Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

The committee met to discuss their activities during fiscal year 2010. The following activities, outputs, milestones, and short-term outcomes were achieved: Activities: Research projects relating to objectives 1-6 were initiated in 2009/2010 by scientists in Kansas, Nebraska, and South Dakota. Objective 1: Common legumes (alfalfa, birdsfoot trefoil, and red clover) treated with and without fungicides and insecticides were planted in southeastern and western Kansas, eastern Nebraska, and eastern South Dakota. Stand establishment data was collected and reported to the research group at the annual meeting. Further evaluation of stand success and productivity will be made. Objective 2: Pastures containing legumes were successfully established in summer 2010 for further evaluation by grazing livestock in 2012 in eastern Nebraska. Researchers in southeast Kansas conducted grazing trials to compare the effect of stocker cattle supplemented with dried distillers grains and the excretion of urine and feces as fertilizer substitute. Objective 3: The effects of distillers grains mixed with wheat straw was compared to alfalfa fed to gestating cows in western Nebraska in winter 2009/2010. Objective 4: Several studies in Kansas and Nebraska were conducted to evaluate the use of distillers grains fed on the ground or in the bunk. Objective 5: Grazing studies were conducted in eastern Nebraska on smooth bromegrass with yearling cattle supplemented with distillers grains to determine forage substitution and N-cycling. Objective 6: Economic analysis of 5 yr grazing study with cattle supplemented with distillers grains was conducted. 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. Outputs: Data collection, report summaries, and publications pertaining to objectives 1-6 were achieved. Short-term outcomes: Short-term outcomes include lower breakeven and greater profit of grazing cattle fed distillers grains.