Duration: 10/01/2009 to 09/30/2014

Administrative Advisor(s):

NIFA Reps:

Non-Technical Summary

Statement of Issues and Justification

Forage-based livestock production is a vital component of the agricultural economies of states in the North Central Region (NCR). This region accounts for 33% of the nation's beef cow herd. The states of Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota alone have 8.2 million head of beef cows, which comprise nearly 25% of the nation's beef and dairy cows; adding the states of Iowa and Ohio brings that number to 10.39 million. This region finishes over 53% of cattle marketed for meat (NASS, 2003). Forages account for 80% of the feed units consumed by beef cattle and, therefore, represent an extremely important resource to the industry (Bula et al., 1981). Perennial forages occupy approximately 106 million acres or 31% of land classified as farmland in the NCR (NASS, 1997). Improving the quality and utilization of these forage resources would contribute significantly to the productivity and profitability of livestock production in the NCR. Production of ethanol from corn, oilseed co-products from soybeans, increased worldwide demand for wheat, and high crude oil prices have caused an increase in prices of livestock concentrate feeds and forages from hay and pasture (NASS, 2008). These increases in commodity prices for grain crops have pushed agricultural land values and rental prices to all time highs (NASS, 2007). For example, from 2003 to 2007 cropland and pastureland values in the Northern Plains region have increased by 58 and 75%, respectively (NASS, 2007). Rental prices for cropland and pastureland also have increased by 20 and 25% during this period, respectively (NASS, 2007). Because of high grain prices, producers are shifting acres of forage production to grain crops, which has caused a tightening in hay supply and pasture availability. In addition, the price of commercial fertilizers, which are widely used to increase the production of hay and pastureland, have increased over 300% since the early 1990s (NASS, 2008). In order to cope with the high cost of livestock concentrate feeds, hay, and pasture rental rates, sustainable forage-based production systems must be pursued. We propose to 1) evaluate legume-based pasture systems to reduce the use of high-cost commercial fertilizers and 2) evaluate the use of biofuel co-products in forage based diets to optimize utilization of forage resources.

Our project addresses priority research objectives established under the guidelines for Multi-State Research Projects of the North Central Regional Association under two broad areas; 1) agriculture production, processing and distribution and 2) natural resources and the environment. This project will specifically meet the regional objectives to 1) design economically and environmentally sound methods to convert biomass and secondary products into food and nonfood uses and 2) develop guidelines for optimal economic, social and environmental management of non cropped farm and natural ecosystems and for restoration of damaged ecosystems.

Beef cattle producers could indirectly decrease the use of fossil fuels, enhance environmental quality of their land, and increase net profit by incorporating legumes into their pastures and feed more co-products derived from the ethanol industry. The objectives of this project are linked through researching practical management alternatives for beef producers to cut costs and improve the utilization of low quality roughages.

Legumes grown in combination with grass pastures have been shown to be very beneficial for increased livestock production. Forage legumes can reduce annual nitrogen fertilizer requirements of grass pastures through their ability to fix nitrogen (Alexander and McCloud, 1962). Vance et al. (1988) reported that alfalfa and birdsfoot trefoil can fix 49 to 224 kg of N ha-1 yr-1. Forage nutritive value of cool-season grass pastures has been shown to improve when forage legumes are grown in the sward because nutritive value of legumes tends to be higher than grasses (Sanderson and Wedin, 1989; Ullerich et al., 2002). In addition, alfalfa-grass pastures have been shown to provide a more uniform seasonal distribution of forage than cool-season grass pastures because alfalfa is less likely to go dormant during mid-summer (Sheaffer et al., 1990; Gerrish, 1991; Belsky and Wright, 1994). All of these factors are responsible for greater animal performance on grass-legume pastures versus pure grass pastures. An extensive review of grazing studies in the temperate northern USA has shown greater average daily gain on grass-legume pastures (0.65 kg d-1) versus pure grass pastures (0.59 kg d-1), even when nitrogen fertilizer was added (Burns and Bagley, 1996).

