By Sandy Trushel
July is really the start of summer and county fair season. The kids and grandkids are getting their 4-H and FFA project animals ready for the fair. Hopefully, that first cutting of hay is put up, and the corn and soybeans are off to a great start.
Summer can also bring some grazing challenges to the farm. Some of those include overgrazing, summer slump and pasture weeds.
1. Overgrazing (or undergrazing)
The first challenge can be overgrazing. Even undergrazing is common in large pastures that are continuously stocked and not rotated often. Have you noticed areas that are grazed to the ground while other areas of the same pasture are left untouched? Grazing animals are selective and will revisit their favorite spots in a pasture. They will stay close to water, shade and feeding areas where the grass is going through the tender regrowth stage or the area may contain grass species that they like. As a result, this can cause fertility hotspots in the pasture with excess nitrogen and other nutrients from an uneven distribution of manure, nature’s natural fertilizer.
This selective grazing pattern can lead to more weeds. Weeds can thrive in ungrazed patches and can diminish overall pasture quality. The overall effect is that your pasture’s potential productivity is not fully achieved and becomes harder to manage.
Source : osu.edu