Plan your land use each year
Every farm has different soils and different topography, and these conditions should be considered when deciding what type of farming is suited for different areas of land. Green said many soils in the Ozarks are not suited for annual crops but are very well suited for growing grass. The NRCS provides assistance by looking over farm resources with producers, finding out what their goals are and giving them ideas to meet those goals. Green said producers should keep records of grazing management, pasture management, yields and herd management, and then make adjustments each year based on your results the previous year.
“Be willing to make adjustments and stay flexible. If we keep doing it the same way we’ve always done it, we’ll get what we’ve always gotten,” Mark reminded producers.
Test your soil
Soil tests give producers an idea of the fertility in a particular field and can help them avoid over-applying or under-applying fertilizer. “With the price of fertilizer now, it is just smart to pull soil tests and see what is actually needed,” Green said. “Without them you might as well just throw your wallet out there with the fertilizer.”
Because soil nutrients and consistency can change, Green recommends producers test their soil about every four years. Local extension offices can provide detailed instructions for properly pulling soil samples, but Green said producers should mix a minimum of 20 subsamples in a non-galvanized bucket and try to keep samples from a 20-acre field or less.
Consult your NRCS soil survey
The NRCS publishes soil surveys containing information about the types of soils found in various areas of a section of land and can help producers determine what soils are favorable for certain crops or forages, what soils tend to be wet and lack drainage, or are dry or acidic. Producers can also consult the survey when deciding what areas on a farm are more favorable to build a pond or how far from the surface the bedrock lies. The surveys are available through links on Ozarks Farm & Neighbor’s website, www.ozarksfn.com, or at local soil conservation district offices and county agricultural extension offices.
Know your land’s carrying capacity
Carrying capacity is based on the stocking rate (the number of animals or animal liveweight assigned to a grazing unit on a seasonal basis) that provides a target level of performance while maintaining the integrity of the resource base. See the next page for the formula to calculate carrying capacity.
“With wise utilization of the pasture you have, you might be able to increase carrying capacity,” Green said. “However, you need to be careful with this statement. If you are already overstocked, you don’t want to assume you can increase carrying capacity. But maybe by improving utilization, you can feed less hay.”
Fertilize conservatively
Green said soil testing is the best way to practice conservative fertilization. He also recommends adding legumes to pastures, lowering stocking rates and improving grazing management to cut back on the amount of fertilizer needed on a particular piece of land. He said timing can also play a key role in the fertilization process.
“Fescue makes 60 percent of its total growth in the spring, and we have a hard time managing that spring growth because it grows so fast,” Green said. “Maybe we need to consider not applying nitrogen fertilizer in the spring, but only in the fall, to increase our fall growth for winter pasture on fescue.”
Understand the mineral content already on your land
Soils in southwest Missouri and northwest Arkansas tend to have a low pH. Adding lime to help the pH is the cheapest, most effective thing producers can do. “When the pH is low, it ties up other nutrients,” Green said. “Get lime on first and make sure to soil test.”
Consider fencing off streams
Fencing off streams can improve animal movement and handling, and also add to the fertility of a field. Green said in some cases it is much easier to move the herd and handle the animals if producers don’t have to worry about getting them out of a creek area, and the manure that collects near the water is better used out on the pasture instead of in nonproducing areas. Green also pointed out that fencing off streams can reduce possible water contamination, and while it is not an issue on every farm, if animals are concentrated in any area, there can be some water quality concerns.
Green said the actual maintenance of the fence might be a disadvantage to producers, but using the proper materials could cut down on repairs.
“If the stream floods often, the fence maintenance can be a real issue. It has been observed that high tensile electric fence (1 or 2 strands) holds up a lot better to flooding than barbed wire,” he said. “The smooth wire catches less trash, grass, etc. and stays in place better during floods.”
Fencing off forests
Fencing off forests can benefit both the wooded area and the pasture land. Green said if an area is a set of good woods, excluding livestock is the best management. Livestock can destroy new seedlings, compact the soil around the trees which destroys roots and increase the level nutrients for the area too much. Much like fencing off streams, animal movement and handling and manure placement are improved when access to forest areas is blocked.
Strategically place water sources
Green said watering points greatly influence grazing distribution. The farther away animals are from water, the less pasture they graze. “By placing water in proper places, you can get better, more uniform grazing across the pastures which will mean more forage used by the livestock,” he said. “Also, proper water placement can help keep concentrated areas away from streams and other surface water.”
