Project Overview
Annual Reports
Commodities
- Agronomic: general hay and forage crops
Practices
- Production Systems: general crop production
Proposal abstract:
Southern Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Program 2004 ON-FARM RESEARCH GRANT PROPOSAL 1. What is the problem and how does it relate to, or affect, the sustainability of agriculture in the South? Many Texas beef producers currently experience difficulty in realizing a profit from their beef production systems. Texas Cow-Calf Standardized Performance Analysis (SPA) indicates that feed costs account for 40% of production costs for the cow calf producer. Sustainability of cow-calf operations in Texas often depends on the ability to minimize feed input costs. 2. What is the answer to the problem? Recent research indicates that bermudagrass may be stockpiled during fall for grazing after frost and reduce winter feeding input costs by $30-$40 per cow per winter. The use of annual ryegrass in late winter and spring can reduce winter feeding costs by another $50-$60 per cow per winter. The use of pasturing beef cows on stockpiled bermudagrass has not been well investigated, but this novel system approach has the potential to significantly reduce Texas cow-calf producer winter feeding costs. There are approximately 3.4 million head of cows in the eastern half of Texas, or 63% of the total cow herd in Texas, thus the total reduction in management input costs could be an estimated $272-$340 million. These savings can then have an economic impact of $1.4-$1.7 billion on the state’s economy. Additional benefits include improving the persistence of bermudagrass stands and early spring growth by allowing greater carbohydrate storage in the root system of pastures that are allowed to accumulate growth prior to the onset of dormancy. Reduced use of herbicide to control late winter, early spring weeds due to ryegrass competition may offer additional potential savings, while reducing the amount of herbicide used in pasture systems. 3) How will you show or demonstrate that your answer or solution works? The trial will be conducted on producer farms in Anderson County (Palestine, Texas) and Panola County (Carthage, Texas). Each site will include two treatment groups containing 20-25 head of cows per group. Treatment groups will be: a) Cows that receive traditional hay and supplementation as required for the winter feeding period, and b) Cows that graze stockpiled bermudagrass during fall and early winter, annual ryegrass from February through May, and are fed hay only when necessary. Forage samples of the stockpiled bermudagrass will be obtained and analyzed for nutritive value and dry matter production at the initiation of the trial and every 28 days thereafter until February. Ryegrass samples will also be obtained beginning in late February and analyzed for nutritive value and dry matter production every 28 days through May. Body condition scores will be assessed on beef cows bred for January-March calving at the initiation of the trial in December (hay feeding typically begins) and subsequently every 28 days until the end of the trial, which will be marked by the availability of bermudagrass pasture for spring grazing. Calves will be weighed at weaning. Cow will be pregnancy tested at weaning. All input costs for each treatment group will be determined and analyzed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of each system. Animal body condition scores, pregnancy rates, and calf weights will be analyzed for differences to determine any detrimental effects of either system. The Beef Cattle Specialist, Forage Specialist, and Ag Economist from the TAMU Center-Overton will coordinate the trial and will work closely with county extension agriculture agents and selected producers in each of the two counties. Three pastures will be utilized at each location: a1) Control pasture that is considered a traditional wintering pasture for East Texas. Cows graze available forage and are then fed hay until an adequate supply of forage is available in the spring. b1) Treatment pasture 1 includes bermudagrass pasture with the forage removed by September 1. Fertilizer will be applied at a rate determined by a soil fertility analysis. The forage will be stockpiled between September 1 and December 1. Stocking rate of the pasture will be about 0.7 animals/acre. b2) Treatment pasture 2 will be sod seeded with annual ryegrass between October 1 and October 15 at a rate of 30 lbs seed/acre. Fertilizer will be applied at a rate determined by a soil analysis. Stocking rate of the pasture will be about 1 animal/acre. 4) When will you do the parts of your project? December 2004 -Cows at each location will be sorted into a control and treatment