Points to Remember Planning the current grazing season and evaluating the past grazing season are important parts of the total ranch management plan. There is no substitute for knowing the identity of the important plant species on your range. Understanding the plants on the range is as important as understanding the cattle that graze them.
Green plants are the foundation of all life.
Understanding how they grow and how grazing management affects growth is basic to range management. The amount of new spring growth depends on the amount of energy stored the previous season. Energy or food reserves of perennial plants will be at their seasonal lows soon after early spring growth starts. The plants must get the opportunity to grow past the early spring growth stage and start to restore or put back energy that is used. By knowing your major grasses and how they grow, you will be able to set the most advantageous time to graze each area.