Cattle growth goals and livestock use of large, topographically challenging landscapes have been at odds for some decades. Weaning weights went up, cow weights went up, and herd distribution on rangelands went down. Dr. Jim Sprinkle, an Extension beef specialist at the University of Idaho, has been doing research over those same decades that is providing guidance on developing cows that do both, leading to herds that are more efficient on feed and graze hillsides -- the Perfect Range Cow. This has significant implications for reducing land use conflicts, particularly with riparian grazing concerns on public lands, but also profitability and sustainability of range livestock operations.
The Art of Range Podcast is supported by the Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission; Vence, a subsidiary of Merck Animal Health; and the Western Extension Risk Management Education Center.
Visit the episode page at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-170-dr-jim-sprinkle-perfect-range-cow for a full transcript of the interview and links to resources mentioned in the episode.
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Cattle growth goals and livestock use of large, topographically challenging landscapes have been at odds for some decades. Weaning weights went up, cow weights went up, and herd distribution on rangelands went down. Dr. Jim Sprinkle, an Extension beef specialist at the University of Idaho, has been doing research over those same decades that is providing guidance on developing cows that do both, leading to herds that are more efficient on feed and graze hillsides -- the Perfect Range Cow. This has significant implications for reducing land use conflicts, particularly with riparian grazing concerns on public lands, but also profitability and sustainability of range livestock operations.
The Art of Range Podcast is supported by the Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission; Vence, a subsidiary of Merck Animal Health; and the Western Extension Risk Management Education Center.
Visit the episode page at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-170-dr-jim-sprinkle-perfect-range-cow for a full transcript of the interview and links to resources mentioned in the episode.
AoR 157: Grazing for Fine Fuels Management and Wildfire Mitigation, with Sergio Arispe
The Art of Range
57 minutes 11 seconds
6 months ago
AoR 157: Grazing for Fine Fuels Management and Wildfire Mitigation, with Sergio Arispe
Can we effectively limit wildfire risk or change the fire risk profile using deliberate grazing? Or is this just wishful, simplistic thinking: "Cows eat fine fuel so that stops fire, right?" These are questions that demand scientific answers, not just anecdotes or coffee shop opinions. Sergio Arispe has worked with other researchers in the Western U.S. to better understand numerous questions around grazing for fire control and to fine-tune the timing, duration, intensity, and frequency of grazing that is most effective in shifting the plant community toward fire resiliency. A current ranch-scale research project aims to understand winter grazing effects on cheatgrass populations and associated wildfire risk in the subsequent summer. This is a timely topic for most rangelands in North America and especially drier ecosystem types with any species of exotic annual grasses.
The Art of Range Podcast is supported by the Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission; Vence, a subsidiary of Merck Animal Health; and the Western Extension Risk Management Education Center.
Visit the episode page at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-157-grazing-fine-fuels-management-and-wildfire-mitigation-sergio-arispe for links to websites and research papers mentioned in this interview.
The Art of Range
Cattle growth goals and livestock use of large, topographically challenging landscapes have been at odds for some decades. Weaning weights went up, cow weights went up, and herd distribution on rangelands went down. Dr. Jim Sprinkle, an Extension beef specialist at the University of Idaho, has been doing research over those same decades that is providing guidance on developing cows that do both, leading to herds that are more efficient on feed and graze hillsides -- the Perfect Range Cow. This has significant implications for reducing land use conflicts, particularly with riparian grazing concerns on public lands, but also profitability and sustainability of range livestock operations.
The Art of Range Podcast is supported by the Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission; Vence, a subsidiary of Merck Animal Health; and the Western Extension Risk Management Education Center.
Visit the episode page at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-170-dr-jim-sprinkle-perfect-range-cow for a full transcript of the interview and links to resources mentioned in the episode.
