Grazing for Soil Health and Pasture Productivity in a Dry Fall

With the high price of beef and other types of meat, there is much interest in expanding grazing livestock production. Additionally, there is a recognition that integration of grazing livestock in our grain production offers opportunities to improve soil health. Unfortunately, it is also easy to graze in such a way that soil degrades and forage becomes unproductive, especially when soil conditions are dry, as is the case in much of the state at the moment.  Here are some suggestions to improve pasture soil management in such a dry period:

1. Avoid grazing cool-season grasses lower than 3-4 inches above the soil surface. If grass is grazed down to the soil surface repeatedly, the root system is severely weakened and regrowth is hampered. New tillers may die due to drought and high soil temperatures. Slowly but surely, bare spots will appear in the pasture. Undesirable pasture species will invade your pasture, soil health will degrade, and soil erosion potential will increase. Because roots contribute much to organic matter content, soil organic matter may decrease.
2. Have a portion of your farm in perennial warm-season grasses. These grasses have very deep root systems and continue growing even under drought conditions. Research has shown they can produce good animal gain if grazed at the right time (vegetative stage). They should not be grazed lower than 6-8 inches above the soil surface because that would deplete reserves for regrowth. They should be rested after the beginning of September to maintain a strong stand. The challenge is their establishment phase, which can take a year or two, but once established, a well-managed warm-season perennial pasture can continue to be productive for several decades.