Difference between revisions of "Important grazing species"

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grazing better than most grasses and regrows quickly. A good strategy is to graze lightly in the spring, saving regrowth for
 
grazing better than most grasses and regrows quickly. A good strategy is to graze lightly in the spring, saving regrowth for
 
late summer and fall when other grasses are not available.
 
late summer and fall when other grasses are not available.
 
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=====Grazing Grasses Colorado=====
[[File:Grass_Table.png|thumb|center| upright=2.0| Comprehensive table of grazing grasses found in Colorado]]
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[[File:Grass_Table.png|thumb|left| upright=2.0| Comprehensive table of grazing grasses found in Colorado]]
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==References==
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[http://www.ext.colostate.edu/sam/forage-guide.pdf]

Revision as of 18:00, 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 self preservation tactic, it recovers from drought better than other grasses.

Crested wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum) is a cool-season grass that originated in Russia. All but one variety are bunchgrasses and they are adapted to a wide range of soils. All are drought tolerant, some more than others. Crested wheatgrasses provide forage two to three weeks earlier than most other grasses, but become dormant with hot temperatures in early June.Crested wheatgrass is very tolerant of grazing. Graze it during April and May before the grass turns brown in early June. Forage quality is poor from June through August.

Western wheatgrass (Pascopyrum smithii) is a cool-season, native sod-former and a major grass on the eastern plains. Western wheatgrass is resistant to grazing and provides good forage from spring through summer. It cures well when standing and can be used for winter grazing. Despite stiff leaves, it rarely becomes coarse enough to prevent sheep from grazing. Like all cool-season grasses, it needs to have an opportunity to regrow after being heavily grazed in the spring. Western wheat will be grazed out with annual, close grazing in the spring.

Russian wildrye (Psathyrostachys juncea) is a cool-season, dryland bunchgrass that originated in central Asia. This grass begins growth two weeks later than crested wheatgrass, but has better fall regrowth and summer availability, if soil moisture is available. Russian wildrye is an excellent dryland pasture grass that is palatable to all livestock. It tolerates close grazing better than most grasses and regrows quickly. A good strategy is to graze lightly in the spring, saving regrowth for late summer and fall when other grasses are not available.

Grazing Grasses Colorado
Comprehensive table of grazing grasses found in Colorado

References

[1]