NATIVE WARM SEASON GRASSES

Fescue has long been used by cattlemen and not without justification. Fescue is easily established, widely adapted (to both soil and environmental conditions), and tolerates overgrazing and mismanagement. However the problems with fescue, endophyte fungus infection and decreased or no production during the summer months have sent cattlemen looking for an alternative. Native warm season grasses (big bluestem, little bluestem, indiangrass, sideoats grama and switchgrass) are an alternative which can solve the summer production problem and help lessen the endophyte fungus problem.
Initially I'd like to say that if you ate the "put 'em in and let 'em go" type of farmer, chances are that you're not going to be satisfied with native warm season grasses (NWSG) as a forage. If you are the type of farmer who actively manages your forage then NWSG's will not only satisfy you but improve your profitability. The added bonus is that NWSG's managed properly for forage also provide excellent wildlife habitat. Additionally, unmanaged NWSG's will still provide better habitat than fescue. You can eat your cake and have it too!

WHY WARM SEASON GRASSES?
Warm season grasses grow, as the name implies, during the warm months of the year. Cool season grasses (fescue, timothy, redtop, blue grass, etc.) grow during the cool months of the year. The complement each other for steady year round forage production. When used together in a grazing system it is termed a "complementary grazing system". It only makes sense to utilize the forage available during its respective growing season.

Now the only thing you need to worry about is the quality of the warm season grass forage and how well the animals perform on it.

FORAGE QUALITY AND ANIMAL PERFORMANCE
The logical approach is to have forage quality measurements done to see how it compares. Warm season grasses consistently score lower than cool season grasses (CSG) tested at the same growth stage. But the real proof is in the pudding. In animal performance trials WSG's perform admirably. The difference appears to be in digestibility. In hay feeding trials at the University of Missouri, low quality tall fescue hay was compared to low quality big bluestem hay. Tall fescue tested 7.19% crude protein and big bluestem tested 6% but percent and rate of dry matter digestibility were better for big bluestem hay than fescue hay. This allowed the animals to process feed faster, allowing greater and fasted forage intake, therefore faster weight gain. There are numerous studies which compare weight gains on CSG vs. WSG, but it will suffice to say that warm season grasses are, at the very least, comparable to cool season grasses in forage quality. The advantage is realized by harvesting the forages during their appropriate seasons so that productivity continues throughout the summer rather than just maintaining or in some instances reversing weight gains.

Table 1 compares steer gains on a complementary system with those on a cool season system with pasture rotations. The steer on the complementary system were ready for the feedlot (by the owner's choice), while those on the CSG system needed an additional 110 pounds to reach the same weight. If after August 21 the cattle on the CSG system began to gain at the same rate as they had on spring forage, it would be another 56 days before they would be ready for the feedlot.

Table 1. A Comparison of Grazing Systems. Information is from a Missouri Department of Conservation demonstration farm and was collected in 1985. All weights are average.

CSG/WSG complimentary system.
Grazing Period Wt. in Wt. out Days on ADG
APR 25-JUN 10 (CSG) 500# 588.4 45 1.96
JUN 10-AUG 21 (WSG) 588.4 790 72 2.8
117 2.48

CSG system with pasture rotation.
Grazing Period Wt. in Wt. out Days on ADG
APR 25-JUN 10 (CSG) 500# 588.4* 45 1.96*
JUN 10-AUG 21 (WSG) 588.4* 680 72 1.27
117 1.54

*These weights are estimates and it is assumed that cattle performed similarly on spring cool season pastures in both trials.

Warm season grasses have been found to extend the lactation period and increase calf gains as well. At the Forage Systems Research Center, Linneus, Missouri, cows put on big bluestem in June produced 20% more milk than those on three cool season grass/legume systems. During July they produced 10% more milk and by August production was nearly the same. Calf gains were 2.4 pounds per day for the big bluestem group and 2.1 for the cool season groups.

By now I'm sure you have an idea that native warm season grasses are a quality forage and can solve the production problem of fescue during the summer.

THE ENDOPHYTE FUNGUS PROBLEM
If you have endophyte infected fescue and are grazing during the summer you are getting the triple whammy. Fescue is producing less, the quality of forage is low and cattle are not able to fully utilize what little they are getting. Endophyte fungus is positively linked to "summer slump", a condition which results in reduced weight gains. Endophyte fungus in fescue is most concentrated in the seed stems and seed heads. By putting cattle on WSG's during the summer you are getting them away from the highest concentration of the fungus. The effects of grazing on endophyte infected fescue during the spring and fall are not as pronounced. There are two reasons for this; one, the fungus is not as concentrated in the plant as during the summer and the other is that the effects are less with cooler temperatures. If you can't get away from infected forage at least NWSG's can help you manage the endophyte fungus problem.

