“That’s if you don’t stop for pictures,” he says with a laugh at the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) McIntyre Ranch announcement one June 15.

The McIntyre Ranch is located south of Lethbridge and is a quarter the size of Calgary. It’s home to 150 species of plants and animals and contains 3,600 wetland basins.

Now, after over 30 years of discussions, NCC, Ducks Unlimited, and the Thrall family, who operate McIntyre Ranch, have announced a conservation project for the ranch. It is one of the largest conservation projects in Canada.

“The conservation agreement that we are unveiling today will protect more than 22,000 hectares of one of Canada’s most at-risk ecosystems,” says Michael Nadler, DUC’s chief executive officer.

Catherine Grenier, the chief executive officer (CEO) of NCC, says that a conservation project of this size is especially important because of how quickly grasslands and wetlands are disappearing.

“Across the prairie, we are losing 60,000 hectares, or for some of you that think in sections, more than 230 sections, every year,” she says.

“Up to 70 per cent of wetlands have already been lost in southern areas of Canada. So conserving the McIntyre ranch pushes back against this loss.”

At 130 years old, the McIntyre ranch was originally owned by the McIntyre’s before it was sold to the Thrall family. Now, three generations later, Ralph Thrall III is the CEO and COO of the ranch, which he owns and operates in collaboration with his three siblings.

He says that even from the time his grandfather operated the ranch, a priority was preservation.
“One thing our mom taught us is it could all be gone tomorrow,” Thrall says. “This helped us to be grateful for what we have. I think of this because…grasslands are disappearing at an alarming rate. This is happening largely because it is so easy to convert grasslands to farmland.”

With the discussions taking around 30 years to set up the conservation project, Thrall says the easement put in place on the McIntyre Ranch is unique for the land.

“I think the exercise for me was recognizing what NCC was trying to simplify for the years that they had these easements, it’s to simplify them and make them more efficient and effective. That’s where the journey started and I think we’ve really spent a lot of time coming up with a win-win document for all parties involved.”

One important aspect of this easement is it allows the ranch to continue to operate the same way it has historically.

“Grazing the grasslands conserves our environment and maintains species diversity, just as it did when millions of bison once roamed the plains,” Thrall says.

At the end of the announcement, Tom Lynch-Staunton, NCC’s regional vice-president of Alberta, said $3 million still needs to be raised for the project. Though they aren’t disclosing how much the project will cost, he says it’s reflective of the size of the project.

The post Largest conservation project in Canada underway appeared first on Canadian Cattlemen.

Producers have until June 29 to bid on hay opportunities in 16 municipalities in southwest Manitoba, through the DUC Hay Tender Program.

“To be honest, I’d be lost without it,” says Trevor McLeod, a farmer and cattle producer southeast of Brookdale, Man.. “Even if I did have enough hay acres, it’s nice to have that extra cushion where you can build up for the next year.”

McLeod has been raising cattle for 45 years on land his grandfather purchased in 1924. He has bid on DUC hay lands for over 20 years, back when he used square bales. “It’s been a while,” he laughs, quickly adding, “It’s pretty critical. I like to get at least one piece per year.”

Recognizing that grasslands need to be managed to remain productive, DUC Manitoba staff identified 2,200 acres to benefit from hay management in 2022. Parcels range from 32 acres to over 200 acres.

“We actually increased our tendered acres in 2020 and 2021, to assist almost 100 producers who were battling drought and feed issues,” explains Cam Ross, the DUC conservation specialist administering the program. “Producers can begin cutting hay after July 15 so that any nesting birds have moved out.”

Last year, McLeod secured 96 acres in the Rural Municipality of Minto-Odanah. “I got 186 bales out of there,” he says. “For the size of operation I am now, that’s a big boost in my hay so it really helps out a lot. Especially compared to buying hay.”

Even though McLeod lives outside of DUC conservation target zones, he’s been involved with the Hay Tender Program since the 1990s and intends to bid again in 2022, noting that DUC has been a great partner to work with.