Despite these known benefits, efforts to develop management practices that assure establishment and persistence of forage legumes in the northern and central Great Plains have largely been unsuccessful, especially under the diverse management systems and environments of this region. As a result, managers in this region have not widely incorporated legumes into pastures (Matches, 1989). The commonly reported problems causing poor legume establishment and persistence are poor seedling vigor, disease, insect damage, heat and water stress, winter heaving, and lack of survival under continuous grazing (Matches, 1989). Although considerable research has been conducted on establishment and persistence (Marten et al., 1989), little progress has been made to address these issues. Reasons for lack of significant progress are likely due to a lack of 1) research funding, 2) research personnel, 3) and an interdisciplinary approach to solve the complex interactions between management, diseases, insects, and the environment. Therefore, we propose a new team oriented approach that will consist of forage agronomists, entomologists and plant pathologists in order to make grass-legume pasture systems obtainable and sustainable in the North Central United States. Such a multidisciplinary effort is needed to make progress solving these complex ecological problems.
Ethanol production from feed grains is a rapidly growing industry contributing to the economies of the NCR. Total ethanol production in the United States has more than doubled in the last 10 years and is expected to increase in the future. Approximately one-half of the 6.5 billion gallons of ethanol produced annually in the United States is produced in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and North Dakota. Including the amounts produced in South Dakota, Minnesota, and Illinois, this region accounts for 90% of U.S. ethanol production. Processing grain for ethanol also annually yields 10 million tons of the co-product, distillers grains. Other grain processing industries, such as wet processing of corn for fructose production, yield additional co-products like corn gluten feed. These co-products have proven to be cost-effective nutrient supplements for cattle and other animals.

Increased demand for energy has resulted in rapidly escalating costs of fuel, fertilizer, and feed which is having a negative impact on the beef industry. Decreased profitability has resulted in a steady decline in the US beef cow inventory during the past 30 years with an 8% reduction since 1995. If beef production is to remain an economically sustainable enterprise, production must be enhanced, production efficiency increased, and/or production costs decreased. Feed costs alone account for nearly 50% of production costs for the beef cow-calf enterprise and therefore present the greatest potential for cost savings. Demand for grain from the biofuel industry has been a major contributor to increased feed costs for the livestock industry. However, significant quantities of co-products are generated by the biofuels industry that can be used as feedstuffs by beef cattle. Research to develop strategies for utilization of these co-products as efficacious and economical sources of nutrients for grazing beef cattle is needed to sustain profitable beef production. Strategic use of biofuel co-products by grazing beef cattle has potential to enhance production and increase production efficiency while providing a lower cost source of supplement.

We hypothesize that the sustainability and profitability of the beef industry can be improved by increasing the proportion of total cattle feed that is harvested directly by grazing cattle and by balancing the diets of grazing cattle with cost-effective supplements. Productivity of forage-livestock systems in the NCR is primarily limited by seasonality of forage growth. Throughout most of the NCR (east of 100W), pastures comprised mainly of cool-season forage species are the predominant source of nutrients for grazing livestock. These pastures produce most of their growth in the spring and early summer. Consequently, the carrying capacity of these pastures is greatly reduced as the season progresses. Under typical management practices, much of the early growth is undergrazed and forage is stockpiled for use later in the season. A major problem with this management system is that as nongrazed forage is allowed to mature, its quality diminishes to very low levels. The energy value of cool-season grasses can change as much as 30% from the vegetative stage to maturity (Nelson and Moser, 1994). In the western area of the NCR, warm-season species predominate. While these species are most productive in mid-summer, forage in these rangelands may be of inadequate quantity and/or quality in early and late summer. Furthermore, the supply of forage with adequate nutritional quality for grazing in the NCR may be limiting during fall and winter when both cool- and warm-season species are dormant. Livestock growth rates and reproductive performance generally decline in response to these changes in seasonal forage availability and quality unless animal diets are supplemented with additional nutrients.

