Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons^™

Reducing Tick Populations Through Prescribed Burning, Andrea Salazar, Herman Griese, Victoria Pickens, Cassandra Olds

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Objective:Explore the effect of prescribed fire on tick population dynamics in the Kansas Flint Hills.

Study Description:Ticks were collected from spring (April), summer (August), or fall (September) burned pastures as well as control, unburned areas. Burning had been carried out for four consecutive years prior to this study. Tick populations were sampled every other week from March to August using material dragging and dry ice bait sampling methods. Tick species, sex, and life stage were identified morphologically and the total numbers for each burn treatment were calculated.

The Bottom Line:Consecutive burning of grazing pasture could be considered …

The Effects Of Seasonal Prescribed Burning On Flint Hills Dung Beetle (Scarabaeinae) Populations, Herman Griese, Andrea Salazar, Victoria Pickens, Cassandra Olds

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Objective:This study aimed to determine if the season of prescribed burning impacted dung beetle communities on pastures grazed by cattle in the Flint Hills.

Study Description:Dung beetle populations at the Kansas State University Beef Stocker unit were sampled biweekly for three months over the summer grazing period to determine if beetle populations varied between spring, summer, or fall burned pastures.

Results:At least eight species of dung beetles were identified with a total of 8,646 dung beetles collected. Dung beetle populations were not different (P>0.05) between spring, summer, and fall burned pastures although peak beetle populations …

Evaluation Of Grazing Options During Summer For Growing Heifers – Year 3, Jaymelynn K. Farney, Kloey Rash, Noelle Collins, Emily Black, Hailey Gillespie

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Developing methods to provide high quality forage through most of the year is important for cattle operations. The purpose of this study was to determine forage management options to offset the summer “slump” with fescue. Three grass pasture treatments (8 pastures total; 4 acres each) were used in a completely randomized design and stocked with growing heifers (n = 32; initial weight 559 ± 20 lb). Pasture treatments consisted of crabgrass (CRAB), bermudagrass (BERM), and sorghum-sudan interseeded into novel fescue (SS-FES). Novel fescue is fescue variety that has endophyte organism but does not produce toxin. Heifers were weighed and grazed …

Southeast Research And Extension Center Agricultural Research 2024

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

The 2024 Southeast Research and Extension Center Agricultural Research report includes research conducted in the areas of beef cattle management, cropping systems, and forage crops.

Effects Of Prescribed-Fire Timing On Stocker Cattle Performance, Forage Biomass Accumulation, And Native Plant Species Composition, Z. M. Duncan, A. J. Tajchman, J. Lemmon, W. R. Hollenbeck, D. A. Blasi, K. C. Olson

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Objective:The objective of this experiment was to document the effects of prescribed-fire timing on stocker cattle performance, forage biomass accumulation, soil cover, and plant species composition in the Kansas Flint Hills.

Study Description:A total of 1,416 yearling stocker cattle were assigned to one of three prescribed-burn treatments: spring (April 9 ± 5.1 days), summer (August 23 ± 4.9 days), or fall (September 29 ± 8.7 days) over a 4-year period. Calves were grazed from May to August for 90 days. Individual body weights were recorded at the beginning and end of the grazing season. Native plant composition and …

Effect Of Corn Type And Form Of Supplement On Grazing Steers – Year 2, Jaymelynn K. Farney, Harley Allen, Larissa Muniz

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Eighty stocker steers were grazed on bromegrass from the end of May to the middle of August and were provided five different feeds while on grass during the summer. Treatments evaluated included (1) mineral only; (2) free-choice supplementation in the form of liquid feed (MIX30) or (3) block format (Mintrate 40 Red); and hand-fed supplements of 60% corn:40% dried distillers grains at 0.5% of body weight on a dry matter basis offered daily where the corn was either an (4) isoline corn (ISO; parent genetic line) or (5) Enogen feed corn (ENO; includes alpha-amylase gene). Steers were weighed every 28 …

