COLUMBUS, Ohio — An ongoing forage project conducted by The Ohio State University extension offers livestock producers detailed, up-to-date information on how fast pasture fields are growing statewide.

“The goal is to measure pasture growth in order to provide graziers more detailed and accurate information during the grazing season,” said Jeff McCutcheon, an extension educator and co-creator of the project. “This can help producers make better feed and management decisions.”

The Ohio Pasture Management Project uses weekly pasture growth reports from more than 32 producers statewide to create a database that can help graziers estimate the amount of forage in their pastures.

“Understanding current pasture growth can help graziers decide to slow or speed up the grazing system, change stocking density, consider planting alternative forages or fertilize before they need the forage and when there is adequate soil moisture to still grow more forage,” McCutcheon said.

The project started in 2005 and involves graziers measuring the same pasture field every week using a rising plate meter and reporting the measurement to extension. Growth is then calculated and posted on a weekly blog at www.ohioforages.blogspot.com

Measurements are also taken before and after each grazing or clipping of the field.

“Right now we know this project is a hit with growers, but we don’t yet have a handle on how many are actually using this service,” McCutcheon said. “The online postings get roughly 50 views a week during the growing season. The fact sheet on using pasture managements has been downloaded more than 1,600 times.”

Weekly reports are included in agriculture publications serving eastern Ohio and Pennsylvania.

“I have been on pasture walks where the hosts have mentioned seeing the reports in these publications in these parts of these two states,” McCutcheon said. “The data provides livestock producers with the most accurate, current, objective information on the performance of forages growing in Ohio accessible to producers across the state.

“The data also demonstrates the use of pasture measurement and monitoring to aid in the management of grazing. This is significant, considering that in Ohio, cool-season forages don’t grow at the same rate year-round. That’s a challenge for producers to manage. About 60 percent of forage production comes by June, and producers expect those pastures to feed livestock at the minimum for six months, with some people shooting for 10 to 11 months.”

McCutcheon said there are many benefits to having the data at hand, but none bigger than measuring one’s own pasture. “Knowing where they stand and what is happening on their own farm is a huge benefit in regards to daily management,” he said.

“Once farmers start measuring, they begin to figure out ways they can improve production and utilization. It’s crucial for producers to figure out where they stand in terms of how much feed is available, and that helps inform the different decisions they can make after that point.”

According to McCutcheon, one way producers can use the data is to estimate how much feed per acre they need to grow for their livestock, which typically consume between 2-4 percent of their body weight in dry matter each day.

For example, a 1,200-pound beef cow that consumes an average of 3.5 percent of its body weight would consume 42 pounds of dry matter per day. Using last week’s average growth, which was 45 pounds per acre per day, that would mean a producer is growing three more pounds per acre than the cow would consume, so they’re gaining feed.

“As the year progresses, we will start growing less than what livestock consumes, so knowing what they have on a weekly basis can help producers plan when they’ll run out of feed and need to supplement,” he said.

McCutcheon added other states have made inquiries about the program but none have replicated it. Missouri offers a similar project around the grazing wedge.

“The project is designed to help growers know how much feed is out there total,” he said. “I’ve had participants who have been able to determine exact amount of days of feed they have left based on these measurements. And if producers know where they stand in terms of forage, they’re better able to decide where to go from there. Having databases there for graziers to access at any time helps producers with their management.”