2007 Annual Report 1a.Objectives (from AD-416) 1) To develop forage sequences and combinations for cow-calf, heifer development, stocker and finishing systems to deliver optimal nutritive value for efficient production of cattle for pasture finishing (objective 1 of the project plan); and. 2)To develop risk analyses of forage-based beef production systems and market demand to assess production feasibility (objective 3 of the project plan). 1b.Approach (from AD-416) A team of researchers in several disciplines will work together and will include a soil scientist, soil microbiologist, agronomist, ruminant nutritionist, animal physiologist, agricultural economist and extension specialist. Experiments will be conducted on stocker and heifer development phases and also on the soil fertility, pasture production and management components, the results of which can also be applied to cow calf production, backgrounding and finishing. Economic and risk analyses will include all components and phases of the production cycle for marketing forage finished beef. 3.Progress Report This report documents research conducted under a specific cooperative agreement between ARS and West Virginia University. Additional details of research can be found in the report for the in-house associated project 1932-21630-002-00D, Pasture Based Beef Systems for Appalachia. Protocols for in-store consumer-based surveys of pasture-based beef products (compared to traditional, grain-based products) using an experimental auction approach were developed. Together with expected profitability, knowledge of the risk characteristics of a product is critical to its adoption, particularly for a niche product. The results of the short-term risk assessment was completed and documented. Work was initiated toward the development of a computer-based decision support system (DSS). This DSS is now in the process of de-bugging and calibration using currently available data from WV and VA. Four forage systems based on aftermath tall fescue hayfields, stockpiled naturalized West Virginia pasture fields or aftermath Alfalfa/Orchardgrass hayfields were compared. Three of the four systems required additional supplemental feed inputs to achieve at least the approximate desired growth rate of 1.0 lb/d over the 135 d wintering period. One system achieved greater than desired growth without any supplemental feeds. Standard procedures for the determination of lime requirements were used to improve the accuracy of lime predictions. The effects of landscape position (summit, backslope, footslope), temperature, percent water, and mineral P application rate on the variations in solution-P during 30 days incubation were investigated. For all treatment combinations, solution-P was higher in footslope than in summit and backslope samples. When the interactions between landscape position, temperature, and water content were accounted for, different and sometimes contrasting patterns of change in solution-P with time were observed under different levels of P application. These results support the concept of considering spatial, seasonal and temporal variation of soil chemical processes in refining nutrient management strategies in hill land pastures. A Response Surface Model was used to determine the optimal combination of soil water content, soil pH and supplemental N and P on the yields and soil solution nutrient concentrations in bluegrass and bluegrass/clover yield in a greenhouse pot experiment. The structure of soil microbial communities relative to varying fertility and grazing regimes in WV pastures was examined. A study of strain diversity and persistence of the fecal indicator bacterium, E. coli, in pastures subjected to winter stockering was initiated. Persistence of E.coli in the soil of grazing areas impacted by animal waste was examined by collecting fecal from pasture-raised beef cattle. PCR was performed on the isolates, and multiple rep-PCR products were separated by electrophoresis. Preliminary data support the presence of multiple E. coli strains among the various animals and suggest that distinct strains are obtained based on the production practice employed; that in turn may affect populations and persistence of E. coli in soils. 4.Accomplishments Meeting the nutritional needs of livestock while meeting performance expectations of 1.0 lb gain per day during the winter months is challenging and can be expensive. Little data exists for meeting these goals by grazing forage during the winter, or using conserved forages. Research was conducted to develop alternative forage systems for the winter stocker period. Alfalfa/Orchardgrass hayfields and fed second cutting Alfalfa-Red Clover/Orchardgrass baleage when grazable material became limiting, yielded a growth rate over the 135 day stockering period of 1.39 lb/d without additional supplements. These data indicate that forage-based systems can meet the nutritional needs and performance expectations for livestock and produce carcasses acceptable to industry. 5.Significant Activities that Support Special Target Populations Accomplishments outlined above specifically target small farm operations in the Appalachian region that are interested in producing pasture/forage-raised beef. One PI was a member of the Planning Committee for the “National Grass-Fed Beef Conference”, Holiday Inn Harrisburg-Hershey, Grantville, PA, February 28 to March 2, 2007; attended by over 200 producers, technical service providers, and researchers. An invited paper was presented at this meeting on managing risk in pasture finishing systems, “Drought Management Before, During, and After the Drought”.