grasses and broadleaf plants, pastures and rangelands have different functional groups that allow a variety of protozoans and bacteria to enrich the soil. The beauty of this system is that cattle eat a more
balanced diet. They gain energy from the more mature plants and still meet their protein requirements from younger, green vegetation. Producers may learn which plants work best in their
locations by consulting with local NRCS experts and by looking at the USDA sponsored website, websoilsurvey.
nrcs.usda.gov. Ranchers can establish plant varieties in their pas-
tures; a quick fi x that tends to be pricey. Kneuper rec- ommends changing grazing management techniques and, with time, plant diversity will occur naturally. Now that rangelands and pastures are recovering
from the drought, noxious weeds are springing up. “We do need to take care of those problematic weeds,”
Kneuper says. “A short-term option is to spray herbicides. Long-term we probably need to address our grazing management.” He adds, “Follow these principles. It’s going to take [time and] patience [for them to work].” Many producers cultivate monocultures of coastal
bermuda grass or kleingrass that require herbicides and fertilizer. Although these pastures lack plant di- versity, they maintain ground cover and provide great grazing for livestock during the growing season. Best of all, with minimized disturbance, native grasslands recover as they rest.
4. Keep living roots in the ground Living roots enhance soil health by sharing nutrients
between vegetation, bacteria, fungi and protozoans. As an added bonus, they also prevent soil compaction. Thanks to living roots, plants regrow after a dormant period. Grasses send up new shoots and tillers from the basal crown. If cattle graze the grass too short, they damage the plant’s crown, making it diffi cult to grow back. “When you defoliate more than half of a plant, the
roots stop growing. They aren’t feeding the biology,” Sackett says. “If grass isn’t growing above ground, it’s not feeding the below-ground herd.” Kneuper gives this advice, “Know how much forage
your property is producing. We can take any type of livestock and its animal unit equivalent and know how much forage is needed. We have to match that demand with our forage supply.” Forgetting to account for acres that can’t be used for grazing is the biggest mistake producers make. These
tscra.org
areas include roads, stock tanks, barns, houses, heavy brush or steep, rocky areas. Kneuper says, “If we pro- duce 5,000 pounds of forage per acre, we have to know that the 5,000 pounds is on acres we can actually use for grazing.”
Bacteria can be called the jackrabbits of the micro-world because predators eat them.
5. Proper integration of livestock By using a stocking rate that has been adjusted to
animal size and applying the Take Half-Leave Half rule, available forage will be protected. Kneuper rec- ommends that producers apply rotational grazing, a technique that places as many animals as possible in as small an area as possible for as short a time as pos- sible. Most folks graze around 500 to 1,000 pounds of cattle per acre. High density grazing has over 50,000 pounds per acre. Benefi ts of this system include minimizing distur-
bance, because it maximizes rest for the remaining acres. There is better manure distribution, which also feeds the biology, and a more uniform utilization of forage because cattle don’t selectively graze. Animals eat young noxious weeds, so they aren’t a problem later, and hoof action incorporates residue into the soil. High density grazing requires a change in manage-
ment style. There is a risk to leaving animals too long. This system requires the rancher to observe manure distribution and how much forage has been removed so he or she knows when to move cattle. “When you get into high density grazing, it increases
the level of management,” Kneuper says. “It doesn’t mean more work, because there are ways to be creative with this. Some ranchers spend 30 minutes a day get- ting ready for the day’s move and the cows are trained.” Whether producers practice traditional grazing, high
density grazing or are recovering from major distur- bances, the fi rst goal is to prevent additional damage. “These principles are important,” Kneuper says.
“Know what they are and go in order. If you have a misstep, you can back up and fi x it.” Every management decision ranchers make has an
impact on the soil. Moving from naked, hungry soil to lush grassland is possible, especially when using the 5 principles of soil health. Practice them in order , with patience, creativity and active management.
February 2015 The Cattleman 93
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