NCCC_temp31: Ecophysiological Aspects of Forage Management
(Multistate Research Coordinating Committee and Information Exchange Group)
Status: Draft Project
NCCC_temp31: Ecophysiological Aspects of Forage Management
Duration: 10/01/2025 to 09/30/2030
Administrative Advisor(s):
NIFA Reps:
Non-Technical Summary
Statement of Issues and Justification
Forage crops and grasslands provide essential services in US agriculture and society. Forages and grassland crops are the base of the nation’s ruminant and equine livestock production system and the primary tools for broad-based resource conservation, cellulosic bioenergy feedstocks, and other value-added industries. Over half of the national acreage in farms is covered by forage, grassland, or rangeland species. In 2023, all hay crops ranked third in total value of harvested crop production behind corn and soybeans at $23.6 billion and are the most valuable and extensively grown crops in many states (USDA NASS, 2024). Alfalfa alone placed in fourth place for single crops behind corn, soybean, and wheat at $12.1 billion in 2023. Forages provide critical provisioning, regulating, and supporting ecosystem services such as providing feed/food, clean water, pollinator services, soil erosion control, climate regulation, and promoting soil health (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, 2005). Provision of essential digestible energy and protein by forage crops to the nation’s beef, dairy, sheep, goat, and equine production systems is like no other crop. Forages are key to reducing soil erosion (Hatlfield et al., 2009; Wu et al., 2011) as well as to reduce nitrogen losses to water (as nitrate leaching) and to air (as nitrous oxide) (Berti and Cecchin, 2023; Osterholz et al., 2019). Perennial forages increase soil organic carbon sequestration with associated improvement in soil structure, water holding capacity, and nutrient supply (Niu et al., 2020). Fixed atmospheric nitrogen from forage legumes can be released for subsequent crops grown in rotations, increasing crop yields and reduced reliance on chemical fertilizers. Forages enhance biodiversity with reduced insect, disease, and weed pressures; and provision of habitat for pollinators and wildlife (Picasso et al., 2022; Garrett et al., 2017; Sulc and Franzluebbers, 2014).
Natural and naturalized grasslands can play key roles in mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and adaptation to climate variability, but carbon source-sink relationships require further research as those depend on type of grassland and region (Dangal et al., 2020). The wide diversity of forage species and their physiological and compositional characteristics offer opportunities for matching adapted species and management practices with a range of landscapes and environmental conditions to accomplish production and environmental improvement goals. Specific transformative strategies for the mitigation of carbon, methane, and nitrous oxide emissions already exist and can be incorporated into current grassland management while simultaneously contributing to the overarching United Nations sustainability goals of achieving food and energy security and foster climate action (United Nations, 2018). Communication networks among scientists are essential to advancing the science behind the practice of forage and grassland management to meet these goals, and work across disciplines is encouraged to address unanswered ecological and environmental questions regarding forage and livestock production (Gomez-Casanovas et al. 2021).
Our project addresses three of the Grand Challenges from the recent Science Roadmap for Food and Agriculture. First, with regard to economic sustainability and profitability (Challenge 1), we intend to enhance the productivity, nutritive value, and safety of the crop and livestock systems through research on the physiology of forage and grassland management and by taking advantage of ecosystem services provided by forages. Second, in response to climate change (Challenge 2), we are researching new approaches to management leading to increasing plant diversity, adding perennial crops to rotations, and the expansion of circular economic system options that contribute to greater resilience to climate change by addressing both mitigation of factors leading to change as well as adaptation by changes in management. Third, to increase environmental stewardship of the land (Challenge 6), we will develop tools and options for management to support positive ecosystem services on farms including increasing soil health, and to reduce harmful inputs such as excessive chemicals. Project members will collaborate and share research information focused on understanding and developing environmentally sound and profitable forage and forage-based livestock production systems. The proposed activities will benefit forage and grassland practitioners, advisors, scientists, and policy-makers; they will also support the ongoing professional development of new and established forage and grassland scientists.
