it! • Don’t bank on it sticking around!

25. Stockpiled Fescue (Jan-Feb)

26. Fescue • Love it or hate it, its still the best adapted perennial cool season forage for our area. • Can produce 1 ton of fall forage/ac and another 2 tons in the spring. • Adapted to low pH and low Fertility soils. • Toxicity problems can be managed. • Legume mix • Works well in a year round grazing system.

27. AUY = 9360 pounds • 9360/1280 = 7.3 acres • Stockers SL = 3.6 A/hd • Stockers IES = 1.8 A/hd • Lbs X 25% X Acres = harvestable yield • 4900 X .25 X 16.3= 19967 • 6350 X .25 X 4.1 = 6508 • 5250 X .25 X 17.5 = 22968 • 1875 X .25 X 1 = 468 • Total 49911/39 = 1280 lbs/A • Fescue Survey, 1994-95 • 276 lb. of Forage per Inch of Height

28. Fall Fertilized Fescue 2001 Cherokee Craig Delaware Mayes Muskogee Nowata Okfuskee Ottawa Wagoner Washington Unfert. Lbs/A 865 1108 778 885 1117 659 1329 1382 885 723 Fertilized Lbs/A 3803 2174 2111 2281 3201 2419 3733 4520 5480 1574 Increase Lbs/A 2938 1067 1333 1396 2084 1760 2404 3138 4596 851

30. Growing Steer

31. Ryegrass (Apr-May)

32. How can we make more efficient use of rainfall? • “I like ryegrass, but…” • We must get away from the mindset that Bermuda is our only good option • How has that worked for us the past two years and in 05-06? • I will trade an early boot cutting of ryegrass hay for Bermuda any day of the week! • Forage: Make it and take it when you can, when the rain is falling.

33. Provide High Nutritive Value Forage! 22-26 18-22 12-16 8-12 10-12 6- 8 12-16 10-14 64-67 61-64 63-68 59-63 52-58 45-50 61-66 58-62 Alf – Bud Alf - Early flower Rye Grass – Veg.- Boot Rye Grass – Boot - Head Bermuda – 4 week Bermuda – 8 week Fescue – Veg. - Boot Caucasian – Veg. - Boot Crop CP TDN . Southern Forages – Third Edition

34. Produces only about 15% of its total production in fall(900 to 1000#) Produces 5000 to 7000# in spring. Competes with wheat. Compliments Rye. Stampede- 3 Y NF rank. Marshall Jumbo Rio ME 94 Ryegrass

35. Check Ryegrass response to fertility. 60 lbs. N 180 lbs. N

36. Final Thoughts • If we are in for prolonged summer droughts we have to shift our thinking • Produce and harvest forage when the rains are here, fall and spring • Utilize forages such as Crabgrass or natives to make lemonade out of summer lemons • Reduce grazing/mowing pressure on forage stands • Increased root system vigor, moisture uptake, and yields! • Reduced evaporation and competition (weeds)

37. Final Thoughts • By utilizing a year-round grazing system we: • Convert moisture into forage as it’s available • Have better quality forage than most hay supplies • Eliminate haying until late winter • Save money • Cheaper to grow your own • Reduce supplementation • Make the cow do the harvesting! • Removes pressure to bale enough hay from summer pasture to last the winter! • Lessen impacts of drought conditions!

38. Survival in the Cow Business The Right Stocking Rate Make the Cow do the Work Smart use of Fertilizer Grazing Strategy

39. Questions?

40. Excess forage; harvest as hay Forage required by livestock Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Reducing Feeding Cost – Year Round Grazing. Move a portion of fertility resources and haying cost to different time of year. Graze Stockpiled Fescue Graze Ryegrass Fertilize Bermuda Fertilize Fescue Graze Stockpiled Bermuda Graze Bermuda Summer growth Plant Ryegrass Bale Bermuda Bale Ryegrass Feed hay