David B. Hannaway Forages Program Director Research, Teaching, Extension, and International Projects...

David B. HannawayForages Program Director

Research, Teaching, Extension, and International Projects

Crop & Soil Science Department

Oregon State University

“Oregon Forages and Beyond”C&SS Seminar – 26 September 2005

Background

Education: • B.S., Plant Science, University of Delaware, 1973• M.S., Plant & Soil Science, University of Tennessee, 1975• Ph.D., Plant Physiology, University of Kentucky, 1979

Family: • Youngest of 3, brother Gordon and sister Beth• 1975: Married to Kimberly Eileen Jones (4

brothers and 4 sisters)• 1989: Kayleen and Kourtney born

(skipped IGC that year)

Childhood and Interests/Activities: • Parents from Norristown, PA

(Irish, Swiss-German decent; Hannaway Ice Cream, Byron K. Hunsberger tutored Latin, Greek, Hebrew)

• Born in Philadelphia, grew up in rural NJ (father was a minister, mother was a teacher, neighbors grew flowers, corn, and raised sheep)

• High School football, baseball & piano; early interest in organic agriculture, horticulture & landscaping

Professional Career – OSU and the world• 1979-1983: Extension Forage Specialist

(Extension & Research; 75/25)

• 1983-1985: Extension Forage Specialist (Extension, Research & Teaching; 50/26/24)

• 1985-1992: Associate Professor, Forage Crops (Research & Teaching; 74/26)

• 1992-1995: Associate Professor, Forage Crops (Extension, Research & Teaching; 39/35/26)

• 1995-2005: Professor, Forage Crops (Extension, Research, Teaching; 35/51/14)

Professional Focus AreasResearch: • Mineral nutrition (hypomagnesemia; soil, plant, animal inter-

relationships: 28Mg, 86Rb, organic acids, K rate and date)• Biological Nitrogen Fixation (alfalfa N nutrition and Tunisia systems)• Agro-ecozones and optimal species selection (GIS-based mapping

for the USA and PRC)

Teaching: • National Forage & Grasslands Curriculum development• Web-based and other media support for teaching and learning

Extension: • Fact sheets and circulars• Grass growth & regrowth

understanding for improved management

• Web-based information system development (FIS)

Introduction To Forages

Forages are grown on: croplands, pasturelands, hill-lands, forestlands, and rangelands

Forages are: grasses, legumes, forbs, shrubs, and crop residues used for livestock and wildlife feed

Forages are unique because: they are consumed by ruminant animals and other livestock and wildlife able to digest cellulose (ruminal microorganisms synthesize the beta 1-4 cellulase enzyme complex, allowing hydrolysis of plant cell walls)

Four divisions of the ruminant stomach: rumen, reticulum, omasum, and abomasum.

Forages: the Rodney Dangerfield of Agriculture

• Thus, the CSS forages program development strategy has been to find ways to contribute in a meaningful way without a significant budget; encouraging global collaboration, using computer-based tools, and reducing the duplication of effort nationwide.

Sadly, despite their enormous

importance, forages “get no respect.” Cash crops, with strong political support dominate the public funding arena and forages are without a political voice……

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Outline

This presentation will describe: • the importance of forages, • a bit of program philosophy, • some current activities, and • future ideas and recommendations.

Importance of forages to Oregon• Forages are consistently first in

field crops value; second only to Nursery & Greenhouse products.

• In Oregon, forage value exceeds $500 million per year for hay, silage, and pasture* (greater than cattle and calves, grass seed, wheat, or potatoes).

* Reference for value by commodity (2003 data):

http://oregon.gov/ODA/docs/pdf/pubs/ff.pdf

Alfalfa is Oregon’s #1 hay crop.

Key Oregon Forages

Legumes:• Alfalfa

• White clover

• Sub clover

Grasses:• Ryegrasses (annual & perennial)

• Orchardgrass

• Tall fescue

Commodity Values ($ Millions)

779

594

430

292

198

113

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

NurseryCrops

AllForages*

Cattle &Calves

GrassSeed

All Wheat Potatoes

*See following chart for forage value components.

Forage value components ($Millions)

250

116

13

12195

594

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

Alfalfa Hay

Other Hay

Corn Silage

CroplandPasture

Hill-landPasture

AllForages

323

136

21 4.5

485

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

500

Cattle &Calves

Dairy (Milk) Horses Sheep &Lambs

Total

Forages contribution to livestock values

Cattle & calves: Oregon’s #1 livestock commodity.

