Cool-season introduced grass species are not recommended for season-long grazing in the northern Great Plains. They mature earlier than native species, which leads to an earlier loss in forage quality and palatability. A study conducted at Mandan, N.D., compared liveweight gains of yearling steers grazing crested wheatgrass [Agropyron desertorum (Fisch. ex Link) Schult.], smooth bromegrass (Bromus inermis Leyss.), and western wheatgrass [(Pascopyrum smithii (Rydb.) Love] and level native prairie (Class II and III land) and hilly native prairie pastures (Class IV and VI land), season-long. A set stocking rate of 1.5 AUM ha-1 was used from mid-May through late September in 1988, 1989, and 1990. Caged standing crop was higher from the seeded pastures than from the native pastures but liveweight steer gain was highest from the level native. Three-year average gains were 124, 114, 108, 106, and 105 kg per steer for level native, smooth bromegrass, western wheatgrass, hilly native, and crested wheatgrass pastures, respectively. The seeded cool-season grass pastures, grazed season-long at a rate 25% higher than that recommended by the SCS for native range, produced acceptable liveweight steer gains without additional inputs. Season-long grazing may provide an alternative use for marginal cropland and other highly erodible land that has been reseeded to cool-season species. This material was digitized as part of a cooperative project between the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. The Journal of Range Management archives are made available by the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact lbry-journals@email.arizona.edu for further information. Migrated from OJS platform August 2020
Scholarly peer-reviewed articles published by the Society for Range Management. Access articles on a rolling-window basis from vol. 1, 1948 up to 5 years from the current year. Formerly Journal of Range Management (JRM). More recent content is available by subscription from SRM.