Advice from Dr. Bart Lardner: Part 3
This is the final article in our three-part pasture management series featuring Dr. Bart Lardner, Professor of Animal and Poultry Science at the University of Saskatchewan. In this installment, Dr. Lardner discusses how to evaluate pasture health, recognize early warning signs of decline, and determine when changes in management—or renovation—may be needed.
Pastures rarely fail overnight.
Instead, they gradually lose productivity over several years, often showing warning signs long before complete renovation becomes necessary.
As Dr. Bart Lardner explains:
“Nature abhors a vacuum. Where there’s an opportunity, you’ll see a plant species taking over—and usually it’s an unwanted plant species.”
The good news is that those warning signs are often visible before a pasture reaches the point where renovation is necessary. By evaluating pasture health regularly and making timely management changes, producers can often restore productivity before major intervention is required.
Pay attention to:
- Reduced forage production
- Increasing weed pressure
- Bare soil
- Poor animal performance
- Desirable forage species disappearing
These are often signs that pasture management—not just weather—needs attention.
Know your desirable species
Healthy pastures are made up of productive grasses and legumes that thrive under good management. When those desirable species begin disappearing, it’s often because they’ve been grazed repeatedly without enough recovery time.
As those plants weaken, weeds and less desirable species quickly move in to fill the gaps.
Review your grazing practices
Before reaching for the seed drill, ask yourself:
- Are cattle being turned out too early?
- Are plants getting enough recovery time between grazing events?
- Has the stocking rate become too high?
- Has drought reduced pasture recovery over several seasons?
In many cases, improved grazing management can restore pasture productivity before reseeding becomes necessary.
Check soil fertility
Like annual crops, pasture responds to good fertility management.
A soil test can identify nutrient deficiencies limiting production, while livestock naturally recycle nutrients through manure and urine. Including legumes in the stand can also improve soil fertility by naturally fixing nitrogen while increasing forage quality.
When renovation is the right choice
If desirable forage species have largely disappeared, weed pressure continues to increase, and production remains low despite improved management, renovation may be the best long-term investment.
Choosing adapted forage species and managing the new stand carefully during establishment will help ensure it remains productive for years to come.
Healthy pastures start with healthy management
Every grazing decision affects next year’s pasture.
By monitoring pasture condition, maintaining soil fertility, managing grazing pressure, and addressing problems early, producers can extend stand life, improve forage production, and reduce the need for renovation.
As Dr. Lardner reminds producers, pasture should be managed like any other crop. Investing time in monitoring and management today can pay dividends through healthier stands, improved livestock performance, and more productive pastures for years to come.
We’d like to thank Dr. Bart Lardner for sharing his expertise throughout this three-part series. His practical advice reflects decades of research and experience helping Western Canadian producers get the most from their pasture resources.
