What does the word “stockpile” mean to you? Our understanding of the meaning is to “store away for future use.” We are old enough to remember that “stockpile” had the connotation of the Soviet Union and the United States manufacturing and storing bombs. Not a happy thought and thankfully the product stored was never used. Less than a year ago because of Covid-19, some families were stockpiling toilet paper. Some may have thought that the most-right word was hoarding! Within forage-livestock agriculture, the word stockpiling refers to growing forage in the pasture that can be used at a later time.
Rotational grazing a pasture permits stockpiling forage for grazing in the late fall and early winter. (Photo Credit: Keith Johnson)
A properly managed rotational stocking system allows this to happen. Livestock can graze other paddocks (cells) in the late summer and early fall while approximately one-fourth of the acreage is restricted from the livestock so forage can grow to be grazed in the late fall and possibly the early winter. Addition of around 50 pounds of actual nitrogen per acre in late August can stimulate much cool-season grass growth if rainfall occurs. Pastures with at least 30 percent of the dry matter yield being legumes will not receive as much benefit from the addition of nitrogen and is probably not an advised expense. If a soil test has recently been done or is done pronto, other recommended nutrients can be blended with the nitrogen and applied, too.
Late August is an excellent time to apply nitrogen for stockpiling forage growth. A blended fertilizer can be applied if recommended by soil test. (Photo Credit: Keith Johnson)
