The primary focus of this site is forage and pasture production information for South Carolina, although most of the information would be appropriate for the humid Southeast.   The site name, Grasslands Watershed Management, is used to help emphasize the role pasture and forage crop production can play in helping insure a clean, safe water supply.

Grasslands provide a valuable natural resource in agricultural production systems.   Properly managed forages can supply 100% of the nutrients required by ruminants.   Although harvested forages and grain supplements are used, and in drought conditions required, they typically cost 2 to 4 times more than grazed pasture.  A well managed pasture involves managing forages and livestock in such a way as to reduce runoff, increase nutrient cycling, and soil improvement.

This sound management of the "pasture ecosystem" offers opportunity for cost reduction, improved forage quality, and the potential for increased profitability.   The operative word in this statement is management.   Often, if not most of the time, improving the management of existing forages will yield more results (profitability) than any new and improved variety may supply.

Optimum pasture management can have many positive environmental benefits (a few examples would include):

• Incorporation of legumes, and management to sustain them, can reduce nitrogen fertilization requirements.
  
  
• Controlled grazing will provide more uniform distribution of waste and therefore enhance nutrient recycling in pastures, thus reducing fertilizer inputs.
  
  
• A dense, thick, uniform sod of grass, or grass and clovers, will provide maximum production of forage and is optimum for controlling soil erosion, both by water and wind.
  
  
• Many agricultural wastes as Broiler Litter and some municipal wastes such as sludge can be applied to pastures.  It is beneficial to dispose of the wastes, and even more so to then turn the waste into a profitable foodstuff.
  

A discussion list, Grasslands-L, is available to allow notices of page updates and new information to be sent to interested people.  The list will also serve as a discussion forum for topics pertinent to Grasslands Watershed Management.

The list may be subscribed to by e-mail.

• Address the e-mail posting to:   LISTSERV@clemson.edu, with no text on the subject line (leave it blank).
  
  
• In the body of the message, type:
  SUBSCRIBE Grasslands-L Jane Doe  - where you replace "Jane Doe" with your name.
  
  
• Send the command. You will be sent a welcoming message from the listserv server.
  

Once you are subscribed you can post a message to the list by sending the message to Grasslands-L@clemson.edu.   Always remember that any message you post to the list will be sent to all subscribers, and further, any reply you make to a message from the list will be disseminated to all subscribers!

Remember that commands such as subscribing, reviewing, or changing subscription options are sent to LISTSERV@clemson.edu and that messages to the list are sent to the server at: Grasslands-L@clemson.edu.

If you have problems subscribing to the list, or questions, please contact the Grasslands Watershed Management site owner listed below. To remove yourself from the Grasslands-L discussion list, send the command:
SIGNOFF Grasslands-L to LISTSERV@clemson.edu, again with no text on the subject line.

Comments, suggestions, and complaints concerning this site should be directed to:

Bruce Pinkerton
Extension Agronomist/Forages
Crop & Soil Environmental Science
212 Poole Agricultural Center
Box 340359
Clemson University
Clemson, SC  29634-0359

VOICE:   864-656-2822
FAX:   864-656-3443
E-MAIL:   BPNKRTN@CLEMSON.EDU

This web site is maintained by Dr. Bruce Pinkerton