Weaning Method Evaluation For Beef Cattle, Jaymelynn K. Farney

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Weaning is a stressful event for calves. Various management practices have been suggested to reduce weaning stress. The purpose of this study was to evaluate three different weaning management practices on calf gains at weaning. Eighty-eight bull and heifer calves were assigned to one of three weaning treatments at two research locations. The weaning management options were abrupt weaning, fence-line weaning, and use of a nose-flap weaning device. Calves were weighed at the start of the measurement period and then two weeks later after weaning was completed. Calves that were weaned using the nose-flap method had significantly lower gains than …

Evaluation Of Grazing Options During Summer For Growing Heifers – Year 3, Jaymelynn K. Farney, Larissa Muniz, Harley Allen

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Developing methods to provide high quality forage through most of the year is important for cattle operations. The purpose of this study was to determine forage management options to offset the summer “slump” with fescue. Four grass pasture treatments (10 pastures total; 4 acres each) were used in a completely randomized design and stocked with growing heifers (n = 49; initial wt 461 ± 65 lb). Pasture treatments consisted of novel fescue (FES), crabgrass (CRAB), bermudagrass (BERM), and sorghum-sudan interseeded into novel fescue (SS-FES). Heifers were weighed and they grazed pastures from May to September. Heifers on FES were continuously …

Stocker Steer Gains And Fly Numbers As Impacted By Burn Date And Type Of Mineral On Tallgrass Native Range – Year 4, Jaymelynn K. Farney, Harley Allen, Larissa Muniz

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

This study aims to evaluate effectiveness of two operational management systems for steer gains and fly control. The first strategy evaluated was pasture burn date of March (MAR) or April (APR). The second management strategy was free-choice mineral with spices (SPICE) or without spices (CON). Eight pastures (n = 281 steers; initial weight 566 lb) were used in a 2 × 2 factorial treatment structure. Steers were weighed individually, randomly assigned to treatment, and grazed for 89 days. Weekly, 33% of steers were photographed to count flies and evaluated for hair coat score. Steers that grazed pastures that were burned …

Evaluation Of Implants, Clover, And Fescue Variety On Stocker Steers – Year 3, Jaymelynn K. Farney, Larissa Muniz, Harley Allen

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Sixty-four growing steers were used in a split-plot experiment, where the whole plot was pasture, and the split-plot was the implant level. Whole plot treatment was a 4 × 2 factorial with four levels of fescue (High Endophyte, Low Endophyte, Novel, or Endophyte Free) and two levels of legume (Legumes or No Legumes). The split-plot included four implant levels (No Implant, Synovex One Grass, Revalor-G, or Ralgro). Data collected were weights and ultrasound carcass characteristics when steers were coming off grass. Steers on High Endophyte had a lower average daily gain (ADG) and final weight than steers on novel endophyte, …

2023 Southeast Research And Extension Center Agricultural Research Report, J. K. Farney

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

The 2023 Southeast Research and Extension Center Agricultural Research report includes research conducted in the areas of beef cattle management, cropping systems, and forage crops. Topics include various grazing and nutrient input for steers and heifers; wheat, soybean, and corn production practices and results, as well as soil health practices; and burning and nutrient practices along with efforts for improvement of native and tall fescue range grasses.

Effects Of Late-Summer Prescribed Fire On Botanical Composition, Soil Cover, And Forage Production In Caucasian Bluestem-Infested Rangeland In The Kansas Smoky Hills: Year 4 Of 5, H. P. Giefer, K. R. Harmoney, M. P. Ramirez, A. J. Tajchman, Z. M. Duncan, J. Lemmon, K. C. Olson

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Objective:Our objective was to determine effects of late-summer prescribed fire on frequency of Caucasian bluestem (Bothriochloa bladhii) in the Kansas Smoky Hills as well as changes in soil cover, botanical composition, and forage production associated with fire treatment.

Study Description:The study was in Ellsworth County, KS. Eighteen one-acre plots were randomly assigned to one of three treatments: no burn, one burn (August 14, 2019), and two burns (August 14, 2019, and August 11, 2021). Soil cover, botanical composition, forage production, and Caucasian bluestem frequency were measured annually beginning in 2019.