75%

50%

90%80%

Commodity Values ($ Millions)

779

594485

1079

292198

113

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

NurseryCrops

AllForages

LivestockValue

Forage+Livestock

GrassSeed

Wheat Potatoes

Green BenefitsForages provide substantial environmental benefits: • Wildlife feed and habitat• Filtering and purifying water• Creating oxygen and filtering

impurities from the air• Reducing soil erosion and

recycling nutrients• Beautifying the landscape

Additional information: http://www.forages.oregonstate.edu/posters/foragefundy.jpg

Oregon Forages - SummaryHere’s a summary of what we’ve covered to this point ….

http://www.forages.oregonstate.edu/posters/foragefundy.jpg

Relevance to OSU’s Mission and Emphasis Areas

• Mission: OSU is Oregon’s principal source of knowledge relating to agricultural and food systems and a major source of knowledge for environmental quality, natural resources, and

life sciences…*

• Emphasis: Integrated management systems that help assure economically sustainable, environmentally sound agriculture….

• ForagesForages are a key part of Oregon’s agricultural and natural resource systems.

*http://agsci.oregonstate.edu/about/CAS-mission.html

Personnel Involved

On-Campus DepartmentsAgricultural & Resource Economics

Animal Sciences

Bioengineering

Botany & Plant Pathology

Crop & Soil Science

Fisheries & Wildlife

Rangeland Ecology & Management

Off-Campus UnitsCounty Extension Offices

Branch Experiment Stations and Centers

http://agsci.oregonstate.edu/depts.html

http://extension.oregonstate.edu/

Small portions of FTE from related departments:

collaborating with other projects to make it work.

Project Support and Rationale for Choices

What could/should be done with limited support? How to determine?

• Historical OSU planning documents

• Research & extension workers

• Farmers & ranchers

• Oregon Hay Growers’ Association

• CAST report

• Winrock reports

Project Support and Rationale for Choices

Initial projects: Applied agronomic trials (alfalfa variety trials) Hay quality & testing

(Klamath Falls, Ag. Chemistry Department) Alfalfa N2 fixation

(USDA Limiting Factors Grant, Tunisia) Extension fact sheets for forage species

(answered routine questions for years)

Project Support and Rationale for Choices

• Loss of technician

• Need to extrapolate across the landscape

• Desire to increase collaboration

Led to program re-evaluation using Grassland & Range National Goals as a guide. Areas chosen were: Electronic technologies for

improved communication, organization and dissemination of information

GIS/spatial data for modeling and mapping

Current Projects • Teaching

• Research

• Extension Outreach

• International Projects

Teaching

University Classroom:OSU Corvallis

• CSS 310

Distance Education:National Forage & Grasslands Curriculum

• Grant supported projectOUS E-campus

• CSS 310Additional forage-related activities:

• GIS Integration with Forages• Pastoral Themes Class Developed

Research

Field-based:• Branch Experiment Stations

Computer-based:• Information systems• Decisions Support Systems• Expert Systems• GIS mapping

International ProjectsOregon Seed Council:• USDA MAP, EMP, RSEP

Field-based Computer-based Workshops and seminars

OSU International Programs and USTDA:• People’s Republic of China• Africa, SE Asia• Republic of Georgia

Global cooperation:• Collaborators worldwide for

teaching, research, and outreach projects

Optimal Forage Species Selection

State-of-the-Science Computer Tools:• Addressing practical agricultural questions• Fundable and important problems

Problem solving using new techniques: GIS “Spatial Data Layers”

Forage Species Tolerances

Drought, heat, cold pH, drainage, salinity Insects, diseases, & nematodes Fertilization, defoliation severity

& intensity

Climate Spatial Data Layers

Process developed over 13 years

USA mapping for NRCS using 8600 climate stations

PRISM software uses point data, DEM, and expert knowledge to create gridded estimates of climate elements

Applied to China with OSC

USA Climate Data Stations

USA Annual Precipitation

USA Mean Minimum Temperature

USA Mean Maximum Temperature

PRC Species Evaluation Project(USDA FAS MAP / Oregon Seed

Council)

Project Support and Rationale for Choices

USDA FAS EMP Grant of <$700K to support

OSC species suitability/marketing objectives

7,000

180,000

360,000

0

50,000

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

300,000

350,000

400,000

AES + ES Nationalave/SY

USDA FASEMP

National average $320,000 total support;

$225-$495K range

$722,425/2

PRC Data Acquisition

PRC Digital Elevation Model

PRC Mean Annual Precipitation

PRC January Mean Minimum Temp.

