Environmental Issues: Opportunities and Challenges for Grazing Dairies. By Kevin Ogles Grazing Specialist NRCS ENTSC Greensboro, NC

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1 Environmental Issues: Opportunities and Challenges for Grazing Dairies By Kevin Ogles Grazing Specialist NRCS ENTSC Greensboro, NC

2 Resource Concerns that could be encountered during inventory Soil Water Air Plants Animals

3 Already Doing Continuous Grazing Converting Cropland to Grazing

4 Well Managed Permanent Pasture Well-Managed Hay Field Poorly Managed Pasture (Continuous) No-Till Close Growing Crops No-Till Row Crops Spring Moldboard Plowed Row Crops Fall Moldboard Plowed Row Crops

7 9 Steps of Conservation Planning PHASE I 1. Identify the Problem 2. Determine the Objectives 3. Inventory Resources 4. Analyze Resource Data

9 Soil Resource Concerns Erosion Compaction Nutrient Loading Quality

10 Water & minerals very close to stream; trails due to long graze periods in this pasture Critical area is subpart of large pasture

12 Compaction and livestock lounging area

14 chicory Diverse Pasture Plant Community plantain red clover timothy dandelion white clover ragweed bluegrass

15 Topography/soil type influences the need Two days after rain, when cattle had to go to centralized water tank.

18 Thin stand due to heavy nutrient application and late harvest.

21 Dung Pattie indicates N may be deficient in surrounding area

22 Nutrient Management on Pastures

24 Nutrient Management on Pastures

30 Tall Fescue Tall Fescue Tall Fescue Orchardgrass Orchardgrass Fescue/Bluegrass Rotational Continuous Continuous Rotational Rotational Rotational

31 Take Home Message Given there is adequate forage quantity, quality and growth rate: The faster the rotation frequency, (With water tanks, minerals and feed bunks moved into every paddock for each rotation) The better the livestock waste nutrient distribution will be.

Legumes and Soil Quality: Fix nitrogen as a symbiotic host to Rhizobia bacteria Increase organic matter Create bigger soil aggregates (Mean weight diameter of soil aggregates 20% higher under alfalfa

32 Legumes and Soil Quality: Fix nitrogen as a symbiotic host to Rhizobia bacteria Increase organic matter Create bigger soil aggregates (Mean weight diameter of soil aggregates 20% higher under alfalfa over bare fallow, Rasse et al., 2000) Improve soil porosity; hence water infiltration (Saturated soil conductivity increased 57% under alfalfa over bare fallow, Rasse et al., 2000) Increase mineralizable nitrogen and phosphorus

33 Water Resource Concerns Quality Quantity

37 Uncontrolled access to stream even with 16 paddocks on this farm. Overgrazed

42 Livestock concentration area Stream Riparian Buffer

43 Alternative water; but no control of grazing time Note short graze height, open stream crossing, a few weeds.

44 Animals - Domestic Resource Concerns Inadequate: Quantity and Quality of Feed and Forage Shelter Water (Quality and Quantity) Stress and Mortality

48 Opportunities for Grazing Managers with 2008 Farm Bill Programs Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) Conservation Stewardship Program (CStP) Grassland Reserve Program (GRP) Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Wetland Reserve Program (WRP)

49 East National Technology Support Center Grazing Specialists: Kevin D. Ogles Michael D. Hall (Active Duty until 10/09) NRCS is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Rev 2/09

50 The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or a part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C or call (800) (voice) or (202) (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

National Soil Health Initiative

National Soil Health Initiative Ensuring Sustainable Agriculture for the Future USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Words from Former NRCS Chief Dave White soil is one of our most important