FARGO, N.D. — Impacts of grazing management strategies on livestock production and fetal programming are among the topics that will be covered during the annual field day Monday, July 11, at North Dakota State University’s (NDSU) Central Grasslands Research Extension Center (CGREC) near Streeter, North Dakota.
Other topics include pollinator and monarch butterfly habitat, bird habitat and soil microbial populations.
“This is our premier summer event to showcase the center’s research and education programs,” says Kevin Sedivec, CGREC interim director and Extension rangeland management specialist.
Two tours will give participants an opportunity to view research trials and receive current production and conservation information. Speakers primarily will be NDSU range and livestock scientists and research specialists.
The first tour will run from 10 a.m. to noon. Participants can learn about livestock, forages and integrated livestock-cropping system trials, including:
- Forage and corn silage variety trials, specifically which forages performed best over the past three years
- CGREC and NDSU Department of Animal Sciences research updates on the impacts of minerals and energy on first- and second-generation daughters, and comparing different artificial insemination programs on reproductive success
- Research updates on livestock nutrition and late-season forage grazing trials
- An update on an integrated livestock-cropping system trial assessing soil health, livestock performance, and corn production after two years of dual harvest of winter cereals and full-season cover crops
A noon roast beef meal will be provided and catered by NDSU’s Carnivore Catering.
The second crop tour will run from 1 to 3 p.m. Specific topics are:
- Five-year summary of the impacts of grazing management strategies – including patch-burn, rotational and continuous grazing – on pollinator, monarch butterfly and bird habitat
- Updates also will include impacts on the plant community, including Kentucky bluegrass, and soil microbial population.
To reach the CGREC from Interstate 94, go south 11 miles on Highway 30 (Streeter exit). Then travel west five miles on 48th Street Southeast (gravel road) and south ½ mile.
For more information, visit www.ndsu.edu/agriculture/ag-
— NDSU Extension
