Category: Uncategorized

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

by Liliane Silva, Forages Specialist, Clemson University Stockpiling is a management practice that defers forage availability for use later. This practice helps to decrease the costs associated with feeding hay in livestock operations. In the southeast U.S., perennial grasses such as bahiagrass and bermudagrass are used to close the forage gap in early fall and […]

The majority of livestock production systems in South Carolina are based on perennial grasses (e.g., bermudagrass, bahiagrass, and tall fescue). Bermudagrass and bahiagrass are warm-season grasses and they become dormant when temperatures decrease, and days shorten in fall. Many livestock producers plant cool-season annual forages to extend their grazing season and provide additional high forage […]

This week, we harvested this study for the second time! Great to see how much the brachiarias grew in the 4-week interval! #foragedrops  

This guide provides concepts and research-based information on animal, environment, forage, and soil topics for Extension educators and producers in the Southeast region. The authors do not assume any responsibility, make any guarantees, or offer any warranties regarding the results obtained from the use of any management strategies included in this guide. This material is […]

Soil Health in Forage-Livestock Systems Leo Vieira-Filho, Postdoctoral Fellow Liliane Silva, Assistant Professor and Forages Specialist   Soil health is defined “as the continued capacity of soil to function as a vital living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals, and humans” (USDA, 2024). Soil health is measured by assessing chemical (e.g., nutrient concentration, pH and organic […]

Clemson Extension offers a free Climate-Resilience in Forage Systems online course. Registration is open for this self-paced course available through Clemson Extension Online. The course covers tools, concepts and strategies to help farmers make informed decisions about managing forage and livestock systems, while also supporting long-term viability and resilience in operations. “This beginner-to-intermediate level course is […]