FAYETTEVILLE -- The past winter in Arkansas has been cold and wet, with cycles of freezing and thawing that have often resulted in muddy pastures and access roads for many producers. This can put a strain on both livestock and equipment, according to the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
"Despite the near-perennial nature of this recurring situation, once spring has sprung, it's often all but forgotten until the next hard winter comes around," a news release said.
Dirk Philipp, associate professor of forage agronomy for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said in the release that there are several things that livestock producers can do to alleviate this situation over the long term.
"Soil types and textures are diverse, and many farms feature multiple soil series, each with its own hydrology," Philipp said. "Learning about these features and finding information is important to water resource management."
A good start, Philipp said, is the Natural Resources Conservation Service's Web Soil Survey, which provides information on soil hydrology and the original native vegetation that covered the area. The NRCS data can be used to establish forages in the long-term that can cope with various conditions, be they wetter or drier.
"Eastern gamagrass and switch grass work well for wetter areas and along creek beds," Philipp said. "These can be extended at the desired widths and grazed, hayed, or both. Tall fescue can be used in somewhat wetter conditions as well, and orchard grass in shaded environments."
Philipp said that along former and existing creek beds, trees can be reestablished, but should be spaced to allow enough light for forages to grow underneath.
The other obvious key to taming a muddy pasture is good grazing management. Given the high rain intensity frequently seen in Arkansas, as well as the prevailing soil types in the region, mud cannot entirely be avoided.
"But there are a few management principles that help keep pastures healthy," Philipp said.
If needed, assign a pasture for hay feeding during winter. The area should be large enough to move feeders around and place bales strategically to avoid excessive trampling.
"The sacrifice pasture should have good drainage, be on higher ground and placed strategically so that if runoff occurs, you can capture the nutrients in another pasture," Phillipp said. "Your prime perennial cool season and warm season forages should not be stocked for long periods during winter, unless you plan to graze off senesced material."
Moist soil compacts rapidly, Philipp said, with long-term implications for weed control as many undesired species are able to outcompete forages on disturbed ground. Incorporating good grazing management with the appropriate grazing methods, such as rotational stocking, creep grazing and strip grazing, will help producers avoid the downsides of overstocking.