The Forage-Based Beef Management Project is off to a great, although wet, start this spring. Everyone on staff has been busy doing their part to make this research project a success. The following information describes the project basics along with giving you a closer look into what the first year of the project will consist of.
Overall Picture
The official title of this project is “managing nutrient inputs to enhance the sustainability of forage-based beef systems”. The grazing research will be conducted at MSU & MU during the first two years of the project. Data analyses and reports will be generated during year three.
Goals and Objectives
The long-term goals of our proposed project are to demonstrate sustainable forage-based beef production finishing systems in Missouri, provide high-impact educational experiences for MSU students, and enhance outreach through strengthened linkages between MSU and MU.
The specific research goal is to determine the impact of nitrogen source on pasture quality and production economics in forage-based beef finishing.
The Approach
The project will be utilizing the Missouri State University Shealy Farm, which is located 30 minutes north of the MSU campus. The first year the cattle will be rotated among sub-pastures built by members of the project. This will be done to maximize the quality of available forage and distribute the manure from the cattle.
Forage biomass and quality, along with the abundance of non-desirable plant species, will be determined at the initiation of the grazing trial. Four treatments consisting of nitrogen fertilizer, supplemental feed, both fertilizer and feed, and neither fertilizer or feed will be replicated in four pastures.
Steers will be weighed monthly throughout the experiment. Ultrasound estimates of carcass composition will be taken from three steers per treatment at the start and end of the experiment.
A second study will be undertaken at the MU Forage Systems Research Center located in north central Missouri near Linneus. This study will complement the MSU study by evaluating the stocker phase of cattle production. Because Missouri cattlemen seldom provide supplemental feed to stocker calves, the MU study will evaluate a warm-season forage legume as a nitrogen source. To strengthen the coordinating efforts between the two universities, MSU will be sending a summer intern to work with MU this summer.
Both universities are excited to see the journey of this project progress over the next three years. We encourage you to stay tuned for updates!