Drought conditions this summer have impacted pasture and range conditions in much of the Southern Great Plains. Many producers have already started feeding hay, which is especially concerning because hay supplies are already short going into the normal winter feeding period.
The drought and hot weather have also impacted crop conditions. The USDA Crop Progress report released on September 21 rated the U.S. cotton crop at only 34% good to excellent. But conditions in Oklahoma and Texas are considerably worse, where only 9 to 15%, respectively, of the crop is in excellent condition. In Oklahoma, 91% of the cotton is rated Fair or Poor to Very Poor, compared with 85% of the crop in Texas.
Wheat planting is currently underway and prospects for wheat pasture this fall can improve with timely rains this fall. However, dry conditions have delayed wheat crop emergence and grazable wheat pasture is still 2 to 3 months away. That leaves a forage gap that failed crop acres may fill.
A failed cotton crop can be used to extend the grazing season and delay hay feeding. The seed, lint, boll and leaf provide good nutritional value for beef cows. Cattle will not graze mature cotton stalks unless forced to do so and will not get much nutritional benefit from the stalk.
Research from Georgia showed that the stalk portion was 50 to 70% of the total cotton residue. Of the edible portion, the seed accounted for 20 to 25%, lint 20 to 25%, and the leaves and bolls made up 50 to 60%. The grazable portion of the cotton plant (the leaf, seed, boll, and lint)averages around 15 to 20% crude protein and 55 to 60% total digestible nutrients, easily meeting the proteins and energy requirements of a pregnant beef cow.
Cattle will naturally graze the more palatable plant components first so strip grazing will extend the grazing period and achieve more efficient use of the crop. Ideally cattle should be provided about one week’s worth of grazing at a time. Providing access to a round bale of hay can be an indicator of when it is time to move the fence and provide a fresh strip of cotton.
There are herbicide restrictions on grazing with several common cotton herbicides having labels that do not allow grazing of any livestock after application. Caparol®, Cotoran®, Direx®, Enlist One®, and Warrant® do not allow grazing of livestock following application. Prowl H2O® requires a 60-day interval between application and grazing, while Xtendimax® requires a seven-day interval. Dual Magnum®, Engenia®, Liberty®, Outlook®, Roundup® PowerMax®, Reflex®, Sinister®, and Staple® do not list a grazing or feeding restriction for cotton forage on their labels. Specific generic herbicide product labels should be consulted to make sure that no restriction regarding grazing or feeding of cotton forage is listed. Additionally, producers should consult with their crop insurance provider to make sure that grazing of failed cotton will not affect their crop insurance coverage.
Gossypol is a concern with cotton residues of any type. It is a naturally occurring toxin that protects the plant from insects. A beef cow can tolerate considerable amounts of gossypol but non-ruminants and pre-ruminant calves are unable to tolerate much gossypol at all because rumen microorganisms bind much of the gossypol and reduce its absorption. Developing bulls should not graze cotton residue, and breeding bulls should not graze cotton residue within 90 days of the breeding season.
Grazing failed cotton is not the outcome a cotton producer hoped for when the crop was planted. Under the current conditions, it can be a valuable forage resource providing an avenue to bridge the gap until wheat pasture is available, delay hay feeding where the hay crop is already limited and provide some additional revenue for the cotton producer.
Dr David Lalman offers guidance for producers who are considering grazing failed cotton on SunUpTV from October 22, 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQoFzixoqX4&t=14s
Resource: Grazing Failed Cotton, Lalman, Beck and Baughman, Oklahoma State University Fact Sheet ANSI-9414, https://extension.okstate.edu/fact-sheets/grazing-failed-cotton
