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The growing season is winding down, but from a forage production standpoint, an active growing season still lies ahead.

Livestock producers in the southern Great Plains should not overlook johnsongrass in their pastures. For one thing, under certain conditions it can kill your cattle. Another reason not to overlook johnsongrass is that it is excellent forage - if you can get over the fact that it can kill your cattle!

Beginning in April 2008, we will evaluate the utilization and value of switchgrass for stocker cattle. Switchgrass may have value for stockers because of its early spring availability, high yields, perennial life form, wide adaptability and low fertilization requirements.

A high percentage of the grazing land in our area is native grass. Most ranchers do not fertilize native grass because it is widely thought that it is unprofitable to do so. In fact, one of the appealing characteristics of native grass systems is that they do relatively well with minimal inputs.

The winter pasture that was planned for last fall may not have developed to expectations or was not planted due to poor moisture conditions going into the fall. What can be planted now to bring about earlier spring pasture?

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) has probably been grazed for as many years as it has been planted. However, most of the grazing has been done as a minor component of a hay production system and not as a...

In recent years, grazing-type alfalfa varieties have been released, providing opportunities to livestock operations as a low-input, high-return forage, if managed properly; stands typically could last three to five years with good management.

There are many reasons why property owners use prescribed fire. The most common reasons are brush management, wildlife habitat management and forage improvement for livestock. Since the effects of...

According to recent data, the number of people moving to Southern Great Plains states like Texas is more than 1,400 per day. Private lands in the U.S. are undergoing significant changes. For example,...

In our region of the Southern Great Plains, we basically grow forage during the spring and fall, corresponding to our seasonal rainfall pattern. We are typically short on forage during the winter and...