Benefits of membership
Manitoba’s Forage Industry
Forage management has come a long way from the days of old. In the past, Manitoba’s vast land resources provided ample grazing and forage producing opportunities for producers. These days, producers have adapted new management techniques – ones that maximize their production, and are kind to both wildlife and the environment.
Producers are increasing forage and land productivity by incorporating techniques that increase the land’s animal carrying capacity without damaging it. A relatively new strategy called intensive grazing features a large number of short term, small paddocks for grazing rather than using the traditional “back 40” for pasture. This encourages even animal grazing (even the unpalatable plants are eaten), and provides an ample rest period for the rejuvenation of the plants when the stock moves to the next paddock. This procedure also provides an even distribution of manure and provides nutrients for the plants.
Land productivity has also been increased by the use of both annual and perennial forages for livestock grazing. This practice is beneficial because annual and perennial crops can offset each other. The livestock can graze each one at its peak season. This technique also decreases the need for stored feed, thereby, decreasing the cost of inputs such as fuel.
Manitoba’s forage producers endeavor to protect the environment while maximizing land use by utilizing a number of techniques such as fencing, appropriate forage species and seeding techniques.
Fencing not only protects stock, it also helps protect water quality, fish, and wildlife habitats by keeping grazing animals away from water sources like ponds and streams.
Forage species have now been bred to maximize the potential of adverse land. For example, producers that have saline soil are now able to utilize saline forage species to minimize the impact of the soil and prevent the spread of salinity.
Producers are also planting forages and sod seeding legumes on marginal land to eliminate soil erosion. This increases the stock carrying capacity and adds nitrogen to the soil. Another practice some producers use is a rotation with a perennial such as alfalfa in their annual crop rotation. Alfalfa is a nitrogen-fixing perennial that adds nitrogen to the soil, thereby reducing the fertilizer requirements in subsequent years. The use of forages also help control weed, disease, and insect cycles without the use of pesticides.