Training Manual for Participants 4/4/2019 GRASSFED BEEF IN THE SOUTHEAST: FROM SEED TO PLATE Forage Module Part I: Pasture Management Uma Karki, PhD Tuskegee University Cooperative Extension Program GRASSFED BEEF IN THE SOUTHEAST: FROM SEED TO PLATE Pasture Improvement GRASSFED BEEF IN THE SOUTHEAST: FROM SEED TO PLATE Pasture Improvement Steps • Soil test • Seed calculation • Weed control • Legume seed inoculation • pH amendment • Planting • Land preparation • After planting • Fertilizer application • Building organic matter • Selecting forages 1 4/4/2019 GRASSFED BEEF IN THE SOUTHEAST: FROM SEED TO PLATE Find Out About Your Soil • NRCS Web soil survey - https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Byo0fBSnPCfjUHVZSl9EY19XM1k/edit • Use this tool to identify soil and other aspects of your pastureland • Soil type • Slope • Other properties • Step by step procedure to use this site is available at this link https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Byo0fBSnPCfjUHVZSl9EY19XM1k/edi t GRASSFED BEEF IN THE SOUTHEAST: FROM SEED TO PLATE Soil Test • Very important and the very first step • Regular soil test evaluates major nutrient contents and pH • Nutrients – plants need different nutrients for growth • Major nutrients - Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium • pH – Right pH is necessary for nutrient availability for plants • 5.8 – 6.5 pH suitable for most Southern forages • Legumes require higher pH than grasses - ≥6 - 7 GRASSFED BEEF IN THE SOUTHEAST: FROM SEED TO PLATE Soil Test.. • Collect representative samples - 15-20 random sub-samples in a zigzag manner from a plot (20 acres maximum area - one composite sample) with uniform soil having same forage and topography • Sample collection depth - 0-4 inches depth for perennial pastures, 0-6 inches or to the depth of tillage for annual pastures • Avoid areas such as shade, watering and feeding facilities, and manure piles. Do not collect samples from within 150 ft. radius of these areas (see next slide) 2 4/4/2019 GRASSFED BEEF IN THE SOUTHEAST: FROM SEED TO PLATE Soil Sampling Pattern • Not within 150 ft • Shade • Feeding • Water GRASSFED BEEF IN THE SOUTHEAST: FROM SEED TO PLATE Soil Sample Collection • Materials: • Soil core sampler, shovel, or trowel • Bucket • Sample bag GRASSFED BEEF IN THE SOUTHEAST: FROM SEED TO PLATE Soil Test.. • Collect all the sub-samples into a clean bucket and mix thoroughly • Remove any non-soil materials from the sample • Take a pint of composite soil sample and put in a sample bag, close it, label it with your name, address, sample name, and forage species that are growing or to be planted • Mail the sample with required payment to the nearest Soil Testing Laboratory • Use the soil test results for applying required lime and fertilizers 3 4/4/2019 GRASSFED BEEF IN THE SOUTHEAST: FROM SEED TO PLATE Most nutrients are available at neutral pH GRASSFED BEEF IN THE SOUTHEAST: FROM SEED TO PLATE Mineral Nutrients Macro-nutrients • Nitrogen • Required for photosynthesis (component of chlorophyll) and green leafy growth. • Legumes – they fix nitrogen into the soil and make available for plant. Pastures containing 33% or more legumes do not require the addition nitrogen • Application – This nutrient is unstable. Therefore, need to be used in divided doses: • First dose – after planting when all forages (grass and forbs) are germinated well and field looks green • Subsequent doses: After the first and subsequent grazing GRASSFED BEEF IN THE SOUTHEAST: FROM SEED TO PLATE Mineral Nutrients.. • Macro-nutrients.. •Phosphorus • Necessary for root growth and development, growth and survival of seedlings, and fruit and seed formation • Stays in soil for a long time • Apply few weeks before planting (or at the time of planting if prior application is not possible) 4 4/4/2019 GRASSFED BEEF IN THE SOUTHEAST: FROM SEED TO PLATE Mineral Nutrients.. • Macro-nutrients.. • Potassium • Necessary for maintaining cold hardiness, disease resistance, and root growth and development • Intermediate between phosphorus and nitrogen in terms of stability in soil • Apply few weeks before planting (or at the time of planting if not possible to apply before planting), second application may be required to meet the crop demand GRASSFED BEEF IN THE SOUTHEAST: FROM SEED TO PLATE Mineral Nutrients.. • Other nutrients: Other fertilizers including the micronutrients may be required for your pastures depending on the type of forages grown and their performance • Secondary nutrients • Calcium • Magnesium • Sulfur • Micro-nutrients • Boron, manganese, copper, iron, molybdenum, chloride, zinc, nickel • Animal manure GRASSFED BEEF IN THE SOUTHEAST: FROM SEED TO PLATE WEED CONTROL IS IMPORTANT 5 4/4/2019 GRASSFED BEEF IN THE SOUTHEAST: FROM SEED TO PLATE Weed Control – Why? • Weeds compete with forages for nutrients, space, sunlight, and moisture, and reduce the productivity and quality of forages • Some weeds can be poisonous to livestock • Weeds must be controlled before applying any lime or fertilizer • There are different methods of weed control GRASSFED BEEF IN THE SOUTHEAST: FROM SEED TO PLATE Steps of Weed