When forage mass or nutritive value is limiting, use of supplemental feeds may be necessary to maintain productivity of grazing animals. Energy supplementation has increased daily gains in steers (Elizalde et al., 1998; Hess et al, 1996) and conception rates in cows (Marston et al., 1995) grazing during summer or winter. However, energy supplementation of grazing cattle with grain commonly reduces forage intake (Pordomingo et al., 1991), depending on forage quality and supplement source. The amount of forage substituted by grain supplementation is lower on forages with low crude protein concentrations (Caton and Dhuyvetter, 1997) or if the supplement is comprised of highly digestible fiber sources like corn gluten feed or wheat bran (Elizalde et al., 1998; Hess et al., 1996). In the CRIS database, the relationship between corn grain and soy hulls as energy supplements for grazing cattle is being evaluated in one project (KY0-06091). In the CRIS database, the relationship between corn grain and soy hulls as energy supplements for grazing cattle was being evaluated in one project (KY0-06091). Forages such as mature warm-season grasses and crop residues contain low concentrations of crude protein; therefore, protein supplementation of cattle grazing these forages may be necessary to optimize cattle weight gains and reproductive performance (Creighton et al., 2003). While cattle diets must contain some protein that is degradable in the rumen (DIP) to supply the needs of rumen microorganisms (Karsli, 1998), excessive amounts of degradable protein and inadequate amounts of undegraded protein (UIP) have reduced weight gains in growing cattle (Bodine and Purvis, 2003; Karges et al., 1992) and pregnancy rates and economic value in heifers (Paterson et al., 2003) grazing native range. Distillers grains are an excellent source of both energy and UIP and contain little starch, therefore, should not depress fiber digestion. Furthermore, distillers grains contain high concentrations of phosphorus that is likely deficient in mature forages particularly during winter (Klopfenstein, 2001).

If this research were not done beef producers could be less efficient, experiencing greater expenses, less profit, and more environmental impact. It could reduce the tax revenues for rural and state economies, and ultimately cause some producers to go out of business, affecting the rural economy, hence local and state population distribution and tax bases.

This project will be conducted at research stations throughout the Great Plains. Participants have access to experimental pastures, livestock handling and feeding facilities, and laboratories at their respective institutions. The 5 year project will allow for adequate time to evaluate the testing of legume establishment and persistence under livestock grazing. In addition, researchers at the participating institutions are well respected and have demonstrated their expertise in evaluating the feeding of biofuel co-products to livestock.
The advantages of a multistate effort include synergistic relationships among multi-disciplinary colleagues at the different institutions, ability to evaluate legume establishment and persistence over wide north to south and east to west climatic gradients, and the ability to disseminate research findings to a broad regional audience. A number of the faculty have cooperative extension appointments and will assist the dissemination of research findings. The production of co-products is widespread in these states, and thus potential implementation of co-products findings by a large number of producers is high in each state. Furthermore, because perennial grass forages encompass nearly 100 million acres of the NCR, the land area potentially affected by legume research and the number of producers benefitted is extensive. Collaborative extension efforts will aide in reaching this broad audience. The likely impacts from successfully completing the work include 1) elucidation of impediments to legume establishment in existing grass swards, 2) development of successful establishment techniques for a diverse set of legume species over a wide geographical area, 3) knowledge of grazing strategies to maintain legume persistence, 4) widespread adoption of legume interseeding into pastures throughout the Great Plains, 5) reduced nitrogen fertilizer demand, and 6) increased economic returns. Likely impacts from successfully completing biofuel co-product research will include 1) development of guidelines for optimum storage and feeding of co-products mixed with low quality forage, 2) knowledge of optimum feeding of co-products to grazing livestock and the replacement value of grazed forage, 3) knowledge of nutrient cycling of co-products fed to grazing livestock, 4) widespread adoption of feeding co-products by producers, and 5) improved profitability of producers throughout the Great Plains. Increased use of legumes on just 1% of the 106 million acres of NC perennial forages could replace 50,000 tons of synthetic N. In addition, more efficient utilization of low quality roughages through the incorporation of high quality distillers grains in cattle diets could potentially save $10-20 per cow, which could increase the profit to the beef industry in the NCR by $80-160 million.

