Practical Conservation

A new series of extension bulletins focused on native grass forage production is being produced here at UT’s Center for Native Grassland Management.  The first four are now available (see below).  Five others are planned with the first of those, Economic Implications of Growing Native Warm-Season Grasses for Forage in the Mid-South (SP731-E), becoming available in the next two months.

• Native Warm-Season Grasses for Mid-South Forage Production (SP731-A)
• Establishing Native Warm-Season Grasses for Livestock Forage in the Mid-South (SP731-B)
• Grazing Native Warm-Season Grasses in the Mid-South (SP731-C)
• Producing Hay from Native Warm-Season Grasses in the Mid-South (SP731-D)

You can access them here:  https://utextension.tennessee.edu/publications/Pages/animals.aspx.  Please feel free to share a syou have need or opportunity.

Converting croplands to perennial grasslands – a publication from ATTRA.

Conservation Maven points out a great article about what works and what doesn’t when restoring native prairie.

Lee et al. (2009) examined the impact of fall and spring harvests on biomass yield in switchgrass and other potential bioenergy grasses.  There was little drop-off in biomass yield in spring harvests compared to fall for switchgrass, and big bluestem actually produced slightly more in spring.  This is great news for wildlife conservation.  Spring biomass harvests would preserve valuable winter cover for birds and other critters, and more closely mimic natural disturbance regimes.  And, still provide a profitable biofuel crop.  Now that’s what we mean by practical conservation

A new research advance entitled “Evaluating Pre-emergence Herbicides for Establishing Native Grasses and Forbs” from Mississippi State’s Forest and Wildlife Research Center.  And yes, it’s a shameless plug for my own research.

A recent study from the UK suggests that cattle and sheep that graze on natural grasslands (vs. improved pastures) may be both tastier and healthier.  Links to the ESRC report HERE, news releases HERE and HERE.

Would tastier and healthier meat command a higher price at market?  This finding, if replicated, could be a powerful incentive for producers to incorporate more natural/native grass into grazing systems, which would likely benefit grassland birds and other wildlife.

Thanks to the Agricultural Biodiversity Weblog.

I have added the following updates to the Grassland Management Manuals page:

Converting Common Bermudagrass to NWSG.  (Barnes and Washburn) from www.wildlifemanagement.info.

Handling the Tall Fescue Problem from the Southeast Quail Study group via www.wildlifemanagement.info.

Fescue Eradication by the Indiana Division of Fish and Wildlife via www.wildlifemanagement.info.

Native Warm-season Perennial Grasses for Forage in Kentucky by the UK Cooperative Extension Service via www.wildlifemanagement.info.

Establishing Native Warm Season Grasses via www.wildlifemanagement.info.

Native Warm Season Grasses for Wildlife via www.wildlifemanagement.info.

Warm Season Grasses from Penn State Univeristy via www.wildlifemanagement.info.

Warm Season Grasses and Wildlife from Penn State Univeristy via www.wildlifemanagement.info.

Restoring Native Grasslands by Texas Cooperative Extension via www.wildlifemanagement.info.

Native Warm Season Grasses: Identification, Establishment and Forage-Production in the Mid-South is a thorough guide to everything you need to know to establish, manage (and profit from) native warm season grass pastures in the south. Published by University of Tennessee Extension, it draws on expertise from around the region and contains effective graphics, tables and schedules. It is a complete regional guide. Hardcopy is $35, but *.pdfs may be downloaded for free.