K-State Research and Extension

search

Beef Tips

Tag: grazing

Making the Most of Grazing Grain Sorghum Residue

Posted on by Sandy Johnson

Jason Warner, extension cow-calf specialist

Fall is a wonderful season for agriculture and a time to, hopefully, reap the bounty of the year’s production.  With grain harvest, weaning calves, and pregnancy checking all in full swing, combine that with a little Wildcat football and volleyball and there’s no shortage of things to do.  If producers have access to crop residue fields following grain harvest, then preparing to turn cattle out to graze such acres is one task that deserves to be near the top of the priority list.  Grain sorghum or milo residue represents an excellent opportunity to extend the grazing season into the winter thereby reducing the need to feed harvested forages.  However, there are several important management considerations that need to be kept in mind with grazing sorghum residue. Continue reading “Making the Most of Grazing Grain Sorghum Residue” →

Accounting for the environmental impact of grazing cattle: appreciating our ecological niche

Posted on by Sandy Johnson

Logan Thompson, Sustainable Grazing Systems

Today, the beef industry is increasingly facing calls to act on its perceived impact on climate change and other negative ecological impacts that occur from production activities. This includes greenhouse gas emissions, soil degradation, eutrophication of water ways (accumulation of nitrogen, phosphorus and other nutrients) and a decrease in biodiversity. It may come as a surprise to some that the largest source of greenhouse gases from beef production arises from our grazing operations. Chiefly this is from the cow-calf sector and primarily in the form of methane produced during the ruminal fermentation process (Rotz et al., 2019). If we consider that methane production is primarily driven by level of intake and quality of the diet, then this does make sense as many cows are grazing for the entire year, generally, all the while consuming a lower quality diet than fed in confinement operations and weaning approximately 0.85 calves per cow exposed per year. However, these estimates may not tell the complete story of the ecological niche that grazing cattle play in our grassland ecosystems or how their emission estimates compare to historical or current wildlife populations. Continue reading “Accounting for the environmental impact of grazing cattle: appreciating our ecological niche” →

Variability in Production in Summer Planted Annual Forages for Grazing

Posted on by Sandy Johnson

Cover crops can provide benefits for soil health and crop production systems but they use moisture which can be limiting in lower rainfall areas such as western Kansas.  Post-wheat planted cover crops offer a potentially longer and more flexible grazing period than spring planted cover crops within wheat-based dryland cropping systems.  However, low available soil moisture and variable weather patterns at this time of year can make cover crop establishment and productivity highly variable. In addition, concerns regarding diminishing good wheat stubble, managing volunteer wheat to reduce disease transmission, and controlling weeds need to be considered. Continue reading “Variability in Production in Summer Planted Annual Forages for Grazing” →

K-State Ranching Summit Planned for October 7; Registration Now Open

Posted on by Angie Denton

Ranching Summit LogoRegistration is now open for the K-State Ranching Summit. This first-time event is designed to equip managers with the skills to address the challenges of ranching in the business climate of today and tomorrow.

 

“Market forecasts point to declining revenues for cow-calf producers over the next several years. To ensure profitability, ranch managers will need to make a number of strategic management decisions.” says Dr. Bob Weaber, K-State cow-calf extension specialist. “The Ranching Summit was designed from the ground up to bolster the managerial knowledge and skills of beef producers.”

Continue reading “K-State Ranching Summit Planned for October 7; Registration Now Open” →