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Silvopasture is an agroforestry practice in which forages are incorporated into the same system as woody perennials in order to create a sustainable grazing system. The main objective of this study was to investigate whether the establishment of agroforestry as a management system promotes soil health. Glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP), a glycoprotein often related to soil carbon and nitrogen, soil aggregation, and arbuscular mycorrhizae, has been suggested as a functional soil health indicator for the properties of promotion of soil structure and the sequestration of nutrients. Within a mixed hardwood forest in the Arkansas River Valley, an agroforestry system was established to evaluate three basal areas (30, 50, and 70 ft²/ac) and two forages including tall fescue (Lolium arundinaceum [Schreb.] Darbysh) and orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.). Soil properties assessed within this study include pH, electrical conductivity, particulate organic matter (POM), total organic matter (TOM), GRSP, Mehlich-3 extractable nutrients, and bulk density at soil depths separated at 0-4 (0-10 cm) and 4-12 in. (10-30 cm). It was observed within this study that GRSP is significantly correlated with TOM, potassium, and phosphorus. A significant difference in GRSP at the soil depth of 4-12 in. was observed between the 70 and 30 ft²/ac basal treatments. The results of this study provided evidence that GRSP can be used as an early soil health indicator for nutrient cycling and availability of organic matter with the introduction of silvopastoral practices. Furthermore, results indicated that belowground properties might respond relatively rapidly to management techniques and thus highlight the importance of monitoring soil responses to change in tree basal area and forage establishment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As hay supplies dwindle, University of Missouri Extension agronomist Rusty Lee is showing forage producers how to use a simple, inexpensive treatment to stretch feed supplies during drought. "It does not become the equivalent of good grass hay, but with good hay eclipsing $100 per bale, the $14.40 spent should make a positive return on investment." MU Extension state forage specialist Craig Roberts says MU studies show that ammoniated tall fescue is about five times less toxic than infected pastures. [Extracted from the article]

Seed heads typically emerge by mid-May in most of Missouri's tall fescue pastures. Forage producers should begin removing seed heads from tall fescue grass pastures soon to reduce toxic endophytes that thwart herd health and profits, says University of Missouri Extension state forage specialist Craig Roberts. [Extracted from the article]

Let's take a look at 5 headlines involving cattle from across the USA. For example, for cattle producers aiming for cattle to gain weight quickly - important for grass finishing - a combination of big bluestem and indiangrass would be the best forage option. Three of the warm-season grasses evaluated in the study - eastern gamagrass, switchgrass, and a mix of big bluestem and indiangrass - were native grasses. [Extracted from the article]

Certainly, we can recover some or all of those expenses by increasing the sale price of our hay, but we still have to find someone willing to pay more for hay in a market environment where feeder cattle prices are good...but not great. The considerations for a toxic tall fescue hay meadow are certainly different from a red clover/brome stand, or an established field of alfalfa. Most all the first cutting hay and even waterway grass across Iowa has been rolled up or stacked in a hay loft. [Extracted from the article]

An additional 20 demonstration plots were planted in orchardgrass, tall fescue, white clover and annual ryegrass with varying success on about five acres of hardwood on a cattle rancher's land near Subiaco. The annuals included annual ryegrass, Italian ryegrass, crimson clover and arrowhead clover. A new study has identified two types of grass that grow well in wooded settings as forage for small beef producers in Arkansas looking to integrate forestry on grazing land, a practice known as "silvopasture.". [Extracted from the article]

Horner and his MU Extension team estimate net renovation costs per acre to total $354 if using a summer smother crop, $497 if using a winter smother crop and $357 if using no smother crop. b After removing toxic fescue, producers often plant "novel" fescue varieties that are nontoxic to livestock, but tend to grow and persist as well as tall fescue infected with harmful endophytes. [Extracted from the article]

Producers should remove cows from fescue pastures before applying nitrogen, the nutrient that most increases yield in grasses. Guidelines for nitrogen fertilizer amounts Roberts recommends the following when applying nitrogen: Toxins vary year to year, so nitrogen rates may vary. [Extracted from the article]

Rising corn and soybean commodity prices are making their way downstream to feed prices, putting a pinch on profits. Beef producers can offset rising feed prices with changes in their operations, according to University of Missouri Extension beef nutritionist Eric Bailey. [Extracted from the article]

This grazing enterprise matches Missouri's tall fescue growth curve and could lead to opportunities for producers with limited capital and equipment to enter the cattle business, Bailey says. Eric Bailey, University of Missouri Extension beef nutrition specialist, is looking at how to graze the same number of calves in half the time for better weight gains. It is part of a three-year study with researchers at the University of Missouri's Southwest Research Center in Mount Vernon on determining if beef producers can improve profits through a "double" calf stocking and grazing plan. [Extracted from the article]

B Check forage stand for plant vigor and density. b If drought conditions improve, consider frost seeding red clover or interseeding drought-tolerant species. Going forward Take these actions to safeguard your pastures: B Monitor drought conditions regularly. b This will provide direction in how to proceed this spring with turnout, seeding, fertilization and weed control. [Extracted from the article]

For legume-grass mixed pastures or hayfields, if the stand is less than a third legume, treat it as a grass pasture or hayfield. For hayfields or pastures that have hay baled or otherwise removed, it's important to apply additional P and K fertilizer based on crop nutrient removal. Timing of P and K applications can be flexible; however, it may be more convenient to apply P and K fertilizer in the fall or spring along with the N fertilizer application. [Extracted from the article]

"Plant cool-season grasses in September", says Craig Roberts, University of Missouri Extension forage agronomist. "The absolute best cool-season grass is one of the novel-endophyte fescues", Roberts says. Novel-endophyte fescues are hardier than endophyte-free fescue. [Extracted from the article]

Highlights from the article: The most common plants in tallgrass warm-season pastures or shortgrass cool-season pastures are drastically different. Over time, mowing at a higher height in the canopy will improve the health of your grass stand, reduce the presence of weeds and improve the quality of your soil, giving you thicker stands of desirable grasses.

The author advises farmers about the importance of stockpiling tall fescue (TF) in the months of August and September for winter grazing. He offers a comparison of TF with other cool season grass species and explains its advantage in terms of fall growth production. He also explores the practice of nitrogen application on stockpiled TF.