“If there are problems, they come out and correct it,” McLeod says. “There was one piece that didn’t have great access. DUC came out and dug it out and put a culvert in there and fixed it right up. Same if it’s a really wet year and you don’t have access to a piece. They’re willing to reduce the acres and help you out. DUC has been really easy to work with.”

Haying land is available in 2022 in these Manitoba municipalities:

• Cartwright-Roblin
• Clanwilliam-Erickson
• Coldwell
• Glenella-Lansdowne
• Hamiota
• Harrison Park
• Killarney-Turtle Mountain
• Minto-Odanah
• Oakview
• Portage La Praire
• Prairie Lakes
• Prairie View
• Riding Mountain West
• Sifton
• Wallace-Woodworth
• Yellowhead

Bids close June 29. Find out more at https://ag.ducks.ca/program/hay-tenders-and-grazing/.

The post Ducks Unlimited accepting bids for hay tenders in Manitoba appeared first on Canadian Cattlemen.

Ontario has long been the country’s powerhouse for winter wheat. Statistics Canada projected the province’s farmers to seed just over one million acres this year, nearly 75 per cent of Canada’s total winter wheat acres.

However, Marty Vermey, senior agronomist with Grain Farmers of Ontario, said the province’s farmers lost up to a third of their crop because of weather conditions since the fall.

Vermey said yields ranged quite widely, from as little as 18 bushels per acre up to 120, averaging 40-80. Almost the entire Ontario crop has been harvested, with some fields in northern Ontario remaining, he said.

“There were some success stories, and some real failures,” Vermey said.

A cool, wet fall not only delayed planting, but also led to poor development when combined with the wet spring Ontario had this year.

“We had a very wet March and April and that killed off [a lot] of the crop,” Vermey said.

Despite those challenges, the quality of Ontario’s winter wheat was surprising. It showed good weight and was affected very little by diseases such as fusarium, he noted.

Prairies

Elmer Kaskiw of Ducks Unlimited Canada estimated two-thirds of Manitoba’s winter wheat has been harvested. He said nearly all farmers in eastern Manitoba had finished their combining, while most of the remaining harvest was in western Manitoba.

“Yields are a little bit lower than anticipated, given the yield expectations of winter wheat,” which were 65 to 70 bushels per acre Kaskiw stated.

Protein levels were particularly good at 11.5 to 13.5 per cent, he added.

“There’s no trouble marketing it,” Kaskiw said.

In Saskatchewan, very little winter wheat has come off the field, said Brad White, a director with the Saskatchewan Winter Cereals Development Commission. He said rain delays have forced farmers to keep their combines off the fields.

During the growing season, the most notable issue was crops retillered after heading-out, which affected about half the winter wheat, according to White.

Despite this year’s problems, there are good amounts of reserve moisture in the ground, he said.

Earlier this year StatsCan estimated about 1.35 million acres of winter wheat would be seeded this year, down from 1.4 million in 2018. The largest amount of seeded acres was 2.82 million in 2008.

— Glen Hallick writes for MarketsFarm, a Glacier FarmMedia division specializing in grain and commodity market analysis and reporting.

Table: Estimated winter wheat seeded acres, 2019 over 2018 (thousands)

The post Winter wheat harvest varies by province appeared first on Canadian Cattlemen.

“It’s something that we’ve always practiced before we even knew what the word meant, just to ensure the long-term viability of our operation and the environment and the profitability of farming on this land,” said Randy Radau, who farms near Bowden, Alta. “We’ve always taken sustainability very seriously, or our operation wouldn’t have lasted over 90 years.”

After being nominated by Ducks Unlimited, Randy and Sandra Radau and their family were awarded the 2019 Environmental Stewardship Award (TESA) for Alberta. They were presented this award at the Alberta Beef Producers annual general meeting in December 2018.

“We have always taken a pragmatic, down-to-earth approach of trying to make improvements to our operation. We’ve never been really big on buzzwords and that sort of thing,” said Radau. “It’s just nice to be recognized for doing it for so many years.”

Radau is the third generation of his family to operate their farm. His grandfather bought three quarters of land east of Bowden in 1927.

“My dad and uncle farmed with my mother for a number of years here, and we’ve always been a mixed grain-cattle operation, and we’ve just expanded the cattle over the years,” Radau says.

