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Working Trees for Silvopasture

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Working Trees for Silvopasture Working Trees Combining Working Trees with forage and livestock produces Silvopasture marketable products and maintains long- An agroforestry practice term productivity. We chose a ilvopasture integrates trees, increases the comfort level for Other benefits include natural silvopasture S livestock, and forage into a livestock which reduces stress. insect control, opportunities for system so we could single system on one site. recreational activities like hunting The structure and plant diversity and birdwatching, and enhanced maximize our return These components diversify of silvopastures is attractive to aesthetics and property values. “ income sources. Annual income many wildlife species including from the land—from the cattle as well as from grazing and long-term wild turkey, quail, deer, and Silvopasture is becoming an the timber—over the profits from trees respond to many songbirds. important land-management different market pressures and strategy on many farms and next 20 to 25 years.” reduce risk when combined in Silvopastures are inherently ranches in the southeastern —George Owens, the same operation. sustainable systems. They United States. It is becoming Chipley, FL increase biological diversity, more important on farms and Shade from the trees lengthens protect water quality, reduce soil ranches where coniferous trees the forage growing season and erosion, and improve the water exist in other parts of the improves forage quality. It also holding capacity of the soil. country as well. Components of silvopasture Management of trees, cattle, and forage is more complex than management for single products, but can yield profitable returns for many years.” “ —Nathan Byrd & Cliff Lewis, USFS Southern Forest Experiment Station Trees Livestock Forage & browse Soil Locally marketable tree species Currently, silvopasture systems A variety of plant types, Adequate soil fertililty, proper can provide significant long- primarily involve cattle, goats, including shrubs, grass, pH, and well-developed term income. Trees must be or sheep. Other potential legumes, and forbs can make structure provide the fast growing, deep rooted, livestock choices include: up the forage and browse foundation for a productive drought tolerant, and respond horses, turkeys, chickens, component. Choices depend on silvopasture system. Other well to pruning. Trees also ostriches, emu, or game the livestock component and building blocks include proper provide wildlife habitat and animals such as bison, deer, elk, must be tolerant of grazing and drainage and erosion control. store carbon. and caribou. productive under shade. Planning considerations Silvopasture systems are intensively managed Forage Trees and therefore require regular and consistent must be suitable for livestock Although fertilization and attention. A producer must understand each of grazing, compatible with the pruning increase labor and the three components, trees, forage, and site, productive under partial input costs, the overall shade and mositure stress, economic return is greater livestock, and how they interact in order to be responsive to intensive because the goal is to produce successful. After inventorying the existing management, and tolerant of high quality lumber or poles, resources, consider the following: heavy utilization. not pulp or chips. Livestock Short rotation grazing Select livestock for which there This method of grazing, is a local market. This may though more productive, also include common cow-calf or requires more labor and regular dairy operations, but may monitoring along with more include niche market animals fencing and watering facilities for rodeos, meat goats, or sheep which may take some time to milk. Forage requirements will develop. For maximum vary depending on the variety production, improved forage of livestock. species should be established. Wildlife Assistance Transition strategy Region Although silvopastures can Technical assistance may be Converting a pasture or pine Silvopasture systems have been provide quality habitat for necessary to develop a system plantation into a fully successfully implemented in the some species of wildlife, not all that will function effectively. functioning silvopasture doesn’t western and southern parts of wildlife will benefit. State and federal programs may happen overnight. The the United States with Adjustments in vegetation can be available for financial significant investment in coniferous trees. Research, be made to enhance target assistance with tree planting or fencing, water distribution, tree however, is still inconclusive if wildlife species, but reductions thinning, or pasture establishment or removal, forage silvopastures will work in other in forage quality or wood value establishment. establishment, and possible parts of the country. may result. temporary pastures requires a well thought out transition. Design & establishment Pasture to silvopasture Plantation to silvopasture Forage suppression using herbicide, tillage, or mulch or Trees need to be thinned to the proper density. Use may be required for 2 to 3 years to establish tree seedlings. normal establishment procedures to establish forage. Each opportunity must be examined on its own merits to “determine if the operation is likely to prove profitable. The unique requirements for such multiple-use operations is expertise Paddock arrangement Tree pattern in both timber and Because overgrazing reduces the forage nutritional Silvopasture trees can be arranged in uniform block cattle management.” composition and its ability to regenerate, fencing plantings, clusters, or in single or multiple rows. —Nathan Byrd & Cliff (– ) is an important component of a silvopasture Evenly distributed trees in block plantings optimize Lewis, USFS Southern system. Fence plans should be flexible and not limit the growing space and light for both trees and Forest Experiment grazing options. The location of gates (– ) needs to forages. Trees grouped in rows or clusters facilitate the movement of livestock through the concentrate shade and root effects and provide open Station paddocks and the alignment of temporary lanes spaces for pasture production. The spacing between and alley ways. Animal performance also trees or tree rows should be wide enough to improves with frequent access to water (•). accommodate equipment for haying or fertilizing. Management Silvopasture management, as with all agroforestry Livestock Controlled grazing practices, ideally reflects the “Four I’s”: trees and Livestock need to be inspected Grazing time should be shrubs are intentionally combined with crops or for parasites that may cause according to forage growth, not livestock to create an integrated system that relies them to rub on trees. Young a fixed time schedule. Animals trees must be protected from must be moved to a new upon the interactions of the trees and crops, and is livestock. Either the pasture paddock before they graze new managed intensively to achieve economic, needs to be hayed or the trees regrowth of the current environmental, and social benefits. need to be protected by electric paddock. Strategically locate fences, tree shelters, or rigid salt and mineral licks, and mesh tubes until they have walkways to encourage uniform grown above chewing height. livestock distribution. Soil testing Pruning Regular testing will help To produce high quality, knot- indicate when additional free wood on the outer fertilizer or lime is needed to diameter of the tree stem, support forage production. pruning begins when trees reach 15 to 20 feet tall and have a diameter of five inches at a High concentration areas height of six inches above the (water trough, salt) ground. Continue pruning Woody & herbaceous Tree canopy & thinning Monitor these areas for soil until the tree reaches the desired plants The canopy is managed between compaction and invasive weeds. height of 18 to 32 feet. Overgrazing can reduce the 25 to 45 percent cover for warm proportion of desirable plants. season grasses and 40 to 60 The understory and overstory percent for cool season grasses. From my experience, intensive affect each other and must be This will require thinning at management is the key to this system. If a managed as one unit, together intervals of every 5 to 7 years with the livestock. Plant depending on site productivity. silvopasture is not managed, it won’t function legumes for nitrogen fixation properly.” —Lyn Ellison, Tupelo, MS and forage production. “ Why consider silvopasture? Forage Livestock With a well managed grazing Silvopastures provide shade and practice, a producer can wind protection which can economically handle weeds and increase livestock performance. brush without herbicides, Trees can cut the direct cold maintain fire breaks, and effect by 50 percent or more minimize habitat for gnawing and reduce wind velocity by as rodents. Grazing animals control much as 70 percent. Well- competition for moisture, managed forage production nutrients, and sunlight, thereby provides improved nutrition enhancing tree growth. Livestock for livestock growth and manure recycles nutrients. production. Current market trends (i.e. low domestic Economics Woodland pulpwood prices) are forcing the forestry Silvopasture systems reduce Silvopastures provide economic risk by producing opportunities to harvest a community to look at other options. A multiple products. The variety of products: sawtimber, silvopasture system can produce short-term or production costs are reduced veneer logs, posts and
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