You're probably saying, "Well that's all fine and dandy, but how does all of this benefit wildlife?". There are several attributes to native warm season grasses which make them attractive to wildlife; plant structure, growth chronology and management.

THE WILDLIFE BENEFIT PLANT STRUCTURE
Native warm season grasses are bunch, or, as some people call them, clump grasses. The spaces on the ground around the clumps are actually what is most attractive to wildlife. These spaces allow mobility which facilitates the capture of insects for new broods and easy escape routes from predators. The NWSG's we've been discussing are tall, three to eight feet, and provide concealment from overhead, another predator protection. These grasses are characterized by strong resilient stems and because of their height, when covered with snow or ice bend over to form numerous protected cavities. When snows or ice melt, the stems stand back erect ready for the next snow. Fescue however, once flattened stays flat.

GROWTH CHRONOLOGY
The growth of native warm season grasses also conveniently corresponds with the habitat needs of quail and other upland species through the year as their needs change. Research has shown quail prefer vegetation at nest sites about 20 inches tall. Native grasses range from 12 to 24 inches tall at the time of nest initiation. When new broods are foraging for insects, overhead concealment and ease of movement are important. By this time of summer native grasses have grown to provide canopy above. Because of their height, NWSG's provide good habitat during the fall and winter for the structural reasons I described earlier. Regrowth after haying or grazing native grasses, when proper stubble heights have been left, is adequate for good winter cover.

MANAGEMENT - CSG vs. WSG
Quite simply, the management of warm season grasses is less disruptive to wildlife than the management (or lack of) of cool season grasses. The tools used to manage WSG's are: burning, haying, grazing and no disturbance.

Burning is a tool which benefits wildlife and improves forage. Burning increases the quantity and quality of forage when done at the right time. Burns when the newly emerging grasses are about 1 inch tall also help to control unwanted weeds plus woody and cool season grass invasion. Additionally, burning improves grass stands for brood cover by increasing insect populations and eliminating litter accumulation on the ground which inhibits free movement of quail. Nesting success is increased in the two to three years following a burn as well.

Some CSG's like redtop, timothy, orchardgrass and brome, when planted with legumes, are attractive to nesting and brooding birds. The problem is that management is destructive to wildlife. Cool season grasses are grazed close during the spring when birds are trying to initiate nests. Even with pastures to rotate cattle onto after the spring grazing period regrowth is usually not enough for good brood cover. Remember at this time of year CSG's are slowing down in their growth.

Hay harvest of fescue usually starts in May and continues through June. As you know, the common practice in mowing hay is to cut as close to the ground as the mower will go. Harvest at this time of ear using this technique not only destroys nests but hens as well. Again, regrowth on fescue is usually not enough after hay harvest for good brood cover. You would think the simple solution to this problem would be to delay hay harvest. While this may help nesting birds, forage quality is significantly reduced. (By the way, endophyte infected fescue makes endophyte infected hay.)

Haying or grazing of NWSG's starts about mid-June. If you are particularly interested in nesting quail you can plant species which typically aren't harvested until after July 1 to lessen the impact on nesting birds. Haying, depending on the species of grass, continues until late July. Grazing can continue until the end of August, provided that you leave at least a 12 to 14 inch stubble. Ideally, a six to eight inch stubble needs to be left when harvesting NWSG's for hay or grazing up to mid-August. Although unproven, conceivably, maintaining these minimum stubble heights would be less likely to disturb late nesting birds or broods as well. Stubble height is important for long term healthy, productive plants, however haying in early July can help compensate for lower cutting heights. The important thins to remember is the later hay is harvested the taller the stubble height should be. Hay yields range from 2 to 4 tons per acre. Crude protein ranges from 6 to 15 percent and digestibility 45 to 57%. Remember, these grasses are more digestible than analysis shows. Regrowth on NWSG's can be over 24 inches but no matter how tempting, do not take a second cutting of hay. A second harvest will deplete carbohydrate reserves in the roots and affect plant health therefore reducing production the following year. Established native warm season grasses will respond to fertilizer but wait until new growth is 4 to 8 inches. Studies have shown that 60 pounds of nitrogen is about the economic threshold.

Many times in the past, cattlemen have been looked down upon by wildlife enthusiasts because of their management practices. It is because of those management practices that many have resigned to the idea that cattle and quail can't coexist. A majority of outdoorsmen feel that if you want wildlife you must manage exclusively for wildlife, which is not for cattle or visa versa. With the knowledge available about native warm season grasses, it is possible to have both, COWS AND QUAIL.