Their operation is currently around 3,500 acres. Two thousand acres are pasture and hayland, with the rest devoted to grain production.

Raising cattle appealed to Radau from the time he was a child. “I always enjoyed watching calves grow and being involved in the life cycle of cattle, and I built up a herd through 4-H to where I had enough cows when I graduated from high school that they went a long ways to paying for my university,” he recalled.

“It was just what I always wanted to do. My first interest always around the farm is the cattle. I just enjoy the genetics, the constant drive to improve, and it was an easy choice from when I was fairly young that I wanted to make my career in the cattle business.”

The Radau family has raised purebred Hereford cattle for 75 years. They currently run around 200 purebred females and 160 commercial females. They expanded into the commercial herd during the BSE years, Radau says. The commercial herd is Here­ford and red baldies, and they breed the red baldies to a terminal sire. Right now they’re using Charolais bulls, he added.

Their purebred females calve in April and May, with their commercial herd following in May and June. “We’ve always been backgrounders, so it suits our operation. We retain our calves and background them over the winter and sell the commercial end of our cattle in February.”

Radau continues to be impressed by the traits of the Hereford breed, which has worked for their program from the start.

“We like their docility and their winter hardiness and their feed efficiency. They work well in our operation, and I’ve never really wanted to pursue a second purebred breed. I just wanted to concentrate on really doing a good job with the Herefords,” he said. The Radaus have sold genetics around the world and have a solid customer base of ranchers who buy bulls from them every year.

The Radaus used to show cattle as part of their marketing, but now they prefer to focus on the seedstock aspect of their business, selling bred heifers and yearling and two-year-old bulls by private treaty.

“We like to feed them less grain and ensure their longevity, and by just selling on the farm we feel we can do that and really meet our customers’ demand. We’ve gone away from the show-type cattle, and we just want to raise really useful ranch-style cattle.”

Coulee Crest Farm has joined different certification programs to help open new markets for their cattle. “We just recently became Verified Beef Production Plus audited, so we’re just trying to gain a premium if there is one out there in the marketplace,” said Radau.

Their herd has been European Union-certified for about six years, and though they have found this market to be limited, they’re hopeful that the Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) may provide new opportunities. Radau said there are obstacles, such as a lack of packing plants certified to ship to Europe.

“I’ve talked to importers that are currently in Europe that are interested in the cattle, and they think there could be a huge market for Canadian cattle. It’s just there seems to still be some roadblocks in the way, so hopefully those will disappear.”

Improving sustainability one project at a time

The influence of sustainability practices at Coulee Crest Farm stretches back to previous generations, and Radau has maintained some of the improvements his father and grandfather implemented.

“There’s a spring on our farm that my grandfather developed. It was probably developed 70 years ago, I would imagine, or more, and my dad has improved it, and we’ve tried to maintain it. And it’s still watering cows now with no energy costs and works year-round,” he said. “We’ve got fenced-off areas that provide wind shelter for our cows and also wildlife habitat, and we’ve had them for years and years. The improvements have lasted for generations, and I’m glad to carry it on.”

The value they place on sustainability is illustrated by several beneficial practices. “We’ve done a bunch of different things to try to make improvements that will benefit both the environment — the soil, water and grass health on our operation — and make things better for our cattle and the profitability of the operation,” said Radau.

One such example is using solar power to pump water from an undeveloped spring on Spruce Coulee, which runs through their land. This has proven to be very helpful for their everyday operations, as the system doesn’t freeze during the winter.

“There’s less nutrient load downstream, and it’s made it easier for us to water the cattle.”

Other advantageous improvements have to do with manure use, such as moving the wintering site for their purebred females to the grain fields where the manure will benefit crops. They try to integrate the cows with the grain farm, so one benefits the other, Radau said.

“We compost our manure that we produce from our backgrounded calves, and we truck that out to a different field every year so we’re not over-applying manure close to home. We compost it for a year and a half out in the field and then spread it. We see an immediate benefit to the cropland.”

