Heavy Grazing

Termination Practices

• Spraying with Herbicides
• Rolling and Crimping
• Mowing and Tillage (incorporation)
• Winter or Frost Kill
• Heavy Grazing (this page)

There is an opportunity for mixed row crop/livestock operations in the Piedmont. Farmers can plant winter cover crops and graze them for short periods of time then let them regrow in the spring. This is more difficult to do in the Mountains or Ridge & Valley due to the shorter growing season.

Cover crops can also be heavily grazed to terminate them in the spring. Cover crops that can be terminated by heavy grazing include small grains, legumes and brassicas. As with many agricultural practices, there are trade-offs. For example, heavy grazing will remove most of the cover crop biomass; consequently, the cover crop will not help with weed suppression in the following cash crop and can reduce the amount of organic matter for soil quality improvement.

More Information:

• A Simple Guide for Conservation Systems in the Southeast. USDA ARS 
• Termination of Cover Crops: Management Considerations for the Subsequent Cash Crop. Conservation Systems Fact Sheet No. 11. USDA ARS

Contributors:

Dr. Charlie Cahoon, Extension Specialist, Virginia Tech; Dr. Stanley Culpepper, Extension Specialist, University of Georgia; Dr. Mike Flessner, Extension Specialist, Virginia Tech; Julia Gaskin, Extension Specialist, University of Georgia; Dr. Erin Haramoto, Assistant Professor, University of Kentucky; Dr. Andy Price, USDA Agricultural Research Service; Dr. Mark Reiter, Extension Specialist, Virginia Tech; Dr. William Vencill, Professor, University of Georgia