2020 Irrigated Pasture Workshop

Irrigated Pasture Workshop
February 26, 2020 
Taylorsville Rock Club 

UC Cooperative Extension hosted a workshop covering multiple aspects of irrigated pasture management in the Sierra's.  The workshop topics included pests, fertilization, new varieties and more to increase pasture productivity provided by UC Davis specialists and UC Cooperative Extension advisors! Speaker takeaway points for pasture managers include: 

Takeaway points for pasture managers include: 

- Taller fall stubble height can impact spring forage growth, and overall yield potential. 

- Check in early spring for grasshoppers on the ground, treatment is more effective and economical before the reach the 3rd instar, weeks before they can fly.

- Grass forages need adequate nitrogen at the right growth stage to produce high yields  

- Pastures are often nutrient deficient systems, test your soil and consider fertilizer to increase productivity and efficiency. 

- If soil reports show deficiency, do not be afraid of applying nitrogen to increase pasture productivity. There are resources to help you with on farm record keeping to remain in nitrogen management plan compliance. 

- DON'T buy tall fescue seed at a garden stores - it can contain endophytes that are toxic to livestock. 

- To see if the tall fescue you currently have in your pasture contains the toxic endophyte you can send a sample to - https://www.agrinostics.com/index.html 

Feature Presentations 

Grasshopper Management and Monitoring - Tracy Schohr, Livestock and Natural Resources Advisor and Tom Getts, Ecology and Cropping Systems Advisor, UC Cooperative Extension 

          *Plumas-Sierra Fact Sheet - Grasshoppers Management Guide

Value of Winter Stubble to Optimize Regrowth and Production of Irrigated Pastures - David Lile, Lassen County Director and Livestock and Natural Resources, UC Cooperative Extension (presented by Dr. Roche) 

Irrigated Pasture Management for Agricultural and Environmental Outcome - Leslie Roche, Specialist in Rangeland Science and Management, UC Davis

Irrigated Pasture Nitrogen Management: Principles and Planning - DJ Eastburn, Associate Specialist, UC Davis

          *UC Rangeland - Irrigated Pasture Research Hub

Principles of Grass Hay Fertilization - Rob Wilson, Director, UC Intermountain Research & Extension Center

Update on Weed Management and Irrigation Trials - Tom Getts, Weed Ecology and Cropping Systems Advisor, UC Cooperative Extension

Beefing Up Irrigated Pastures with New Species and Varieties - Charlie Brummer, Director of the Plant Breeding Center, UC Davis

Additional Resources (including handouts)

Soil Moisture Monitoring - A Simple Method to Improve Alfalfa and Pasture Irrigation Management 

UCCE Fact Sheet - Grasshopper Management

UCCE Fact Sheet- Intermountain Irrigated Pastures and Mountain Meadows

Upper Feather River Watershed Group Irrigated Lands Coalition (Nitrogen Management Reporting Information) 

UC Rangelands Information Center