Difference between revisions of "Important grazing species"

From RAWiki
Jump to: navigation, search
Line 31: Line 31:
 
Meadow brome is a good competitor, but is not as aggressive as smooth brome. It recovers faster than smooth brome from
 
Meadow brome is a good competitor, but is not as aggressive as smooth brome. It recovers faster than smooth brome from
 
haying or grazing. Meadow brome is highly desired by livestock and wildlife.
 
haying or grazing. Meadow brome is highly desired by livestock and wildlife.
 +
 +
*[[Blue grama]]
 +
Blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis) is a native, warm-season grass that is prevalent in
 +
the shortgrass prairie. It is a short grass with seed stalks 8 to 24 inches tall, and
 +
curly leaves 2 to 6 inches long. Blue grama prefers silt to clay soils and can either
 +
grow in bunches or tight sods (i.e. sod-former). It is one of the best drought
 +
tolerant grasses and mixes well with buffalograss, sideoats grama, western
 +
wheatgrass, and green needlegrass.Blue grama withstands trampling and grazing very well. Because leaves grow short, it is not very
 +
productive, but supplies excellent summer or winter pasture feed. Do not graze this grass to less than 2 inches tall. A
 +
main reason for its drought tolerance is that it will go dormant with extended dry soil conditions. Because of this selfpreservation
 +
tactic, it recovers from drought better than other grasses.

Revision as of 17:13, 17 February 2015

Important Grazing Plant Species

Understanding appropriate plant species for grazing in specific environments increases forage production and quality, encourages animal health, and discourages weed invasion. It protects soil and increases water infiltration rates and soil organic matter content.

Great Plains of North America

Colorado

Kentucky bluegrass provides good grazing and tolerates
Kentucky bluegrass: The species is highly palatable to horses, cattle, and sheep. It produces relatively low yields compared to other pasture grasses, but can be very productive in the Northeast on closely grazed intensive rotational grazing systems.

trampling but is not highly productive. Overgrazing or undergrazing bluegrass for short periods is not harmful. Because it tolerates trampling and overgrazing, it works well as a component of horse pastures. Keep between a height of 2 and 6 inches. Crude protein can be 20% at maturity.

Sand bluestem (Andropogon hallii) is a native, warm-season grass that grows 3 to 8 feet tall. Leaves grow 8 to 12 inches long. It is adapted to sandy soils and helps bind them with its sod-forming growth habit. Sand bluestem provides good summer grazing and is relished by all classes of livestock. It has only fair palatability in the winter

Meadow brome (Bromus biebersteinii) is a cool-season grass that originated in Southeast Asia. It is a bunchgrass with short rhizomes and grows 24 to 48 inches tall. Meadow brome is adapted to irrigated sites with silt to clay soil. It has some drought tolerance to withstand less than full-season irrigation. Meadow brome establishes rapidly and is more winter hardy than other irrigated grasses like orchardgrass. Meadow brome is a good competitor, but is not as aggressive as smooth brome. It recovers faster than smooth brome from haying or grazing. Meadow brome is highly desired by livestock and wildlife.

Blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis) is a native, warm-season grass that is prevalent in the shortgrass prairie. It is a short grass with seed stalks 8 to 24 inches tall, and curly leaves 2 to 6 inches long. Blue grama prefers silt to clay soils and can either grow in bunches or tight sods (i.e. sod-former). It is one of the best drought tolerant grasses and mixes well with buffalograss, sideoats grama, western wheatgrass, and green needlegrass.Blue grama withstands trampling and grazing very well. Because leaves grow short, it is not very productive, but supplies excellent summer or winter pasture feed. Do not graze this grass to less than 2 inches tall. A main reason for its drought tolerance is that it will go dormant with extended dry soil conditions. Because of this selfpreservation tactic, it recovers from drought better than other grasses.