Control • Walk your pasture regularly • Identify weeds GRASSFED BEEF IN THE SOUTHEAST: FROM SEED TO PLATE Horsenettle Coffeeweed Dogfennel Copperweed 6 4/4/2019 GRASSFED BEEF IN THE SOUTHEAST: FROM SEED TO PLATE Weed Control Methods • Close grazing with small ruminants • Then bottom plowing at the beginning, and repeated tilling of the soil if still weeds or other plant persist • If close grazing and soil tillage is not good enough to control the weeds, use of a suitable herbicide will be necessary. To decide which herbicide to use, visit this link and read the weed control chapter: http://www.tuskegee.edu/sites/www/Uploads/files/About%20 US/TUCEP/Livestock%20Program/WeedProceedings.pdf • Control weeds before they flower and produce viable seeds GRASSFED BEEF IN THE SOUTHEAST: FROM SEED TO PLATE Manage Weeds on Time This stage is already too late! GRASSFED BEEF IN THE SOUTHEAST: FROM SEED TO PLATE Weed-Seed Spread - Minimize • Weed seeds can spread through • Mower, chopper, or other farm equipment • Manure containing weed seed • Weed-contaminated hay • Grazing animals • Operators’ shoes and clothing • Minimize this possibility • Clean equipment, shoes, and clothes • Do not use contaminated hay or manure • Give rest to livestock for 3-5 days before bringing to clean pastures 7 4/4/2019 GRASSFED BEEF IN THE SOUTHEAST: FROM SEED TO PLATE Methods of Weed Control • Cultural • Mechanical PROPER • Grazing/Biological TIMING • Chemical • Integrated GRASSFED BEEF IN THE SOUTHEAST: FROM SEED TO PLATE APPLY LIME AND FERTILIZER BASED ON SOIL-TEST RECOMMENDATION GRASSFED BEEF IN THE SOUTHEAST: FROM SEED TO PLATE Soil pH Correction • Apply lime to the acidic soil to increase the pH • 6 months to one year prior to targeted results in the permanent pastures where no tillage is applied • At least three months before planting in the annual pastures • Apply any of the following to lower the pH in alkaline soil • Sphagnum peat, elemental sulfur, aluminum sulfate, iron sulfate, acidifying nitrogen, and organic mulches 8 4/4/2019 GRASSFED BEEF IN THE SOUTHEAST: FROM SEED TO PLATE Fertilizer Application • Calculate the required amount • Calculate on your own • Use the fertilizer calculation sheet • Use online calculator http://www.aces.edu/anr/soillab/chemfertilizercalc.php • Do cost calculation and select the most economical fertilizer (nutrient vs. filler) GRASSFED BEEF IN THE SOUTHEAST: FROM SEED TO PLATE Organic Matter for Improving Soil • Add organic matter and build your soil • Compost, plant residues (shoots and roots), and animal wastes are the sources of organic matter • Organic matter function • Holds the soil particles together forming aggregates, thereby reducing the risk of soil erosion • Maintains soil porosity and facilitates air and water movement through the soil as well as nutrient uptake by the plant roots GRASSFED BEEF IN THE SOUTHEAST: FROM SEED TO PLATE Organic Matter .. • Organic matter.. • Increases the nutrient retention and water holding capacity of soil • Facilitates the survival and growth of various flora and fauna (earthworms, microbes) and enhances the microbial activity and overall soil health • Organic matter itself serves as a source of various nutrients required for plants 9 4/4/2019 GRASSFED BEEF IN THE SOUTHEAST: FROM SEED TO PLATE Organic Matter .. Factors that promote gains of soil organic matter Green manures or cover crops Conservation tillage Return of plant residues into the soil Low temperatures and shading Controlled grazing High soil moisture Surface mulches Application of compost and manures Appropriate nitrogen levels High plant productivity High plant root:shoot ratio Source: Brady and Weil, 2002. GRASSFED BEEF IN THE SOUTHEAST: FROM SEED TO PLATE Organic Matter .. Factors that promote losses of soil organic matter Erosion Intensive tillage Whole plant removal High temperatures and exposure to sun Overgrazing Low soil moisture Fire Application of only inorganic materials Excessive mineral nitrogen Low plant productivity Low plant root:shoot ratio Source: Brady and Weil, 2002. 29 GRASSFED BEEF IN THE SOUTHEAST: FROM SEED TO PLATE PREPARE LAND WELL FOR SUCCESSFUL FORAGE ESTABLISHMENT 10 4/4/2019 GRASSFED BEEF IN THE SOUTHEAST: FROM SEED TO PLATE Land Preparation • No-till drill • Drills seeds into the soil without opening much of the ground surface. • Very little or no soil erosion risk. • Can be rented or borrowed from most of the soil conservation districts or private companies. • Suitable to overseed annual or perennial forages into the existing pastures. GRASSFED BEEF IN THE SOUTHEAST: FROM SEED TO PLATE Land Preparation • Light harrowing • If no-till drill is not available, then existing pasture ground can be slightly opened up with light harrowing so that planted seeds can be in close contact with open soil, without much damage to the existing stand Harrowed field GRASSFED BEEF IN THE SOUTHEAST: FROM SEED TO PLATE Land Preparation • Prepared seedbed • Prepared seedbed is necessary for establishing some of the forages, which have poorly competitive seedlings and take a long time for establishing, such as sericea lespedeza, bahiagrass, and perennial peanuts.