Specialist: Management 'keys' open door to pasture possibilities

"There are six keys to successful pasture management," Johnson said. "The choice of a site is important, as is the soil on that site and the forage a producer chooses to plant. They also need to think about the seeding process, weed control and the first use of that forage."

Johnson will address each point during the Heart of America Grazing Conference. The conference takes place Jan. 24-25 at the Mount Vernon, Ill., Holiday Inn. The hotel is located at the intersection of interstates 57 and 64 in south-central Illinois.

Purdue is a conference sponsor, along with four other Midwest land-grant universities and 13 agricultural and government organizations.

Johnson's presentation, "Keys to Successful Pasture Establishment," is scheduled for 1:45 p.m. and 3 p.m. CST Jan. 25.

When selecting a site, producers should consider its proximity to their homestead, water and electricity, and whether the site is prone to flooding, Johnson said. Soil composition and the types of forage it can grow also should factor into a producer's decision, he said.

"We have to think about the choice of the forage as it relates to establishing pastures," Johnson said. "First of all, what are the soils that we have selected for the pasture in regard to the forage to be grown? As an example, alfalfa is not very well-adapted to a poorly drained site. So alfalfa would not be a good choice to have on a soil that has poor drainage. Then we need to think about whether we make our own blend of grasses and legumes or whether we buy pre-blended mixtures."

While pre-blended products might work well in some pastures, they aren't ideal for every field.

"I have several concerns about just picking a pre-blended mixture off the shelf," Johnson said. "First, are the right species in that bag? In other words, if I don't need the 5 percent lespedeza, then why have the 5 percent lespedeza in the seed bag? Are the species in the right ratio? Some seed is very small, and if you have a 5 percent contribution of that seed by weight, it could actually end up being 30 percent out in the field because the seed size is so small. And, lastly, you lose control because you are not making the choice of the varieties that are in that mixture."

Seeding too late or at the wrong depth can hamper stand establishment. Johnson urged producers not to sow small forage seed like orchardgrass or alfalfa deeper than one-fourth of an inch. If planted deeper, the seed could experience emergence problems, he said.

Pasture establishment issues continue even after a first crop is ready for harvest, Johnson said.

"We need to allow these small plants to get established so that they can take the stress of grazing," he said. "We do not want to go out and graze an 8-inch stand down to 1 inch or 2 inches and not allow recovery. I would suggest that we graze only 50 percent of the forage that might be out there the first time to further allow that plant to establish.

"Preferably, instead of grazing first use, we probably ought to consider making it as conserved forage, which means baling it as hay or making a silage crop when soil conditions permit that to happen. That way we're not causing compaction by the harvest equipment."

In addition to Johnson's presentation, those attending the Heart of America Grazing Conference will hear forage and livestock specialists address such topics as grazing livestock on pasture with organic inputs, stocking rates, legume utilization, tall fescue management, grazing and crop rotation, and fencing.

Advance conference registration runs through Jan. 12. Early registration is $50 for both days or $30 for one day of the conference. Registration after Jan. 12 is $60 for both days and $40 for one day. Registration includes a dinner, lunch and program materials.

To register online. For more information about the conference, including a complete speaker schedule click on the conference link; or contact Justin Sexten, University of Illinois Extension beef specialist, at (618) 242-9310 or by e-mail at sexten@uiuc.edu.

Writer: Steve Leer, (765) 494-8415, sleer@purdue.edu

Source: Keith Johnson, (765) 494-4800, johnsonk@purdue.edu

Ag Communications: (765) 494-2722;
Beth Forbes, forbes@purdue.edu
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Purdue University Department of Agronomy

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