Comparing simple and complex native forage mixtures for grazing cattle in southwestern Saskatchewan

Abstract

Diverse forage mixtures have improved resilience to drought, improved persistence, ability to adapt to changing environmental conditions, reduced fertilizer costs, improved root mass and greater soil carbon sequestration but do they improve forage and animal production. The objective was to determine if complex native forage mixtures provide superior nutritional quality throughout the grazing season as compared to simple native mixtures. Three studies were conducted in 2007 at Swift Current, SK to evaluate forage production potentials, nutritive qualities and in vitro dry matter digestibility of native and tame forage species common to or having potential in Southwestern Saskatchewan. In study one, plots were seeded in 2006 on Chernozemic Orthic Brown Swinton Loam soils and consisted of 11 native and three tame monoculture species common to southwestern Saskatchewan. Clippings at a 5 cm stubble height occurred on June 20 and every 28 days after until October 10. Forage DM production, in vitro OMD, NDF, ADF, ADL, CP, Ca and P concentrations were measured. As species matured, production and OMD declined (P¡Ü0.05) but NDF, ADF and ADL concentrations increased (P¡Ü0.05). There were harvest date by species differences (P¡Ü0.05) in forage production and nutritional qualities of C3 and C4 grass and legume species. Study two examined the in situ CP, NDF and DM disappearance of six selected species harvested in the fall. EDNDF and ADDM values did not differ (P>0.05) among C3 grasses. The C4 grasses had higher (P