CIAS research focuses on the sustainability of diverse crop and livestock systems. Our work includes pasture-based livestock production, fresh fruit and vegetable production and marketing, specialty crops, integrated farming systems and other topics.
Forage Fescues in the Northern USA
Tall fescue, meadow fescue and festulolium have potential value as forages for grazing operations in the northern USA. Meadow fescue is the most cold tolerant of these grasses, with excellent forage quality and palatability, and relatively high drought tolerance. Tall fescue has the highest yield potential, good palatability for soft-leaf varieties and excellent heat and [...more]
Does pasture-finished beef make the grade? (Research Brief #77)
Finishing beef animals on pasture can potentially reduce the overhead costs of facilities and equipment compared to confinement finishing. Researchers at UW-Madison set out to learn if beef animals finished on pasture can make the Select and Choice quality grades for conventional meat markets. [...more]
Tall fescue and Kura clover for dairy and beef stockers (Research Brief #76)
Do orchardgrass, fescue or legume/grass combinations produce more meat on growing, pastured beef animals? Do beef steers, beef heifers or dairy steers show the most gain on pastures? Researchers in the departments of Animal Sciences and Agronomy at UW-Madison recently finished a three-year study to answer these questions. [...more]
How does Managed Grazing Affect Wisconsin’s Environment?
In Wisconsin, the prevalence of livestock and dairy farming has led to questions about how animal agriculture affects the environment. Many farmers who practice managed grazing have observed environmental benefits resulting from this management system. What have scientific studies shown about the effects of managed grazing on the environment?
This report presents results from papers which [...more]
Custom Raising Dairy Heifers: Expectations and Perspectives of Wisconsin Dairy Producers
This survey explored the views, opinions and perceptions of Wisconsin dairy producers about custom grazing heifers. Findings included:
All types of Wisconsin dairy producers perceive that grazing has positive implications for the health and productivity of dairy heifers.
In order to appeal to Wisconsin dairy producers, potential custom grazing heifer operations must be cost competitive.
Confinement operations are [...more]
Grass Clippings: August 2008
Grass Clippings features grazing research from the University of Wisconsin and beyond. In this issue:
Orchardgrass, tall fescue, and meadow fescue response to nitrogen rate
Meadow fescue in the Driftless Region, part two
Influence of fertility on pasture species diversity, yield and quality, part two
From the files of yesteryear: Making reed canarygrass seed more available in Wisconsin
Read this [...more]
Grass Clippings: April 2008
Grass Clippings is a newsletter that features grazing-related research from the University of Wisconsin and beyond. The April issue features:
Pure live seed
Meadow fescue
Different dairy farm systems yield similar satisfaction
Fertility and pastures
Wisconsin’s beef industry
Custom heifers on pasture
Read this newsletter (pdf file)
[...more]
EQIP support for IPM in Wisconsin Orchards
Beginning in 2003, Wisconsin apple and cherry growers and the University of Wisconsin worked with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to address orchard pest management resource concerns through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). As a result, in 2005 Wisconsin’s
EQIP Pest Management Standard was changed to provide orchardists with extended technical assistance and [...more]
The Wisconsin Beef Cattle Industry: A Snapshot
While Wisconsin is known as America’s Dairyland, the state’s beef industry is also thriving. Beef cows, beef
heifers over 500 pounds, steers and other heifers (excluding dairy heifers) account for nearly 23% of
the total cattle population in the state. Wisconsin’s beef farmers and livestock specialists understand the overall characteristics of the beef industry in Wisconsin, but [...more]
Dairy farmers share custom heifer raising preferences (Research Brief #75)
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Many Wisconsin dairy farmers choose to have their young stock custom raised by someone else. This lets them concentrate on what they do best-manage the cows that produce milk-and frees up land and facilities for their milking herds. But dairy farmers are concerned about the price of custom heifer raising, and some transport [...more]