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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 […]

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 improved to optimize ES responses. Management practices directly […]

Limpograss (Hemarthria altissima) is a warm-season perennial grass with high forage mass production potential and nutritive value and is tolerant to poorly drained sandy soils. Under ideal conditions, it can produce 8 to 10 tons of dry matter per acre. Limpograss can be managed under grazing, or for conserved purposes (hay or baleage production). It […]

Dr. Liliane Silva is an Assistant Professor and the Forage-Livestock Systems Specialist at Clemson University. Silva started working with forage and pasture science research in 2010 and has gained experience and knowledge through her work and involvement with diverse groups, activities, and efforts at the regional, national, and international levels. She was hired in Clemson […]

Warm-season annual forages are fast-growing, high-quality forages that can supplement production and quality to support animal performance. In the Southeast, they are planted from April through June and can be used under baleage or greenchop production, or grazing management. Most livestock operations in the region are based on perennial grasses, such as tall fescue (Festuca […]

In the Southeastern US, livestock producers rely on forages as the basis of their operations. During the summer, many commonly used perennial forages (including bermudagrass and bahiagrass) will produce high quality forage in the mid-summer months but will have slow growth in the spring and early summer. Others, like tall fescue, will go dormant in […]

The brassica family includes crops used as vegetables, cover crops, oilseeds, and forages. The brassicas used as forage are radish, turnips, kale, and rapeseed. Due to their high water content (>80), brassicas are generally used for grazing. They quickly establish and provide high-quality forage during the fall and winter when perennial forages are dormant. In […]

In the Southeast, forages are the primary feed source for livestock production systems due to the diversity of adapted forage species, favorable climate conditions and lower production costs. With the growing population, agricultural systems face challenges in increasing food and fiber production while minimizing negative environmental impacts. Forage systems play an essential role in delivering […]

According to the United Nations (2019), the world population will consist of 9.7 billion in 2050. In this context, food production must double to meet the demand (Ray et al., 2013; Frὸna et al., 2019). Global livestock production is expected to double-growing faster than any other agricultural subsector, with most of this increase taking place […]