Since 1966, this committee has been an essential mechanism of communication to stimulate cooperation among forage scientists and grassland ecologists within and beyond the North Central region. Ongoing benefits of our collaboration include: (i) program alignment to maximize complementarity and minimize duplication of resources; (ii) multi-disciplinary/ multi-institutional research proposals; (iii) improved classroom, professional, and outreach education resources at all partner institutions, and mentoring of new investigators in our field. Highlights of accomplishments from the two previous five-year projects include: a new edition of Forages, Vol. 1, 7th Ed. (Collins et al., 2018), the forage and grasslands science textbook used at many land grant institutions; a revised edition of Forages, Vol. II: The Science of Grassland Agriculture, 7th ed. (Moore et al., 2020); and evaluation of reduced lignin alfalfa across multiple environments (Arnold et al., 2019). A major Sustainability CAP grant was created, submitted, and funded during the current five-year project: Valentin Picasso and 48 co-PIs, 2021-2026, “Fostering Resilience and Ecosystem Services in Landscapes by Integrating Diverse Perennial Circular Systems (Resilience CAP),” AFRI Sustainable Agricultural Systems Coordinated Agricultural Project (SAS-CAP) grant no. 2021-68012-35917 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Many of the members of NCCC-31 contribute to the Resilence CAP grant.
The NCCC031 project is non-duplicative because it considers all aspects of the ecosystem's levels in managed grassland plant systems across a wide geographic base. Other projects that include forage physiology components include WERA1014 - Intensive Management of Irrigated Forages for Sustainable Livestock Production in the Western U.S., and NC1182: Management and Environmental Factors Affecting Nitrogen Cycling and Use Efficiency in Forage-Based Livestock Production Systems”. The former is specific to irrigation, a practice that is uncommon with forages in the rest of the U.S., and the latter is specific to nitrogen cycling and has a large animal-focused component. In addition, the committees NE1710 “Improving Forage and Bioenergy Crops for Better Adaptation, Resilience, and Flexibility” (a multistate hatch that includes forage breeders from North America) and NCCC 211 “Cover crops to improve agricultural sustainability and environmental quality in the upper Midwest” share partially aspects of NCCC031, related to forage crops breeding (NE1710) and cover crops for grazing (NCCC211). The NCCC031 project is also unique among forage multistate projects from its long history (starting in 1966) as well as its long list of shared research and extension, grant collaborations, mentorship of young scientists, and shared research and education efforts.
Expected participatopm (pending AppE submission by station directors):
- Land Grant Participating States/Institutions: AR, IA, IN, KY, MD, ME, MI, MN, ND, NE, NM, OH, OR, PA, TN, TX, UT, WI
- Non Land Grant Participating States/Institutions: USDA: ARS and WI
Objectives
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Discuss and critique current research concerning forage and grassland ecophysiology, management, and livestock integration among participating institutions and guests while fostering cooperative efforts and professional development.
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Identify high-priority management challenges related to physiological and ecosystem-level aspects of forages, grasslands, and forage-livestock interactions, and develop collaborative research opportunities to address those challenges across the diverse environments of participating institutions.
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Cooperate to develop effective educational and outreach materials that communicate advances in the management and understanding of forage-livestock systems to stakeholders throughout the region, nation, and world.
Procedures and Activities
Expected Outcomes and Impacts
Projected Participation
View Appendix E: ParticipationEducational Plan
Organization/Governance
Literature Cited
Arnold, A.M., K.A. Cassida, K.A. Albrecht, M.H. Hall, D.H. Min, X. Xu, S. Orloff, D.J. Undersander, E. van Santen, and R.M. Sulc. Multi-state evaluation of reduced lignin alfalfa harvested at different intervals. Crop Sci 59:1799–1807. doi:10.2135/cropsci2019.01.0023
Berti, M.T., and A. Cecchin. 2023. Ecosystem services and life cycle assessment of perennial and annual cropping systems. p. 1465-1468 In Proceedings of XXV International Grassland Congress, Covington, KY, 14-19 May, 2023. http://dx.doi.org/10.52202/071171-0357
Collins, M., Kenneth J. Moore, C. Jerry Nelson, and Robert F. Barnes (Eds.). 2018. Forages, Volume I: An Introduction to Grassland Agriculture, 7th Ed. . Wiley-Blackwell.
