April 04, 2003
Grazing Early Season Grasses and Weeds Will Help This Spring
LINCOLN, Neb. — Most forage experts are recommending producers delay pasture grazing this spring to allow plant roots to recover from last year's drought, a University of Nebraska forage specialist said. However, grazing early season grasses and weeds can actually help pasture regrowth.
"Waiting several weeks to several months to graze pastures this spring is a good idea except with early season grasses and weeds," said Bruce Anderson, NU forage specialist. "These plants will remove moisture that could be used for summer grass growth later on and also may compete with more desired grasses."
Grazing this early growth won't harm summer grass as long as producers finish grazing before new grass shoots get more than a couple of inches tall, the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources specialist said.
"This usually doesn't occur until late April in southern Nebraska, and slightly later as you move farther north," he said. "Producers need to remember to remove cattle before the primary grasses get damaged by early grazing, and then keep cattle off until the roots have recovered."
Early grazing will reduce the amount of expensive hay and other supplements that must be fed to cattle before the main grazing season begins, Anderson said.
4/4/03-AF
Bruce Anderson - Ph.D
Agronomy
Professor
(402) 472-6237
Sandi Alswager Karstens IANR News and Photography (402) 472-3030
Department: Agronomy & Horticulture
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