FORAGE RESTORATION
Time to think
about pastures
and hay land
BY RICHARD KAMCHEN
Crop land is a bit like the professional athlete of
farming: it gets the most press and, to maximize
output, the most management.
Often forgotten are pastures and hay
land, which seem to get the least attention
and are treated as though they’ll endure just
fine with minimal care and attention. The fact is, though,
that they too need management in order to reach their
full potential.
“A lot of the land that’s used for grazing is rough and poor,
and requires a different management style than arable land,”
said Jane Thornton, Manitoba Agriculture’s forage and pasture
specialist.
Stresses to pastures can include overgrazing, flooding,
drought, and low nutrients.
“Mostly with grazing, the message we’re trying to get
across is if you have proper grazing management and proper
stocking rates, then the forages can do quite well just through
management, by getting rest and nutrients that are mostly
recycled in the system,” said Thornton.
Manitoba Agriculture’s Forage and Rangeland Restoration
Reference Guide explains that rest needs to happen during
Jacek Fulawka/ 123RF
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Manitoba Farmers’ Voice § Winter 2019 § 29