Reseeding a pasture or hay ground requires more than just spreading seed on the ground. There's a sequence to the process, from testing the soil to addressing weeds, deciding on forages and considering livestock use.
Renovating and reseeding a pasture requires time, money and a little luck. There are many ways to go about it, but if you begin the planning process in the spring, you’ll thank yourself in the fall.
A healthy pasture is a vital resource for a livestock operation, and it requires year-round attention. One of the most critical periods is the fall when decisions dictate how much forage will be produced for the season.
In parts of Oregon, pasture forage for grazing livestock is lacking early in the growing season. That forces livestock producers to rely on costly harvested forages for supplemental feed. There is another option. Research has ...
Although grain crops bring in less revenue than vegetables or fruit, they can become an important part of a farming enterprise. Grains are less labor-intensive and can be grown when fields need a rest.
Poisonous plants are a major cause of economic loss to the livestock industry. Two poisonous plants common to Oregon are poison hemlock and Western water hemlock. Ingestion of either by humans or livestock typically results in death.
Silage-making has been used to reduce the concentrations of toxins in a variety of crops. But in the case of poison hemlock, the opposite is true — making silage out of it actually increases one of its toxic alkaloids.
The study of how forages grow and respond to livestock grazing has provided the knowledge to manage pastures for efficient and sustained production. Careful management is a cost-efficient way to produce quality forage.