Related, Current and Previous Work

This project builds upon the findings of the previous multistate project (NC1020) entitled "Beef Cattle Grazing Systems that Improve Production and Profitability While Minimizing Risk and Environmental Impacts" that investigated the use of annual forages and co-products from the ethanol industry in beef production systems. The project hypothesized that "the sustainability and profitability of the beef industry can be improved by increasing the proportion of total cattle feed that is harvested directly by grazing cattle and by balancing the diets of grazing cattle with low-cost supplements". Since total feed costs account for nearly half of the total costs of beef cow-production (Rasby et al., 1989; Moore, 1997; Lawrence and Strohbehn, 1999), profitability of beef cow-calf production may be improved by reducing the amounts of stored feeds fed (Gerrish et al., 1994). In order to reduce stored feed use, increased stocking rate and/or increased length of grazing has been proposed by utilizing stockpiled perennial grass and legume forages (Allen et al., 1992; Adams et al., 1994; Hitz and Russell, 1998) and/or crop residues (Klopfenstein et al., 1987; Russell et al., 1993).
The previous project successfully completed a 3-yr (2005-2007) study evaluating a diverse set of annual forages planted at nine locations throughout Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas. Yield and forage quality results from these studies were variable and site dependent because of the climatological gradient that existed amongst sites. In addition, several studies evaluated the effects of feeding ethanol co-products to beef cattle and were summarized by Klopfenstein et al. (2007). Results of this project will be published in peer reviewed journals.

The project had the following outcomes:
1. Uniformity of the nutrient supply can be improved by identifying forage species and cultivars that complement productivity and nutritional value of common forage species on pasture and rangeland during the summer. Diverse climatic conditions across the region may require specific recommendations of crops that could be used in summer for a particular area.
2. Distillers grains from the ethanol industry are an economically and nutritionally acceptable replacement for more expensive grain products and can be used to lower production costs when used as a supplement for grazing cattle when the season of use or forage maturity limits pasture and range forage production and/or nutritional value. Benefits from lowering costs while maintaining or improving cow/calf and stocker animal production can be achieved through the use of distillers grains.
3. Grazing animals on rangeland was not beneficial as grain prices continued to increase while animals grazed, thus increasing feeding costs the later animals were moved into the feedlot. Until grain prices stabilize and end their rapid increase, growing calves larger on grass will have less economic benefit if retaining ownership and finishing on grain. Use of a sequential complementary cool-season grass forage may not be as beneficial when greater spring precipitation increases the native cool-season grass component in native rangelands.
4. Grain processing byproducts will not replace consumed pasture forage intake during periods of drought and other periods of low forage availability. Feeding by-products is not a viable option to replace, extend, or conserve pasture forage, but is rather a beneficial supplement to animals utilizing grazed forage.
5. Extension outreach programs, workshops, decision-support tools, and published information will enable producers to evaluate forage based beef cattle systems in greater detail and could enable producers to make better-informed decisions to reduce costs, conserve lands, and improve production efficiency.
In view of increasing land values, pasture rental rates and cost of nitrogen fertilizers, producers are seeking alternative methods to increase the carrying capacity (i.e. stocking rates) of their traditional summer pastures without overgrazing. From the previous multistate project, we have identified that interseeding legumes and feeding ethanol co-products mixed with low quality harvested forages to grazing livestock could increase the carrying capacity and reduce the need for commercial nitrogen fertilizers. Producers typically have inventories of baled cornstalks or wheat straw, because they feed these during winter months. These practical alternatives could have a substantial impact on beef production in the Great Plains if producers adopt them.

Even though extensive research has been conducted on establishing, managing, and determining the pasture yield of interseeding legumes into existing pastures, it is not widely practiced in the Great Plains, partially because the incidence of stand failures reported in the literature range from 7 to 55% of reported cases (Bartholomew, 2005). A CRIS review of legume/grass pasture grazing projects found 3 current projects (Colorado, western multistate project WERA-1014, and South Dakota). All three projects utilize different forage resources and experience different growing conditions, yet they all have similar objectives of 1) needing to develop successful establishment methods, 2) identifying competitive and high yielding legume species, and 3) identifying grazing strategies that will maximize legume longevity. This project will complement existing projects, by evaluating abiotic, disease, and insect stresses that interfere with establishment on a variety of legume species across a wide ecological gradient that exists in the Great Plains. Abiotic stresses such as topo-edaphic features are known to limit establishment (Guretzky et al., 2004). Predation by insects and mollusks also reduce establishment (Bartholomew, 2005). Since researchers admit that the major legume species used in North America generally must be replanted periodically because of poor persistence (Forde et al., 1989), a better understanding of the limitations to interseeding legumes in grass pastures is essential to make it profitable. Bartholomew (2005) suggests that stand failure is under reported in the literature and further work is required in understanding the long-term cost of stand failure and reseeding. Increasing legume persistence is beyond the length of this project, and yet a review of the CRIS database finds several current projects working on improving disease resistance and insect control methods in alfalfa and pasture clovers which should yield more persistent cultivars.