Some of their environmental improvements were made possible through special projects with organizations such as Ducks Unlimited. One such project, completed a few years ago, focused on a large wetlands area within one of their pastures. It had been partially drained before they bought the land and the slough had dried out in the past. Ducks Unlimited worked with them on surveying it and developing a berm system to restore water levels to what they were before there was modern farming in the area, Radau says.

“It was a real benefit for us this year because it maintained a water level that was good for the cows, maintained their water when it might have gone dry this past year when it was so hot and dry. And it maintained the wetland area for the ducks and geese.”

Ducks and geese aren’t the only wildlife around. In addition to several types of birds, Spruce Coulee supports deer, moose, elk and cougars, and the Radaus have even spotted a grizzly bear on their land.

“We see the wildlife all the time and we try to accommodate them and work with them,” said Radau.

“It’s all about balance. If the numbers get too large then there’s a problem, but with the small numbers you can learn to live with the wildlife. When we fence, we’re thinking about game trails and how to make sure that the wildlife recognizes that the fence is there.”

For example, they’ll flag or somehow mark the fence to prevent wildlife damage, so the wildlife and cattle can all live on the land.

Spruce Coulee is designated by Red Deer County as an environmentally significant area (ESA). That designation includes landscape elements or areas with environmental characteristics essential to biological diversity, soil, water or other natural processes within the region.

Radau says the main reason for the designation is to flag development permits in the area. For example, if someone wants to build a house on the edge of the coulee bank, they need to look at septic systems and how it will affect the water.

“It’s been a benefit for us because we kind of have a second layer of concern at the county, that they need to be aware that this is an important area and they should be watchful of development,” he says. “But it has not been a detriment to us as our agricultural operations go.”

In fact, they hope the county’s recognition that the area needs to be cared for will benefit their operation in the future. The county has some programs to help fund initiatives such as water systems in the wetland areas near the coulee, Radau says, and so they’re looking at those programs to help fund some of their projects.

With all the family has done through sustainability practices and environmental improvements, being named this year’s TESA winner for Alberta is especially meaningful for Radau. Telling someone in agriculture that they’re a good steward of the land is probably the greatest honour, he says. It’s like receiving “a lifetime achievement award for all the effort we’ve done over the years where we weren’t really thinking about it as far as winning an award, just trying to make improvements on our operation.”

Promoting environmental stewardship in agriculture is something Radau strives to do when communicating with consumers.

“What worries me is the disconnect — the rural-urban disconnect — where people don’t understand modern agricultural practices, and they don’t think people in agriculture are good stewards or that they treat their cattle or animals humanely,” he said.

But they do have a good-news story to tell, he said, and that excites him. Whether it’s through an interview or talking to people in the city, he’s always happy to spread the news of sustainability and good stewardship. The Radaus also host people from the city on their farm.

“We bring them to the farm and expose them (to agriculture) and let them see how well we care for the animals, and how well-cared animals and productive animals are naturally profitable for us.”

Sustainability will continue to shape their operation, as they aim to make one or two improvements each year. “I’m planning on developing a water tank system from an existing spring, piping some more water to a second pasture and getting the cattle away from watering in a shallow wetland area,” said Radau.

“My second project I’m looking into for this year is a seasonal creek crossing at a different location, using a rig mat and some wing fencing that allows both the cattle and quads and light traffic to go across it. It will benefit the operation and reduce bank erosion and silting.”

As for long-term goals, Radau is excited to have the next generation become part of Coulee Crest Farm.

“Our son, Luke, is graduating from university with his agriculture degree and is planning on coming home to the farm, so we’re looking forward to incorporating the fourth generation into the operation. So we’re busy working on our goals for succession planning and including him in the management of the operation.”

The post Sustainable practices reap rewards for longtime Hereford breeders appeared first on Canadian Cattlemen.

“We start losing cold tolerance, especially in March and going into April now. And that’s when you need to monitor temperatures or for (the crop) to be covered up if you do get some cold temperatures,” said Doug Martin, chairman of Winter Cereals Manitoba and a farmer near East Selkirk.

Temperatures across the Prairies have dipped to the -20 C or lower range throughout the end of March and start of April. Temperatures are normally higher than 0 C at this time of year.

