Native warm-season grasses have benefits

farmhelp Making farming a little easier Adding Grass

By Klaire Howerton Native warm-season grasses can add diversity, stainability and productivity The Ozarks is primarily fescue There is a rather substantial financial ducers might ask “is it worth it?” ForYet another appealing aspect of nacountry, but as producers seek investment to buy seed, as well as a time tunately, the pros tend to outweigh the tive warm-season grass is drought resisnew ways to diversify their farms investment. Grasses like Big and Little cons when it comes to established native tant. These bunch grasses have a deep in a sustainable and productive Bluestem and Indiangrass take time to stands. One of the best things about naroot system and are hardy in dry conmanner, developing stands of develop, so patience is required. Productive warm season grasses, Schnakenberg ditions. Schnakenberg noted during native warm-season grasses is ers will need to research their varieties said, is their efficiency of using fertilthe 2018 drought, producers who had worth the time and investment. and learn when to turn livestock in and izer and nutrients. This efficiency means established native stands for hay were

Tim Schnakenberg, field specialist in how to cut hay from native stands. Plantfewer inputs are needed; extension exstill able to harvest high tonnage. agronomy with the University of Mising these grasses will also require different perts generally recommend 60 pounds of To add a productive layer of diversouri Extension, and one of eight spetypes of equipment. The seed is light and nitrogen per acre per year – half of the sity to the farm, Schnakenberg highly cialists with the NRCS Plus MU Grassfluffy, Schnakenberg explained, and a noamount often required for other forages. recommended that producers consider lands Project, has a deep appreciation till drill must be adjusted for native seed. Native grasses also thrive in soils that adding 20 to 30 percent of warm-season for native grasses and what they can Mixing materials, such as corn chops or other grasses will not, such as acidic soils. grasses, even if they are not necessarbring to the pasture. pelletized lime, in with the seed can help Wildlife are drawn to native grasses and ily native. The time, effort and invest

“My interest has been native grasses for it flow more easily through a drill. Seed adding these forages to the field can help ment can pay off. One participant in the a long time,” he said. “They were here can also be broadcasted, provided there create quail and other critter habitat. Grasslands Project started out with a 10- before fescue, and they are well adapted.” is adequate soil contact. Once the seed is Established native warm season stands acre plot of Big and Little Bluestem, and

His work with the Grasslands Project in the ground, Schnakenberg said weed are highly productive for pasture and Indiangrass. He was so impressed with includes six different demonstrations of control is essential. He recommended a hay, and may also help reduce heat stress the results that he planted an additional Big Bluestem, Little Bluestem and Inpre- and post-emergence application of in cattle and help them keep weight on 25-acres. If producers want to give godiangrass on farms around the Ozarks, the herbicide Imazapick. It can be used in summer months. Reagan Bluel, field ing native a try, Schnakenberg recomwhere he collaborates with producers safely with Big and Little Bluestem, and specialist in dairy with MU Extension, mended starting small (5 to 10 acres) to help establish and manage stands. Indiangrass. It is critical that producexplained warm-season grasses offer and experimenting.

The first step towards developing a sucers not overgraze their stands once the cows a forage with higher digestibility. “Ask questions before you do it,” he cessful stand of native warm-season grassmanagement phase begins. SchnakenHot cows may go off feed, but warm-seaadvised. es, Schnakenberg explained, is to cultiberg said a general rule is to not let these son grasses can help them utilize what Visiting with local agronomists and vate a different management mindset. varieties be grazed below 8 inches, and they do eat more efficiently. NRCS specialists can help get produc

“You can’t treat these grasses like fescue,” native grasses generally do well in a manThe addition of these grasses will also ers the answers and information they he said. “They need different management agement intensive grazing system. reduce the amount of “hot” fescue a need for establishing successful native to keep them in the stand, and they won’t With such different requirements and cow is eating, which has the potential warm season stands. tolerate the abuse that fescue will.” strategies than traditional fescue, proto lessen the risk of heat stress.

what do you say?

How does animal nutrition relate to milk quality?

“Any cow in a high stress situation such as providing milk for a calf needs good nutrition to maintain good milk production.”

James Shearer Logan County, Ark.

“Good milk quality is a combination of breeding, with the bull being very important, care and nutrition. You need all three.”

Delene McCloy Carroll County, Ark.

“Good nutrition increases milk production, and the more milk the momma produces, the better and faster the baby grows to a better weaning weight.”

Sean Wright Sebastian County, Ark.

“Good nutrition not only increases the quality the milk but also the quantity.”

Ouida Cossey Searcy County, Ark.

farmhelp Breeding a Quality Dairy Animal

By Klaire Howerton The promotion of high-quality genetics improves herds for years to come When a producer breeds their and study pedigrees to select the most help balance out the lower-end cows. livestock, they should ideally efficient sire match. AI comes highly Bluel also advised that producers be be striving to produce the highrecommended by Bluel and she advised mindful of how many heifers they retain. est quality animal possible. producers to reach out to their area Ex“Ask yourself, do I need this many

While each operation will have varytension professionals for information. heifers?” she said. ing goals and desires, most can agree When breeding for quality, it is imA more cost-effective strategy is to that a quality animal will have correct portant to know what you are working select a smaller calf crop of high-qualconformation for the chosen breed (or with, Bluel said. Genomic testing will ity heifers, and feed and develop them at least be conformationally sound for give a producer incredibly beneficial well, as opposed to spreading resources health and ease of movement if crossdata to make decisions. for a larger calf crop of mixed quality. bred), have an appropriate temperament “This will allow you to amplify your For dairy goats, some of the same and produce a large amount of milk. impact,” Bluel explained. breeding strategies can be utilized to

Long-term promotion of good genetUsing the information from genomic produce high-quality kids. AI is an opics in the herd can ensure that nearly testing, a strategy to promote the best tion for goats, although many producall the animals on that operation will quality animals is to breed the best of ers opt for natural cover. be high quality. the herd with two services of AI to sexed Pedigrees, especially on the sire, will give

For dairy cattle, utilizing artificial semen, the middle quality animals with important details about milk production. insemination (AI) can drastically imone service of sexed semen, and breed Dairy goat shows are a way for proprove genetics. Reagan Bluel, field spethe bottom quality animals to a beef bull. ducers to see and compare a lot of qualcialist in dairy with the University of “This way you’ll be less tempted to ity animals in one place to aid them in Missouri Extension, explained many keep her offspring,” Bluel said. their breeding considerations. AI companies provide a service where She explained using sexed semen will they will evaluate a producer’s herd produce more heifers in the herd and will 20 Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

IMPROVING GENETICS

The primary goal of most dairy producers it to maximize the profitability of their herd. One way to achieve this goal is to have genetically-superior animal. As an important part of a profitable herd, genetic changes is permanent and accumulates over time.

Genetic change is dependent on four major factors:

1. Accuracy of Selection refers to a breeder to select animals that a truly are genetically superior for a given trait, and is dependent on evaluation techniques, phenotypes and heritability. 2. Selection Intensity is dependent on the proportion and quality of animals kept as breeding stock for the next generation. The more intense the selection, the more superior a group of animals is compared to the overall population. 3. Genetic Variation indicates the relative differences among animals that are controlled by genetic factors. It’s a function of the heritability of a trait. Genetic variation can be greatly influenced by things such and inbreeding, outcrossing or crossbreeding. 4. Generation interval is the average age of a parent with the offspring are born. — Source, Holstein Foundation