AGRONOMY 240  FORAGE CROP AND RANGE MANAGEMENT  Fall Semester, 2005  LECTURE

The course is designed to provide students with a basic understanding of the importance and use of the forage and range resources for livestock production and for conservation.  The student upon successful completion of the course should be able to:

 1. Identify plants and seeds of common Nebraska grasses and legumes.  Describe adaptation, use and special management
practices for various forage species.

  2. Interrelate yield, persistence and quality of forage plants to morphology and  underlying physiological reactions.

  3. Select appropriate  forage seed mixtures for a various uses.   Describe why they are suited.  Describe proper seeding practices and calculate seeding rates.

  4. Design fertilizer programs for various forage crops based on data from various climatic zones.

  5. Recommend weed management practices in various forage situations.

   6. Design grazing management systems for ranges and pastures, indicate situations where each are appropriate, and describe effects on pasture and livestock.

  7. Calculate range condition and initial stocking rates.

  8. Recommend and describe the effect of range and pasture improvements that will result in greater productivity and efficiency.

  9. Describe the interrelationships of management practices and fit a total forage management program together for selected types of forage crops and rangelands.

 10. Prepare a year-round livestock forage balance, matching the forage quantity and quality of different forages for different classes of livestock, including appropriate management practices for the forage, livestock, and for the environment and wildlife.

 11. Judge hay and silages as to quality and describe management necessary to efficiently produce various kinds of hays and silages.

II. Methods

This course will involve 3 classroom periods and a 2-hour laboratory each week.  A lecture with some discussion approach will be used for the lecture portion.  For laboratory, much of the time will be spent working individually on exercises and on a livestock forage balance later in the semester.

Evaluation in the course will be accomplished by using hour exams, writing assignments, and a final.  Bonus points to be added to the next hour exam can be earned by successful completion of unannounced quizzes. In laboratory, regular quizzes will be given over morphology, plant identification, and management problems.  A written forage/livestock plan will be due near the end of the semester and will be graded along with an oral presentation.  Agronomy 240 is designated as an Integrated Studies course.

III. Relationship to Other Courses

Agronomy/Range 240 is the introductory course spanning both introduced forage crops and management and range management.  A student should have a general knowledge of plant science before enrolling in the course.  Agronomy/Range 240 will provide the basic background for further work in forage physiology, identification, and quality.  It also is designed as a complete course for those taking only one course in forage crops and range management.  Agronomy/Range 240 will cover only the basics of range management and for further training in this area, the student can take Agronomy/Range 340 (Range Management and Improvement), Agronomy/Range 440 (The Range Ecosystem), Agronomy/Range 442 (Range Plants), Agronomy/Range 444 (Rangeland Analysis), and Agronomy/Range 445 (Livestock Management on Range and Pasture).

 UNIT I - Course introduction and Growth of Forage Crops

 A. Role of forage crops and range in agriculture and the environment
 B. Grasslands and pasture areas of the world, the United States, and Nebraska
 C. Physiological considerations in forage crop management

   1.  Yield accumulation (photosynthesis, LAI)
`   2.  Tiller development and morphology
   3.  Carbohydrate reserves

 UNIT II  - Seeding and Establishment of Forage Crops and Range Revegetation.

  A. Factors affecting seed germination
  B. Choosing forage crops to seed
  C. Factors affecting seed selection
  D. Principles of compounding forage and range mixtures
  E. Forage seeding techniques

   1.  Seedbed preparation
    a. clean seedbeds
    b. mulch seedbeds
    c. sod seeding
    d. range interseeding

   2. Seeding practices
    a. time of seeding
    b. rate and depth
    c. equipment
    d. companion crops
    e. post seeding management

   3. Nitrogen fixation and legume inoculation

 UNIT III -  Fertilization of Forage Crops.

  A. Principles of fertilization
  B. Fertilization program development

   1. Alfalfa, other legumes, and grass legume mixtures
   2. Grass pasture and hay meadows
    a. cool-season
    b. warm-season
   3. Rangeland
   4. Annuals

 UNIT IV - Weed and Brush Management in Forage Crops and Rangeland.

 A. Management in relation to weed problems
 B. Biological control of weeds
 C. Cultural methods of forage weed management

  1.  Seedings
   a.  range
   b.  pasture and meadows
  2.  Established stands
   a.  rangeland brush management
   b.  pasture and hay meadows

 D.  Herbicides for forage weed management
  1. Seedings
  2. Established forages
  3.  Brush and weed management on rangelands

 UNIT V - Forage Quality.

 A. Composition and nutritive value of forages
 B. Methods of evaluating forage quality
 C. Environmental and management practices affecting forage quality
 D. Forage-caused animal stresses

 UNIT VI - Range Management.

 A. Theory of range production
 B. Plant succession, climax, and significance
 C. Cultural and historical aspects of range management
 D. Range site
 E. Evaluating range condition and health

  1. Climax model
  2. Ways to evaluate range condition and health

 F. Grazing management

  1. Plant response to grazing
  2. Range condition and trend
  3. Determining stocking rate
  4. Degree of use
  5. Grazing systems

 G. Range improvement practices

  1. Water conservation
  2. Water development
  3. Other range improvements

 H. Prescribed burning

 UNIT VII - Introduced Pasture Management.

 A. Types of introduced pasture
 B. Grazing management and grazing systems
 C. Evaluating grazing trials
 D. Irrigated pasture management

 UNIT VIII - Alfalfa and Annual Forage Crops.

 A. Alfalfa management

  1. Adaptation and use
  2. Pest management
  3. Harvest management

 B. Annual crops for forage

  1. Management of sudangrass and other summer annuals
  2. Selecting and managing cereal crops for forage
  3. Using brassicas for forage

 UNIT IX - Silage and Crop Residues.

 A. Silage production

  1. The ensiling process
  2. Ensiling methods
  3. Types of silage
  4. Crops for ensiling and their management

 B. Crop residue utilization

  1. Feeding value of various residues
  2. Methods of utilization
  3. Chemical treatment of crop residues

1.  Outline of course notes.  (bookstore)

2.  Packet of selected reading material.  (bookstore)

3.  Laboratory manual.   (bookstore)

Barnes, Miller, Nelson.  1995.  "Forages".
 Volume I. An introduction to grassland agriculture.
 Volume II. The science of grassland agriculture.
Iowa State University Press.  5th edition (on reserve in library)

Waller, S. S., L. E. Moser, and P. E. Reece.  1985.  Understanding grass growth: the key   to profitable livestock production.  Trabon Printing Inc.  (on reserve in library)

Stubbendieck, J. And P. E. Reece.  1992.  Nebraska handbook of range management.   EC 92-124-E.  (on reserve in library)

Reece, P.E., J.D. Alexander, J.R. Johnson.  1991.  Drought management on range and pastureland.  EC91-123.  (on reserve in the library)

Undersander, Dan, et al.  1991.  Alfalfa management guide.  American Society of Agronomy.  Madison, WI. (on reserve in the library)

Roth, Greg and Dan Undersander.  1995.  Corn silage production, management, and feeding.  American Society of Agronomy.  Madison, WI. (on reserve in the library)

The course grade breakdown will be as follows:

 Hour Exams   - 45%
 Final Exam     - 20%
 Laboratory Average  - 35%*

*Laboratory Average
 Weekly quizzes  - 65%
 Livestock - Forage Balance - 35%
  Written Report (17.5%)
  Oral Report (17.5%)

Hour Exams:  September 19, October 21, November 21

LECTURE FINAL EXAM - Tuesday, December 13, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 noon.