Drought-proof Your Forage Program: When times are touth, these tried-and -true methods can help you hold out

摘要

IF YOU'RE IN THE CATTLE BUSINESS, it's almost a guarantee that you are either in a drought, coming out of a drought or one to two years away from the next drought. A few practical steps today can help protect forages from the potentially devastating effects of a prolonged dry spell. 1 Follow the 75% stocking rate rule. This simple ratio can help you stay out of trouble when dry weather hits, says Larry Redmon, Texas A&M AgriLife forage specialist. He recommends pastures be stocked at 75% of carryingcapacity. Base that capacity level on long-term rainfall records and forage production under typical management strategies.