group with approximately 25 head per group. -Cows will be assessed a body condition score -Cows in the control group will begin receiving traditional hay and supplementation in control pasture a1 as required for the winter feeding period -Cows in the treatment group will begin grazing stockpiled bermudagrass in treatment pasture b1 -Forage samples will be collected from treatment pasture b1 and from hay to be fed to control group January 2005 - Cows will be assessed a body condition score - Forage samples will be collected from treatment pasture b1 February 2005 - Cows will be assessed a body condition score - Treatment group will be moved from pasture b1 to pasture b2 - Forage samples will be collected from pastures b1 & b2 March 2005 - Cows will be assessed a body condition score - Forage samples will be collected from pasture b2 April 2005 - Cows will be assessed a body condition score - Forage samples will be collected from pasture b2 May 2005 - Cows will be assessed a body condition score - Forage samples will be collected from pasture b2 - Termination of the experiment August 2005 - Calves will be weaned and weights recorded - Cows will be palpated for pregnancy determination December 2005 -Cows at each location will be sorted into a control and treatment group with approximately 25 head per group. -Cows will be assessed a body condition score -Cows in the control group will begin receiving traditional hay and supplementation in control pasture a1 as required for the winter feeding period -Cows in the treatment group will begin grazing stockpiled bermudagrass in treatment pasture b1 -Forage samples will be collected from treatment pasture b1 and from hay to be fed to control group January 2006 - Cows will be assessed a body condition score - Forage samples will be collected from treatment pasture b1 February 2006 - Cows will be assessed a body condition score - Treatment group will be moved from pasture b1 to pasture b2 - Forage samples will be collected from pastures b1 & b2 March 2006 - Cows will be assessed a body condition score - Forage samples will be collected from pasture b2 April 2006 - Cows will be assessed a body condition score - Forage samples will be collected from pasture b2 May 2006 - Cows will be assessed a body condition score - Forage samples will be collected from pasture b2 - Termination of the experiment August 2006 - Calves will be weaned and weights recorded - Cows will be palpated for pregnancy determination 5) Where and how will you tell others (producers, extension, researchers) about your results? What is your outreach plan? a. Field days will be held in each of the two counties prior to initiating the grazing of the stockpiled forage during the second year to share data regarding the use of stockpiled bermudagrass + annual ryegrass rather than traditional hay-only winter feeding practices. b. In addition, should the results of the project demonstrate the viability of the new management practice to reduce winter feed costs, an extension fact sheet will be developed for distribution to the general public detailing the results of the project. c. Several news releases will be provided via Texas A&M University’s Agricultural Agricultural Communications Department media outlets across Texas and the Southeastern US. d. Data regarding the project will be presented at county and regional meetings throughout Texas and at professional meetings of both the American Society of Agronomy (Southern Branch) and American Society of Animal Science (Southern Branch). 6) Who are you and your cooperators? Public Sector: a. Dr. Larry Redmon. State Forage Specialist for Texas Cooperative Extension. b. Dr. Jason Cleere. Beef Cattle Specialist for Texas Cooperative Extension. c. Dr. Greg Clary. Agricultural Economics Specialist for Texas Cooperative Extension. d. Mr. Truman Lamb. County Extension Agent, Agriculture and Natural Resources, Anderson County, Texas Cooperative Extension. e. Mr. Doug McKinney. County Extension Agent, Agriculture and Natural Resources, Panola County, Texas Cooperative Extension. Private Sector: a. Mr. Dean Hopkins. Beef cattle producer in Panola County, TX. b. Mrs. Linda Galayda. Beef cattle producer in Anderson County, TX.
Project objectives from proposal:
The trial will be conducted on producer farms in Anderson County (Palestine, Texas) and Panola County (Carthage, Texas). Each site will include two treatment groups containing 20-25 head of cows per group. Treatment groups will be:
a) Cows that receive traditional hay and supplementation as required for the winter feeding period, and
b) Cows that graze stockpiled bermudagrass during fall and early winter, annual ryegrass from February through May, and are fed hay only when necessary.
