Managing Pastures During and After Drought

 BROOKINGS, S.D. -- Reducing stocking rates is the key strategy livestock producers should keep in mind when managing native rangeland and tame pastures both during and after drought.

Barry Dunn and Pat Johnson of the South Dakota State University Department of Animal and Range Sciences have written about some of the pasture management issues producers should keep in mind in a publication for SDSU Extension. Extension Extra 2033, "Managing Pastures During and After Drought," is available through county Extension offices. Or find it online at the SDSU Extension drought Web site, http://sdces.sdstate.edu/drought/.

Failure to reduce stocking during times of drought may have several consequences, Dunn and Johnson said. Harder use of drought-stressed pastures can reduce the number of growth buds needed for re-growth. The pasture has less ability to capture snow that serves as an insulating blanket to decrease the winterkill of plants.

High stocking rates can prompt a change in the plant community, which can decrease future production. There is an increase in invasive, non-productive, plant species.  These plant community changes can decrease water infiltration from precipitation and increase runoff, which decreases the amount of precipitation that is actually available to plants for growth and reproduction.

 It's critical, the specialists said, to manage grasslands wisely both during the drought and in the year of recovery.

During drought:

* Drylot livestock. The downside is that it requires facilities and increases labor and manure.

* Early wean calves. This reduces cows' demand for forage by 20 percent.

* Use supplemental feed for cows or creep feeding calves.  Hay and energy supplements can replace feed from pastures. But be aware that protein supplements can actually increase forage demand.

* Remove cattle either by selling or by shipping them to another area that is not affected by drought.

* Designate a sacrifice pasture where supplements are fed. This limits negative impacts to a confined area.
During recovery from drought:

* Continue reduced stocking rates for at least one year to allow for recovery.

* Delay turnout using supplemental feeds.

* Graze cereal grains or annual grasses like sudangrass to defer grazing on pastures.

* Fertilize tame pastures to boost recovery.

* Be diligent in control of invasive species.

More detailed information on livestock, range and pasture management during periods of drought can be found at http://ars.sdstate.edu/extbeef/ or contact your local South Dakota State University county Extension educator or state Extension range specialists.
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Contact: Barry Dunn, (605) 688-5455; Pat Johnson, (605) 394-2236
** For links to other sites showcasing SDSU's work in teaching, research, and Extension, visit http://sdces.sdstate.edu.

Lance Nixon, Editor
AgBio Communications Unit
South Dakota State University
ACC, Box 2231, Rm 200
Brookings, SD 57007
Telephone: (605) 688-4653
Lance_Nixon@sdstate.edu