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Short supplies of feed can be extended by fall grazing
MU school at Linneus to teach methods, Sept. 25 to 27 Missouri Farmers caught with short supplies of grass and hay can learn new methods of making feed go further at the annual grazing school, Sept. 25 to 27, at the University of Missouri Forage Systems Research Center in Linn County. The school teaches how to improve grazing efficiency through management-intensive grazing where large pastures are divided into smaller grazing paddocks, said Craig Roberts, MU Extension forage specialist. The late spring freeze and summer drought reduced grass growth for many producers this year, bringing increased awareness of grazing management, Roberts said. There are many ways to improve the production per acre in grazing systems, he added. The school trains instructors for regional grazing schools held across the state each year in addition to training beef producers. The latest grasslands research is presented at the school at Linneus, Roberts said. Long-term studies at MU FSRC show that little additional fertilizer is needed on MIG pastures, said Dave Davis, FSRC superintendent. "Managed grazing allows increased use of legumes in grass stands. Legumes improve the ration for the grazing livestock, and legumes capture nitrogen from the air and return it to the soil." In addition, most all nutrients consumed by the grazing livestock are returned to the soil by the livestock, Roberts said. Removing hay from a field mines the nutrients if the hay is fed elsewhere. "By confining a herd into a small part of the pasture, the manure is spread evenly over the paddock. In continuous grazing (undivided) pastures, the livestock tend to concentrate the fertility near the waterers and shade," Roberts said. The grazing school covers topics on grazing basics, grass and legumes, soil fertility, animal nutrition and plant and animal growth. Other topics include economics, grazier's arithmetic, ruminant animals and watering. Scheduled work sessions are planning grazing layouts and building fences. Sessions are taught by specialists from MU Extension and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Added emphasis will be given to animal nutrition this year with the addition of Justin Sexton to the school faculty, Roberts said. Sexton was recently hired from the University of Illinois by the MU Extension Commercial Agriculture program. The three-day workshop costs $250 per person or $375 per couple. That fee includes the Missouri Grazing Manual and other handouts. Three lunches and two dinners also are included. Motels are available in Brookfield, Mo. Reservations can be made by calling the Missouri Forage and Grasslands Council at 573-499-0886 (mornings) or by e-mail at mfgc@mchsi.com. Sign-in for the workshop begins at 7:30 a.m., Sept. 25. School adjourns at 3:30 p.m. on Sept. 27. MU FSRC, a part of the Agricultural Experiment Station, is 10 miles northwest of Brookfield. The farm is at 21262 Genoa Road, Linneus. To reach the farm, go west from Brookfield on U.S. Highway 36, then north six miles on Highway FF to Genoa Road. Go west 1.5 miles to the headquarters. Signs are at the intersections. From Linneus, on Missouri Highway 5, go east two miles on Highway P tonFinn Road. Turn south for 1.5 miles to Genoa Road, and turn east to the office. None Date: 9/27/07
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