Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

Committee representatives met in Grand Rapids, MN, on 24 June 2009 and shared research progress from their states. Abundant discussion provided useful feedback and highlighted opportunities for greater regional impact. A new multi-state project entitled Sustaining legumes in grasslands to reduce nitrogen fertilization was developed and discussed for implementation in 2009-2010. In Arkansas, results from 2 years and 2 locations show that incompletely summer-dormant tall fescues exhibit excellent drought survival traits, even in the absence of endophyte, likely as a result of greatly reduced metabolic activity. Also, legume genotypes and seeding strategies that promote legume persistence underwent the first year of testing in Arkansas; with red, white, and arrowleaf clovers showing the best potential; and hairy vetch, crimson clover, and alfalfa showing less performance. Poor winter growth of legumes limited their contribution to grazing during winter months. In North Dakota, a significant reduction in pasture plant rhizomes was found under heavy grazing as compared with moderate grazing. Although rhizomes only account for a small fraction of total below-ground plant biomass, these studies suggests that the high rhizome density found in moderately grazed pastures might be partly responsible for the greater potential of plant regrowth in moderately grazed pastures than in heavily grazed pastures on mixed-grass prairie. Work in Ohio showed that integration of forage cover crops into no-till corn silage production can provide supplemental forage for animal feed without detrimental effects on subsequent corn silage productivity, with the added benefit of increasing labile soil C. In Utah, a birdsfoot trefoil study with a dairy cooperator was initiated to collect data from mixtures of moderate- and high-tannin birdsfoot trefoil with orchardgrass or festulolium to determine forage productivity and forage nutritive value. Results of this study will determine if tannin content of birdsfoot trefoil is important in influencing fatty acid profile of dairy milk. In the first 28-day grazing cycle, feedlot-level gains of 5 lb per day were achieved on the high-tannin birdsfoot trefoil. In the second 28-day grazing cycle, BFT produced 3.5 lb per day gain. During the first 8 days of grazing on birdsfoot trefoil, milk urea nitrogen dropped from 17 to 12. The fibrolytic feed enzyme (FFE) supplementation reduced 12th-rib fat thickness and tended to decrease marbling score (P = 0.14) across both enzyme doses. In in vivo experiments supplementing corn-based dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS), the HD diet (175 g DDGS/kg diet DM) maximized ADG and G:F of growing steers, whereas the LD diet (114 g DDGS/kg diet DM) resulted in the highest ADG and G:F of finishing beef steers. These responses are likely due to increases in ruminal pH and fiber digestion. Increased growth performance of finishing cattle was reflected in increased marbling score. Supplementation of DDGS to a barley-based finishing ration did not have a negative impact on the carcass characteristics when fed up to 183 g/kg diet DM. With increasing availability and potential economic feasibility of DDGS, this excellent feed ingredient can be effectively supplemented to barley-based beef diets up to 183 g/kg diet DM. In Virginia, initial results from evaluating plant diversity effects in native warm-season forage mixtures suggest that managing for higher plant diversity can have positive effects in the year of establishment. Work in Wisconsin showed total nitrate-N leached under the living mulch with no added N was reduced 70% relative to the control, and the total nitrate-N leaching under the living mulch with 90 kg ha-1 added N was reduced 35% relative to the control. In Wyoming, a new variety was developed in Wyoming with Brown Root Rot (BRR) resistance, the only U.S. bred BRR resistant cultivar; which has fall dormancy 3, flower color purple (89%) with variegated (11%) cream, white, and yellow. In addition to BRR, resistance to VW and SN, moderate resistance to AN-R1, PRR, NRKN, PA, and SAA. Certified seed is available summer 2008. This variety is recommended for winter-hardy intermountain and north central regions. Lander is in the process of getting certification (NA VRB), and is being marketed by Allied Seed.

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