Excerpt from Management to Increase Forage Production in the West

Hay is the key to improved management of grazed forage crops on many farms and ranches in the West. Alfalfa provides 65 percent of the hay harvested, Studies show that at least 10 per cent of the cr0p is lost by improper handling during curing, storing, and feeding and that much Of this loss could be avoided. Research results Show that material increases in yield per acre can be obtained by growing adapted varie ties, applying P205, and using irrigation water correctly. Grass-alfalfa mixtures containing 30 to 35 percent of tame grass by weight have been shown to yield as much and have the same feeding value as alfalfa. In addition, mixtures prevent invasion Of weeds and have a greater beneficial effect in soil and water conservation. The yield of hay from many Of the 2, 619, 000 acres of native meadows can be increased by the use of N and P205 and, if irrigated, by applying water properly. The quality of this hay can be improved further by making an earlier first and then a second cutting.

A little m'ore than 561 million acres of land are grazed by livestock. Yield of much of the 9, 426, 000 acres of tame pasture on cropland could be doubled, and the rangelands of the West have a forage potential that could provide for an esti mated 5 million additional animal units. In both cases management is the key to greater per-acre production. Management of the grass crop by improved grazing methods, the use of fertilizers where applicable, and proper application of water on irrigated land are the principal means for increasing yield. Whether it be irrigated or dry land pasture or range, fundamental knowledge of the physiology Of each species and Of the ecology of the plant community is essential, both to the investigator and to the land Operator.

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