Cow-Calf Certification Practice Exam

What is the most efficient method of using forage turnips?

1. Continuous grazing

2. Strip grazing

3. Cutting and storing for later

4. Letting them grow wild

The correct answer is: Strip grazing

The most efficient method of using forage turnips is strip grazing. This approach allows cattle to graze a small, defined area of turnips at a time, optimizing their intake and ensuring that the plants are not overgrazed. By controlling their access, strip grazing helps in maintaining the health of the forage, ensures that animals get the most nutritional benefit from the plants, and promotes regrowth for future grazing. When using strip grazing, the cattle are moved from one section to another, which maximizes the utilization of the turnips while also preventing wastage. This method leads to better soil health, as it minimizes compaction and allows for more uniform regrowth across the pasture. Continuous grazing, while simpler in logistics, can lead to overgrazing in certain areas and underutilization in others. This can result in reduced yield and lower nutritional value of available forage over time. Cutting and storing turnips for later use can also be inefficient, as it requires labor and storage resources that could otherwise be used for managing grazing. Letting turnips grow wild does not provide any management benefits and drains the potential of the crop, as the lack of grazing leads to wasted forage and a decline in quality.