Grazinglands Research Lab Studies Climate Variability Impact On Cattle Production

The Grazinglands Research Laboratory in Fort Reno, Oklahoma is looking at how the climate impacts forage production and in turn cattle production. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) laboratory is in its second year of a five year $9.4 million dollar study that is looking at how to improve regional beef cattle production while mitigating its environmental footprint. The project involves 46 research scientists and extension specialists from Oklahoma State University, Kansas State University, University of Oklahoma and Tarleton State University, along with the Noble Foundation and two ARS research locations. The lead scientist is Dr. Jean Steiner. She said one group of scientists are focused on forage and livestock production, while the other unit has a strong focus on water quality, water quantity and climate variability. 

 

“Increasingly as we start looking at these integrated systems approaches to our research, those two units are coming together to really look at how the soil, the climate, the water and the plant resources all are sort of sustain these mixed grazing systems that are so important to Oklahoma agriculture,” Steiner said.

 

The Grazinglands Research Laboratory in Fort Reno was recently declared a Southern Region Climate Hub for ARS and USDA. That designation came less than two years ago, when U.S. Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack determined regional hubs were needed for USDA to improve landowner access to climate information. The climate hubs were created to establish coordinated voice. The Fort Reno facility represents Kansas, Texas and Oklahoma as the Southern Plains region. Steiner said she is currently serving as interim director for the Climate Hub, until a new director can be hired. She said the staff is working a lot with USDA, land grant universities and producer organizations within the three states. 

 

The mission of the Grazinglands Research Laboratory is to work with producers on how the cattle industry intersects with climate. Steiner said the Southern Plains region has a very interesting and challenging climate. Cattlemen have recently faced both drought and flooding, so she said cattlemen have be resilient and flexible by moving cattle, increasing or decreasing stocking rates to adjust to the climate situation.