Dangal, S.R.S., H. Tian, S. Pan, L. Zhang, and R. Xu. 2020. Greenhouse gas balance in global pasturelands and rangelands. Environmental Research Letters 15, 104006.
Garrett, R.D, M.T. Niles, J.D.B. Gil, A. Gaudin, R Chaplin-Kramer, A. Assmann, T.S. Assmann, K. Brewer, P.C.D. Carvalho, O. Cortner, R. Dynes, K. Garbach, E. Kebreab, N. Mueller, C. Peterson, J.C. Reis, V. Snow, and J. Valentim. 2017. Social and ecological analysis of commercial integrated crop livestock systems: Current knowledge and remaining uncertainty. Agricultural Systems 155: 136-146.
Gomes-Casanovas, N., E. Blanc-Betes, C.E. Moore, C.J. Bernacchi. 2021. A review of transformative strategies for climate mitigation by grasslands. Science of the Total Environment, 799, 149466.
Hatfield, J.L., McMullen, L.D., and Jones, C.S. 2009. Nitrate-nitrogen patterns in the Raccoon River Basin related to agricultural practices. J. Soil Water Conserv. 64: 190-199.
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, 2005. Ecosystems and Human Well-being: Synthesis. Island Press, Washington, DC.
Moore, K.J., M. Collins, C.J. Nelson, and D.D. Redfearn. 2020. Forages: Volume II: The Science of Grassland Agriculture, 7th Ed., Wiley-Blackwell. ISBN 978-1-119-43657-7.
Picasso, V., M. Berti, K. Cassida. S. Collier, D. Fang, A. Finan, M. Krome, D. Hanaway, W. Lamp., A.W. Stevens. 2022. Diverse perennial circular forage systems are needed to foster resilience, ecosystem services, and socioeconomic benefits in agricultural landscapes. Grassland Res. doi: 10.1002/glr2.12020
Niu, Y., Luo, Z., Cai,L., Coulter, J.A., Zhang, Y. and M. Berti. 2020. Continuous monoculture of alfalfa and annual crops influence soil organic matter and microbial communities based on the substrate utilization pattern analysis in rainfed Loess Plateau of China. Agronomy 10:1054, doi:10.3390/agronomy10071054
Osterholz, W.R., Renz, M.J., Jokela, W.E., and Grabber, J.H. 2019. Interseeded alfalfa reduces soil and nutrient runoff losses during and after silage corn production. J. Soil Water Conserv. 74: 85-90, doi:10.2489/jswc.74.1.85.
Sulc, R.M., and A.J. Franzluebbers. 2014. Exploring integrated-crop livestock systems in different ecoregions of the United States. Europ. J. Agronomy 57:21-30.
USDA NASS, 2024 . Crop values 2023. National Agricultural Statistical Services Available at: https://www.nass.usda.gov/Charts_and_Maps/Crop_Progress_&_Condition/2023/index.php
Wu, S., Wu, P., Feng, H., and Merkley, G.P. 2011. Effects of alfalfa coverage on runoff, erosion and hydraulic characteristics of overland flow on loess slope plots. Frontiers Environ. Sci. Engineering in China 5: 76-83.
United Nations. 2018. Sustainable development goals. Sustainable development knowledge platform (https://sdgs.un.org/goals). Accessed Oct 8, 2024.
Climate Change Position Statement Working Group. 2011. Position Statement on Climate Change. Working Group Rep. ASA, CSSA, and SSSA, Madison, WI, May 11, 2011.
USDA NASS. 2018. Crop values: 2018 Summary. Available at https://downloads.usda.library.cornell.edu/usda-esmis/files/k35694332/g445cn37b/8910k2787/cpvl0419.pdf.