Great Basin College agriculture student Candice Schrecengost is working at the University of Nevada Agricultural research station at the Gund Ranch in Grass Valley, NV. Schrecengost has been able to hone her comprehensive ranching skills, but more importantly, work to train a group of 20 heifers to eat invasive Russian knapweed (Acroptilon repens) and short whitetop (Cardaria draba).
Following the techniques developed by "Livestock for Landscapes" innovator Kathy Voth, the heifers went through a 12-day training period before being turned into a pasture with large infestations of the two weed species along with native species of rabbitbrush, sagebrush, and basin wildrye. This preliminary study was conducted to test Ms. Voth's methods on two weed species that almost all previous research had indicated were unpalatable for cattle.
Voth conducted a workshop on the GBC campus in 2011, training thirty agricultural professionals from industry and state and federal agencies. She also worked directly with ranchers in Ruby Valley. One of the Ruby Valley ranchers, Lance Knudsen, also taught cows to eat Russian knapweed this summer. Now that the heifers have been trained, Great Basin College, in a partnership with UNR, plans to submit research or demonstration project grants to complete an integrated pest management project for reducing the weed infestations at the Gund Ranch. The projects will utilize cattle as part of the tool-kit, as well as integrating other control measures. Conducting research or demonstration projects at the Gund Ranch provides students at both institutions with experiential learning and problem solving opportunities, while receiving individual mentoring throughout the project.
According to the Livestock for Landscapes website, Voth's methods are based on decades of science, ultimately training cattle to become weed managers. The method is considered a "game-changer" for the cattle industry. Agri-businesses can save thousands of dollars in annual expenses, providing the opportunity to manage livestock more economically. The management method also contributes to a healthy range landscape. It is a comprehensive project that advances stewardship of both livestock and range land.
Schrecengost, last year's Great Basin College Aggie Club President, is working toward completion of an Associate of Science degree at GBC. For more information on the Great Basin College Agriculture Program, log on to www.gbcnv.edu/agriculture. Information on Livestock for Landscapes can be found at www.livestockforlandscapes.com.
Great Basin College is a member institution of the Nevada System of Higher Education and is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. For 40 years GBC has provided opportunities in higher education for rural Nevadans. GBC awards Certificates of Achievement, Associate and select Baccalaureate degrees using a variety of instructional methods.
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