A review of the CRIS database finds over 80 projects dealing with beef cattle production systems, yet only 3 current Hatch projects (Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska) deals with extending forage based resources through supplementing livestock with ethanol co-products and/or grazing crop residues or stockpiled pasture to reduce feed expenses. The Iowa project (IOW03800) evaluated feeding ethanol co-products to fall-calving cows and calves to maintain a body condition score of 5 and found that preweaning weight of supplemented calves was higher than that of those that were not supplemented. The Kansas project (KS313) evaluated stocker cattle grazing of cool-season, warm-season, and interseeded legume-crabgrass wheat pasture with and without ethanol co-products. Stocker cattle maintained higher average daily gain when supplemented with co-products and maintained a higher weight throughout the finishing period. Ethanol co-products fed during the grazing phase had no effect on carcass traits. The Nebraska project (NEB-43-074) evaluated ethanol co-product feeding to grazing calves and found no difference in forage intake. Their results indicated that co-product supplements need to be combined with low quality, bulky feedstuffs in order to reduce grazed forage consumption. The results of these projects and previous findings of NC1020 show that supplementation of grazing cattle with ethanol co-products will improve animal performance. We suggest a new concept, that builds on these findings, of extending summer grazed pasture by supplementing livestock with a mixture of ethanol co-products and low quality forages (such as baled wheat straw or cornstalks) in order to reduce the consumption of grazed forage and increase the carrying capacity without overgrazing the pasture resource.


Comparison to NC1021

The two projects deal with forage-based cattle production systems but the goals and objectives differ greatly. The focus of NC_temp1021 is nitrogen (N), particularly harvest efficiency of N for various grassland ecosystems used for livestock production. NC_temp1021 is designed on the premise that the adoption of strategies/practices that ensure efficient use of N will have a positive influence on environmental quality and grassland productivity. Animal inputs, grassland types, and environmental factors will be manipulated and animal, plant, and environmental responses will be quantified in terms of N dynamics. The purpose of NC_temp1020 is the development of year-round forage programs, emphasizing interseeded legumes and use of co-products, for cattle production systems. The objectives are specific to identifying factors affecting legume establishment and production in grasslands and to evaluating the utilization and economic potential of biofuel co-products (i.e., distillers grains and mixtures of distillers grains and low quality of roughage) as supplements or forage replacements in cattle production systems. The nutrient cycling and environmental focus of NC_temp1021 is entirely different from the focus on production improvement and economic evaluation in NC_temp1020. The two projects are complementary in that NC_temp1021 should provide insight into the N dynamics of the systems evaluated in NC_temp1020. The N modeling portion of NC_temp1021 could be especially relevant to further assessment of the production systems in NC_temp1020.

Objectives

1. Identify factors in the sub-humid and semi-arid regions of the central Great Plains that limit establishment, persistence, and production of interseeded legumes in grass pastures.
   
2. Compare forage and animal production of grass pastures in the sub-humid and semi-arid regions of the central Great Plains that are managed with different levels of nitrogen fertilization, legumes, and biofuel co-products.
   
3. Determine the influence of different mixtures of biofuel co-products and low quality forage (e.g., wheat straw) on nutrient availability, palatability, and utilization by beef cattle.
   
4. Determine optimum practices for storing and feeding different forms and mixtures of biofuel co-products.
   
5. Evaluate nutrient availability and cycling, botanical composition, and forage production and quality of range and pasture when feeding biofuel co-products to grazing cattle.
   
6. Objective 6. Determine the economic potential of using biofuel co-products as a supplement or forage replacement in cattle production systems with different resource or animal management systems. Objective 7.Conduct multi-faceted education/extension program to disseminate research results, to include extension papers as well as regional conferences on the use of co-products in beef cattle production systems and on the practice of interseeding and managing legumes in grass pastures.
   

