Corn intercropping strategies for extended winter grazing of beef cattle

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Extending the grazing season by maintaining beef cattle on pasture in late fall/winter has been adopted by many Prairie producers as it significantly reduces labour and feed costs compared to feeding cattle in confinement. The industry is now positioned to push this paradigm further to include extended grazing strategies utilizing novel plant species for replacement females and backgrounded cattle in the fall/winter. As cattle typically graze on grass/legume forages in the summer that sharply decline in quality in fall/winter, a high quality stockpiled forage for extended grazing is crucial to maintaining animal productivity. Corn provides a wind break and abundant energy that helps cows through cold winter months. However, its limited crude protein content restricts animal rate of liveweight gain and energetic efficiency, therefore limiting the suitability of this winter grazing system for both cows and growing cattle with high nutrient demands. Partnering with the beef and forage industry, and using a range of agronomic, animal and economic analyses, our multidisciplinary team of scientists will identify the potential feasibility for intercropping corn with high protein forages to increase the nutritive value of these mixed stands for beef cattle grazing in late fall/early winter under western Canadian winter conditions. Investigation of agronomic management practices for intercropping corn will provide flexible options to increase adoption across the Prairies. Due to the growing interest in intercropping, crop-livestock integration, and regenerative agriculture, these new grazing strategies will enhance the long-term resiliency, adaptability, competitiveness, and profitability of Canadian beef production to enhance food security.Supporting partners involved in this project are Manitoba Beef Producers, Manitoba Forage and Grassland Association, Beef Cattle Research Council, Alberta Beef Producers, Saskatchewan Cattlemen's Association, Saskatchewan Forage Council and Union Forage.