Integrating Pasture Management on Dairy and Livestock Farms

This comprehensive research project has established a research and demonstration site at the UMass Crop and Animal Research and Education Center in Deerfield. The demonstrations include:

Assessing Forage Species/Varieties for Varying Soil Conditions:
This project provides information on forage species, varieties and blends which increases economic benefit to the farmers. The UMass site is one of three locations where 25 to 28 pasture blends are being evaluated under rotational grazing with beef animals in replicated studies. Several farmers in New England are also testing a subset of these seed mixes.

Increasing the Energy Utilized from Grazed and Supplementary Forages:
The main goal of this study is to demonstrate increased efficiency in grazing using an existing orchardgrass pasture. Growth of grass-fed young beef animals are being evaluated under intensive management systems. Beef animals have been raised mostly on pasture with a record of pasture condition and animal growth.

Summer Annual Forages:
An alternative strategy for increasing forage availability is to overseed summer or fall seeded annuals into pastures as they slow their growth in the heat of summer or the cooler weather in the fall. Using this option farmers can supplemental forage production through seeding of summer annuals grasses such as Japanese millet and high density narrow row corn, and forage Brassicas into existing pasture.