Perennial forage includes grasses and legumes that thrive for multiple years and develop persistent root systems that stabilize the soil and provide environmental benefits like enhanced biodiversity and improved water quality. The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) awarded Texas A&M AgriLife a $996,165 Seeding Solutions grant to develop best management practices that sustainably convert row crop production to perennial forage systems and enhance producer resiliency in the Texas High Plains. Cactus Feeders and Texas A&M AgriLife provided matching funds and in-kind support for a total $1,992,231 investment.
The Texas High Plains, a semi-arid environment that encompasses over 25,000 square miles of land, receives minimal rainfall each year and contains limited surface water. Widespread irrigation implementation to produce popular crops like corn, sorghum, wheat and cotton has further reduced groundwater availability in the region.
Texas A&M AgriLife researchers are working directly with agricultural producers to examine the effects of converting row crop acres to perennial pastures to support beef cattle grazing in the Texas High Plains. As part of this research, large portions of row crop farms are transitioning into cool- and warm- season perennial forages that will be used in rotational grazing programs for beef cattle. This project will provide Texas High Plains and other semi-arid producers with an alternative production system for beef cattle that places less strain on limited groundwater resources while keeping land in active agricultural use.
In response to producer questions, a multi-disciplinary research team is using techniques like remote sensing, life cycle assessments and ecosystem models to quantify perennial systems’ environmental and economic impacts on water conservation, soil health, greenhouse gas emissions, carbon capture and storage, and climate implications compared to conventional row crop production.