PRC July Mean Maximum Temp.

Climatic Quantitative TolerancesSpecies Max. Temp

(°C)Min. Temp.

(°C)Annual Precipitation

(mm)

Well Adapted

Tall Fescue 22 - 32 -10 625

Orchardgrass 22 - 31 -7.5 625

Perennial Ryegrass 22 - 30 -5 625

Moderately Adapted

Tall Fescue 20 - 34 -15 450

Orchardgrass 20 - 33 -12.5 490

Perennial Ryegrass 20 - 32 -10 525

Marginally Adapted

Tall Fescue 18 - 36 -20 300

Orchardgrass 18 – 35 -17.5 375

Perennial Ryegrass 18 - 34 -15 450

PRC Tall Fescue Suitability Mapping

Similar Work for Oregon?

• Oregon has a diversity of climates, soils, and many farming, ranching, and forestry systems

• Climate, soils, species suitability, economics, sociological factors could/should be mapped

• Some components available

• Need funding for development and integration

Extension Outreach

Oregon outreach:• County Extension Offices / Programs

Regional outreach:• PNW Forage Workers Group• Western Alfalfa Conference

Global outreach:• Forage Information System

Extension Outreach

Forage Information System:• Re-design of the FIS• Tall Fescue On-line Monograph• Alfalfa Information System• Orchardgrass Information System• Tall Fescue Information System• Oregon Forage Information System• Comprehensive, peer-reviewed, global

information resource for forages

Traditional approaches:• Numbered / printed and web-based pubs.• County-based educational programs• Routine response to information requests

Future Plans • Northwest Forage and Livestock Systems

Research & Education Center 1980 Dean’s White Paper Recommendation Multiple disciplines, integrated approach

• GIS Applications Center Idea Agriculture & Natural Resource Management

Future Plans: Specific Projects

• Pasture Land Management System (integration with NRCS “ToolBox”)

• Alfalfa Modeling of types, cultivars, production, and economics (North America and PRC)

• Orchardgrass Vendors Application• Announcement of FIS re-design

Future Plans: Specific Projects

• Pasture Land Management System (integration with NRCS “ToolBox”)

Combining aerial photos, soil maps, pasture and animal production information.

http://maps.google.com

Future Plans: Specific Projects

• Alfalfa Modeling of types, cultivars, production, and economics (NA and PRC)

Combining crop simulation modeling techniques with spatial suitability, production, and economic mapping.

Future Plans: Specific Projects

• Orchardgrass Vendors ApplicationUsing FIS database structure and combining it with mapping

technologies to help market Oregon-grown seed.

Future Plans: Specific Projects

• Announcement of FIS re-designSuperstructure is created, content revision

and addition needed prior to announcement.

http://forages.oregonstate.edu/new/index.cfm?

Summary

http://forages.oregonstate.edu/new/index.cfm?

Provided an overview of:• The importance of forages to Oregonians• Philosophy and guiding principles • Current programs and activities• Future plans

Key Activities and Recent Publications• Forage Information System (http://forages.oregonstate.edu/) and

dozens of subsections (1993-present) Re-design (2005) http://forages.oregonstate.edu/new/index.cfm?

• China – related Activities Visiting scholars GAO and HU (1982), first trip to China (1984) Forage Resources of China book (1982-1992) [Pudoc] Oregon Seed Council’s USDA FAS MAP Project (1993-2003) USDA FAS EMP Grant (2001-2005)

“Visualizing China’s Future Agriculture” (2005, China Map Atlas) “Forage Suitability Mapping for China Using Topographic, Climatic,

and Soils Spatial Data and Quantitative Plant Tolerances” (2005, Agricultural Sciences in China Journal)

• Invited Publications and Presentations International Grasslands Congress (2005, Dublin) “Computer-based

Forage Management Tools: Historical, Current, and Future Applications”

FAO Book Chapter (2005) “GIS-Based Forage Species Adaptation Mapping”

4th International Symposium on the Tibetan Plateau (2004, Lhasa) 2nd World Congress of Computers in Agriculture (2004, Bangkok) Victoria / New South Wales Grasslands Conference (2003, Albury)