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1+1 Agriculture Canada FORAGE CROPS Aspen in the Parklands of Western Canada +.+. Agriculture l l Canada QCT 2 2 1991 r3 Library / Bibliotheque,Ottawa K1A 0C5 y K', f^Bf; iW# j,»>«| I \ i_™^- PASTURING V c /? t 7/ 3 FORAGE CROPS Aspen in the Parklands of Western Canada -PASTURING- Research Station Melfort, Saskatchewan in cooperation withSaskatchewanAgriculture and TermuendeResearchStation DepartmentofAnimalandPoultryScience UniversityofSaskatchewan Research Branch Agriculture Canada Publication 1872/E 1991 © MinisterofSupplyandServicesCanada 1991 AvailableinCanadathrough AssociatedBookstores andotherbooksellers orbymailfrom — CanadaCommunicationsGroup Publishing Ottawa,CanadaKlA 0S9 Cat.No. A53-1872/199IE ISBN 0-660-14058-6 CanadianCataloguinginPublicationData Beacom,S.E., 1926- ForagecropsintheaspenparklandsofWestern Canada. Pasturing (Publication 1872/E) ; Author:S.E. Beacom.Cf. P. vi. Cat.no. A53-1872/199IE ISBN 0-660-14058-6 — 1. Pastures Canada,Western. I. Canada. AgricultureCanada. ResearchStation(Melfort, Sask.)II. Saskatchewan. Saskatchewan Agriculture. III. TermuendeResearchStation. IV.Title. V.Title:Pasturing. VI. Series: Publication(Canada AgricultureCanada). English; 1872/E. SB199.B4 1991 633.2'02'09712 C9I-099105-7E CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS vii INTRODUCTION 1 COMPONENTS OF THE PASTURE SYSTEM 4 PASTURE - ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES 6 Advantages 6 Disadvantages 6 RATIONALE FOR PASTURE RESEARCH 7 FACTORS AFFECTING THE CHOICE OF A PASTURE SPECIES 8 FORAGE SPECIES COMMONLY GROWN FOR PASTURE IN THE ASPEN PARKBELT 9 Perennial legumes 9 Alfalfa 9 Sainfoin 10 Birdsfoot trefoil 11 Alsike clover 12 Red clover 12 Cicer milkvetch 13 Biennial legume 14 Sweet clover 14 Perennial grasses 14 Smooth bromegrass 14 Crested wheatgrass 15 Russian wildrye 16 Intermediate wheatgrass 17 Tall wheatgrass 18 Reed canarygrass 18 Meadow bromegrass 19 Other grass species 20 A COMPARISON OF GRASS SPECIES FOR PASTURE IN NORTHEAST SASKATCHEWAN 21 ESTABLISHING A PRODUCTIVE PASTURE 24 VARIATIONS IN PASTURE PRODUCTIVITY 25 Observations 27 METHODS FOR BALANCING PASTURE SUPPLY TO LIVESTOCK DEMAND AND FOR EXTENDING THE GRAZING SEASON 28 ill FERTILIZING PASTURES 29 Introduction 29 Native pasture 29 Grass 29 Legumes 29 Grass/legume mixtures 29 Annuals 30 Application method 30 Some cautions 30 Residual effects of applying fertilizers to pastures 30 FERTILIZING BROMEGRASS-ALFALFA PASTURE ON A PRODUCTIVE SILTY CLAY LOAM SOIL 32 RESPONSE OF BROMEGRASS-ALFALFA, RUSSIAN WILD RYE AND MIXED PASTURE STAND TO FERTILIZER APPLICATIONS ON A GRAY WOODED (WAITVILLE LOAM) SOIL AT PATHLOW 34 Economics 35 EFFECT OF ROW SPACINGS ON YIELD 35 GRAZING MANAGEMENT 36 Introduction 36 Livestock behavior 36 Plant response to grazing 37 Seasonal carbohydrate storage 37 Root growth 38 Grazing management systems 38 Relationship between stock density and beef production 39 Types of grazing systems 40 Continuous grazing 40 Rotational grazing 41 Strip grazing 42 Zero (mechanical grazing) 43 Other grazing systems 44 Other pasture management practices 44 Mineral supplementation 44 Growth stimulating implants 46 Fly control on pasture 46 Herd health 47 EFFECT OF WINTERING PLANE OF NUTRITION ON STEER GAINS ON PASTURE 47 GRAZING TRIALS WITH CATTLE AND SHEEP 51 A comparison of three pasture management systems on productive black soil at Melfort 51 A comparison of four systems for managing yearling beef steers on pasture 53 Crested wheatgrass vs Russian wild rye for pasture 56 IV ANNUAL CROPS FOR PASTURE 57 Production practices 58 Managing annual pastures 59 Example yields/productivity 59 Advantages of annual pastures 60 Disadvantages of annual pastures 60 Mechanical (zero) grazing of annual pastures 61 GRAZING TRIALS WITH CATTLE AND SHEEP ON ANNUAL PASTURES 61 Spring seeded annuals as pastures for heifers 61 A comparison of annual vs perennial forage crops as pasture for sheep 62 A comparison of oat varieties for lamb production 63 COW-CALF PRODUCTION ON GRAY-WOODED SOIL PASTURES (PATHLOW PROJECT) 64 EFFECT OF PASTURE MANAGEMENT ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF FORAGE SPECIES ON THE PATHLOW PROJECT DURING A FIFTEEN YEAR PERIOD (1975-1989) 70 PASTURE AND RANGE RENOVATION 73 Land clearing 73 Breaking or rebreaking 73 Work down 73 Seed drills 74 Time of seeding 74 Direct seeding (sod-seeding) 74 Depth of seeding 75 Companion crops 75 Economics 75 REJUVENATING LONG-TERM CRESTED WHEATGRASS PASTURES AT THE TERMUENDE RESEARCH STATION 76 Continuous 76 Rotational 76 Complementary 77 BRUSH CONTROL WITH WIPER-APPLICATORS 77 SUMMARY POINTS ON MANAGING AN EXISTING PASTURE FOR OPTIMUM PRODUCTION 78 WATER SUPPLY 80 FENCING 80 SUGGESTED MODEL FOR A PASTURE OPERATION ON A SECTION OF PRODUCTIVE SOIL... 82 Field layout 82 Features 82 Suggested seasonal pattern of use 83 s A. ESTIMATED PRODUCTIVITY OF THE PASTURE ENTERPRISE USING GRAZING STEERS 86 Assumptions 86 Combined pasture & finishing enterprise 88 B. ESTIMATED PRODUCTIVITY RETURNS UNDER A COW-CALF ENTERPRISE 88 Assumptions 88 Costs on pasture 89 VI ACKNOWLEDGMENTS While most of the material contained in this publication has originated from pasture research conducted at the Melfort Research Station and at the station's research site on the Pathlow Community Pasture over the period from 1954 to 1989, the author/editor has also included information from other sources to provide the reader with a more complete overview of the practices and experiences involved in producing and utilizing pastures in the Aspen Parkbelt. The following have contributed directly by providing written material or indirectly by conducting the research and reporting the results of their research primarily in the Melfort Station's annual Research Highlights. MELFORT RESEARCH STATION Dr. S.E. Beacom Animal Nutritionist 1952-1989 (retired) Mr. D.A. Cooke Forage Agronomist 1950-1977 (deceased) Mr. W.K. Dawley Soils Specialist 1956-1965 (deceased) Dr. W.F. Nuttall Soil Fertility Specialist 1965-present Dr. J. Waddington Forage Agronomist 1968-1984 (now at Swift Current Research Station) Dr. S. Bittman Forage Agronomist 1978-1987 (now at Agassiz Research Station) Dr. J.A. Robertson Ruminant Nutritionist 1965-1985 (now at Kamloops Research Station ) Dr. S.O. Thorlacius Ruminant Nutritionist (Sheep) 1972-1980 (deceased) Mr. D.H. McCartney Beef Cow-Calf Management 1973-present Specialist Dr. W. Berkenkamp Plant Pathologist 1987-present UNIVERSITY OF SASKATCHEWAN Dr. R.D.H. Cohen Beef Cattle and Pasture Research and B.D. King - Termuende Research Station, Lanigan, Sask. PROVINCE OF SASKATCHEWAN Mr. D.A. Fraser Research Agrologist, Saskatchewan Rural Development OTHERS Information on the adaptation and role of forage species for pasture has been supplemented with material from the "Alberta Forage Manual" (a joint publication of Alberta Agriculture and Agriculture Canada, Agdex 120/20-4). Information on weather has been provided by the Brandon and Lacombe Research Stations of Agriculture Canada; and on the distribution of soil types within VII the prairie provinces by the Department of Soil Science, University of Saskatchewan, and University of Alberta and the Canada-Manitoba Soil Survey, University of Manitoba. Much of the pasture research at the Melfort Station since 1974 was made possible by a cooperative arrangement with the Saskatchewan Horned Cattle Fund Committee, and the Lands and Livestock Branches of Saskatchewan Agriculture, who provided financial support, land, some pasture facilities, administrative services, and the cattle required not only for the pasture research but for many nutritional and management studies carried out with the progeny of the cow herd. The author is particularly appreciative of the help of Drs. Bittman, Cohen, Robertson and Waddington who reviewed the original manuscript and made many helpful suggestions for improving it. The author also wishes to express his thanks to Dr. H.R. Davidson, current Director of the Melfort Research Station, for providing the secretarial help and other station resources involved in the preparation of this manuscript. The author wishes to express his deep appreciation and thanks to Mrs. Susan Wittig, Secretary to the Director, Melfort Research Station, who prepared the manuscript and assisted in the preparation of charts and graphs. S.E. Beacom Director Melfort Research Station, 1966-1989 Research Scientist, Ruminant Nutrition and Forage Utilization, 1952-1966 VIII