While Martin didn’t get any winter wheat seeded himself this year, due to the dry conditions last fall, his neighbours did. Based on conditions around his area, Martin had thought his neighbours’ crops would fare well for most of the winter, but now he isn’t as sure.

“We had a snowfall (in March) which was great and got the crop covered up, but since then we’ve had some melting and now some really cold temperatures.”

In Saskatchewan the situation has been worse; the majority of the southern portion of the province was bare for most of the winter up until the early March snowstorm.

“We’re very short on moisture and we need more and we need some rain this spring definitely. But the snow will help for sure,” said Amanda Swanson, a southern Saskatchewan winter wheat agronomist with Ducks Unlimited.

Swanson is optimistic about this year’s winter wheat crop. While the winter has been unseasonably cold and dry, she said it’ll all depend on the spring conditions. A warm, wet spring will be good for winter wheat, while a cold, dry spring could cause damage.

Ducks Unlimited won’t have an idea of how the winter wheat crop fared until at least early April. Normally agronomists hold off on doing assessments and digging up plants until producers are seeding or almost halfway done.

“We don’t want growers to be worried that they’re going to have to write off their winter wheat fields. Again our message is always for guys to be patient when doing spring assessments,” Swanson said.

According to Swanson, there have been a few areas of Saskatchewan where soil temperatures have come close to causing damage. Winter wheat can handle soil temperatures as cold as -16 C.

Even if there are crops facing a little bit of damage, she said, good spring conditions will help the crop to bounce back.

“I’m hopeful that most of the winter wheat out there made it through the winter, especially those crops that made it to the three-leaf stage in the fall.”

Western Canadian farmers seeded 335,000 acres of winter wheat last fall, down from 535,000 the previous year, according to Statistics Canada.

— Ashley Robinson writes for Commodity News Service Canada, a Glacier FarmMedia company specializing in grain and commodity market reporting. Follow her at @ashleymr1993 on Twitter.

The post Prairie winter wheat conditions uncertain appeared first on Canadian Cattlemen.

It contributed $25,000 in February to the Manitoba Beef and Forage Industry for a collaborative project of science-based research to enhance ecosystems, producer profitability and build awareness of the beef and forage industry.

One McDonald’s executive says the now-completed pilot is just the beginning.

“Now that the pilot is over we are looking at initiatives like the Manitoba Beef and Forage Initiative (MBFI) that will help us to support and aid the industry get to the next level,” said Jeffery Fitzpatrick-Stilwell, senior manager of sustainability for McDonald’s Canada. “Things are really good in the Canadian beef sector. But, they can always get better and we want to support that.”

He added the restaurant chain is interested in engaging the beef industry in a meaningful and transformational way, and goes beyond simple marketing window dressing.

“This wasn’t just a sponsorship to get our logo on something, we really saw the value in this initiative specifically,” Fitzpatrick-Stilwell said. “This will add real value and we see the long-term benefits.”

The contribution to MBFI came on the heels of the conclusion of the McDonald’s Canada’s sustainable beef project, which was the corporation’s single-largest global investment in sustainable beef.

“We are honoured to be selected for this contribution,” said Ramona Blyth, chair of the MBFI board. “McDonald’s and MBFI are both working on the same goal of strengthening the sustainability in our industry so to have its support is huge.”

On July 26, MBFI hosted a McDonald’s Day Production Tour at its Brookdale research farm to recognize the contribution and give producers and the public a chance to get on site.

“This research farm was just a base thought 18 months ago. We have put a lot of sweat equity into getting here today,” Blyth said. “Infrastructure is up and running, cattle are on the landscape, and our key projects have been started.”

Collaborative mindset

Fitzpatrick-Stilwell says the MBFI project drew McDonald’s Canada’s attention because of its collaboration with industry stakeholders and its holistic approach to improving both the beef and forage sector.

“When MBFI started discussing how it was bringing non-government organizations, government, academic and other groups all together, it was just music to our ears,” Fitzpatrick Stilwell said. “That is how we want to work. We are not the experts, we want to work with those who are and we want to be a part of that story.”

