Determining Optimal Forage Species Mixtures
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Forages are a major feed component for the cow-calf and backgrounding sectors of the beef industry. Appropriately managed pasture with a significant legume component is inherently one of the most sustainable feed sources. Because forage species have different yield potential and nutritional quality, the mixtures of forage species in pastures can influence the productivity of the grazing cattle.
Work funded by the National Check-off and Canada’s Beef Science Cluster is working to identify forage species mixtures that provide the best opportunity to enhance beef productivity both on pasture and with stored forages. This research will allow the evaluation of how forage species in the seed mixtures stabilize in the pasture over several years of grazing pressure, and investigate stand establishment and productivity under differing levels of nitrogen fertilization in different geographical regions in Eastern and Central Canada. The results will allow producers to make better pasture seeding choices to increase beef production per acre.
To learn more, see the entire BCRC fact sheet.
This research is a continuation of work initiated under the first Beef Science Cluster (2009-2013). See the initial results, including a video.
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