Forage samples of the stockpiled bermudagrass will be obtained and analyzed for nutritive value and dry matter production at the initiation of the trial and every 28 days thereafter until February. Ryegrass samples will also be obtained beginning in late February and analyzed for nutritive value and dry matter production every 28 days through May. Body condition scores will be assessed on beef cows bred for January-March calving at the initiation of the trial in December (hay feeding typically begins) and subsequently every 28 days until the end of the trial, which will be marked by the availability of bermudagrass pasture for spring grazing. Calves will be weighed at weaning. Cow will be pregnancy tested at weaning. All input costs for each treatment group will be determined and analyzed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of each system. Animal body condition scores, pregnancy rates, and calf weights will be analyzed for differences to determine any detrimental effects of either system. The Beef Cattle Specialist, Forage Specialist, and Ag Economist from the TAMU Center-Overton will coordinate the trial and will work closely with county extension agriculture agents and selected producers in each of the two counties.
Three pastures will be utilized at each location:
a1) Control pasture that is considered a traditional wintering pasture for East Texas. Cows graze available forage and are then fed hay until an adequate supply of forage is available in the spring.
b1) Treatment pasture 1 includes bermudagrass pasture with the forage removed by September 1. Fertilizer will be applied at a rate determined by a soil fertility analysis. The forage will be stockpiled between September 1 and December 1. Stocking rate of the pasture will be about 0.7 animals/acre.
b2) Treatment pasture 2 will be sod seeded with annual ryegrass between October 1 and October 15 at a rate of 30 lbs seed/acre. Fertilizer will be applied at a rate
determined by a soil analysis. Stocking rate of the pasture will be about 1 animal/acre.
4) When will you do the parts of your project?
December 2004
-Cows at each location will be sorted into a control and treatment group with
approximately 25 head per group.
-Cows will be assessed a body condition score
-Cows in the control group will begin receiving traditional hay and
supplementation in control pasture a1 as required for the winter feeding period
-Cows in the treatment group will begin grazing stockpiled bermudagrass in
treatment pasture b1
-Forage samples will be collected from treatment pasture b1 and from hay to be
fed to control group
January 2005
- Cows will be assessed a body condition score
- Forage samples will be collected from treatment pasture b1
February 2005
- Cows will be assessed a body condition score
- Treatment group will be moved from pasture b1 to pasture b2
- Forage samples will be collected from pastures b1 & b2
March 2005
- Cows will be assessed a body condition score
- Forage samples will be collected from pasture b2
April 2005
- Cows will be assessed a body condition score
- Forage samples will be collected from pasture b2
May 2005
- Cows will be assessed a body condition score
- Forage samples will be collected from pasture b2
- Termination of the experiment
August 2005
- Calves will be weaned and weights recorded
- Cows will be palpated for pregnancy determination
December 2005
-Cows at each location will be sorted into a control and treatment group with
approximately 25 head per group.
-Cows will be assessed a body condition score
-Cows in the control group will begin receiving traditional hay and
supplementation in control pasture a1 as required for the winter feeding period
-Cows in the treatment group will begin grazing stockpiled bermudagrass in
treatment pasture b1
-Forage samples will be collected from treatment pasture b1 and from hay to be
fed to control group
January 2006
- Cows will be assessed a body condition score
- Forage samples will be collected from treatment pasture b1
February 2006
- Cows will be assessed a body condition score
- Treatment group will be moved from pasture b1 to pasture b2
- Forage samples will be collected from pastures b1 & b2
March 2006
- Cows will be assessed a body condition score
- Forage samples will be collected from pasture b2
April 2006
- Cows will be assessed a body condition score
- Forage samples will be collected from pasture b2
May 2006
- Cows will be assessed a body condition score
- Forage samples will be collected from pasture b2
- Termination of the experiment
August 2006
- Calves will be weaned and weights recorded
- Cows will be palpated for pregnancy determination