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 GRAZING—Steers graze fresh growth in a pasture in Oklahoma. (Journal stock photo by Jennifer M. Latzke.) High quality forages are important for cattle producersBy Jennifer Bremer High quality forage is important to all producers, but determining how to get the high quality forage is different for all producers. Gary Zimmer, president of Midwestern Bio-Ag, a biologically-based agricultural consulting company based in Wisconsin, spoke to a group of cattle producers at a grazing conference held in Sioux Center, Iowa, recently. "As we move agriculture into the 21st century, we remain biological farmers," he said. "Our goal is to mineralize and balance our soils to provide healthy food and feed, and sustain healthy, profitable farms." According to Zimmer, producers across the country and around the world all can reach the goal of high quality forage by knowing what they are working with. Knowing the minerals, biology, plant species, soil structure and livestock management on their operation, along with the environmental conditions, can help them make proper decisions. "Each different variety of forages added to a piece of land adds something different to the soil," he explained. "Rotating forages can help with insect problems and can add other nutrients to the soil." Zimmer said it is important for producers to know what they are producing in order to know what needs to be changed. Quality forage Zimmer said to get a high quality forage, a producer must first select plant species for the season, fertilize with a balance of nutrients and recognize that at a minimum calcium, sulfur and boron must be a part of a seasonal fertilizer program. "The plants we grow, how we fertilize and when we harvest--whether cutting or grazing--influence how well the cattle eat it and how well they produce on it--whether it is milk or meat," he said. If the forage is grown properly and it is the right mix, livestock can be provided with the proper balance of minerals and possibly an excess of minerals and energy to produce the end product. "You can grow big piles of feed with the use of nitrogen and potassium. These also encourage grass growth but interfere with calcium uptake in the plant," said Zimmer. "I do believe they also affect palatability, digestibility and animal health." Indicator minerals There are four main indicator minerals in plant testing that he said will influence the quality of your forages: calcium, boron, phosphorus and magnesium. Testing for these minerals in plants will tell what is happening in the soil. In order to get these minerals up to the levels they need to be, it takes a soil nutrient management program and a healthy, biologically active soil. Calcium is what stops insects from eating plants. He said for calcium to be high, you will need adequate soil levels of actively exchanging plant soluble calcium. When calcium is added to the land, calcium and other nutrients are increased in plant tissue. Zimmer said there is a connection to nitrogen and potassium. The more nitrogen added, the less available calcium. "Nitrogen seems to take the calcium out, or maybe the nitrogen makes the soil lazy--a negative biological effect," he said. "The potassium seems to be more of a competitive thing--it's hard to have both high potassium and high calcium in the same plant." He went on to say having high potassium and high magnesium won't happen, especially if the potassium is coming from commercially applied KCl. "Here, it may be the negative effect of excess chloride leaching out and taking the soluble calcium with it," he said. If soils are not naturally high in potassium and manures aren't over applied, the potassium in plants can be elevated and you can also have good levels of plant calcium. If a producer wants to change to an organic operation, then other minerals are important also, and learning how to manage those is important. Zimmer suggests doing a soil audit every five years to see if there are noticeable changes. The tests should be done at three, six and nine inches to see where the minerals are present and at what levels. Boron is needed in relatively small volumes, but affects calcium uptake and sugar movements, which are critical factors in producing more plant energy and plant pectins--the highly digestible carbohydrate that is closely associated with calcium. Magnesium and phosphorous are also a team. They are energy minerals vital in production through photosynthesis. "These two minerals are extremely difficult to get into the plant. Commercial phosphorous dumped on the ground doesn't just get sucked up into the plant as nitrogen and potassium do," he said. "This is why it is important to get more carbon in the soil." Magnesium is an indicator of many things. Zimmer said it is a major storyteller of soil balance and health. In order to get high plant magnesium, he said you can't overdo potassium. "It needs to be properly managed and you need to apply soil sulfur. In addition, good biological activity along with a variety of plants constantly feeding soil life is part of the success," he said. Success on grazing land is measured by production. With proper management of livestock, fertility and forages, production can be increased. "Farms that follow a biological farming approach using the calciums, managing the nutrients, using a balanced fertilizer, growing green crops for soil benefits and having a wide diversity of plant species will help their plant mineral balance and levels improve," Zimmer concluded. "Testing and balancing the soils will help balance production." Jennifer Bremer can be reached by phone at 515-833-2120 or by e-mail at jbremermaj@hotmail.com. 5/5/08 Date: 5/1/08 Advertisement
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