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Page Seven
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Quality of
plants key
to proper
rangeland
management
Approximately 600,000 acres in Morrow
County are rangeland on which native
vegetation is predominantly grasses, grass
like plants and forbs on shrubs suitable for
grazing or browsing use. Rangeland is
important because of its many resources,
including being a primary source of forage
for domestic livestock, providing water,
wildlife habitat, areas for natural recycling of
wastes and purification of air. In addition,
rangeland has esthetic value and provides
open space and urban buffer areas.
RANGELAND MANAGEMENT
THE BASIC THOUGHT
It is important that we, as users of
rangeland, understand that use and manage
ment of rangeland revolves around use and
management of plants. The measure of good
range is not the number of cows nor the
number of acres, but rather, the amount and
quality of the plants. Plants are the crop
produced on grazing land; animals just
harvest the crop and convert it into meat and
fiber. Although plants are managed chiefly
through manipulation of grazing animals, this
management must be based on the needs of
the plants.
HOW GRASS GROWS
Plants manufacture food through their
leaves and green stems from the minerals
and water they take from the soil and from
elements in the air; the sun supplies energy.
Perennial plants use food they have made for
growth, reproduction and as a reserve for
resuming growth after winter or after being
defoliated. Vigorous plants produce more top
growth than they actually need and it is this
surplus that can be safely harvested by
animals. If too much top growth is repeatedly
removed plants from overgrazing, growth is
impaired.. These overgrazed plants become
less vigorous, less competitive and more
susceptible to damage by drought, heat,
insects and disease. Eventually these plants
die.
PLANTS ARE COMPETITORS
Plants continually compete with each
other for moisture, sunlight, nutrients and
growing space. Healthy plants are better
competitors than unhealthy ones. The proper
Reseeding
rangeland
Cont. from page 6
Contrary to popular belief, abandoned
cropland and severely depleted range will not
revert back to native vegetation in the near
future if ever. Competition from plants like
cheatgrass, an imported annual, is too
intense. Many wintet annuals like cheatgrass
germinate so early that all moisture is gone
from the site before the native perennial seed
can germina(e. This means that year after
year, the cheajgrass robs the moisture and
the native bunchgrasses cannot seed back in.
If you have-abandoned cropland, you plan
on abandoning some, or you have severely
depleted rangeland consider seeding to
improve your land.
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A fenceline in Morrow County marks the big difference between range
properly managed and range that has been overgrazed.
degree of grazing use plus occasional rest
during critical periods of growth are essential
to efficient and desirable changes in plant
communities. It is true that the first few years
of overgrazing will produce more forage than
proper grazing. But those few years can also
destroy your ranges' productive ability for
many years to come.
RANGE CONDITION IS IMPORTANT
Just how important is range condition in
relation to the livestock carrying capacity?
Let's look at an example. Suppose an area in a
pasture has deeper soil, faces to the south,
and is in good range condition. This site
should produce up to 500 lbs-ac. (1.5 ac-aum j
of usable air-dry forage. Now assume this
area is grazed too heavily for several years
and drops into fair condition. Usable air-dry
forage could reduce to as little as 75 lbs-ac (10
ac-aum) or a reduction of 85 per cent from
what it was in good condition. If it then takes
15 years for this site to return to good
condition where it will safely produce 500
lbs-ac again, is this good, sound quality ranch
or range management? No! Too much forage
has been lost as well as too much soil.
KET TO SUSTAINED PRODUCTION
What is the key to maintaining a good
productive ranch operation that you can pass
on to your children? Is it that you select a
good breed of cattle or sheep and teach your
children proper livestock management?
These things are important to good ranch
operations; but the real key to good ranch
operation is that you recognize your crop as
grass and manage for maximum sustained
production. Remember, all the animal
science know-how there is won't maintain
your ranch's productivity without good range
management.
SOME QUESTIONS FOR YOU
There is a real need for further
understanding and application of range
management practices in Morrow County.
Ranchers should be familiar with the answers
to most of these questions :
What does Bluebunch wheatgrass and
Id.aho fescue look like?
Which is most palatable?
What does "take half and leave half"
mean in terms of remaining stubble for these
two common grass plants?
What is spring deferment and why is it
a good practice every few years?
Why should you salt away from water?
What is "good" rangeland?
If you don't know the answer to some of
these important questions or doubt their
importance to maintaining sustained product
ion on your ranch, contact the Morrow Soil
and Water Conservation District or the
Heppner office of the Soil Conservation
Service.
1979 ACP changes told
Cont. from page 2
4. Cost-share rates range from 50 per
cent to 75 per cent depending on the priority
placed on the practice.
5. Practices included in the 1979 program
are:
SLI, Permanent Vegetative Cover Estab
lishment SL2, Permanent Vegetative Cover Im
provement SL4, Terrance Systems
SL5, Diversions
SL6, Grazing Land Protection
SL7, Windbreak Restoration or Establish
ment SL9, Conservation Tillage System
SLll, Permanent Vegetative Cover on
Critical Areas
WCl, Water Impoundment Reservoirs
WC2, Spreader Ditches or Dikes
WC3. Rangeland Moisture Conservation
WC4, Irrigation Water Conservation
WPl, Sediment Retention, Erosion, or
Water Control Structures
WP2, Stream Protection
WP3, Sod Waterways
Wp4, Animal Waste Control facilities
FR1, Forest Tree Plantations
FR2, Forest Tree Stand Improvement
WL1, Permanent Wildlife Habitat
WL2. Shallow Water Areas for Wildlife
6. A request has been submittee to
include underground drainage as a special
practice.
7. Long term agreements will again be
offered, but with some important changes.
Mini LTA's (agreements three to five years)
may be approved and may be to solve a
certain conservation problem rather than
ALL conservation problems on a farm. It
would be possible to have more than on LTA
on a farm.
9.
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