Management-intensive rotational grazing enhances forage production and quality of subhumid cool-season pastures
Abstract
Management-intensive rotational grazing is used by many farmers seeking to balance profitability, environmental stewardship, and quality of life. Productivity of pastures in much of the upper Midwest is limited to April through October, so promoting high quality forage production during the grazing season and for winter storage is critical to dairy and beef farm profitability. We conducted an experiment on pastures dominated by Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.), orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.), meadow fescue [Schedonorus pratensis (Huds.) P. Beauv.], perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), and white clover (Trifolium repens L.) to compare forage production, forage quality, and root production under management-intensive rotational grazing, continuous grazing, haymaking, and land with no agronomic management. Rotational paddocks were grazed by cow-calf pairs monthly for ∼2 d and then allowed to rest for ∼28 d. Plots designated for haymaking were harvested two times per growing season. Potential utilizable forage, quantified by incorporating the estimates of refused and nonutilized biomass, and relative forage quality were significantly greater under management-intensive rotational grazing when compared to the other treatments. Root production in the surface 15 cm was significantly lower under both grazing treatments compared to the undefoliated control site. The perception of improved production has been used to advocate for rotationally grazed over continuously grazed…
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Continuous grazing can negatively impact plant regrowth and recovery, plant communities, and has low productivity.
“This grazing management approach, while still the most common, can negatively impact plant regrowth and recovery, as well as plant communities, and has low productivity”
From Impacts of soil carbon sequestration on life cycle greenhouse gas emissions in Midwestern USA beef finishing systems (2018) · cites this paper as Oates et al., 2011
Studies using adaptive multi-paddock grazing indicate that it can result in more ideal pasture species composition (more digestible forages with greater digestible energy content) due to prevention of consistent species selection and overgrazing, providing pasture recovery, and re-grazing before lignification.
“Studies using AMP grazing indicate that it can result in more ideal pasture species composition (more digestible forages with greater digestible energy content) due to prevention of consistent species selection and overgrazing, providing pasture recovery, and re-grazing before lignification”
From Impacts of soil carbon sequestration on life cycle greenhouse gas emissions in Midwestern USA beef finishing systems (2018) · cites this paper as Oates et al., 2011
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References 44 · Cited by 80
- Authors
- Oates, L. G., Undersander, D. J., Gratton, C., Bell, M. M., & Jackson, R. D.
- Affiliations
- University of Wisconsin–Madison (US)
- Dep. of Agronomy Univ. of Wisconsin‐Madison 1575 Linden Dr. Madison WI 53706
- Corresponding author
- Oates, Lawrence G.
- Venue
- Crop Science
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2011-03
- Volume
- 51
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 892-901
- ISSN
- 0011-183X (ISSN-L)
- 1435-0653
- OpenAlex
- W2105420396
- Cited by
- 80
- References
- 44
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 13 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 11 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 10 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 1 · 2015: 5 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 1 · 2012: 2
- FWCI
- 12.06
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Crop Science (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Forestry › Pasture and Agricultural Systems
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Forestry › Agroforestry and silvopastoral systems
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law › Rangeland Management and Livestock Ecology
- Keywords
- continuous grazing, haymaking, forage production, forage quality, root production, cool-season pasture, Poa pratensis, Dactylis glomerata, Festuca pratensis, perennial ryegrass, white clover
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