In order to prescribe a grazing management plan that can effectively improve pasture productivity, it is important to have a basic understanding of forage growth dynamics.
Most pastures in the northeast consist of cool-season forage species such as orchardgrass, bluegrass, and quackgrass growing in association with white clover or some other legume. In a general sense, these plants can be described as comprising two separate but connected and dependent parts. There is an above-ground portion consisting of leaves and stems, and a below-ground portion comprised of roots and root hairs. The root and root hairs extract moisture and nutrients from the soil while the green leaves and stems collect light energy from the sun and convert it into energy for growth. Surplus energy generated by this process is stored as carbohydrates in the roots, stolons, rhizomes, or stem bases where it is available to initiate growth in the spring, after a defoliation has occurred, or to provide nourishment for survival over winter or during other periods of environmental stress. Hence, in order to maintain the health and vigor of these plants, it is essential that they be grazed with a prescription that allows for high levels of carbohydrates to be produced and stored.
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