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This spring, some producers are seeing cool-season pastures that are slower to green up than expected. In some cases, it is more than just slow growth. There are large dead patches where old litter is still present, but very little desirable grass is coming back underneath. A few weeds may be coming through, but much of the grass itself is thin, weak, or dead.
When we see that kind of injury, the first question is, “What happened?” Herbicide injury, insects, drought, and winterkill are all worth thinking through. Herbicide injury may fit if the pattern lines up with field edges, sprayer movement, or application history. White grubs can damage grass roots, but that should be confirmed by digging in damaged areas and looking for grubs or sod that pulls up easily and typically occur later in the growing season.
In many cases, though, the pattern points toward a combination of fall stress and winter injury. Pastures that went into winter under stress were already at a disadvantage. Last fall, some acres dealt with armyworm feeding. Others were grazed late, grazed hard, or carried less residual growth than ideal. That matters because perennial cool-season grasses rely on stored energy in crowns, roots, and stem bases to survive winter and push early spring growth. If plants had to regrow after armyworms or late grazing, they may have used reserves when they should have been rebuilding them.
Then we added an open, dry winter. Snow cover acts like insulation, protecting plants from drying winds and sharp temperature swings. In some pastures, that pattern is visible. Grass looks better where snow collected along a fence line, under trees, in a swale, or in low areas, while exposed sidehills and open areas show more die-off. Dry soil can add to the problem because it allows greater temperature swings around the crown.
At this point in spring, most cool-season grasses should be showing clear growth. That makes now a key time to walk pastures and separate areas that are simply slow from areas that are actually gone. Look for live crowns, new shoots, and desirable grasses actively growing. If all that is coming back is weeds, or if the old sod has no new grass growth, that area likely needs a different plan.
If the stand is thin but still alive, rest is probably the first step. Avoid turning in too early or grazing too hard. Those plants need leaf area to rebuild reserves and recover.
If areas are dead and the goal is to bring cool-season grass back in, the spring seeding window is tight. Even with dry conditions, seed needs to go in as soon as possible to catch spring moisture before summer heat arrives. Another option is to use a warm-season annual forage such as millet, sudangrass, or sorghum-sudangrass as a short-term bridge. That will not replace perennial pasture long term, but it can provide forage and cover while giving time to decide on a renovation plan.
The main point is that this spring’s pasture die-off likely did not come from one single event. Fall armyworms, late grazing, drought stress, dry soils, and lack of snow cover all stacked together to result in significant loss. Now is the time to identify what is alive, protect what can recover, and take action quickly where reseeding or annual forage is needed.
— Ben Beckman is a beef systems Extension Educator serving northeast Nebraska. He is based out of the Cedar County Extension office in Hartington. You can reach him by phone: (402) 254-6821 or email: ben. [email protected]
