UNR study proves: Fall grazing controls cheatgrass

A new University of Nevada, Reno study shows fall and winter grazing can reduce cheatgrass, which in turn could slow range fires and save ranchers money. This study puts to rest theories that cheatgrass was only good for spring grazing, that cows won't eat dry cheatgrass and that dry cheatgrass had no nutritional value for livestock, according to Jerry Smith, district manager for the U.S. Bureau of Land Management's Battle Mountain District. "Now, an experiment by University of Nevada scientists Dr. Barry Perryman and Dr. Ben Bruce dispels these theories," he said. "Dr. Perryman, who is a member of the BLM's Northeastern Resource Advisory Council, demonstrated that cheatgrass can be significantly reduced with the use of fall grazing," Smith said. UNR funded the study, but "we are excited about the findings and are helping publicize the results," said Schirete Zick, public affairs officer for the Battle Mountain BLM district. "The results clearly demonstrate that cheatgrass can be significantly reduced with the aid of fall grazing," she said. "Cheatgrass presents a hazard from two perspectives," Smith said in the BLM's announcement on the study. "It comes up earlier than most perennial grasses, stealing resources like water and nutrients needed by other grasses, which provide forage for wildlife. Secondly, once cheatgrass dries, it is highly flammable and becomes a fire hazard...more