The Bottom Line:These data suggest …

Evaluation Of Grazing Options During Summer For Growing Heifers – Year 2, J. K. Farney

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Developing methods to provide high quality forage through most of the year is important for cattle operations. The purpose of this study was to determine forage management options to offset the summer “slump” with fescue. Four grass pasture treatments (10 pastures total; 4 acres each) were used in a completely randomized design and stocked with growing heifers (n = 49; initial wt 473 ± 60 lb). Pasture treatments consisted of novel fescue (FES), crabgrass (CRAB), bermudagrass (BERM), and sorghum-sudan interseeded into novel fescue (SS-FES). Heifers were weighed and grazed pastures from April to September (153 d). Heifers on FES were …

Interseeding Sorghum-Sudangrass Into Perennial Cool-Season Western Wheatgrass Pasture, Keith Harmoney, John Guretzky

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Conversion of pastureland into cropland has occurred at a rapid rate on the Great Plains. A reduction in total acreage of pastureland from this conversion has resulted in a decline of total numbers of beef cows in the same region. One method to mitigate the decline in cow numbers is to increase the carrying capacity of the remaining pastureland acres. To achieve this goal, a study was conducted to introduce warm-season annual grass species into perennial cool-season grass pastures to increase dry matter production during the mid-summer time period that perennial cool-season grasses would be most dormant. An increase in …

Reclaiming Old World Bluestem Pasture With Imazapyr Application And Native Grass Overseeding, Keith Harmoney

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Old world bluestems (OWB), mainly Caucasian bluestem (Bothriochloa bladhii) and yellow bluestem(Bothriochloa ischaemum)introduced from parts of eastern Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia, have been shown to reduce abundance and diversity of some insect and wildlife species compared to native grasses when these OWB grasses form dense stands. These OWBs have been invading native pastures in the southern Great Plains and are rapidly increasing in the amount of area occupied in Kansas. Two landowners purchased pasture property in Ellsworth County, KS, and observed that Caucasian old world bluestem had increased in the pasture significantly over the course …

Stocker Steer Gains And Fly Numbers As Impacted By Burn Date And Type Of Mineral On Tallgrass Native Range – Year 3, J. K. Farney, M. Frahm

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

This study aims to evaluate effectiveness of two operational management systems for steer gains and fly control. The first strategy evaluated was pasture burn date of March (MAR) or April (APR). The second management strategy was free-choice mineral with spices (SPICE) or without spices (CON). Eight pastures (n = 281 steers; initial weight 572 ± 75 lb) were used in a 2 × 2 factorial treatment structure. Steers were weighed individually, randomly assigned to treatment, and grazed for 87 days. Weekly, 33% of steers were photographed to count flies and evaluated for hair coat score. Neither the date of pasture …

Southeast Research And Extension Center Agricultural Research 2022

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Report of agricultural research from Southeast Research and Extension Center, Kansas State University.

Roundup 2022: Agricultural Research Center-Hays

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Roundup is the major beef cattle education and outreach event sponsored by the Kansas State University Agricultural Research Center - Hays. This report communicates timely, applicable research information on beef production and rangeland topics.

Effects Of Late Summer Prescribed Fire On Botanical Composition, Soil Cover, And Forage Production In Caucasian Bluestem-Infested Rangeland In The Kansas Smoky Hills: Year 3 Of 4, M. P. Ramirez, A. J. Tajchman, Z. M. Duncan, J. Lemmon, K C. Olson

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Objective:The objective was to document the effects of late-summer prescribed fire on soil cover, botanical composition, and forage production in the Kansas Smoky Hills and associated effects on dense Caucasian bluestem (Bothriochloa bladhii) stands therein.

