Page 26—Foraging Around, Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 22, 2000 Jim Gerrish Forage Systems Research Center Linneus, Mo. One of the questions that I com monly hear at producer meetings is: “Does it do any good to drag pas tures?” My usual answer is the universal extension answer for all questions, “It depends!” and that is usually followed by my question, “What are you trying to accomplish?” Some day when you have a lot of time on your hands, think about all of the things you do during a day, and ask yourself what you are trying to accomplish with each task. The result may be a little scary. What are we trying to accomplish with dragging pastures? The most common goal is to spread manure piles to accelerate mature decompo sition and enhance nutrient cycling. Covering seed or disturbing a thatch layer are other common objectives. Dispersing manure piles may also lead to more uniform grazing. On some farms, dragging pastures is a tool to transfer funds to dependent children in a tax deductible manner. Does dragging to scatter manure piles actually enhance nu trient cycling? For all practical purposes, no research exists to answer this question. From high school chemistry or building a campfire, we know intuitively that as particle size decreases, rate of reaction increases. Thus, if manure piles are reduced to manure fragments, they will decompose more quickly. The smaller particles also have greater surface area contact with the reactive surface (the soil). I believe it is a pretty safe assumption that nutrient cycling is accelerated following dragging. The next question is, is the rate of increase in nutrient cycling economically meaningful? I really haven’t a clue whether it is or not. Some other aspects of dragging pastures may have economic relevance. The chain or flex type harrow is a very useful tool for bringing overseeded legumes or grass into better contact with the soil. The greater likelihood of the overseeded crop establishing is probably worth the cost of dragging. Mature dispersal comes as an added benefit. Spotty grazing is very often the result of livestock avoiding manure piles. Scattering those piles can lead to more uniform re growth and less selective grazing. To completely avoid manure induced spot grazing is virtually impossible with any class of livestock which are in a production mode. Dragging pastures after every grazing period to avoid spot grazing is probably not economically kfeasible. Timing of dragging can be fairlyk critical. Autumn dragging to break piles up going into the winter can result in much more even growth on pastures which do not receive nitrogen fertilizer. Nu trients contained in the manure are likely to be back into the soil solution for early spring growth if autumn harrowed. Manure piles that have dried a few months tend to shatter and scatter very nicely this time of the year. It also ensures that legume seeds contained in dung piles are more likely to come into soil contact in the spring. Spring harrowing can either accelerate or slow pasture growth rate in the spring. Harrowing prior to ar at green-up frequently accelerates pasture growth by disturbing the thatch layer and al lowing the soil to warm up more quickly. We have measured three to five degree differences in soil temperature in side by side harrowed and unharrowed strips in early spring. But, if harrow ing is delayed too long after early green-up, growth rate can actu ally be slowed due to damage to tender young plant growth. Delaying dragging too long in the spring can also result destroy ing legume seedling growing on dung piles. Some concern has been expressed that dragging pastures may increase the likelihood of spreading infection of intestinal para sites to grazing animals. While this may be a concern in some en vironments, it is generally not considered to be a problem in the Midwest and upper South. Manure in dragged pastures dry out very quickly during most of the year (May to October) in Missouri. Exposing more manure surface area to the sterilizing effects of solar radiation kills most parasites. Simply drying the manure out reduces the likelihood of some survival for some organisms. In cooler, cloudy climates, parasite persistence is much more of problem. Parasite re infection because of dragging is also more likely to occur with horses than with cattle due to the very severe overgrazing habits of set stocked horses. What About Dragging Pastures? We have kicked the pile around and thought about some of the bene fits of dragging pastures. It is very difficult to say whether or not the benefits of dragging are worth the HERSHEY (Dauphin Co.) - One of Pennsylvania's big agricultural events in the summer is Ag Progress Days, which attracts about 50,000 people to central Pennsylvania for three days of farm-oriented activi ties. But did you know that the Pennsylvania Forage and Grassland Council (PFGC) initiated what is today known as Ag Progress Days? Yes, it is true! In 1965, the PFGC in cooperation with Penn State University, PDA and many other organizations conducted what was called the Pennsylvania Forage Progress Days at Hershey Farms in Hershey. In successive years the Forage Progress Days were conduct ed in Mifflin, Somerset, and Ag Progress Days Started By Pasture Perfect ]lTho Brand of Choice Improved Palatability Higher Feed Value Digestibility Hearty/Long-Lived • Highland Pasture Mixture • Lowland Pasture Mixture • Horse Pasture Mix • Triple Purpose Hay & Pasture Mixture • Intensive Grazing Mixture • Hay Diversion Mixture • Renovator Special L. ROHRER & BRO., INC.^ Smoketown, PA PH.717-299-2571 Hours; Monday-Frldty 8:00-5PM, Saturday 8;00-Noon SQUARE BALE TUBER • FASTER THAN WRAPPING • 1 MAN OPERATION • HEAVIER PLASTIC THAN WRAP • HIGH MOISTURE STORAGE cost of doing it. In terms ol eco nomic importance, I would rate the benefits in the following order: re duced spot grazing (enhanced util ization rate is the economic benefit); improved seed/soil contact (the eco- Dauphin counties. Then, in 1969, the PFGC decided to expand the focus of the event and changed the name to Ag Progress Days. The event continued to change locations each year until 1975 when the Ag Progress Days was in Mercer County. By this time Ag Progress Days had grown and become so pop ular that the organizing committee felt it was time to find a permanent location, which is the current site near State College. ♦ HAY STORAGE SOLUTIONS aa-aae FLEX-A-TUBER" v /*' pft ** ' 14137 Pennsylvania Ave. ~ Hagerstown, MD 21742 (301) 665-9333 or TOLL FREE (877) 412-4224 Distributed By: [ill] CUMMINGS and BRICKER, Inc. 100 Stover Drive 100*120 Lehigh Ave PO Box 928 Carlisle PA 17013 Batavia New Vbrk 14021-0928 717/249*6720 716/343 5411 1 800 222 6969 I*6oo 252*1552 Serving Farmers Through Farm Equipment Dealers Since 1961 ROUND BALE TUBER • MOTORIZED MACHINES • REMOTE CONTROL • EXCELLENT FOR DRY STORAGE • CALL FOR CUSTOM RATES Agri-Service LLC Rental & Custom Services Serving MD and South-Central PA nomic benefit is improved pasture productivity; and accelerated manure decompostion (the eco nomic benefit is reduced fertilizer input). Council The PFGC, which began 40 years ago, has played a key role in the Pennsylvania agriculture we know today. Events such as Ag Progress Days, statewide hay shows, and the Forage and Grazing Conferences all have their roots in the 40-year histo ry of the PFGC. For more information about the PFGC and its many programs, including the 40th Anniversary cele bration, contact Richard Hann at (717) 520-2349. NUGENT I ENGINEERING I e splitters WHOLESALE DISTRIBUTORS Dealer: • Easy Connection with Universal 3 Point Linkage • Safety Guard •tJmque Two-sided Blade • 4 Quality Forged Tines • Hardweanng Enamel Finish • Manufactured From Heavy Gauge Steel • Cuts Bales of all Sizes • High Speed Cutting Action • Cuts Easily, Cleanly & with Minimum of Effort
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