| This research was conducted to determine the effect fall stocking rate (SR) and method of establishment of small-grain pastures on animal performance during the fall and subsequent spring. The establishment methods included: 1) no-till (NT) seeding into undisturbed stubble, 2) reduced-till (RT) - disking once followed by broadcast seeding, and 3) conventional-till (CT) --- drilling into a prepared seedbed. Soft-red winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) was sown in the first week of each September at a rate of 134 kg/ha for a 4-year study. During the fall, steers were stocked at 1.9, 2.5, and 3.7 steer/ha and grazed until forage availability became limiting (<1,000 kg DM/ha). In the spring, steers were assigned to pastures at SR of 7.5, 7.5, 5.9 and 6.1 steers/ha for 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010, respectively, for graze out until forage became limiting. Data was analyzed using the mixed procedure of SAS as a randomized complete block design with pasture as the experimental unit and year as the block. Fall ADG and grazing-d/ha were not affected ( P≥ 0.13) by establishment method or the establishment method x stocking rate (SR) interaction, but fall BW gain/ha was greater ( P ≤ 0.05) for NT compared with RT and CT. No-till pastures stocked at the highest fall SR had greater (P < 0.01) ADG (1.23 +/- 0.16) and BW gain/ha (353 +/- 50.6) in the spring than RT (0.93 +/- 0.16 and 268 +/- 50.6) and CT (1.00 +/- 0.16 and 272 +/- 50.6). Over both the fall and spring periods, NT had greater (P ≤ 0.03) grazing-d/ha and BW gain/ha (645 +/- 27.5 and 756 +/- 35.8) than RT (637 +/- 27.5 and 644 +/- 35.8) and CT (603 +/- 27.5 SE and 616 +/- 35.8). Based on this data, NT provides greater effective SR during fall grazing with fewer carryover effects into the spring grazing season. |
