Range grass sees its greatest growth in the spring.
United States Department of Agriculture researchers are using this fact
to help them develop guidelines for ranchers making management
decisions during droughts.
According to research leader Rod Heitschmidt, one of the biggest
problems facing ranchers is knowing when to implement drought
management strategies.
Many wait until a drought is well under way before taking action,
thinking that rain is just around the corner and that once it occurs,
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their drought-related problems will disappear.
The researchers have analyzed 10 years of data collected near Miles
City, Montana, and have found that, on average, about 90 percent of
rangeland forage is grown by July 1. By then, ranchers have a pretty
good idea of what their total annual forage production will be. This
knowledge should permit them to adjust their stocking rates long before
their herds deplete the entire forage base.
In 2003, the scientists will further test the hypothesis that forage
growth from summer rain cannot compensate for reduced growth from
springtime drought. They will simulate a drought from April to June on
experimental plots and irrigate the plots in July and August.