Study Description:The study took place on a private ranch in Ellsworth County, in the Kansas Smoky Hills. Eighteen one-acre plots were assigned randomly to one of two prescribed-fire treatments: no burn (control) and burn (burned August 14, 2019). Soil cover, plant composition, and forage production were evaluated annually. These data represent plant community effects prior to treatment and one and two …

Effects Of Prescribed Fire Timing On Stocker Cattle Performance And Native Plant Composition: Year 3 Of 6, Z. M. Duncan, A. J. Tajchman, M. P. Ramirez, J. Lemmon, K. J. Suhr, W. R. Hollenbeck, D. A. Blasi, K C. Olson

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Objective:The objective of this experiment was to document the effects of prescribed-fire timing on stocker cattle performance, soil cover, and plant species composition over a six-year period.

Study Description:Yearling stocker cattle were assigned to one of three prescribed-burn treatments: spring (April 9 ± 5.1 days), summer (August 23 ± 4.9 days), or fall (September 29 ± 8.7 days). Calves were grazed from May to August for 90 days. Individual body weights (BW) were recorded at the beginning and end of the grazing season to determine total BW gains and average daily gains. Native plant composition and soil cover …

Evaluation Of Implants, Clover, And Fescue Variety On Stocker Steers – Year 2, J. K. Farney, M. Frahm, S. Strnad, T. Bottorff

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Sixty-four growing steers were used in a split-plot experiment, where the whole plot was pasture, and the split-plot was the implant level. Whole plot treatment was a 4 × 2 factorial with four levels of fescue (High Endophyte, Low Endophyte, Novel, or Endophyte Free) and two levels of legume (Legumes or No Legumes). The split-plot included four implant levels (No Implant, Synovex One Grass, Revalor-G, or Ralgro). Data collected were weights, hair coat scores, hair length, rectal temperature (every 28 days), and ultrasound carcass characteristics when steers were coming off grass. Steers on High Endophyte had the lowest average daily …

Herbicide Activity On Old World Bluestems, Keith Harmoney

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Two main species of old world bluestems (OWB), yellow bluestem (Bothriochloa ischaemum) and Caucasian bluestem (Bothriochloa bladhii), have encroached on rangelands, pastures, and road right-of-ways in Kansas. Patches of these OWB have been shown to reduce species diversity and abundance at multiple trophic levels, and pose a long-term threat to native plant, insect, rodent, and grassland bird populations. These OWB species are utilized by cattle early in the growing season, directly following prescribed burns, and during droughts when other forages lack water uptake and may go dormant. However, these OWB species mature more quickly than native …

Effects Of Late Summer Prescribed Fire On Botanical Composition, Soil Cover, And Forage Production In Caucasian Bluestem-Infested Rangeland In The Kansas Smoky Hills: Year 2 Of 4, M. P. Ramirez, A. J. Tajchman, Z. M. Duncan, J. Lemmon, K C. Olson

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Objective:The objective was to document the effects late-summer prescribed fire on soil cover, botanical composition, and forage production in the Kansas Smoky Hills and the associated effects on dense Caucasian bluestem (Bothriochloa bladhii) stands therein.

Study Description:The study took place on a private ranch in Ellsworth County, in the Kansas Smoky Hills. Eighteen one-acre plots were assigned randomly to one of three prescribed-fire treatments: no burn, single burn (i.e., one burn treatment only in 2019), or biennial burn (i.e., two burn treatments in 2019 and 2021). Soil cover, plant composition, and forage production were evaluated annually. …

Yearling Cattle Grazing Pastures Burned During Summer Perform Similarly To Cattle Grazing Pastures Burned In Early Spring: Year 2 Of 6, Z. M. Duncan, A. J. Tajchman, M. P. Ramirez, J. Lemmon, W. R. Hollenbeck, D. A. Blasi, K C. Olson

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Objective:The objective was to evaluate the impact of prescribed fire timing on grazing performance of yearling beef cattle in the Kansas Flint Hills.

