Pasture Rejuvenation

August 2015

Why and When to Rejuvenate

Identify the source

Grazing management

(time, length, frequency)

Removal of nutrients and no inputs

(example: hay field)

Unfavorable weather

(drought, flood, frost)

Soil related issues

(salinity, compaction, texture)

Inventory / Monitoring

• Take a pasture inventory

• Match forage demand and supply

• Sustainable grazing management plan

• Repeat inventory (monitoring)

• Observe trend

• Adjust grazing management plan

Your Options

Evaluate Existing

Vegetation

Desirable Vegetation Dominates

Manage

Provide Rest

Change Harvest Timing

Change Species of Livestock

Manipulate

Fertilization

Herbicide Treatment

Burning

Enhance

Sod-Seeding

Over-Seeding

Undesirable Vegetation Dominates

Replace

Conventional Seeding

Sod-Seeding

Manage

• Provide effective rest During growing season

• May be the most economical solution

• Considerations Alternate feed source

Fencing

Water

Changes to management plan

Manipulate

• Fertilization

• Herbicide Treatment

• Burning

Adding nutrients

• Commercial Fertilizer Grasses generally need N + P

Legumes generally need P + S

• Considerations Soil test!

Quick way to increase yield – one year response

Success is extremely moisture dependent

Pencil economics

Average N Response

• Brown soil zone 10-15lbs

• Dark Brown soil zone 15-25lbs

• Black soil zone 20-30lbs

Grass Only

Adding nutrients

• Natural Fertilizer (Manure)

Spreading mechanically

Spreading through animals (example: bale graze)

• Considerations

Soil test!

Site selection and rotation

Manipulate

• Herbicide application Difficult if a legume is present

Repeated applications may be necessary

Consider residual effects

Environmental impacts (example: waterways)

• Biological control Scentless chamomile, leafy spurge,

nodding thistle

Rotowiper ADOPT Project

Impact of Rotowiper on Absinth

Biocontrol in Scentless Chamomile

Livestock in Weed Control

Altering nutrient cycling

• Burning

• Considerations

Part of natural disturbance regime

Release nutrients in litter layer

Creates grazing animal attraction

Liability!

Be safe

Enhance

• Sod-seeding

• Over-seeding

Suppress existing vegetation

Add a Legume

Replace

• Most aggressive method

• Considerations

Loss of forage production for min. one year

Weather factors influence success

Poor of failed establishment possible

Most applicable when stand is poor and

desirable plants are <50% of stand

Should I or Not?

• Economic considerations

• Pasture inventory

Your Choice

For more information:

Contact your local Regional Forage Specialist

or the Agriculture Knowledge Centre

at 1-866-457-2377