Project Number: 5428-21000-012-02
Project Type: Specific Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Aug 27, 2004
End Date: Jul 15, 2009

Objective:
Little information is known about livestock performance potential or preference of new plant materials being developed for pasture and rangelands. 1) Evaluate livestock performance when grazing improved and new plant materials. 2) Evaluate livestock preference of pasture and range species to determine value of selected traits. 3) Use livestock performance and preference information to develop improved plant materials.

Approach:
Improved germplasms developed from ongoing ARS program and new plant materials under investigation will be established in research plots and large-scale fields. Fields will be subjected to livestock grazing. Livestock performance will be determined using animal weights and body condition scoring. Livestock performance will be correlated with plant phenotypic traits and laboratory-determined forage quality. Initial research will focus on fall and winter grazing as an alternative to feeding costly harvested forages. Research plots will be subjected to livestock grazing. Livestock preference will be determined with established protocols and correlated to phenotypic and forage quality traits. Traits correlated with livestock performance and preference will be utilized in plant improvement programs.