Stocking Density Affects Diet Selection

On the Ground
- Stocking density is a powerful tool to manage grazing land resources, as demonstrated on prairie and pasture in Missouri.
- Utilizing different stock densities, we can achieve different goals, including affecting diet selection, weed and brush control, improving utilization and manure distribution, and even improving seed-to-soil contact.
- We allow sufficient recovery periods between grazing events to increase plant diversity and develop as much above- and below-ground biomass as possible.
- During grazing periods we use stocking density to manipulate the amount of forage trampling that occurs.
- Trampling can have a very positive impact on water and mineral cycles, building soil and increasing fertility in our perennial grasslands.