MBFI’s four core partners include Manitoba Forage and Grasslands Association, Manitoba Beef Producers, Ducks Unlimited and Manitoba Agriculture, but the organization also strives to partner with research and education facilities and other stakeholders with interest in advancing the industry.

“We have learnt over time that not one person can do all, so if we bring different groups together that are looking for the same outcome, we have more power in numbers,” Blyth said.

Fitzpatrick-Stilwell says that McDonald’s Canada has not committed to any further monetary support to MBFI at this time but will certainly keep tabs on the initiative’s progress.

“Part of why I am here today is to see what is being worked on and the support that is being shown by other groups as well as the provincial government,” Fitzpatrick-Stilwell said.

Provincial support

Provincial Agriculture Minister Ralph Eichler was on hand at the production day tour and says the province is highly supportive of MBFI and he thinks the research being conducted at the farm will be a critical vehicle in rebuilding the province’s cattle numbers.

“We want to see our cattle numbers grow and this initiative will help us do that,” Eichler said. “This is just a fantastic opportunity for producers to learn through shared partnerships, and at the end of the day, that is what it is all about, what we can learn and take back to the farm.”

Eichler says there are approximately 450,000 beef cattle in the province and he wants to see those numbers grow back to where they sat before BSE, around 750,000.

“It is a significant gain. I see it probably taking eight to nine years. I know that it is ambitious but… I want to see those numbers grow,” Eichler said.

Eichler adds that the government certainly has a role in creating growth in the beef sector but in the instance of MBFI, a supportive role is best.

“This should not be run by government but certainly supported by government. When we look at the partnerships that are involved in this initiative, it is a win-win for everyone,” Eichler said.

Blyth believes there is great value in having applied research conducted on Manitoba soil and knows MBFI can play a part in strengthening the sector’s numbers.

“As national leaders have told us from time to time, research is the critical component of the National Beef Strategy and we want to see more of that research done on the ground here in Manitoba so that our producers can use the information on their operations,” Blyth said.

This article was originally published in the August 4, 2016 issue of the Manitoba Co-operator

The post McDonald’s Canada backs Manitoba research project appeared first on Canadian Cattlemen.

The DUC/CPS forage program, offered by Ducks Unlimited Canada and Crop Production Services (CPS) Canada, will still see growers in Saskatchewan and Alberta get a rebate of $100 for each 50-lb. bag of CPS’s Proven Seed forage seed they buy.

For 2016, however, the program will see Manitoba growers get their rebates instead as a $50 payment per new forage acre seeded.

Craig Bishop, DUC’s regional forage lead, said in a release that grower response to the forage program so far this year has been very positive.

“Declining prices for wheat and other cereal crops, as well as a simultaneous increase in beef prices, are leading many landowners to seriously consider the move to increase their cattle herd,” he said Tuesday. “This, in turn, spurs a demand for increased forage.

Drought in 2015 led to “many poor hay crops in several areas and further motivated producers to convert additional land to forages,” he added. “That year, we saw 25,000 acres of cultivated fields across the Prairies be put into grass with this program with CPS — a significant increase from previous years.”

Research shows the level of waterfowl nesting and success is significantly higher in areas of perennial cover or grasslands than in cultivated fields, he said, and the program also helps with measures such as critical wetland restoration.

A program that covers about 40-50 per cent of a grower’s seed investment “is an extremely cost-effective means for increasing grassland and makes good agronomic sense,” he said.

The DUC/CPS forage program is best suited for producers in the parkland and prairie regions, DUC said. More information is available from CPS retailers or DUC conservation program specialists. — AGCanada.com Network

The post Ducks Unlimited shifts forage incentive for Manitoba appeared first on Canadian Cattlemen.

“The GRI gives quick feedback each year, but doesn’t replace comprehensive assessments every five years or so to gather the full set of information for monitoring long-term trends,” explains Dr. Wendy Gardner, assistant professor of Natural Resource Sciences, Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, B.C. She has been instrumental in introducing the GRI in British Columbia, where ranchers give it great reviews for its simplicity and user-friendly approach.

