Chute N The Bull 9-4-09

Grasslands are complex environments comprised of many different kinds of living organisms affected by abiotic factors such as weather. There are few things that are black and white in such complex ecosystems, but there may be some self-evident "truths." If you haven't considered them in your grazing operation, perhaps you should.


Rotational grazing

Grazing systems developed over the past 100 years attempt to optimize the productivity of pastures while at the same time produce a useable or saleable product. What most rotational grazing systems try to do is mimic the defoliation patterns under which grasslands were thought to have evolved; severe defoliation of native flora by massive herds of native ungulates (hoofed animals such as bison) for a relatively short period of time. Did short-term overgrazing occur by bison? Of course it did.

The integrity of these grasslands was maintained because bison would not return to these heavily grazed areas for many months or years, giving the land adequate opportunity to recuperate. Short duration grazing, high intensity-low frequency grazing, management-intensive grazing and, recently, mob-grazing have all been introduced as the grazing system that best mimics the movements of the great bison herds of the past. Fences were not in place back then, but rotational grazing occurred by herd movements over time. Isn't it interesting that these massive herds were able to maintain their numbers despite no one being around to feed them hay all winter long?

Diversity of grazing species

Historically, the Southern Great Plains was a very diverse ecosystem with a mixture of grasses, forbs, shrubs and trees on the landscape. Bison preferred herbaceous vegetation; woody plants were not their forage of choice. Fortunately, there were other ungulates that did utilize woody plants as well as forbs. Pronghorn antelope, elk, mule deer and white-tailed deer were common on the Southern Great Plains prior to European settlement. Today, domestic cattle have taken the place of the bison, and many cattle producers spend huge amounts of money trying to kill plants that some animals (e.g., deer, domestic sheep and goats) use. Fencing is a challenge for sheep and goats, but money spent on weed and brush control would buy a lot of woven wire fence. Cattle didn't pay for five-strand barbed wire fences the first year they were up, either.

Fire

The impact of fire on the Great Plains cannot be overstated. In addition to grazing, plant communities evolved with fire during all months of the year. The resulting regrowth was preferred by grazing animals, and Native Americans would use this technique to attract the great bison herds. Fire on the Great Plains has been reduced significantly since European settlement, resulting in increasing woody vegetation such as Eastern Red-cedar. Not using prescribed fire can lead to loss of grassland, landscape heterogeneity and plant diversity, not to mention the cost of trying to control woody plants with chemicals. Fire is not a stand-alone tool. In conjunction with a targeted grazing system and a diversity of grazing animals, you may be able to use forbs and woody plants instead of fighting them. You can find this and past articles on the web at www.mycountrytractor.blogspot.com for your reference. Extension programs serve of all ages regardless of socioeconomic level, race, color, sex, religion, disability, or national origin. The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperatings serve of all ages regardless of socioeconomic level, race, color, sex, religion, disability, or national origin. The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperating


Thank you,

Tommy Neyland
County Extension Agent
Texas Agrilife Extension Service
P.O. Box 188
Centerville, Texas 75833
903.536.2531 phone
903.536.3804 fax

Chute N The Bull 8-27-09

With an increase in the number of small acreage landowners, I am often contacted about potential profitable enterprises for small operations. Several questions must be addressed before a landowner can make the decision of what enterprise will be most profitable and best suited for their land. Both feasibility and owner preference must be determined before a plan can start to take shape. To get a better understanding, let's look at the questions that must be addressed prior to crop selection.


If the producer wants to maximize the potential profitability of his land, he may decide to plant horticultural crops. To determine the type of crops that can be planted, the soil type will be assessed. Fertility and internal drainage are the most important factors of soil type. To determine internal drainage, a simple perk test must be performed. To do a perk test, simply dig a hole 30 inches deep, fill it full of water and allow it to drain out. Refill and monitor length of drainage the second time. These results will tell you the available soil for crop growth. Available soil is the water level in inches that has been drained in a given time.

Next, take a soil sample to determine nutrient values and pH of the soil. This can become extremely important especially with the increase in the cost of fertilizer. For example, if a soil is low in phosphorus, it will require fertilization and this may not be economically justifiable.

Water quality and availability should then be addressed. A sample should be taken from the source to determine if the water quality is sufficient for irrigation. For a successful enterprise, irrigation is crucial. Without water, quality of crops and survivability of plants can become an issue. When analyzing water, sodium concentration is the most important factor in determining irrigation water quality.

Once water quality and quantity are established, the amount of time available for management of the enterprise and the maximum investment that can be put into the operation must be established. Crops require a great amount of intensive labor. If a producer does not have the time to spend working on his enterprise, labor must be contracted. Each crop will require a different amount of labor, so needs will be based upon final selection of crop type. The amount of investment will be great on most horticulture crops. Due to the number of plants that will be planted in an area and the upkeep required per plant, investment can quickly become substantial.

Now that our initial questions have been answered, it is time to determine the crop to be grown. The producer will now know which crops can be grown and their preference will be the deciding factor. If you are looking at a new site to potentially grow crops, I strongly encourage you to address all of these questions before purchasing the property. You can find this and past articles on the web at www.mycountrytractor.blogspot.com for your reference. Extension programs serve of all ages regardless of socioeconomic level, race, color, sex, religion, disability, or national origin. The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperatings serve of all ages regardless of socioeconomic level, race, color, sex, religion, disability, or national origin. The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperating


Thank you,


Tommy Neyland
County Extension Agent
Texas Agrilife Extension Service
P.O. Box 188
Centerville, Texas 75833
903.536.2531 phone
903.536.3804 fax