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Desirable Plant PopulationDesirable plants: Plants that are persistent, provide good tonnage, and nutrition for most of the growing season or designated time frame. Composition of plant species in the diet of the target animal is approximately the same as that found in the area being grazed by this animal. Animal types do have different preferences which should be considered. Desirable plants would include the following functional group species:Functional Group 1 (Cool Season Grasses) Orchardgrass, Tall Fescue, Timothy, Perennial Ryegrass, Kentucky bluegrass, Smooth bromegrass, Reed Canarygrass, annual grasses, and Redtop; and annual cool-season forages such as Oats, Cereal Rye, Annual Ryegrass, Wheat, Triticale and Barley that balance slump periods. Tall fescue to be included as a desirable species needs to be:Less than 85% of the stand if endophyte infected (e+) 1/, andreadily consumed by livestock present and livestock adapted to it,or is the novel endophyte, or is only used for winter stockpiled forage,otherwise, a lower category.Reed Canarygrass to be included as a desirable needs to be:Maintained in vegetative form (i.e. – not allowed to produce seed), andreadily consumed by livestock present,otherwise, a lower category.Functional Group 2 (Warm Season Grasses) Eastern Gamagrass, Big bluestem, Indiangrass, Little bluestem, and Switchgrass; and annual warm-season forages such as Crabgrass, Millets, Sorghum-Sudangrass, Teff, and Sudangrass. Functional Group 3 (Legumes) Red Clover, White Clover, Birdsfoot trefoil, Alfalfa, Tick foils, and Black medic; and annual legumes such as Cowpeas, Winter Peas, and forage SoybeansFunctional Group 4 (Other Grazable Forbs) Forage Chicory, and Forage Plantain, and Brassicas.Intermediate plants: Some undesirables that the livestock might not normally eat, or species when consumed provide low tonnage, lose quality fast or have short lived grazing use period include:Grasses: Phragmites, over mature Reed Canary Grass, over mature Tall Fescue, over mature warm season grasses, monocultures of e+ tall fescue (>85%).Legumes: Hop clover, Vetch, Alsike Clover, and Annual LespedezasForbs/Shrubs: Chickweed, Dandelion, Nutsedges, Pigweeds, and invasive shrubs such as buckthorn and honeysuckles.Undesirable plants: Not readily grazed by most grazing animals and or may be poisonous. Some browsing type livestock, like goats, could put some of these species in the intermediate category. Some undesirable plants would include: Buttercup, Thistles, Burdock, Horsenettle, Ironweed, Jimsonweed, Marestail, Multiflora Rose, Milkweeds, Nightshades, Sericea Lespedeza, Waterhemp, Poison Hemlock, White Snakeroot, Ragweed, Bindweed, Smartweeds, and Velvetleaf, Cocklebur, Broomsedge, sedges and rushes. Live Plant Density The pasture plants should be a dense stand with no soil showing, with reduced or no erosion and water problems, slower runoff due to good infiltration, and adequate live canopy for photosynthesis. Plants should dominantly be in stage 2 growth. (Stage 1 – immature, usually high N, Stage 2 – vegetative to early boot, Stage 3 – mature forage)Percent Legume Legumes present should provide some nitrogen, but not be competing too much with desired grasses. Over 50% can be problems with some legumes (bloat) and be very competitive with grasses, especially if overgrazed during the fall giving the legumes the upper hand over the grasses present the following spring. The optimum percentage is in the 30 to 40% range. Higher amounts indicate more stage 1 grazing. We do want some legumes in the stand.Plant Residue Looking at the dead or dying forage – some is good – especially if building soil, building soil organic matter. This is also a good indicator if the pasture is overgrazed or not. No dry residue and bare spots indicates overgrazing. Dry matter present also helps keep the C:N ratio in balance during lush growth periods. Plant growth may be retarded some if there is too much dead plant material. Plant VigorAre the plants healthy and growing? Does it appear that the majority of the forage is kept in a good stage of growth for plant health and adequately maintaining the plant solar panel? Are there problems with fertility, species or varieties not adapted to the site, pH, insect, or disease problems?Soil HealthWe are looking for indicators of good soil health such as earthworm castings, dung beetle activity in manure piles, lots of arthropods present, nice dark soil color in top horizon and a good musky, earthy smell to the soil. This is harder to see during the winter, but look at soil color, manure pile breakdown left from the grazing season and soil condition if possible (platey or loose). Soils with good cover will often be quite easy to shovel compared to poorly covered, saturated soils.Uniformity & Severity of UseIs pasture being grazed fairly evenly to similar heights? It is important to keep forages sufficiently vegetative for growing/lactating animals and balance palability and nutritional value. Pasture should not be overgrazed and maintained in stage one growth. (Stage 1 – immature, usually high N, Stage 2 – vegetative to early boot, Stage 3 – mature forage)Livestock Concentration AreasAre heavily used areas adequately treated? Are they appropriately distanced from any water bodies? Are any water bodies present adequately buffered? Are concentrated areas being rotated?Soil CompactionWe would want to see decreased runoff, good water infiltration and storage. There should be no limiting compaction layers that would affect forage production or the water holding capacity of the soil. Certainly more difficult under winter conditions, but again, soils with good cover will often be quite easy to probe compared to poorly covered, saturated soils.ErosionWe want to look and see if we have active erosion of any type in the pasture, including around feeding or concentration areas, trails, and erosion around water bodies. Residue movement is an indicator of water flow. Use SVAP for evaluation if streambanks are present. ................
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