Fires in Oklahoma and Texas and record-low rainfall have caused many people who earn a living on the land to make decisions they have not faced in many years. 2005 was very unusual because much of the southern Great Plains suffered through drought in both spring and fall. The departure from normal rainfall – by more than 20 inches in some parts of the Plains – has resulted in extremely overgrazed conditions.

"A large part of this region is dedicated to livestock grazing and is composed of warm-season native grasses and/or tame pasture grasses such as bermudagrass or Old World bluestems," says Matt Mattox, a forage specialist at the Noble Foundation in Ardmore, Okla.

Every drought ends with a rain, and the best chance for appreciable rainfall will come again this spring. While folks will undoubtedly be thankful for the rain when it does come, they also need to be prepared for some potentially problematic conditions that could occur.

"With many bermudagrass pastures being extremely overgrazed and in low vigor, there is a good chance for a bumper crop of annual grasses this spring," Mattox says. "We will all welcome the grass, especially on some of the more marginal soils, but the blessing of ryegrass or other annuals could become a big problem on some of the better soils."

Mattox recalls the same scenario playing out in spring 1998 as volunteer ryegrass literally smothered weakened bermudgrass to the point that total stands were lost. Be prepared to harvest annual grasses early this year, he advises, either with cattle or maybe an early hay cutting to prepare for next winter.

"If rangeland is a significant part of your operation, strive to provide some spring grazing deferment on your best pastures; this may mean you have to temporarily abuse a pasture of bermudagrass or other introduced grass," Mattox says.

Generally, introduced grasses recover quicker than native grasses when overgrazed. In some cases, there will be no option other than to feed hay into the spring and/or reduce herd numbers.

"Many of you have already been preparing for this, but, if you have not, consider consulting a livestock specialist for assistance in culling your herd. The obvious first cuts will be cows without a calf or physically challenged cattle – i.e., bad udders, teeth and so on," Mattox says.

As always, production records can help immensely in this process. It would also be wise to think about where and when to market animals. With enough volume, it sometimes pays to market cattle outside a drought-stricken area.

At the least, spring 2006 will likely bring many producers a weed situation they have not dealt with before. Annual weeds will be at a competitive advantage over weakened warm-season perennial grasses for moisture and sunlight. With all of this in mind, Mattox encourages producers to:
    1. Develop a weed management plan for this spring.
    2. Develop a livestock culling protocol, and do not wait too late into the season to "pull the trigger."
    3. Be prepared to take an early hay cutting on winter annuals by no later than the end of April.
    4. Discuss marketing options with an agricultural economist as soon as possible.

"Integrating cool-season forages into a warm-season forage base can lengthen your potential growing season; however, too much of a good thing can hurt sometimes," Mattox concludes. "Overseed no more cool-season forages than you can harvest with cattle or timely hay cuttings. Consider no more than one-third acre to one-half acre overseeded cool-season grass per animal unit next fall."

Matt Mattox is a consultation team leader and forage specialist in Agricultural Division of the Noble Foundation. His consultation services focus on pasture establishment and management, range seeding, range management, grass and weed identification, brush and weed management, electric and conventional fencing development and grazing system design and management.

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News Release Issued: Apr. 18, 2006

The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Inc. (www.noble.org), headquartered in Ardmore, Okla., is a nonprofit organization conducting agricultural, forage improvement and plant biology research; assisting farmers and ranchers through educational and consultative agricultural programs; and providing grants to nonprofit charitable, educational and health organizations.