Methods

Objective 1 Experiments will be conducted at four locations in Kansas (2), Nebraska (1), and South Dakota (1). Since the climate, soils, and existing vegetation are unique to each region, site specific recommendations such as fertilizer amendments, legume species, sod suppression techniques, insecticides, and fungicides may be different. Two general approaches will be used to identify insect or disease causes of failure of establishment of legumes in grass pastures. First is a diagnostic approach. After seeding, plants will be monitored regularly for damage symptoms. Plant or insect samples will be collected as needed to identify possible pathogens or insect pest species present. Second is an elimination approach where fungicides and/or insecticides will be applied to minimize injury risk from pathogens or insects. Alfalfa, red clover, and birdsfoot trefoil will be used as the primary legumes interseeded into the grass sods. Additional legumes may include white clover, yellow sweetclover, kura clover, cicer milkvetch, hairy vetch, and Korean lespedeza. Split-plot designs will be used extensively to facilitate our efforts to compare and contrast various strategies to increase the likelihood of successful addition of the legumes to grass sods. All plots used to evaluate disease and insect injury will have soil pH, P, and K adjusted to at least adequate levels according to soil tests. Nitrogen fertility will be minimized to discourage competitive growth from the existing grass sod. Herbicides like gramoxone and glyphosate, grazing, and mowing to simulate grazing also will be used as sod suppression techniques to reduce competition. Diagnostic: After planting legumes into established grass sods, plant growth will be monitored regularly (at least weekly). Plant samples will be collected from representative locations at suitable intervals. The foliage will be examined for foliar disease or insect feeding symptoms. Roots will be plated on appropriate agar media (water agar, potato dextrose agar, or selective media) to isolate any root pathogens that may be contributing to failure of legume establishment. Roots also will be examined for any insect predation or nematode invasion. Depending on plant size, direct observation or sweep net sampling will be used to identify potential pest insects present. Elimination: The effect of fungicide seed treatments on stand establishment will be investigated. Up to six of the most commonly used seed fungicides will be evaluated and compared to a non-treated check treatment. Stand counts and vigor will be evaluated after emergence. Foliar and root diseases will be assessed at suitable intervals throughout the growing season. In a separate experiment in which all seed will be treated with one seed fungicide, the effects of up to six foliar fungicides and one or more insecticides on legume establishment will be similarly evaluated. Foliar fungicides and insecticides will be applied at suitable intervals and severity of foliar diseases and insect injury will be visually assessed throughout the growing season. Fungicides and insecticides will be applied at label rates with a CO2-powered backpack sprayer. Although agronomic factors such as soil fertility and competition from existing sod have been extensively studied previously, various options such as in-row versus broadcast application of fertilizer will be superimposed within the diagnostic and elimination studies using the split-plot format to evaluate interactions. Objective 2 Grazing studies will be conducted at four locations in Kansas (2), Nebraska (1), and South Dakota (1) to determine animal production and persistence from pastures fertilized with different levels of nitrogen, interseeded with legumes, and/or supplemented with biofuel co-products. Livestock will graze cool-season pastures interseeded with legumes, fertilized with recommended levels of nitrogen and receive no supplement, or graze cool-season pastures fertilized with reduced levels of nitrogen and be supplemented with biofuel co-products. The reduced nitrogen fertilization rate will be determined by subtracting the amount of nitrogen from biofuel co-products expected to be fed corrected for expected nitrogen retention from the recommended level. Forage production, species composition, legume persistence, grazing gains, finishing performance, and carcass measurements will be taken. Objective 3 Replicated studies with growing calves will be conducted to determine the influence of different mixtures of biofuel co-products and low quality forage on nutrient availability, palatability, and utilization by beef cattle. Condensed corn distillers solubles and/or wet distillers grains plus solubles will be mixed with low quality forages and stored prior to being fed to growing calves to determine the feeding value of co-products and the optimum ratio of co-product and low quality forage. Co-products will also be mixed with low quality forage immediately prior to feeding to determine the effect