If you are noticing declining forage yields and weed encroachment, compaction has reduced the water storage and accessible nutrients in your soil. This increase is due to a larger root zone from which the forage plants may extract nutrients and the additional water storage capacity to retain them as soluble nutrients. At the beginning of a drought, this additional production is critical. Cattle are able to obtain more usable forage because there are fewer weeds and competing plant species. Forage is more palatable and intake increases.
More applied fertilizer is used in years with declining rainfall.
Forage Quality Coastal bermudagrass often grows erect following renovation. Tillering and thickening of the stand with runners may be delayed until the soil has resettled with rain and hoof traffic. Forage testing of grass from renovated and non-renovated test strips has demonstrated higher TDN, protein, carbohydrate, and nutrient content in renovated plots. Not only is tonnage increased, the content of all desirable nutrients was increased as well. Such hay or forage is of much higher value to the livestock producer who produces hay for his or her own use.