How Grass Grows Developed by: Wendy Williams, NRCS, Bozeman, MT UNCE, Reno, NV

Topics to be covered:  How plants make food  Legumes and grasses  How pasture plants grow  Growth and reproduction  Managing growing points  Plant identification  Determining forage yield

Parts of a legume taproot leaflet flower stem leaf stolon A. Miller

NRCS, Bozeman, MT Parts of a grass plant

NRCS, Bozeman, MT Growing Points  Location where cells divide and produce new growth  Occur close to the ground early in the growing season  Become elevated above ground as the growing season progresses

Forage Growth and Management USDA NRCS

Stages of grass growth  Vegetative  Growth of leaves  Elongation  Lengthening of stem internodes, also called jointing  Boot stage is the end of elongation  Reproductive  Development of seedhead and seed

Carbohydrate reserves (food)  Stored in roots, rhizomes and stolons  Used for first spring growth of dormant plants  Allow rapid regrowth from stubble Kentucky bluegrass rhizome Penn State University

Long-shoot plant (elongated internodes) Short-shoot plant Growing points removed; must regrow from basal buds Regrowth Growing point level Intact growing points

Adapted from NRCS, Bozeman, MT

Adapted fromNRCS

Adapted fromNRCS, Bozeman, MT Take half and leave half

Identifying grasses UNCE, Reno, Nev. Identifying grasses

Perennial ryegrass

Orchardgrass

Switchgrass

Sainfoin clay.agr.okstate.edu

How much grass do I have?

Determine forage yield Construct a clipping ring using an eight foot long piece of cable that has been bolted together.

Wait a minute! I don’t have grazing animals!  What are you trying to manage?  What are your management goals?  Attract and maintain wildlife  Discourage wildlife  Defensible space  Aesthetics  Noxious weed management

Methods for removing forage  Mowing  Need equipment  Need grass species that grow upright  Be sure to maintain the growing points  Fertilize or add legumes  Leasing to livestock managers for grazing  Need to know your forage yield  Don’t assume management will be good

Managing Grazing for Sustainable Pastures Developed by: Wendy Williams, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Montana Holly George, University of California Extension Service NRCS, Bozeman, MT

We’ll be covering  Benefits of implementing grazing management  Steps to effective grazing management  Estimating carrying capacity  Monitoring your land by making footprints  Grazing systems and pasture configurations  Grazing tips

Why manage grazing?  Keep plants healthy and productive  Increase forage production and saves money  Increase grazing capacity  Improve use of forage supply throughout the year  Help control weeds USDA NRCS

Steps to effective grazing management:  Graze to the desired stubble height  Don’t forget to preserve growing points  Allow adequate rest periods for grass regrowth  Don’t regraze a pasture until your key species has reached the desired height  In an irrigated pasture, don’t let seed heads form

How many animals can I graze? ACES

No matter how many animals… some things are the same You need to know:  CARRYING CAPACITY, or the number of animals a pasture can accommodate without overgrazing  STOCKING RATE, or the amount of forage stock are going to eat UNCE, Reno, NV

Methods for estimating carrying capacity  Pasture sticks & other physical methods  Animal Unit Months  Animal Days Per Acre UCCE

Estimating carrying capacity in ADA 10 yards Pace off an area of pasture that one animal would need for grazing for one day as the sole source of forage

Calculate stock days per acre  Multiply the length by the width  Calculate square yards per acre needed per animal per day  Divide 4,840 square yards per acre by square yards needed per animal per day  This gives Stock Days per Acre (SDA)

Stock days per pasture  Multiply SDA by the number of acres in the pasture  The total represents the total number of stocking days in the pasture

Let’s try an example  You have five acres of pasture and four horses  Your experimental time period is one day  Area width and length are both 25 yards 25 yards

Step 1: Calculate stock days per acre  Calculate the area by multiplying length x width: 25 yards x 25 yards = 625 square yards  Divide 4,840 square yards per acre by 625 square yards per animal day 4,840 square yards/625 square yards = 7.7 stock days per acre (SDA)

Step 2: Calculate total stock days per pasture  Multiply the stock days per acre times the total number of acres in the pasture 7.7 SDA x 5 acres = 38 stock days

Step 3: Calculate the number of grazing days for the pasture  Divide the number of stock days by the number of horses 38 SD / 4 horses = 9.6 days You can graze the five-acre pasture with four horses for 9.6 days

How do you know if your estimated grazing length is correct? Walk your land and look! UNCE, Reno, NV

Overgrazing occurs two ways:  Leaving stock in a pasture too long OR  Bringing them back too soon NRCS, Bozeman, MT

Stocking rate vs. stock density  The stocking rate of both paddocks is identical: 100 animal days per acre  However, the stock density is much greater in the pasture on the right, so the effect will be much different!