of storage on forage digestibility. Calf average daily gain, dry matter intake and gain to feed ratio will be the primary response variables. Laboratory analytical procedures will include in vitro dry matter disappearance and neutral detergent fiber analysis of both stored and fresh mixed diets. Objective 4 Laboratory procedures will be used to determine the optimum ratio for mixing co-products with low quality forages prior to storage. Wet distillers gains plus solubles and/or condensed corn distillers solubles will be mixed with crop residues and/or grass hay prior to storage. A wide range of ratios of low quality forages and biofuel co-products will be tested using small vacuum packaged mixtures. Mixtures will be stored for 60 and 90 days then opened and given a visual mold score and analyzed for pH, volatile fatty acids, neutral detergent fiber, and in vitro dry matter disappearance. Dry matter loss will also be determined. Objective 5 Nitrogen cycling will be estimated by calculating N efficiency = (N-output/N-applied)×100. N-output is the amount of nitrogen concentration in the animal multiplied by the animal weight gain. Nitrogen concentration will be estimated using NRC (1996) equations. N-applied is the sum of nitrogen in applied fertilizer, manure, symbiotic fixation, and atmospheric deposition. Each site will record all fertilizer types and amounts as well as manure applied to a given area for each year. Regional estimates of atmospheric deposition will be taken from the literature. The contribution of nitrogen from symbiotic fixation will be estimated from literature-based estimates for a given species mixture and abundance under particular environmental conditions. Objective 6 The ratio of condensed corn distillers solubles mixed with wheat straw necessary to replace 50% of grazed forage will be evaluated using 30:70, 40:60, and 50:50% mixtures of solubles and straw, on a dry matter basis. The mixtures will be created in May and stored until July when the experiment will be initiated and will be fed until September when the study ends. The three ratios will be offered at 50% of the predicted daily dry matter intake (i.e. about 14lbs/animal). Cow calf pairs grazing upland range will be used in a four pasture rotation and each treatment will be replicated. Cattle will graze each 1 ha pastures for about one week. The primary response variable will be forage utilization measured by direct harvest methods. About 25 0.5m2 quadrats per pasture will be clipped to ground level and biomass will be weighed and sorted into categories including live grass, standing dead grass, forbs and litter. Cow-calf performance measurements, including cow body weight and body condition score and calf body weight gain will be collected. The four treatments will be control (e.g. not fed mixture), and the three mixes. A complete economic analysis will be conducted to evaluate the potential to reduce costs and/or increase production. Weaned calves will be supplemented with wet distillers grains plus solubles while grazing dormant upland range from weaning until 60 days post weaning. Wet distillers grains plus solubles will be fed on the ground or in bunks 3 times per week. Calves will receive the equivalent of 1 kg (dm basis) per day and the feasibility of feeding wet distillers directly on the ground will be assessed. The primary response variable will be calf average daily gain. Replicated grazing studies will be conducted to develop strategies to improve the efficiency of distillers grain supplement conversion to body weight gain of grazing cattle in Kansas and Nebraska. Steers will graze pastures from early April until late October and 1) receive no supplementation, 2) distillers dried grain at 0.5% of body weight per day during the entire grazing season, or 3) no supplement during the early part of the grazing season when forage quality is high and distillers dried grain at 0.5% of body weight per day during the remainder of the grazing season. Grazing performance, forage availability, subsequent finishing performance, and carcass characteristics will be measured. Objective 7 Data will be shared and discussed at annual meetings and during periodic communications via email or teleconferences. Journal articles from participating multistate researchers will be published in nationally recognized peer-reviewed journals. Extension publications will be produced within and between states to facilitate outreach efforts. We plan on developing regional conferences to share research findings with extension educators, natural resource agency personnel and producers. This regional effort will bring together local and regional expertise to participate in discovering and disseminating solutions to the research questions. Each researcher is appointed to the project by objective in Appendix E. Several of the faculty have joint research and cooperative extension appointments. Outreach activities are discussed at the annual meetings and coordinated via email discussions.

