May 7, 2010

Costs for many inputs such as seed, fertilizer, pesticides, fuel, hay and supplements seem to just keep rising, but miraculously, the most important input — sunlight  — is still free.

To be profitable grassland managers need to capitalize on all the free sunlight they can. That’s especially important after receiving good rains like we’ve had this spring. With good moisture and the return of warm temperatures, pastures and rangeland are poised to grow rapidly.

While sunlight is free, don’t take it for granted. The more solar energy you capture, the more production you’ll see from your grazing lands and the more profit from your livestock.

The only way to capture solar energy is with healthy, green leaves. The more land area completely covered by green leaves, the more sunlight that’s captured and converted into more grazeable forage. Check your pastures this spring. If you see bare ground, dead litter or brown, dying leaves, you've got room for more plant matter.  The more green you see, the better.

You also can manage grazing to ensure you get the best use of sunlight. Move animals to new pastures while you still have lots of green leaves to capture sunlight and your plants can regrow more rapidly.

Bruce Anderson
Extension Forage Specialist