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Bulletin No. 385 - Comparitive Nutritive Value And Palatability Of Some Introduced And Native Forage Plants For Spring And Summer Grazing, C. Wayne Cook, L. A. Stoddart, Lorin E. Harris

Christopher Cook

From 1952 to 1954 studies were conducted on foothill ranges of central Utah to determine the forage production, palatability, and nutritive value of some of the more important native and introduced species used for spring and summer grazing.

Plants studied were four introduced wheatgrasses (crested, tall, pubescent, and intermediate) , four native grasses (western wheatgrass, beardless wheatgrass, squirreltail grass, and Indian ricegrass), and two introduced annual forbs (Russian-thistle, and smother weed).

Field digestibility trials were conducted to determine the nutrient content by the lignin-ratio technique. In addition, both sheep and cattle preferences were studied on areas where both introduced and …

Sheep Grazing Effect On Dryland Soil Carbon And Nitrogen In The Wheat-Fallow System, Andrew W. Lenssen, Upendra M. Sainju, Hayes B. Goosey, Erin Snyder, Patrick G. Hatfield

Andrew W. Lenssen

Weed control by sheep grazing during fallow periods in the dryland wheat-fallow system may influence soil C and N levels. The effects of fallow management for weed control and soil water conservation [sheep grazing (grazing), herbicide application (chemical), and tillage (mechanical)] and cropping sequence [continuous spring wheat (CSW), spring wheat-fallow (SW-F), and winter wheatfallow (WW-F)] on wheat biomass (stems + leaves) yield and soil organic C (SOC) and total N (STN) at the 0-120 cm depth was evaluated from 2004 to 2008 in western Montana. Annualized wheat biomass yield was greater in CSW than in SW-F and WW-F from 2004 …

Evaluation Of Winter Cereals For Pasture In Montana, Andrew W. Lenssen, A. N. Hafla, S. D. Cash, L. M. M. Surber, J. A. Paterson, A. L. Todd, M. S. Huffman

Andrew W. Lenssen

In the southern Great Plains, it is common to graze winter wheat pastures prior to grain harvest to take advantage of economic returns from the grain crop and value added to livestock. In Montana, a similar management practice could provide complementary pasture for livestock in the late spring to relieve pressure on cool season native rangelands. A two year study was conducted to evaluate the forage yield and quality of winter cereals, when grazed at three growth stages, vegetative (V), boot stage (B), and at heading (H), prior to hay and grain harvest. Western white faced ewes were used to …

Incorporating Targeted Grazing Into Farming Systems, Andrew W. Lenssen, Patrick Hatfield, Hayes Goosey, Sue Blodgett

Andrew W. Lenssen

When incorporating targeted grazing into farming systems, livestock producers and farm operators need assurance that the benefits from their activities are worth their investments. This chapter will focus on how integrating grazing, particularly with sheep and goats, into farming systems can offer those benefits. The concepts are not new. Cropping systems were once integrated with livestock production: Livestock gained forage value from crop aftermath, crops were grown to sustain livestock, and livestock were used as implements to produce crops. Today, few cropping systems include livestock. Sheep and goats are traditionally produced on rangelands or pasture forages and supplemented during winter …

Effects Of Elevated Co2 And Defoliation On Grasses: A Comparative Ecosystem Approach, Brian J. Wilsey, James S. Coleman, Samuel J. Mcnaughton

Brian J. Wilsey

Three plant species from each of three grassland ecosystems were grown under elevated (700 mL/m3) and ambient (350 mL/m3) CO2 and were defoliated or left undefoliated to test whether species response to elevated CO2 and grazing is related to evolutionary grazing history or to mode of photosynthesis. The three ecosystems represented a tropical grassland dominated by C4 species (the Serengeti of Africa), a temperate grassland dominated by a mixture of C3 and C4 species (Flooding Pampa of South America), and a northern temperate grassland dominated by C3 species (Yellowstone National Park of North America). Plants were grown in growth chambers …