REDFIELD, Iowa (DTN) -- Spring means cattle producers are thinking about green grass and turning cows out on range and pastures.

Some areas have seen ample moisture throughout the winter, while others are still dealing with drought conditions. "To start off the spring season, there are several areas of concern when it comes to pasture conditions across the country," said DTN Ag Meteorologist John Baranick. "Drought has been building over the winter and early spring in much of the Plains, despite a rather active weather pattern over the last few weeks."

Although snow is important for refreshing water sources, snow only adds about 25% of the total moisture for plant growth in most years since the ground is mostly frozen when snow melts, said Kevin Sedivec, North Dakota State University rangeland management specialist.

"Spring rain is still the most important moisture for overall forage production," he said. Grass growth in the spring months can also be reliant on the types of grasses present in a pasture. Cool-season grasses will see more success with spring moisture.

SOILS MAY HAVE MOISTURE DEFICIENCY

Baranick said although rain and some snow have helped get some moisture into topsoils, the longer-term deficits can weigh on fields deeper into the season. He pointed out that satellite estimates of rootzone soil moisture are still below normal for many areas here, and the forecast going through the rest of spring isn't calling for much help.

"In fact, after this week, the forecast is for much drier and hotter conditions, especially when we get into May. That could leave some areas with increased needs for outsourcing their hay or buying more than normal," he added.

MAKE A DROUGHT PLAN

Drought is likely to be a problem somewhere again this year, said Jerry Volesky, University of Nebraska Extension range and forage specialist. He suggests cattlemen make a plan in early spring to help minimize some problems related to drought.

"For starters, prepare a strategy for using any remaining hay. One of the better options is to feed hay a bit longer into spring before turning cows out to permanent pasture. I know this action is exactly opposite of my usual recommendation to graze more and feed less hay," he said. "But allowing pastures to accumulate a bit more growth before grazing begins will provide more total grazable forage if drought prevents much regrowth later on."

Leftover hay can also be used if needed later in the grazing season to give pastures more time to recover or supplement when grass is short. Planting oats early or summer annual forages like Sudangrass, sorghum-Sudan hybrids or pearl millet in late May or early June can help in pasture and hay fields where drought may be a problem.

Volesky said planning to plant these grasses or even fall cover crop forages into wheat stubble can make for extra grazing opportunities later.

"If the rains don't come, planning and acting now to reduce potential forage losses from drought will pay big dividends," he added.

SPRING CONDITIONS DETERMINE GRASS GROWTH

Sedivec said in areas where spring precipitation is normal and fall moisture was near normal and pastures weren't overgrazed, producers shouldn't worry about turning cows out at normal times. If overgrazing occurred in the fall, more time may be needed for plants to get started. Allowing grasses to get a good start in the spring will help extend the grazing period.

There are a few areas of concern for the coming grazing season with both drought and excess moisture, Baranick said. "The Midwest is a curious case because while drought has built up over the winter across much of the region, it's been patchy and we've seen much better coverage and amounts through the region, particularly this past week to help ease some of those deficits," he explained. "But the deficits are still there. The southern end of the region is dealing with massive flooding, so water is in overabundance and while that's nice to build soil moisture, it's going to lead to poor conditions here over the next several weeks while that slowly drains away."

He expects the moisture over some of the region to help with the long-term outlook for the rest of spring, and the Midwest is likely to see the rest of April continue to be active. This could mean some more generous rainfall for those still dealing with long-term deficits, but it could also mean an extension to the soggy conditions for those across the south.

Follow www.dtnpf.com for weekly coverage of pasture and range conditions released as part of the USDA Crop Progress reports.

Jennifer Carrico can be reached at jennifer.carrico@dtn.com

Follow her on social platform X @JennCattleGal

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