Study Description:This study was conducted at the Kansas State University Beef Stocker Unit. Yearling stocker cattle were assigned randomly to one of three prescribed-burn treatments: spring (April 7 ± 2.1 days), summer (August 21 ± 5.7 days), or fall (October 2 ± 9.9 days) and grazed from May to August of 2019 and 2020. Individual body weights were recorded at the beginning and end of the grazing season to determine total body weight gain and …

Effects Of Prescribed Fire Timing On Native Plant Composition, Forage Biomass Accumulation, And Root Carbohydrate Reserves In The Kansas Flint Hills: Year 2 Of 6, Z. M. Duncan, A. J. Tajchman, M. P. Ramirez, J. Lemmon, W. R. Hollenbeck, D. A. Blasi, K C. Olson

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Objective:The objective was to document the effects of prescribed fire timing on native plant composition, forage biomass, and root carbohydrate concentrations in key native tallgrass species in the Kansas Flint Hills.

Study Description:This experiment was conducted at the Kansas State University Beef Stocker Unit. Eighteen pastures were grouped by watershed and assigned to one of three prescribed-burn treatments: spring (April 7 ± 2.1 days), summer (August 21 ± 5.7 days), or fall (October 2 ± 9.9 days). Botanical composition, forage biomass, and root carbohydrate concentrations in big bluestem, little bluestem, Indian grass, and purple prairie clover were evaluated …

Form Of Supplement And Addition Of Ionophore Effects On Steer Performance While Grazing Bromegrass And Subsequent Effects In Feedlot And Carcass Measures, J. K. Farney, K. Malone

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Stocker steers were grazed on bromegrass from April to the end of August and were supplemented with several different forms of products. Treatment structure was a 2 × 2 + 2 factorial (six total treatments). Treatments evaluated included mineral only; free-choice supplementation in the form of liquid feed (MIX30) or block format (Mintrate); hand-fed supplement of corn:dried distillers grains at 0.25% of body weight on a dry matter basis offered three times per week; and ionophore (Rumensin) was included in one block and hand-fed supplement. Steers were weighed every 28 days while on grass and in the feedlot. Steers were …

Stocker Steer Gains And Fly Numbers As Impacted By Burn Date And Type Of Mineral On Tallgrass Native Range, J. K. Farney, M. E. Reeb

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

This study aims to evaluate effectiveness of two operational management systems for steer gains and fly control. The first strategy evaluated was pasture burn date of March (MAR) or April (APR). The second management strategy was free-choice mineral with spices (SPICE) or without spices (CON). Eight pastures (n = 281 steers; initial weight 612 ± 57 lb) were used in a 2 × 2 factorial treatment structure. Steers were weighed individually, randomly assigned to treatment, and grazed for 85 days. Weekly, 33% of steers were photographed to count flies and evaluated for hair coat score. Cattle on the APR-SPICE treatment …

Evaluation Of Implants, Clover, And Fescue Variety On Stocker Steers, Z. T. Buessing, J. K. Farney

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Sixty-four growing steers were used in a split-plot experiment, where the whole plot was pasture, and the split-plot was implants. Whole plot treatment was a 4 × 2 facto­rial with four levels of fescue (High Endophyte, Low Endophyte, Novel, or Endophyte Free) and two levels of legume (Legumes or No Legumes). The split-plot included four implant levels (No Implant, Synovex One Grass, Revalor-G, Ralgro). Data collected were weights, hair coat scores, hair length, rectal temperature (every 28 days), and ultrasound carcass characteristics coming off grass. Steers on High Endophyte had the lowest average daily gain (ADG), longest hair, and highest …

Evaluation Of Grazing Options During Summer For Growing Heifers, J. K. Farney

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Developing methods to provide high quality forage through a majority of the year is important for cattle operations. The purpose of this study was to determine forage management options to offset the summer “slump” with fescue. Four grass pasture treatments (10 pastures total; 4 acres) were used in a completely randomized design and stocked with growing heifers (n = 47; initial wt 419 ± 20 lb). Pasture treatments consisted of novel fescue (FES), crabgrass (CRAB), bermudagrass (BERM), and sor­ghum-sudan interseeded into novel fescue (SS-FES). Heifers were weighed and grazed FES/SS-FES pastures April to November (213 d) or CRAB and BERM …

Southeast Research And Extension Center Agricultural Research 2021

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Report of agricultural research from Southeast Research and Extension Center, Kansas State University.