Shane, Richard

English

Public Research Access Institutional Repository and Information Exchange

South Dakota State UniversityOpen PRAIRIE: Open Public Research Access InstitutionalRepository and Information ExchangeEconomics Commentator Economics8-30-1979Is Native Range the Best? Some PastureMangement AlternativesRichard ShaneSouth Dakota State UniversityFollow this and additional works at: http://openprairie.sdstate.edu/econ_commPart of the Agricultural and Resource Economics Commons, and the Regional EconomicsCommonsThis Newsletter is brought to you for free and open access by the Economics at Open PRAIRIE: Open Public Research Access Institutional Repositoryand Information Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in Economics Commentator by an authorized administrator of Open PRAIRIE: OpenPublic Research Access Institutional Repository and Information Exchange. For more information, please contact michael.biondo@sdstate.edu.Recommended CitationShane, Richard, "Is Native Range the Best? Some Pasture Mangement Alternatives" (1979). Economics Commentator. Paper 137.http://openprairie.sdstate.edu/econ_comm/137_ COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE United States Department ofAgriculture CooperatingEconomics NewsletterEditor:Robert J. AntonidesExtension EconomistEconomics Department South Dakota State University Brookings, S.D. 57007 (605) 688-4141No. 139 August 30, 1979Is Native Range the. Best?SOME PASTURE MANAGEMENT ALTERNATIVESbyRichard Shane, Assistant Professor of EconomicsMore intensive pasture managementmay be one way South Dakota farmers andranchers can increase income from theircow-calf operations. At least production data collected from several pasturesystems at the Pasture Research Center,Norbeck, South Dakota supports this assertion.Data on four pasture systems arecompared here. The pasture systems arenative range; native pasture interseededwith alfalfa; short-season pasture consisting of alfalfa-bromegrass -intermediate wheat grass; and full-season pasture consisting of a series of pasturesof crested wheat grass, alfalfa-brome-grass-intermediate wheat grass, switch-grass and Russian Wild rye. The data arediscussed on a per 100 acre basis.Productivity. The carrying capacity ofthe pasture alternatives varied withtame hay yields because each pasturealternative required differing periodsof. supplemental hay and corn feeding to8 10-I0 NativeQ InterseededX Short-season•f Full-season.5 1.0 1-2 • 1,5 2.0Tame Hay Yield (T/A)Fig 1. Carrying capacity per 100 acres of alternative pasturesystems with varying tame hay yields.carry the cows for an entire year. Thiscan be seen in Figure 1. The short-season and full-season pastures carriedthe largest number of cows with the interseeded pasture also having an advantage over the native pasture. Purelyfrom a productivity standpoint, the improved pastures all appear better thanthe native alone.Costs.ditionalpasture,legumesmaintainwith more cowsseason costs are higher. The end result is presented in Figure 2. Thefull-and short-season pastures have byfar the largest annual costs per 100acres with interseeded pasture costsalso exceeding those of the native pastures. Thus, strictly from a coststandpoint, the native pasture requiresa smaller cash flow.3000-u 2000-8«« 1500-M5The improved pastures have ad-costs compared to the nativeFor example, pastures withoutrequire annual fertilization tohigh productivity levels andper acre the non-grazing..Q —4- Full-aeisonX Short-season• Interseededo Native0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2.0 2.2 2.4 26 2.8 3.0Tame hay yield (T/A)Fig 2. Beef cow-caif enterprise costs per 100 acres, not includingreturn to land investment.Net Returns. The "bottom line" foreach pasture system is the net returnto the operator's management and labor.Do the increased returns from pastureimprovement cover the increased costs?The interseeded and short-season pastures increased net returns to the operator but the full-season pasture didnot when compared to native pastures.(See Figure 3).Although the full-season pasture900SCO70Og 600I .SODS' 400C«I 300SS ,200n<2o 100 •-100 --200 --300returns a profit, the other alternativesresult in greater profits. .In areas'where interseeding or short-season pasture production are possible, pastureimprovement can enhance returns to theoperator's labor and management withoutacreage expansion. > ;A more thorough coverage of thesepasture alternatives is contained inB-652,available from the Economics Department . .X Short-seasonInterseeded•o NativeFull-season0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0Tame hay yield (T/A)2.5Fig 3. Return to labor and management from the beef cow-calfenterprise on 100 acres of land with varying tame hay yield and 92%calf crop.2500 printed for educational purposes at an estlnaced cost of 2c each.Educational proerams and materials arc offered to all people without regard to race, color, religion, sex or national origin.Cooperative Extension.ServiceU. S. Department of AgricultureSouth Dakota State UniversityBrookings. South Dakota 57007OFFICiAL BUSINESSPENAL.TY FOR PRIVATE USB S30OEconomics NewsiefterPostage arid Fees PaidU. S. Department ofAgricultureAGR 101Third class mail(Bulk Mail)

Is Native Range the Best?        Some Pasture Mangement Alternatives

https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1136&amp;context=econ_comm

Is Native Range the Best? Some Pasture Mangement Alternatives

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

Public Research Access Institutional Repository and Information Exchange