Show A recent survey within the morgan soil conservation district indicates that irrigated pastures planted to improve grass and legum mixtures are giving farmer fanner compera tors of the district increased profits with less labor equipment and risk according to mark thackeray chairman of the board of supervisors mixed grass and legume pasture plantings lantin s are profitable not only on high producing land but also on shallow soils and slopes where the production of other crops has not brought a satisfactory return grass and legume pastures have proven to be equal if not sp superior to alfalfa in the restoration of productivity to depleted soils irrigated pastures provide means for raising feed for livestock at a minimum of cost and labor mr air Tb thackeray ackeray says stock can b be e marketed from the pasture and show a sizable increase in weight without the benefit of a fattening ration normally used for finishing an animals A steady diet of grasses and legumes usually increases both milk and meat production the survey indicated that generally farmers are following good pasture management practices however hoever there were numerous evidences that pasture production could have been improved by the he scattering of droppings mowing weeds and the division of pastures rotation grazing provides a simple answer to the farmers feed problem according to ray kerr of soil conservation service with at least two and preferably three or more separate pastures an effective system of alternate grazing can be practiced the number of livestock should be adjusted to the quantity of feed available in the pasture cattle should be kept off the pasture when the soil is wet this is especially important until a strong sod cover is formed the addition of barnyard manure phosphate for legumes and nitrogen for grasses is a means of maintaining and increasing the productivity of an irrigated pasture according to mr air thackeray another wise precaution is to avoid keeping poor quality stock which are more expensive in their gains and cause higher feed bills as they use too much feed in putting on weight the risk of damage to irrigated pastures from hail cloudbursts flooding soil erosion and insect and disease pests is negligible an important factor in some areas |