Manitoba boasts of vast areas of natural grasslands that support cow-calf production, which is by far the most important form of commercial beef cattle operation in the province. Sustainability of the Manitoban beef sector is dependent on ensuring economic profitability while meeting public demand for environmental stewardship and providing safe food. Cow-calf producers should, therefore, continually assess their management systems to ensure efficient use of available feed and other resources, while optimizing animal performance and minimizing production costs. Efficient and novel management practices are essential to allow beef producers to address issues relating to management of summer pastures, winter nutrition, and reproductive performance of beef cows and heifers. These new strategies and management practices are the key for reducing production costs and improving market competitiveness.

The present project builds on a project started in July 2009, where data from the long term Beef Systems Project at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Brandon Research Centre (AAFC-BRC), were analysed to study the impact of various alternative forage-based beef production management systems on performance of cattle and methane emissions. The seven-year research plan of the Beef Systems Project, initiated in 1998 at AAFC-BRC in the Parkland region, aimed to produce beef in an environmentally sound and profitable manner through the development of new strategies for managing summer pastures, winter nutrition, and reproductive performance of beef cows and heifers. Eight production systems were developed and detailed data were collected throughout the year at key points in the production cycle on each animal in these systems (approximately 300 cows and their progeny annually). Data on pasture productivity, forage quality, soil quality, environmental parameters and energy use were also collected. A project of this magnitude has not previously been undertaken in Canada. The long-term objective of the research was to allow beef producers to evaluate the impact of incorporating novel beef management practices into their operations.

The main purpose of the current project is to use the data collected in the long-term AAFC-BRC Beef Systems Project, as well as other published results, to develop decision support materials, specifically technical bulletins and factsheets, which will be used by beef producers and beef cattle extension personnel to compare the productive and economic performance as well as energy efficiency of beef production using alternative forage-based management systems. The materials should assist beef producers in making informed decisions related to different aspects of cow-calf operations by allowing them to evaluate the potential outcomes of alternative beef production systems. The bulletins and the factsheets would be primarily based on data from the long term AAFC-BRC Beef Systems Research. Participation of several MAFRI staff in the development of these materials will ensure that the format and presentation of the information will be useful and applicable to Manitoba producers.

Data from the AAFC-BRC Beef Systems Project will be used to develop technical bulletins and factsheets on the productive, reproductive and economic performance of the animals. The materials will present comparisons of different summer pasture and winter feeding strategies for cow-calf production. In addition, other pertinent published and unpublished materials from Brandon and/or other research centers in Western Canada which focus on cow-calf production will be consulted in order to increase the application range of the materials. Appropriate pictures of alternative cow-calf production systems from the AAFC-BRC database will also be incorporated in the technical bulletins and factsheets in order to provide supplemental information to the descriptions of the systems.

The data from the AAFC-BRC Beef Systems Project will also be used to predict the efficiency of fossil fuel energy use. Energetic efficiency will be calculated as (i) net energy produced (energy output minus energy input); (ii) quantity of output produced per unit of energy input; and (iii) ratio of energy output to energy input. Energy inputs include direct and indirect energy inputs. Direct energy inputs are defined as the energy used to power farm machinery, equipment and vehicles (i.e., diesel-fuel, lubricants and electricity). Amounts of fuel and lubricants used by machinery will be determined from the Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food and Rural Revitalization Farm Machinery Custom and Rental Rate Guide and other relevant sources. Indirect energy inputs are defined as the embodied energy used in manufacture, formulation, packaging, transportation, and maintenance of inputs (i.e., machinery, fertilizers, and pesticides). Energy outputs are calculated from the energy retained in the beef produced by the various classes of cattle grazing the different pasture types using equations from the National Research Council Nutrient Requirements of Beef Cattle (1996).

In addition, technical bulletins on the predictions of enteric methane emissions from different summer pasture and winter feeding strategies for cow-calf production will be prepared. Appropriate empirical models based on those developed in the Department of Animal Science at the University of Manitoba will be used.

Information on efficiency of use of fossil fuel energy as well as prediction of greenhouse gas production from forage-based beef production systems in Manitoba will be provided. One of the benefits of incorporating extensive feeding strategies in herd management is to reduce confinement feeding and its associated nutrient accumulation in a confined area. In addition the inclusion of alfalfa in seasonal grazing, and grazing of dormant perennial grass pastures may reduce energy use. These areas are of concern and interest to producers in the industry. This information will also be of use in the general public in Manitoba about the environmental impact of the beef industry.

Project Contact(s): Glenn Friesen Ph: (204) 745-5672, E-mail: glenn.friesen@gov.mb.ca
Start Date: March 2011
Completion Date: March 2012
Funding Partners: Growing Forward Agri-Extension Innovation Program
Project Results: On going.