Rangeland conditions across Texas vary as producers contend with an abundance of precipitation in the east and little, if any, in the west, according to experts with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.
Texas is home to roughly 100 million acres of grazing lands, which include native rangelands and non-native pastures.
Non-native pastures are typically monocultures comprised of introduced species such as Bermuda grass. Conversely, native rangelands are a diverse ecosystem of native grasses and forbs that support livestock like cattle, sheep and goats, as well as wildlife such as white-tailed deer, pronghorn, turkey and more.
This makes rangelands—the largest native cover type in the state—both an ecological and economic powerhouse.
Precipitation a major factor
While a multitude of factors play a role in sustaining rangeland health, precipitation is the most critical factor for forage production.
“Thanks to the rain we’ve received this season, rangelands in our part of the world are going to grow a lot of grass,” said Jeff Goodwin, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management and director of the Texas A&M Center for Grazinglands and Ranch Management. “I would say everyone east of Interstate 35 is in pretty good shape.”
The same can’t be said for western and some northern portions of the state that have been dealing with abnormally dry conditions, varying stages of drought and triple-digit temperatures for multiple years.
Roughly 47% of the state is dealing with some level of drought, ranging from moderate to pockets of extreme, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Morgan Treadwell, Ph.D., Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management associate professor and AgriLife Extension rangeland specialist, said she is trying to remain hopeful but also encouraging producers to plan for potentially worsening conditions.
“The forage we have available now is likely what we’re going to have to work with for the growing season,” Treadwell said. “At this point, we can’t run our rangeland pastures with the assumption we will eventually get rain and conditions will improve.”
A major factor guiding Treadwell’s outlook is the La Niña climate pattern meteorologists predict will emerge later this summer.
Originating in the Pacific Ocean, both La Niña and El Niño are climate patterns that impact the weather worldwide. While El Niño typically results in cooler, wetter weather patterns for much of Texas, La Niña is characterized by warmer, drier conditions.
Proactive measures
Moving forward, Treadwell said producers should relieve grazing pressure to prevent compromising rangeland health.
“We need to make sure we’re rotating our animals and that we’re incorporating ample pasture rest into our grazing system,” she said. “If we can’t provide enough rest for what these conditions are requiring, then we have to assess the number of animals in our herd and really start to think about reducing stocking rates.”
Treadwell said while she knows producers want to maintain their cattle numbers, the cattle market is currently in a positive place, which should help.
“If you don’t have the grass, it is simply not worth holding on to your cattle and deteriorating the overall range condition past the point of recovery,” Treadwell said.
Adaptive land management
In addition to reassessing one’s herd size, Treadwell said it may also be time to reevaluate land management techniques implemented this season.
For example, while prescribed fire plays a critical role in maintaining rangeland health through nutrient cycling, promoting forage production, managing invasive species and curbing woody encroachment, many producers may choose to forego the practice this year to conserve what little forage they have.
“Growing-season burns are exceptionally effective,” Treadwell said. “But, right now, prescribed fire is probably on the back burner for producers out west just because we are so limited in the fine fuel and herbaceous components of our rangelands.”
While some vegetation may struggle in the arid conditions, Treadwell said many woody species will thrive.
“Honey mesquite and redberry juniper love a good drought,” she said. “They put all their energy into root development so they’re able to tap into reserves and nutrients that aren’t normally found during these limiting times of the year.”
Belowground root development is also reflected in aboveground biomass production, which exhibits unique adaptations to survive drought.
“As a drought persists, many woody species that are the target of management concern also start to develop waxy, impenetrable layers on their leaf surface, preventing herbicide from being absorbed and transmitted throughout the plant,” Treadwell said.
Because of this, Treadwell said stem spray and basal spray applications of herbicide during drought to individual woody plants are more effective at controlling spread than aerial or broadcast treatments.
Goodwin said producers in the eastern half of the state should not be complacent with good grazing conditions—especially considering the region is just emerging from two years of moderate to exceptional drought.
“Just because it rains doesn’t mean the land has recovered,” he said. “In areas hit hard from the past two dry years, you might need a growing season or two of consistent moisture to fully recover.
“The trouble is we don’t ranch in a world with much consistency—we operate with uncertainty every day—that’s why having a contingency plan and implementing it is so important. We need to be thinking about the next drought when it’s raining.”
Goodwin said ensuring herds are at the proper stocking rate is also critical to prevent overgrazing, exposed bare soil and subsequent ecological degradation.
This cautious approach should also be applied to rangelands recovering from this year’s Panhandle wildfires.
Both Goodwin and Treadwell said they have received positive reports of forage recovery and growth in the areas hardest hit by wildfire. But native pasture green-up doesn’t mean they are ready to support a herd.
“Now is the time to let the grass recover,” Goodwin said. “If your cows are still being pastured somewhere else that wasn’t hit, don’t turn them back in the first time you see some green forage. Allow the land to recover first.” — Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