Monitoring  Use observations and common sense  If there isn't enough feed in your pasture, you are either overstocked or not allowing enough rest, regardless of what the calculations said

M ake footprints to manage well  Get out on the ground & look at what is happening  Your footprints and observations of how pastures and stock look are critical to making the necessary adjustments UNCE, Reno, NV

Three important questions  Look BEHIND: What rest period do my pastures need?  Look AHEAD: Has the paddock had enough rest?  Look WHERE the STOCK ARE: Is the stocking rate correct?

J. Mohler, MT

 Good cover NRCS, Bozeman, MT

Grazing systems  Season-long grazing  Partial-season grazing  Rotational grazing  Rapid rotation  Cell grazing

Season-long grazing is not a good strategy UNCE, Reno, NV 

Tips for improving your grazing management  Do not allow 24/7 access to forage areas; two to three hours during morning and evening will suffice  Divide or subdivide grazing areas into smaller blocks, where feasible  Improve waste management so that forage is not lost or damaged by wastes

Additional tips for improving your grazing management  Control weeds and undesirable plants in pastures and adjacent areas  Prevent or reduce differential or selective grazing  Mow pastures, especially those dominated by bunchgrasses, if selective grazing has occurred

What to Do About Weeds Developed by: Susan Donaldson University of Nevada Cooperative Extension UNCE, Reno, NV

Topics to be covered  What is a weed?  Why worry about weeds in pastures and landscapes?  How weeds are regulated  Weed biology  Factors that lead to plant invasion  Preventing invasion and spread of weeds  Identifying weeds  Control - mechanical, cultural, biological, and chemical  Common weeds in your area

What’s a weed? UNCE, Reno, NV

Weed impacts  Decreased grazing potential  Economic losses from refusals of hay shipments  Decreased crop yields  Cost of control UNCE, Reno, NV

Weed impacts  Decreased property values  Loss of wildlife and fish habitat  Impairment of wetland functions  Increased erosion  Toxicity UNCE, Reno, NV

How are weeds regulated, and what are your legal responsibilities?

How weeds grow

Dicot (Broadleaf) Two true leaves Broad leaves have net-like veins Coarse tap root Monocot (Grass) One seed leaf Parallel veins Fibrous roots

Plant parts for broadleaf identification NRCS, Bozeman, MT

Have you correctly identified the weed? Tumble Mustard Spotted Knapweed Perennial Sowthistle

Are you really sure??? Yellow Starthistle Dandelion

How do weeds spread?  Natural means  wind  water  animals UNCE, Reno, NV

How are we spreading weeds?  irrigation  roadside shoulder work  construction/ fill dirt  vehicles  tillage  contaminated seed or feed  livestock management UNCE, Reno, NV

What can we do? Practice Integrated Pest Management (IPM) IPM is a sustainable approach to managing pests that combines biological, cultural, physical and chemical tools in a way that minimizes economic, health, and environmental risks.

IPM tools for weed management (IWM)  Prevention  Eradication  Mechanical controls  Cultural controls  Biological controls  Chemical controls

ALWAYS read the label and follow its directions

 Aster family  Perennial  Dioecious  Flowers white to purple  Reproduction primarily vegetative through creeping roots, some seed Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense)

Houndstongue (Cynoglossum officinale)  Borage family  Biennial or short- lived perennial  Grows 1 to 4 feet tall  Reddish-purple flowers have 5 petals  Leaves are hairy and tongue-shaped  Produces a single flowering stem  Reproduces by prickly seed agri.state.mt.us NRCS, Bozeman, MT

Controls Mechanical: pull or dig; mow second year plants during flowering but before seed maturation Biological: currently being studied Chemical: Picloram (Tordon  ), 2,4-D, metsulfuron (Escort  ). chlorsulfuron (Telar  ), imazapic (Plateau  ) Houndstongue (Cynoglossum officinale)

CSUCE tncweeds.ucdavis.edu Leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula)  Spurge family (Euphorbiaceae)  Perennial  Reproduces by seed and extensive lateral root system  Flowers yellowish-green, small, and surrounded by paired, heart-shaped yellowish-green bracts

Controls Mechanical: cutting, mowing, tilling, pulling ineffective Biological: thirteen insect species available; sheep and goat grazing provides temporary control Fire: ineffective due to regeneration from root Chemical: Picloram (Tordon  ), 2,4-D, glyphosate (Roundup  ), amitrole, dicamba, imazapic (Plateau  ) Leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula)

Now what?  Go home and inventory the weeds on your property  Identify the weeds  Why do you have a weed problem? What can you change about the way you manage your property that will decrease the weed population?

