Researchers Study Modified Intensive-Early Stocking Rates
Keith Harmoney thinks he’s on to something. For the past seven years, Harmoney, a rangeland scientist at the K-State Agricultural Research Center-Hays, has methodically – and strategically – been moving cattle on and off grazing land.
In his business, it’s a strategy called modified intensive-early stocking: beginning the first week of May each year, young cattle graze the land for 75 days, at which time the heaviest cattle are moved and the lighter cattle stay for another 75 days.
So far, there is good news.
“Using animal gains from this study and applying them to livestock pricing from 1974 to 1998, 25 years prior to the beginning of this study, the average dollars per acre in the modified system were $7.18 higher than the season-long stocking system,” Harmoney said.
When figuring a producer’s average costs of purchase and interest paid on grazing animals since 1999, Harmoney’s work also showed an average increase of $9.61 per acre in the modified system.
From Salina into all of western Kansas, areas where Harmoney says the system’s results mostly apply, there are an estimated nine million acres of privately owned grazing land. If the modified system were part of a three-year rotational system on just 25 percent of that land, the economic impact would be $7.2 million per year.
Even so, the work is not without challenges. So far, Harmoney has not been able to maintain maximum early-season gains per animal in the modified grazing system.
Simply, compared to traditional grazing systems, “average daily gains were less on the modified system early in the season, which is not expected,” Harmoney said.
In the last half of the season, the two systems showed no difference between gains, according to Harmoney. Harmoney began his research in 1999. He is testing 104 head of Angus and Angus-cross cattle when they are approximately 600 pounds. The cattle are put on pasture the first week of May when vegetation is at its highest level of nutrition. After 75 days of grazing, the heaviest cattle are moved and the lighter cattle stay for the next 75 days.
In six years of research, Harmoney notes that vegetative changes in the grazing lands have not taken place. Even so, he notes the research has not yet been recommended to producers because the long-term stability of the grazing land is not yet known.
“The results have been excellent so far, but with studies that involve grazing lands, many years are needed to determine the stability of the ecosystem once management tools are implemented,” he said.
Keith Harmoney
785-625-3425, Ext. 221
^In the photo: Keith Harmoney (left) and John Jaeger, check on cattle moved to the center's feedlot to collect further carcass data after being used in grazing studines.
New Wheat Virus Discovered
A plant pathologist at the Agricultural Research Center-Hays has discovered a new wheat virus.
The virus did not impact production in 2006; however, researchers will monitor the virus closely to see how widespread it was in 2006 and what weather conditions it favors.
The virus, triticum mosaic virus, seems to have affected cultivars that have been developed for their resistance to wheat streak mosaic.
The discovery will help researchers establish control measures that can cut future yield losses for farmers.
Dallas Seifers
785-625-3425, Ext. 217
Learning About Insects
The Insect Zoo, located in the Glenn Beck Dairy Barn on the K-State campus, hosts 8,000 to 9,000 visitors each year. The zoo features many exhibits of live insects and their arthropod relatives in natural settings. Most of the visitors are pre- and elementary school students, but all ages enjoy the opportunity to see, learn about, and sometimes touch insects.
785-532-BUGS (2847)
Selecting Meat Tenderness
Animal scientists from K-State and three other universities have been conducting extensive carcass merit traits research. The data will help breed associations develop expected progeny differences (EPDs) for meat tenderness. This allows breeders and commercial cow-calf producers to select for improved tenderness, which is a first for the beef cattle industry.
Michael Dikeman
785-532-1225
Preparing For Avian Flu
A team of agents, specialists, and communications staff has been actively involved in state and federal preparations for a possible outbreak of avian flu in the United States. Their purpose was to provide information ahead of a potential crisis. The team partnered with various state agencies.
Pat Melgares
785-532-1160