Improve Your Pastures’ Drought Readiness

Drought recovery takes time — and rainfall. Be ready to maximize every drop.

Drought is unavoidable. It hits every cattle operation. How you manage your grazing land before, during, and after drought plays a vital role in how severely it impacts your operation and how quickly your land and productivity recover.

No matter how much effort you put into creating drought-resistant pastures or minimizing long-term damage during dry periods, recovery will eventually be necessary. Sam Ingram, Ph.D., a Range & Pasture field scientist with Corteva Agriscience, says intensifying pasture management during this period is critical to success.

“We’ve learned through the years that recovery takes time. Secondly, it takes rainfall,” Ingram notes. “It’s especially important to make the most of every single drop.” He offers several suggestions as you approach each new grazing season:

When drought eases:

Scout early and often to monitor pasture changes.
Delay turnout to allow maximum recovery time.
Control weeds early to give grasses a competitive head start.
Be patient – full recovery can take several years.

If drought persists:

Scout frequently to detect issues early.
Adjust stocking rates; destocked pastures recover quicker post-drought.
Treat weeds germinated by winter moisture, focusing on biennials and perennials.
Avoid treating drought-stressed weeds to reduce additional stress on the forage.

The Importance of Weed Control

Like grass, weeds thrive on moisture. Monitor bare patches in the pasture, as weeds are likely to invade those areas first.

“It’s important to limit any competitive plants that aren’t providing forage value,” Ingram says. “Scout early and treat early to prevent weeds from stealing the much-needed moisture.”

If weed pressure is high when moisture returns, weed control often pays off significantly, giving desirable grasses the space and resources needed to recover, Ingram explains.

“You have to ask yourself, ‘Do I want to grow weeds, or do I want to grow grass?’” he says.

Ingram recommends DuraCor^® herbicide because it provides broad-spectrum control, along with the residual control needed to hold weeds out and give desirable grasses time to reclaim the bare spots. UltiGraz^℠ Pasture Weed & Feed is a good option to efficiently and cost-effectively combine weed control and fertility in a single pass.

“Control the weeds and feed the roots, and you’ll grow grass,” Ingram says. “Properly manage that grass, and you’ll help speed up the recovery process.”

Manage for Long-Term Recovery

The return of moisture can bring optimism, but don’t be deceived, Ingram advises. Plants that look healthy often still have a shallow root system. Grazing too early prevents will root reserves from rebuilding, leading to weaker, thinner plant stands.

“Soil testing provides an excellent return on investment,” Ingram says. “It helps ensure you’re applying the right amount of the right nutrients. And then, of course, proper fertility pays off in increased forage production and stronger plants that can more quickly recover and, ultimately, better stand up to drought conditions long-term.”

Meaningful recovery of desirable plants occurs only when air and soil conditions support rapid, healthy growth. True restoration likely will require reduced spring and summer stocking rates.

“Good grazing management coming out of drought is a big part of the recovery process,” Ingram says. “If possible, delay turnout to allow native pastures some rest from grazing during the growing season to build root systems and vigor.”

Although costly, feeding hay while allowing the roots to reestablish and rebuild will pay off in the long run.

When evaluating pastures, Ingram recommends using a yardstick to measure grass height. Wait until cool-season grasses reach 8 to 10 inches before grazing, and rotate cattle once grass is grazed down to 4 inches. Today’s fencing technology makes adding a crossfence relatively simple and economical — and definitely cost-effective, Ingram says.

“Wherever you are in the drought cycle, these basic land management practices can benefit grazing resources and help build drought-resistant pastures,” Ingram says.

Your local Corteva Range & Pasture pecialist can help you determine the best path toward your individual goals.

Under normal field conditions, DuraCor^® is nonvolatile. DuraCor has no grazing or haying restrictions for any class of livestock, including lactating dairy cows, horses (including lactating mares) and meat animals prior to slaughter. Label precautions apply to forage treated with DuraCor and to manure and urine from animals that have consumed treated forage. DuraCor is not registered for sale or use in all states. Consult the label for full details. UltiGraz^℠ with fertilizer is available for use with specific herbicides in the states of AL, AR, CO, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, KS, KY, LA, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NV, OK, OR, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA, WI, WV and WY. Contact your state pesticide regulatory agency to determine if a product is registered for sale or use in your state. Always read and follow label directions.