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**GRASS! THE RANCHER'S CROP**

by Thomas L. Flowers, District Conservationist

Natural Resources Conservation Service (NCRS)

Meade, Kansas

Grass? The rancher's crop? Wait a minute! Isn't beef the rancher's crop?

Any rancher worth his salt will tell you that even though beef pays the
bills, grass produces the beef, so indeed, grass is the rancher's crop.

Ranchers have to look at the long run if they want to stay in business.
Abuse the grass crop this year, and you may pay the price for several
years to come. The rancher must look at how many pounds of grass are
being produced on his land and then use no more than half of that
production to raise his cattle. To use more than half, may hurt the
grass production for several years.

Grass must be cared for every bit as much as livestock. Neglect it, and
it suffers every bit as much as a live animal.

So how do you go about raising grass instead of beef? One way is to
develop a conservation plan with the Natural Resources Conservation
Service (NRCS). Conservationists will come to your rangeland and develop
a site specific plan for your

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Grass! The Rancher's Crop - 2 -

land. Individual range sites produce differently. In Meade County, grass
production can vary from 1,000 to over 6,000 pounds per acre per year
depending on the range site. Obviously, management and stocking rate
would be different on these sites.

A conservation plan will help you determine a stocking rate suitable for
your land that either improves the grass condition or keeps it in its
current condition. Stocking rates will be based upon grass production
and livestock requirements. A steer will require less grass than a
mature cow and calf. Likewise, a horse has different needs from a goat.

Ranchers need to think about the pounds of gain per animal as well as
pounds of beef per acre. There needs to be a compromise here. As the
stocking rate increases, pounds of gain per animal will decrease, but
pounds of beef per acre will increase...to a point. At a certain point
the pounds per acre concept begins to hurt the grass production as well
as animal performance. This is where a conservation plan can help by
establishing recommended stocking rates for individual pastures.

The first thing ranchers will notice when following a conservation plan
is that there will be grass left at the end of the season. Some look at
this as lost beef production. Others, perhaps wiser ranchers, look at
this as money in the bank. This leftover grass, which should be about 50
percent of the annual production on the site, shades the ground, catches
snow, and prevents runoff from spring rains. It also ensures a healthy
root system for regrowth next season. This standing grass also keeps
invader weeds, such as cactus or ragweed, from getting a start in the
field. It may also serve as emergency feed during times of drought.

A conservation plan may also include a rotational grazing system. These
simple systems ensure that all grasses are given the chance to grow and
reproduce. Graze a pasture the same time every year, and the plant
composition will eventually change.

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This, in turn, will affect livestock performance and net profit. Under
rotation grazing, grass production will increase and in turn, animal
production will increase.

Now is a great time to begin your conservation plan. Why not stop by
your local NRCS office or conservation district office located at your
local county USDA Service Center for more information.

For more information about NRCS programs, visit the Kansas NRCS Web site
at www.ks.nrcs.usda.gov.

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