WIS367    PASTURE MANAGEMENT
          02/26/1990  08:56 AM  D1  196 Lines


Agriculture Science/Production Management

Pasture Management (5-10 days)

This unit deals with establishing and managing pasture crops.  Topics include
career opportunities; pasture establishment, management practices, and
problems; and harvesting methods.


Objectives

To acquaint students with employment information and career opportunities in
pasture management

To improve student understanding of forage pasture establishment

To increase student understanding of pasture harvesting practices

To help students develop a working knowledge of pasture management techniques

To increase student awareness of problems associated with pastureland


Competencies

At the conclusion of this unit, students will be able to

explain current employment information such as job descriptions,
job availability, personal and educational requirements, working conditions,
opportunity for advancement, and other factors relative to potential employment
in pasture management and relate it to their personal needs and aspirations;

discuss the importance of pasture and pasture forage crops;

list and discuss advantages of a pasture;

compare common pasture forages;

evaluate common pasture crops found in Wisconsin;

contrast methods of harvesting pastures;

select the correct pasture crop for a given situation;

choose the practices necessary for establishing a pasture;

describe the necessary steps in pasture renovation;

explain practices that reduce losses from winterkill;

summarize three causes of nitrate poisoning;

and recall precautions that must be taken to prevent bloat on pastures.


Subject Matter  (Basic skills integration areas are shown in brackets

following title.)

Careers
    - Current and future employment needs
    - Job descriptions
    - Training requirements
    - Working conditions
    - Opportunities for advancement
    - Other factors

Establishing forages for pastures   [Mathematics, Science, Social Studies]
    - Preparing seedbeds
         Rotating crops
         Renovating permanent pastures
    - Selecting plant varieties
    - Applying lime and fertilizers
    - Setting production goals
    - Costs and benefits of pastures
    - Labor requirements

Methods of harvesting pastures
    - Grazing
         Rotational
         Strip
         Continuous
    - Green chopping
    - Stored feeding

Management practices and problems   [Science]
    - Burning
    - Mowing
    - Bloat control
    - Drought
    - Winterkill
    - Poisonous plants
    - Nitrate poisoning
    - Insects
    - Disease
    - Fencing options


Motivational Activities

Take a field trip to view farm pastures, test plots, and renovated pastures.

Post bulletin board displays featuring topics related to this unit.

View films, slides, and videotapes on pasture management.

Display several types of fences.


Learning Activities

Participate in a Supervised Agricultural Experience program.

Renovate a small portion of a field into a pasture.


Collect and prepare a display of seeds of pasture plants.

Prepare mounts of insects and diseases that damage pasture plants.

Prepare displays and graphs depicting economics of good pasture management.

Examine nutrient analysis for different pasture forages.

Prepare charts and displays on poisonous plants, nitrate poisoning, and bloat.

Develop a pasture improvement system.


Instructional Materials

Textbooks and References

Approved Practices in Pasture Management by Don W. Graffs.  4th ed.
  Danville, IL:  Interstate, 1985.

Crop Production by Richard Delorit and Louis Grueb.  5th ed.
  Englewood Cliffs, NJ:  Prentice Hall, 1984.  Available from National Farm
  Book Company.

Forage Management by Dale Smith et al.  5th ed.  Dubuque, IA:  Kendall/Hunt,
  1986.  Available from National Farm Book Company.

Profitable Pasture Management by Roy A. Chessmore.  Danville, IL:
  Interstate, 1979.


Bulletins and Pamphlets

The following are available from the Cooperative Extension Service.

Animal Response to Energy Supplementation on Grass and Grass-Legume Pastures.
  R3295.
Forage and Small Grain Pest Management in Wisconsin.  A1981.
Pasture Lease.  NCR109.
Pasture Rental Arrangements for Your Farm.  NCR149.
Put Power in Your Pasture with Nitrogen.  A2368.
Supplementary and Emergency Forage Crops.  A1119.
Winter Injury to Forages.  A2905.


Periodicals

Wisconsin Agriculturist
Wisconsin Forager


Computer Software

The following is available from Cherrygrath Farms Software, Inc.

Hay/Pasture Production.  Apple.



The following is available from Hobar Publications.

Grasses and Legumes and Related Review.  Apple, IBM, TRS, Macintosh.


The following is available from Mid States Agri-Technology Associates Ltd.

Micro-Tutor:  Forage Production.  Apple, IBM.


Films, Videotapes, and Slides

The following are available from Hobar Publications.

Crop, Hay and Silage Judging.  D3 (53 slides with cassette, 19 minutes).
Legume Crops.  D26 (115 slides).


The following are available from the Ohio Agricultural Education Curriculum
Materials Service.

Diseases of Alfalfa.  AGDEX 113X (42-frame color filmstrip with script).  1978.
Diseases of Clover.  AGDEX 114X (40-frame color filmstrip with script).  1978.