Clemson Forages Team

Liliane Silva, Forages Specialist   Nitrate is a naturally occurring component in plants, and its accumulation is usually associated with plant stress conditions (e.g., prolonged drought). When plants grow slowly, they continue to uptake nitrates, but these do not convert to proteins and amino acids, so there is a buildup of nitrates in the plant. […]

The bermudagrass stem maggot [BSM; Atherigona reversura Villeneuve (Diptera: Muscidae)] is an invasive species in the southeastern USA. This insect was first reported in California in 2009 and in Georgia in 2010, but it is native to South Asia. It is unclear how BSM was introduced to the United States. The suspicion is that the […]

By Liliane Silva, Forages Specialist In the Southeast region, most livestock operations are based on the use of perennial warm-season grasses. Due to the seasonality of production, there is a need to provide supplemental feed to livestock during the cooler months. In this context, implementing management strategies such as stockpiling forages, feeding hay or non-forage […]

By Liliane Silva, Livestock-Forages Specialist, Clemson University   Forages are the primary feed source for livestock production systems. Forage systems play an essential role in delivering ecosystem services (ES), and the management practices applied to them directly affect ES delivery. In recent years, forage research has expanded to better understand how management practices can be […]

  We are excited to announce the release of a couple of new educational handbooks. The “Establishment and management of silvopasture systems in South Carolina” (Figure 1) is a great multidisciplinary collaboration among 12 specialists and graduate students to discuss aspects related to the establishment and management of silvopasture. This handbook provides concepts and research-based […]

Book links available for download: Concepts and Research-Based Guidelines for Forage-Livestock Systems in the Southeast Region  Link: https://www.sare.org/resources/concepts-and-research-based-guidelines-for-forage-livestock-systems-in-the-southeast-region/ 2. South Carolina Forages: Research-Based Concepts for Forage Management Link: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/393654109_South_Carolina_Forages_Research-based_concepts_for_forage_management/references#fullTextFileContent 3. Silvopasture establishment and management in Slouth Carolina operations

In this virtual engagement series, Clemson University and the USDA Southeast Climate Hub partner with several multi-disciplinary speakers to discuss preparedness and aftermath strategies to enhance the resilience of forage and livestock systems to extreme weather events. We will have specialists joining to discuss forage and livestock health and management initiatives, resources and guides. Additionally, […]

By Liliane Silva, Forage-Livestock Systems Specialist   In the southeast, the majority of livestock systems are based on perennial grasses (bermudagrass, bahiagrass, and tall fescue). Bermudagrass and bahiagrass are warm-season grasses and become dormant when temperatures decrease in Fall. For this reason, it is crucial to plan for this period aiming to decrease hay feeding […]

By Liliane Silva, Forage-Livestock Systems Specialist   In the southeast, the majority of livestock systems are based on perennial grasses (bermudagrass, bahiagrass, and tall fescue). Bermudagrass and bahiagrass are warm-season grasses and become dormant when temperatures decrease in Fall. For this reason, it is crucial to plan for this period aiming to decrease hay feeding […]

I am excited to announce the release of the new revised version of the “South Carolina Forages: Research-based concepts for forage management” book. The first edition of this resource was released in 2023, and now, through the support of the South Carolina SARE program, we have been able to revise it and print more copies […]