Measurement of Progress and Results

Outputs

• Refereed publications on factors that limit establishment, persistence, and production of interseeded legumes into grass pastures in the sub-humid and semi-arid portions of the central Great Plains.
• Refereed publications, including economic analysis of animal production on grass pastures managed with different levels of nitrogen fertilization, legumes and bio-fuel co-products.
• Refereed publications on the influence of different mixtures of biofuel co-products and low quality forage on nutrient availability and cycling, palatability, utilization, botanical composition, and forage production of range and pasture when feeding biofuel co-products to grazing cattle.
• Outreach publications targeted to crop and nutrition consultants and forage/livestock producers on approaches to optimize practices for storing and feeding different forms and mixtures of biofuel co-products.
• A website to provide information on the project structure and organization, access to project publications, and links to relevant resources.
• Regional conferences, workshops, and field days on 1) approaches to optimize practices for storing and feeding different forms and mixtures of biofuel co-products and 2) legume establishment and grazing techniques and economic trade-offs in establishing and maintaining interseeded legumes into grass pastures. Some of these activities will be conducted with collaboration of such organizations as the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, Northern Integrated Resource Management Group, and the state Forage and Grassland Associations to expand the audience and adaptation of such practices.

Outcomes or Projected Impacts

• Identification of barriers to successful establishment and maintenance of legumes interseeded into grass pastures in sub-humid and semi-arid areas of the central Great Plains, and management alternatives appropriate to each.
• Evaluation of the economic impacts of legumes and supplementation of biofuel co-products fed to grazing livestock.
• Production of management recommendations and educational materials for crop and livestock consultants and beef cattle producers on the use of legumes and biofuel co-products to improve the nutritional status of grazing cattle.
• Development of year-round forage programs, emphasizing interseeded legumes and use of co-products, which could have a significant impact on land-use intensity and patterns in the NCR. These outcomes would likely lead to further research by the project team focusing on environmental and economic risks associated with changing land-use patterns. Possible sources of funding for such research would be programs in the USDA, including the National Research Initiative and the Risk Management Agency.
• Increased adoption of interseeding legumes, reduced nitrogen fertilizer use, and extended grazing management practices to improve the profitability of beef cattle production in the NCR.
• Maintenance of environmental quality in the NCR by reducing the conversion of grazing lands to cropland and reduced nitrogen fertilizer application.

Milestones

(2009): Initiate establishment studies of legumes interseeded into grass pastures in Kansas, Nebraska, and South Dakota.

(2009): Initiate grazing projects evaluating the use of biofuel co-products, nitrogen levels, and legumes on animal production and economics in Kansas, Nebraska, and South Dakota.

(2009): Initiate grazing projects evaluating the use of different mixtures of biofuel co-products and low quality forages on nutrient availability, palatability, utilization by beef cattle, and forage replacement by beef cattle.

(2011): Develop and participate in a series of regional conferences on the use of biofuel co-products in beef cattle grazing systems throughout the NCR.

(2012): Organize and participate in a series of conferences at multiple locations in the NCR demonstrating the integration of interseeding and managing legumes into grass pastures and feeding biofuel co-products mixed with low quality forages that optimize profitability of beef cattle production while minimizing environmental impacts using decision support tools developed from this project.

Projected Participation

View Appendix E: Participation

Outreach Plan

Develop educational materials and programs to improve decision-making for grazing based beef production systems by (a) creating new extension publications and revising existing ones concerning interseeding legumes to renovate pastures, and feeding and storing practices of biofuel co-products to grazing livestock, (b) hosting field days and setting up demonstration plots to teach producers the most successful methods of adding legumes to their grass-based grazing programs and to encourage legume use, and (c) host field days and workshops regarding mixing, storing, and feeding biofuel co-products with low quality forages. Cost effectiveness and sustainability will be emphasized in all extension efforts.

Organization/Governance

The project will be governed by two officers: a chair and a secretary. Project participants will initially elect the two officers who will serve the first year. For each succeeding year, the secretary will become the chair for the following year and a new secretary will be elected. Terms for each will start at the end of the annual meeting. The chair and secretary will be responsible for conducting necessary business in close coordination with the administrative advisor. The duties of the secretary will be to take meeting minutes, prepare the approved minutes and the annual report, and other duties as assigned by the chair. The chair will conduct the annual meeting and with the help of the secretary coordinate any other reports or proposals as required. The chair will appoint subcommittees for each project objective. Subcommittees will be responsible for drafting uniform research procedures for each objective, subject to approval by project members and preparation of materials and meetings for technology transfer.

Literature Cited

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Attachments

Land Grant Participating States/Institutions

IN, KS, MD, MI, MS, NE, PA, SD, TN

Non Land Grant Participating States/Institutions

NIFA