USDA Developed by: Rhonda Miller Utah State University Starting Over: Pasture Establishment and Renovation USDA

What we’ll be covering:  Introduction  Forage establishment  Factors to consider prior to renovation  Plant characteristics  Characteristics of individual grasses and legumes UNCE, Reno, NV

Does your pasture need help?  Fertilization  Weed control  Proper management  Renovation USU, Logan, UT

Terms to know  Establishment: planting a pasture where there is no existing pasture  Renovation: a series of actions that lead to a long-term change in the plant composition of a pasture USDA ARS

When to renovate?  Renovate when:  Pasture is in poor condition and even proper management techniques will not improve the pasture to the desired level  You want to grow a different forage specie or variety UNCE, Reno, NV

Forage establishment UNCE, Reno, NV

Factors involved in forage establishment  Seedbed preparation  Seeding methods  Seeding guidelines  Seeding rates  Costs USU, Logan, UT

Why forage seedings fail Germination through emergence  Hard seed  Cold temperatures  Improper planting depth  Seed dries out  Crusted soil surface  Toxicity - allelopathic effects, herbicide carryover clay.agr.okstate.edu

Why forage seedings fail After emergence  Inappropriate pH  Low fertility  Poor drainage  Drought  Inadequate legume inoculation  Competition from weeds/companion crops  Insects  Diseases, winterkilling clay.agr.okstate.edu

Forage establishment Seeding methods  Broadcast  Cultipacker  Drilled  No-till  Frost seeding  Companion crop USU

Forage establishment Seeding rates  Desired stand  Percent pure live seed  Other factors to consider

Forage establishment Seeding Rates Percent pure live seed (PLS) % PLS = % Purity x % Germination % Purity = % of seed that is the desired forage seed % Germination = % of seed that germinates when planted

Plant characteristics USDA NRCS

Plant characteristics  Grasses  Legumes  Seasonal growth patterns  Disease resistance  Forage quality  Pure stands or mixtures

Characteristics of individual grasses & legumes

Cool-season grass cultivars  Most productive in the spring and fall  Poor summer production  Bunchgrasses versus sod-forming grasses NRCS

Orchardgrass Advantages:  Good quality  Good regrowth  Shade-tolerant Disadvantages:  Suffers when grazed continually NRCS USDA NRCS NRCS

Russian wildrye Advantages:  Cold-hardy, drought- tolerant and long-lived  Very tolerant of grazing and regrows quickly Disadvantages:  Difficult to establish  Can be damaged by overgrazing, especially in the early spring.  Recommended to be planted in pure stands and fenced off for better grazing management prairiewild.com

Warm-season grasses  Productive during summer months  Must be suitable for your area  Bunchgrasses versus sod-forming grasses USDA NRCS

Switchgrass Advantages:  Productive during hot summer months  Tolerates a wide range of soil conditions  Excellent forage for livestock  Excellent forage and cover for wildlife Disadvantages:  Not suited for cool climates  May be difficult to establish USDA ARS USDA NRCS

Sudangrass and sorghum-sudangrass hybrids Advantages:  Productive during hot summer months  Adapted to moderately well- drained soils  Tolerates poorly drained soils and a range of pH and soil textures Disadvantages:  Requires warm (60 degree) temperatures to grow  Winter kill at first hard frost  Young plants and drought or frost stressed plants can be poisonous National forage and grasslands curriculum

Legumes  Fix nitrogen from atmosphere  May cause bloat clay.agr.state.edu

Birdsfoot trefoil Advantages:  Excellent quality  Grows in variety of soils and conditions  Non-bloat legume Disadvantages:  Can graze frequently, but not closely  Slow to establish flicr.com

Sainfoin Advantages:  Good quality  Well adapted to soils of the Rocky Mountain Region  Good drought tolerance  Non-bloat legume Disadvantages:  Intolerant of frequent defoliation clay.agr.okstate.edu

GOOD LUCK AND KEEP TRACK OF YOUR SUCCESSES