In the early 1800's, as Henry Schoolcraft explored the Ozarks, he wrote frequently of the abundant stands of thick grassees, such as big bluestem, Indian grass, switchgrass and Eastern gamma grass. He was amazed that often these grasses grew so tall and thick that they would hide a man on horseback. However, as the area was settled more heavily, overgrazing, crop rotations and competition from non-native vegetation nearly wiped out these native grasses.
For some time reintroduction of these native grasses has been promoted for wildlife cover and habitat restoration. However, many farmers and researchers throughout the Midwest are discovering these native grasses also have tremendous benefits to grazing and forage programs.
Simply put, fescue, orchard grass and most other grasses that are in common use throughout Ozarks pastures are cool-season grasses. They grow well in the spring and fall. They can even be stockpiled for winter grazing. However, they don't like heat. The production of these grasses drops considerably during our hot summer months. That is just the time when the grasses that were here before we were, are at their peak. These native grasses thrive in the heat of summer, making them an excellent addition to your grazing and forage rotation. “Many will produce twice the tonnage of fescue,” said Curtis Gooch of the Natural Resources Conservation Service in Polk County.
“Their nutrition value is as good or better than cool-season grasses,” Gooch said. The nutrition value of native warm-season grasses is still not fully understood, but one thing is certain: cattle on a rotation that includes native grasses seem to always perform better than those only on traditional cool-season pasture. “A study done in Nebraska showed a 38 percent increase in steer gains for those grazed on pasture that included native grasses in the rotation,” said Tim Schnakenberg, agronomy specialist with MU Extension.
Rotation is an important factor in achieving these gains and maintaining a healthy native grass pasture. Schnakenberg explained, “These grasses store carbs in the lower part of the stem. You need to keep more length.” Keeping those first few inches of the plant is important to vigorous regrowth. He recommends grazing to an average height of four inches or more, then rotate the cattle to another area. Allow the grass to regrow to a height of 12 inches or more then turn cattle back on it. These grasses grow well through the summer, so that shouldn't take long.
Converting areas to warm-season pasture can be done with some basic steps and a little patience. Gooch said there are several factors to consider when deciding which varieties and which areas to plant. The NRCS can help with these decisions as well as helping you see if financial assistance may be available from any of several programs.
Schnakenberg said that once your native grass pasture is established, it can be less expensive to maintain since they generally require less nitrogen and are more drought tolerant. While you may not be trying to grow enough cover to hide a horse and rider, if you are looking to turn those hot summer months into significant gains for your cattle, look into making part of your grazing rotation warm-season native grass.
