Livestock Keep Grasslands Healthy

Livestock Can Help Rangelands Recover from Fires
By Ann Perry
September 30, 2009

A 14-year study by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists in Oregon found that rangelands that have been grazed by cattle recover from fires more effectively than rangelands that have been protected from livestock. These surprising findings could impact management strategies for native plant communities where ecological dynamics are shifting because of climate change, invasive weeds and other challenges.

Much of the rangeland in the western United States is threatened by the spread of cheatgrass and medusahead, invasive non-native annual grasses that fuel wildfires and readily infest landscapes, especially after fires. These rangelands historically were burned by wildfires every 50 to 100 years, but over the past century these fires have been suppressed by humans. This suppression allowed some dead plant litter to accumulate, but when cattle were introduced to the region, their grazing helped keep litter accumulation in check.

The scientists conducted a controlled burn on all the sites in 1993, and then measured vegetation cover, vegetation density and biomass production in 2005, 2006 and 2007. They found cheatgrass had infested a large portion of the ungrazed sites, leaving these areas even more vulnerable to future fires.

However, cheatgrass did not become problematic on the sites that had been grazed. On these sites, native bunchgrass cover was almost twice as dense as bunchgrass cover on the ungrazed sites. The team concluded that the litter in the ungrazed sites fueled hotter fires that killed off much of the perennial vegetation, which allowed quick-growing invasive annuals to become established. Read More

A healthy grassland is a properly grazed grassland. Not only do livestock reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires, but this study shows that it helps them recover when fire does occur. Not only does grazing keep our grasslands healthy, but it allows us to utilize this great natural resource by having livestock convert these grasses into a usable protein source for humans.

New Way to Utilize Phosphorous from Manure

ARS finding ways to mine manure for phosphorus
Friday, April 11, 2008 12:48 PM CDT

Underground phosphorus deposits around the world are mined for use as a much-valued fertilizer. Now Agricultural Research Service (ARS) soil scientists Ariel Szogi, Matias Vanotti and Patrick Hunt have found a way to “mine” the phosphorus in poultry manure.

In 2006, the United States produced 8.9 billion broilers - and piles and piles of residual litter rich in phosphorus and nitrogen. Although poultry litter is typically used by farmers to fertilize their field crops with these two nutrients, it usually contains more phosphorus than the crops need. The excess phosphorus has the potential to wash away and pollute nearby rivers and lakes.

Szogi, Vanotti and Hunt have developed a method to obtain the phosphorus in poultry litter - consisting of a rapid removal and recovery of phosphorus in solid form - which they've dubbed “Quick Wash.” ARS has applied for a patent on this process. Read More

This article shows exactly why manure should not be regarded as waste, but a valuable nutrient resource. It is a valuable commodity that is in demand by crop producers. For anyone who has implemented a nutrient management plan, phosphorous can be one of the more challenging nutrients to manage. If this process gets up and running, it could be beneficial for livestock and crop producers alike.