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Forages in the United States, a Perspective¹

Potash/Phosphate Institute, Inc., Great Falls, VA 22066

Abstract

Forage and grassland resources of the United States are immense, highly diverse, utilized far below potential, and occur in all the geographic regions of the nation. There are approximately 404.7 million ha of forage-producing land in the United States. These hectares are producing at less than 25% of potential (AFGC, 1974). Some of this land is suitable for row crop production, but the vast majority of it is too steep, too poorly drained, or limited in some way which prevents land use for anything but forage production. If this land is to make a contribution to world food needs, it must be through production of forage and its utilization.

Hodgson (1977) has calculated that forages comprise 84% of all feed units consumed by beef cattle (table 1). Sheep receive about 90% of their feed units from forage, and dairy cattle, 63%. Forage systems which are unproductive and/or not utilized to capacity are major contributing factors to inefficient and unprofitable animal systems.

¹ Invitational paper presented as part of the Symposium on Conserved Pasture Crops in Beef Production, held during the Annual Meeting of the ASAS at Madison, WI, July 24 to 26, 1977.