Managing cattle grazing distribution: Not as simple as it sounds
USDA ARS
Grazing is an agricultural term to describe the natural behavior of cattle moving across pastures and rangelands as they consume different plants. Surprisingly, grazing cattle are selective about where and which plants they will eat, and land managers consider grazing distribution an essential factor in deciding how to manage their herds, including how to prevent overgrazing for conserving biodiversity of the land.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) collaborated with various universities and the Long-Term Agroecosystem Research (LTAR) network to examine the influence of topography on grazing distribution that can inform land managers in the selection of efficient grazing strategies.
Contact: Maribel Alonso
April 20, 2021
Grazing is an agricultural term to describe the natural behavior of cattle moving across pastures and rangelands as they consume different plants. Surprisingly, grazing cattle are selective about where and which plants they will eat, and land managers consider grazing distribution an essential factor in deciding how to manage their herds, including how to prevent overgrazing for conserving biodiversity of the land.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) collaborated with various universities and the Long-Term Agroecosystem Research (LTAR) network to examine the influence of topography on grazing distribution that can inform land managers in the selection of efficient grazing strategies.