Her confidence in the GRI traces to a three-year study she worked on with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AFFC) rangeland specialists Kerry LaForge at Swift Current and Mae Elsinger at Brandon to examine 33 years of historic grazing information to confirm that the index developed by Dr. Roy Roath, Floyd Reed and David Bradford of Colorado State University would work in Western Canada.

“We wanted to know if there is a good basis for the relationship between range condition, comprehensive assessments and GRI scores and there is. If the comprehensive assessments showed that the range had improved over 20 years, we generally saw the GRI improve as well,” Gardner says.

AAFC has facilitated workshops to prepare rangeland and forage specialists to introduce the GRI to producers across the Prairies and partnered with Ducks Unlimited, Saskatchewan Agriculture and the Saskatchewan Forage Association in a three-year demonstration project to evaluate the potential of the index in assessing the impact of grazing on tame-forage pastures.

GRI scoring

1. Frequency

Frequency is scored on the number of times plants could have been nipped during a grazing period.

Research tells us native forages need seven to 10 days to regrow after grazing but that doesn’t leave the plant time to replenish the energy lost through photosynthesis. So plants bitten every week eventually become less vigorous as root reserves are drawn down.

To score frequency, divide the total number of days in the grazing period by seven or 10 days of rest during the grazing period. Seven would be appropriate early in the grazing season with favourable weather for quick regrowth. If not, use 10 days.

An answer of 1.0 or less gives a frequency score of +1 because grazing plants only once has a positive effect on plant vigour.

Between 1.0 and 2.0 score 0 for frequency because double nipping in itself has little effect on plant vigour.

When the answer is greater than 2.0, the frequency score slips to -1 because plants grazed three or more times in succession start to lose vigour.

For example, if a grazing period is 21 days and the rest period is 10 days, cattle could potentially choose to graze the same plants three times (days one, 10 and 21). Dividing 21 by 10 gives you 2.1, therefore, the frequency score would be -1.

When there is more than one grazing period on the same pasture during the growing season, think about whether the plants had full opportunity to recover between grazing periods. If not, add the grazing days together to score all grazing periods as one.

2. Intensity

Intensity is scored on the percentage of utilization at the end of a grazing period.

Research shows leaving at least half the leaf intact ensures native plants will regenerate by photosynthesis without dipping too far into root reserves.

What you’re after is an assessment of the volume removed by grazing, that reflects the energy cost to the plant. Grazing exclusion cages provide a helpful idea of what the forage would look like without grazing.

Grazing intensity is rated as light (score +1) if utilization is less than 40 per cent; moderate (score 0) if utilization is 41 to 55 per cent; and heavy (score -1) if greater than 56 per cent.

3. Opportunity

This factor holds the most weight in the GRI score because of the strong correlation between recovery period and long-term plant health.

Opportunity is evaluated at the end of the grazing season to account for the impact of grazing. It should honestly reflect the opportunity plants had to grow from before turnout, during rest intervals, and after the cattle were removed to the end of the growing season.

Regrowth depends on soil moisture, air temperature and leaf area but even if your rotation allows enough time for those factors, it also has to account for actions beyond your control like grasshoppers, wildlife grazing, drought or summer semi-dormancy.

Score +2 if the plants had a full season to regrow, or didn’t appear to be grazed. Score -2 for a continuously grazed pasture since the plants had no opportunity to fully regrow. Between those two score +1 if plants had most of the season to regrow, 0 if they had some chance to regrow, and -1 if there was little chance to regrow.

4. Overall Score

The overall score is the sum of the frequency, intensity and opportunity for each site. A positive score means your management practices are benefiting plant health. Zero is neutral and a negative score suggests you will harm the plants in the long term if you don’t change anything.

For more detail read the Grazing Response Index AAFC fact sheet or contact Wendy Gardner in B.C. at 250-371-5570 (wgardner@tru.ca), Kerry LaForge in Saskatchewan at 306-770-4495 (kerry.laforge@agr.gc.ca) or Mae Elsinger in Manitoba at 204-578-6634 (mae.elsinger@agr.gc.ca).

The post An annual checkup for native pasture appeared first on Canadian Cattlemen.