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.

Missouri Extension has published a great guide for installing field borders (herbaceous strips of vegetation replacing crops at field edges) entitled Field borders for agronomic, economic and wildlife benefits.   The document illustrates some important principles of corridor design that we focus on in my course, but that are not incorporated (intentionally!) into farm plans nearly enough.  The document is b/w, but color versions of the pictures can be viewed on the html version HERE.

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.

CP33 – Habitat Buffers for Upland Birds – is a relatively new practice available through continuous sign-up Conservation Reserve Program. Specifications for the buffers were designed with northern bobwhite and other grassland birds in mind. A big plus is that economic research suggests these buffers are profitable for the producer, too.

Listen to 4 farmers tell their own story (click image below) about incorporating CP33 Habitat Buffers into their farming operations (courtesy Forestry & Wildlife Research Center at Mississippi State University).