Farming
Spring is officially here, and it shows from the blooming flowers and the generous coating of pollen that’s covering everything that will stand still. Cattle producers are jumping at the bit to transition their herds to summer pasture. Spring green-up is happening and the temptation to throw open the gates is strong. Just because you see new growth does not mean the grass is ready to be grazed. In south Alabama, summer pastures are mainly comprised of bermudagrass and bahiagrass, and proper timing in these systems is crucial to ensure long-term use of these pastures.
When cattle graze too early, it can harm the long-term health of your pasture. Grazing before plants have fully developed can prevent them from storing enough root carbohydrates, which are crucial for their persistence and growth. These warm-season grasses common in Alabama (bahiagrass and bermudagrass) survive the dormant period (from about November to mid-April) by metabolizing stored energy. This is energy that the plants stored when it entered dormancy, and at this point in the spring those energy reserves are pretty much gone. Plants refill these energy stores through photosynthesis. The more leaf area in the sun, the more energy that’s produced to fuel those plants regrowth after grazing or cutting for hay. This is a slow-moving process that will slow down even further if you put grazing animals out too early. The plants will push more reserves toward growing new leaf tissue while neglecting root development, which is important for a long-lasting grazing season and could lead to loss of stand later on. The more these plants dip into their energy reserves, the more they will succumb to weed pressure, disease, and drought stress.
How do producers prevent damage to the pastures? It is simple. Let the grass grow. Allowing pastures to grow taller than normal (8 to 10 inches for bahiagrass and 6 to 8 inches for bermudagrass) before the first grazing of the season and limiting the animals to only grazing half of the available biomass will go a long way toward maintaining a strong pasture throughout the grazing system.
If pastures were overseeded in the fall with cool-season annuals like annual ryegrass, the spring transition can be a little more complicated. It is crucial that these annuals be grazed or cut to the proper height in order for the summer grasses to come out of dormancy. Shade will have the same effect as grazing too early. Be careful of grazing these annuals down to the height of the new summer growth because of the concerns with early grazing.
Summary
While most of the time these perennial summer pastures are pretty hardy, they are at their most vulnerable during this spring transition period. Timing your cattle’s introduction to these summer pastures will be crucial for successful pasture management. In summary, keep the gates closed a little bit longer and let the grass grow a little bit taller. A little bit of patience now can mean better grazing in the future. For more information, read the following Alabama Cooperative Extension System publications: