Soil Management for Pastures and Rangelands
Pasture Renovation
In many situations, introducing desirable legumes and productive, palatable grasses into pastures is worthwhile. Renovation techniques further improve pasture stands without completely destroying the existing sod. Newly renovated pastures should be grazed less frequently and less closely for 12 months, to prevent them reverting to their former state. When renovating pastures, the existing sod must be suppressed sufficiently to allow new seedlings to become established.
Pasture Renovation Practices
Three basic techniques of pasture renovation are outlined below.
Tillage
If frost seeding is not a likely strategy, then lightly till with a disk harrow with the disk gangs set to almost straight, or use a forward-rotation rotary tiller set to about an eighth of an inch or so. Till the sod enough to destroy 30 to 50 percent of the stand and expose the soil. When the tillage is performed in the fall, lime and fertilizers can be partially incorporated.
Frost Seeding
Sod control is essential; using heavy grazing the previous fall to weaken and open up the sod when tillage or chemical control of the sod is not used. Seed can be sown in late winter through early March, while the soil surface is still freezing and thawing. The freezing and thawing promote good seed-soil contact. Germination occurs with warming soils.
No-Till with Herbicides
Herbicides suppress the existing sod during establishment of introduced species. Close grazing the previous fall helps reduce spring vigor of the existing stand. If perennial or biennial broadleaf weeds are a problem, the pasture can be sprayed the previous fall with broadleaf herbicides.
Management of Renovated Pastures
Manage the pasture carefully after seedling emergence to minimize competition from the established sod. Use light, periodic grazing to prevent the existing sod from overtaking the new seedlings.
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