september 20, 2003 tallapoosa county cattlemen and forestry management the bottle, alabama sid...
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September 20, 2003
Tallapoosa County Cattlemen and Forestry Management The Bottle, Alabama
Sid Brantly, Grazing Lands Coordinator
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
Innovators sometime stand alone in their group.
Many times they turn on the light for others to follow.
Management AlternativesGrazing management at the highest level of intensity. Foraging behavior is directed by management.
Silvopasture
Integrates intensively managed forest overstory with sustained production of well managed, forage understory.
Research in the 1970’s by Clifford Lewis, Henry Pearson, Nathan Byrd, and George Tanner in South Georgia and Florida highlighted Silvopasture as a land use opportunity for increasing wood production while maintaining acceptable levels of livestock production.
Research by Terry Clason provided a financial comparison of silvopasture and open pasture in Louisiana; with the silvopasture exceeding open pasture by 7.3% At the end of the five year study, they noted that silvopasture management maintained a high quality forage resource and enhanced timber production.
Silvopasture managers in Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and South Carolina have utilized native, warm season grass mixtures, bahiagrass/crimson clover, bermudagrass/sub.clover, and tall fexcue/clover mixtures principally for livestock forage.
Understory forages provide for annual income from grazing livestock and often contribute to wildlife habitat and open space aesthetics.
_______________________________________________________________Water Intake Optimal Decrease 20% Decrease 40%------------------ ------------- ---------------- ---------------Feed Intake 13.6 lbs. 13.0 lbs. 10.6 lbs.----------------- ------------- ----------------- --------------% Change 4.5% 22%_______________________________________________________________
Water Intake Can Affect Forage Intake
From Journal of Animal Science, issue 31:130
Silvopasture systems favor hay production until seedling height is above the grazing animal’s reach.
Equipment access is still possible in silvopasture systems in the southeast. Row configuration should account for equipment type and size.
Silvopasture management in the Southeast entails planting or thinning to tree-stocking densities between 35 and 300 trees per acre (when thinning existing plantations to achieve silvopasture objectives, a basal area range of 25 to 45 is typical) in order to maintain canopy cover between 35 and 50%.
Timber is grown simultaneously to provide a long-term product, adding to prolonged, financial sustainability and can also contribute to specific wildlife habitat and aesthetics.
Grazing management is one of the most critical elements in silvopasture establishment and management.
Livestock are very selective
in their choice of plants and
plant parts and will consume
the most palatable plants and
plant parts first.
100 (17 days)90
100 ( 12 days)80
7870
5060
2-450
040
030
020
010
% STOPPAGE OF ROOT GROWTH
% LEAF VOLUME REMOVED
The pasture begins a downward
spiral that ends when the desirable
plants are replaced by weeds and
plants that are grazing resistant
because of low palatability or
short growth form.
The structural characteristic of a soil is determined by the
degree to which soil particles are held together in individual
aggregates
3.5 – 7.0Truck
0.65Sheep
1.7Horse or cow
1.4 - 2.1Wheel tractor
0.32 – 0.63Crawler tractor
STATIC LOAD(kg/cm3)
VEHICLE OR ANIMAL
30-4510-1218-22Eastern
gama
30-408-1216-20Johnson grass
15-302-34-8Tall Fescue
7-151-24-8Bermuda
10-201-26-10Bahiagrass
DAYS OF REST
TARGET HEIGHT Begin EndFORAGE
Rotational Stocking SystemsDesign, Layout, & Management Guidelines
Rotate Animals Through More Than One Paddock Throughout The Grazing Season
Short Grazing Periods
Long Recover or Rest Periods
Fences, water, managed grazing, and tree seedling care are paramount to successful silvopasture establishment and management.
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