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Research Project:
PASTURE BASED BEEF SYSTEMS FOR APPALACHIA
Location:
Appalachian Farming Systems Research Center
Project Number: 1932-21630-002-00
Project Type:
Appropriated
Start Date: Sep 25, 2002
End Date: Sep 24, 2007
Objective:
A consortium consisting of ARS, West Virginia University (WVU), and Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University (VPI&SU;) will: (1) Develop forage sequences and combinations for cow-calf, heifer development, stocker and finishing systems to deliver optimal nutritive value for efficient production of cattle for pasture finishing. (2) Optimize forage systems to produce consumer acceptable pasture finished beef, and define carcass merit and meat quality as a function of pasture-based systems. (3) Develop risk analysis of forage-based beef production systems and market demand to assess production systems and market demand to assess production feasibility.
Approach:
Mixed specie pastures and pastures buffered by adjacent stress tolerant forages are configured and developed to meet the nutritional needs of all stages of beef production: cow/calf, backgrounding, weaning, stockering, finishing. Providing forage during seasonal extremes such as late fall through early spring or during drought is accomplished by buffering pastures with drought and cold tolerant species or conserved forage. Responsibilities for each stage of the production stream are assigned to specific institutions to minimize redundancy and maximize resource-use efficiency. Risk analysis is conducted on each production stage. Outcomes include feasible strategies to produce high quality beef products, strategies to meet the energy and protein needs of grazing livestock twelve months a year, and production systems that yield higher profit margins for livestock producers.
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