Climate Change - Forages

Knowledge Nuggets

• Grasslands can be managed as carbon dioxide sinks when managed for optimal production.

• Species that are best suited to the local soil and climate are best able to maximize growth and sequester carbon. Species that have drought and heat tolerance are able to maintain green leaf area during drought thereby sustaining productivity and CO2 uptake.

• Species that have tolerance to periodic flooding will continue vegetative growth and also continue sequestration.

• Choose species that initiate growth early in the spring and maintain growth late into the season so that the length of the growing season is maximized and dormant season minimized.

• Species with rapid regrowth potential after cutting or grazing minimize periods of slow growth when carbon dioxide releases.

• Ensure vigorous spring growth to achieve large and vigorous tillers with adequate carbohydrate reserves in the spring. Optimize winter survival by grazing and harvesting appropriately during the critical root regenerating times in the fall.

• Management that enhances rapid canopy development during the seedling year is important. Seedlings are vulnerable to harvest and overgrazing in the first year of growth and development.

• Poor stand establishment leads to poor canopy development which affects stand productivity throughout the entire life of the stand. Ensure agronomic practices are optimal to achieve a healthy stand in the establishment year.

• Minimize cultivation, if possible.

• Do not overgraze. Carbon dioxide losses as a result of overgrazing may be as large as using summerfallow. Managed grazing methods, where sufficient residues are left to ensure regrowth and maintenance of productive species are essential. Use stocking rates appropriate to your climatic area, soil type, species used and grazing method.

• Adequate soil fertility has positive impacts on carbon sequestration. The source of nutrients whether manure, commercial fertilizer or legume fixing nitrogen is not as important as the optimum quantities of all soil nutrients.