Duration: 10/01/2024 to 09/30/2029

Administrative Advisor(s):

NIFA Reps:

Non-Technical Summary

Utilization of forage from pasture is a major component of beef cattle production in the Southeastern United States. Despite the large numbers of operations that utilize pasture as their primary feedstuff, further work is warranted to better understand the animal/forage dynamic. The southeastern United States has a variety of forages that require unique management systems. Moreover, increases in input costs may require beef cattle producers to have a better understanding of what management decisions can be made to ensure that they are maximizing efficiency (maximum output with minimum input) and thereby sustainability (environmental, economic, and social).

Statement of Issues and Justification

Utilization of forage from pasture is a major component of beef cattle production in the Southeastern United States. In a survey of beef operations, Asem-Hiable et al., (2018) noted that 96.8% of respondents in the southeastern United States (AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN and VA) keep cattle primarily on pasture. Despite the large numbers of operations that utilize pasture as their primary feedstuff, further work is warranted to better understand the animal/forage dynamic. The southeastern United States has a variety of forages (warm- and cool-season annual pastures, small grain pastures, warm- and cool-season perennial pastures) that require unique management systems (cow size, type, supplement type, mineral use). Moreover, increases in input costs (feed and fertilizer) may require beef cattle producers to have a better understanding of what management decisions (supplementation, forage use and type, cow size and type) can be made to ensure that they are maximizing efficiency and thereby sustainability.

Efficiency can be defined as maximizing output with minimal input. In a beef cattle system, production efficiency can be achieved by management decisions of available resources. These resources may include feed and forage (nutritional) resources, labor availability, technology, and animal biometrics and productivity.

Nutritional resources include the nutrient provision of a base forage and how deficiencies in this provision may be addressed through supplemental feed. Therefore, understanding the relationship between supplementation (feedstuff, mineral, and/or both) in beef cattle production and forage utilization is an area that bears continuous examination. Alongside the role of supplementation, complementary and novel forage systems are a worthwhile area of inquiry for production efficiency. Determining antagonistic or additive effects with regards to supplementation and forage systems is warranted to allow producers to make decisions that optimize production. 

Labor availability also represents a major challenge to beef cattle production in the southeastern United States. Recent developments in precision livestock management technologies (GPS tracking, activity monitors, sensing cameras, etc) may provide an opportunity to overcome current labor needs and further refine management practices in grazing cattle. Nevertheless, research characterizing the benefits of these technologies are lacking in Southeastern production systems. Hence, further research is required to establish recommendations for such technologies in the field.

Production responses to various supplement management systems and interactions with various forage systems across the southeastern region are necessary in order to develop strategies that Extension personnel can offer their stakeholders. To further enhance our knowledge base of plant-supplement-animal interactions, understanding how cow size and condition score might affect herd longevity and productivity in the climatic conditions of the Southeastern US is another aspect that requires further examination to increase production efficiency. Moreover, determining what management decisions may have an impact on long term efficiency (fetal programming, weaned calf immunity, etc) bears investigation.

The previous SERA41, “Improving production efficiency of the beef cow herd in the Southeast” was very successful in conducting several region specific and online workshops for producers and Extension personnel, including county agents. This group also developed the annual Bill E. Kunkle Symposium Interdisciplinary Beef Symposium each Monday of the Southern ASAS annual meeting, and the SERA41 Symposium held each Sunday before the Southern ASAS annual meeting.

Objectives

Procedures and Activities

1. Evaluate methods to improve grazing beef cattle efficiency in the Southeastern US.
   1. Research topics such as supplement/forage interactions examining the commonly used byproduct supplements and their interactions among the various forage types available in the Southeast
   2. Investigate the environmental impact of grazing and supplementation strategies utilized in the Southeastern beef production systems
   3. Characterize the relationship between beef cow size and production efficiency
   4. Evaluate the use of emerging precision livestock management technologies to manage grazing in the Southeast US
   5. Investigate the use of activity monitors and other emerging precision livestock management technologies to facilitate overall management of  beef cows in Southeastern production systems.
      
2. Continue the practice of multi-state online and onsite Extension programs targeting cattle producers and county agents.
   1. Examples of continuing programs include the Deep South Stocker Conference, the Southeast Cattle Advisor, the Midsouth Stocker Conference, the Tri-State Cow/Calf Conference, and the Four States Cattle Conference.
      b. Extension personnel will continue to coordinate and cross state lines to present at various cattle and forage short courses and workshops.
      c. Use data from multi-state programming to develop datasets regarding regional management practices and to determine various regional needs
3. Continue the practice of developing and hosting the various symposia that unites research and extension personnel across the Southeast
   1. Bill E. Kunkle Interdisciplinary Beef Symposium held on Monday of annual Southern ASAS meeting
   2. SERA41 Symposium held prior to the SERA41 business meeting the Sunday before the annual Southern ASAS meeting.

Expected Outcomes and Impacts

Projected Participation

View Appendix E: Participation

Educational Plan

Information exchanged by members of this project will be of critical value to the beef cattle industry, and to research scientists and Extension specialists working in the area of beef/forage production systems in the Southeast region. The participants of the SERA41 will combine forces with the existing beef cattle commodity groups including NCBA and state beef committees to form a linkage between the Land Grant Universities and our commodity groups. This linkage will be valuable as we exchange information to support and enhance beef production in the Southeast.

Organization/Governance

The recommended Standard Governance for this multistate activity will be to overseen by a Past Chair, Chair, Chair-Elect, and Secretary. All officers will serve a one-year term with progression of leadership from Secretary to Chair-Elect to Chair to Past Chair to provide continuity. Guidelines for officer election will be a rotational basis between Experiment Station (Research) and Extension. Administrative guidance will be provided by assigned Administrative Advisors (Extension and Research) and a USDA/NIFA Representative. The Chair will be responsible for organizing the next annual meeting and for coordinating meeting arrangements with the host location. The Secretary will be responsible for writing and submitting minutes of the meeting to the Administrative Advisors and to the website coordinator. Current officers are: Dr. Nicolas DiLorenzo, Past Chair (University of Florida), Dr. Pedro Fontes, Chair (University of Georgia), Dr. Brandon Smith, Chair-Elect (Auburn University), and Dr. Katie Mason, Secretary (University of Tennessee). Our meetings are held annually in the last week of January or first week of February (during the Southern Section meetings of the ASAS).

Literature Cited

Attachments

Land Grant Participating States/Institutions

GA

Non Land Grant Participating States/Institutions