Budgeting During a Drought
I’ve had several producers ask what to do when talking about drought conditions. While watching trigger dates and rainfall is important, it’s just as critical to plan ahead for potential forage shortfalls. A forage budget helps match what your pasture can produce with what your livestock need to consume think of it like balancing a checkbook, but with grass.
Step 1: Estimate Forage Availability
A good rule of thumb is that one inch of forage across an acre yields about 200 pounds of dry matter. So, if you have six inches of good-quality forage, that’s roughly 1,200 pounds per acre. Keep in mind that drought stress can reduce both yield and grazing efficiency, so conservative estimates are helpful.
Step 2: Calculate Herd Requirements
A 1,200-pound cow consumes about 2.5% of her body weight daily, or roughly 30 pounds of dry matter. For a herd of 100 cows, that’s about 3,000 pounds per day.
Step 3: Compare Supply and Demand
Divide your available forage by daily herd demand to estimate how many grazing days you have. If a gap shows up, that’s your signal to act early whether that means adjusting stocking rates, supplementing feed, securing hay, or exploring alternative forage options.
Example:
If you’re short 30 days at 3,000 pounds per day, that’s a 90,000-pound forage deficit. At $100 per ton for hay in today’s market, you would need about 45 tons, adding roughly $4,500 in feed costs.
Bottom line:
A forage budget turns uncertainty into a plan. Knowing your numbers allows you to make timely, cost-effective decisions that protect both your pasture and your bottom line.
Make your grass work for you know your forage budget.
Scouting for Alfalfa Weevil
In Nebraska, alfalfa weevil scouting is generally recommended once 200 growing degree days have accumulated. Due to the warm temperatures we have been experiencing across the state, degree day accumulations have already reached over 300 in the east and over 600 in the southwest. These conditions mean scouting for alfalfa weevil is more important than ever.
Alfalfa weevils are beetles that overwinter primarily as adults and emerge as temperatures warm and begin to lay eggs. Plant injury from feeding damage initially appears as pinholes in the terminal leaves, with leaves becoming skeletonized as feeding severity increases.
To scout, randomly select 5 sites across the field and collect 10 stems at each site, cutting the stems at ground level. Beat the stems into a deep sided white bucket and count the number of larvae to determine the average number per stem. First instar larvae are 1.5mm long and grow to 9mm long at the final instar, or growth stage. They have a black head, wrinkled green body, and a white stripe running lengthwise along the top. Scouting is best done when larvae are most active, in the morning or on overcast days. A threshold table that includes alfalfa as short as 4 inches can be found on the Iowa State Extension website.
While there are several insecticides labeled for alfalfa weevil management, some Nebraska weevil populations may be losing susceptibility to the pyrethroid lambda-cyhalothrin. Therefore, if you believe you have an infestation above threshold, contact your county Extension Office for further guidance.
Patience After Armyworm Damage
Last fall, some pastures across Nebraska were hit hard by armyworms. This spring, those acres may be noticeably slower to green up and recover. If that is the case on your operation, the biggest thing right now is patience.
Armyworms can remove a lot of leaf area in a short amount of time. Even when stands remain intact, that late-season feeding can leave grasses stressed and force them to use up energy reserves before winter, rather than going into dormancy with a full tank. As a result, plants entered winter already run down.
That matters this spring. Early growth depends heavily on stored carbohydrate reserves. If those reserves were reduced last fall, growth can be slower, weaker, and less uniform. Add in dry conditions, cool weather, or heavy early grazing pressure, and recovery can lag even more.
So what can producers do? First, avoid the temptation to graze those acres too early. Turning out before plants have a chance to rebuild leaf area can slow recovery even further. Second, scout those pastures closely. If you find thin spots or weak areas, decide whether they simply need more rest or whether some overseeding or reseeding may be needed. Third, if fertility has been marginal, proper nutrient management may help support recovery, but time and rest are still the main tools.
Pastures damaged by armyworms last fall may just need a little extra grace this spring. Give them a chance to recover before making big decisions.
