From cropland to native grassland:
a different future for the High Plains
(Editor’s note: Jacob Meyer is a senior at Dalhart High School and is active in the FFA, having just returned from the All-American Dairy Expo National Dairy Contest, where the team placed fifth overall and Meyer placed third as an individual in Jerseys. He recently completed the Rolling Plains Bobwhite Brigade, a camp offered by the Texas Brigades. The Texas Brigades’ mission is to educate and empower youth with leadership skills and knowledge in wildlife, fisheries, and land stewardship to become conservation ambassadors for a sustained natural resource legacy. Meyer graduated as the Top Cadet and was also named Top Shot.)
Across the High Plains surrounding Dalhart, agriculture is built around making the most of the land. Fields stretch for miles across the open prairie, and dryland farming has long been an important part of the agricultural landscape. Wheat and other crops have helped shape the communities and economy of the region for generations. However, unpredictable rainfall and extended periods of drought can make producing a successful dryland crop challenging.
These conditions have encouraged producers to look at diverse ways to use their land. Rather than viewing grassland as a replacement for agriculture, establishing native grasslands can provide another agricultural option that allows producers to make productive use of acres that may perform better than pasture than cropland.
Dryland agriculture depends heavily on rainfall. Unlike irrigated fields, dryland crops depend entirely on the moisture the land receives from precipitation. During dry years, crop yields can be reduced while producers still have expenses for seed, fertilizer, fuel, equipment, and other inputs. Some acres may be well suited for growing crops, while others may be better for grazing.
For these acres, converting cropland to a diverse native grassland can provide an opportunity for continued agricultural production. Native grasses can provide forage that cattle can utilize directly. Instead of depending on a dryland crop to produce a harvest, producers can turn the forage produced by the grassland into beef through grazing livestock.
Native grasslands can provide a productive agricultural purpose while helping protect the land. A healthy stand of native vegetation keeps living roots in the soil and provides ground cover that can help reduce erosion from the intense winds common across the High Plains. With proper grazing management, native grasslands can continue producing forage for cattle while maintaining a healthy plant community.
However, not all grasslands provide the same benefits.
When cropland is taken out of production, it can be tempting to plant a single species of grass because it establishes quickly and provides forage. While this may technically create a grassland, a single exotic grass species does not provide the same variety of resources as a diverse native grassland. Native grasses, forbs, and other plants can create a more complete ecosystem that benefits agriculture, livestock, pollinators, and wildlife.
One of the most noticeable wildlife benefits is for Bobwhite quail.
Bobwhite quail are intricately connected to the agricultural landscape of the High Plains. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department describes bobwhite habitat in the High Plains and Northern Rolling Plains as a mixture of grassland, cropland, brush, and other cover. Quail need different habitat components throughout the year, making diversity across the landscape extremely important.
A diverse native grassland can provide nesting and brood-rearing cover for quail. Native forbs and other plants can provide seeds and attract insects, which are especially important for growing bobwhite chicks. Several types of vegetation can also provide protective cover from predators and areas where quail can move between food, nesting, and escape cover.
Native grasslands can benefit more than just quail. They can also provide habitat and food sources for pollinators such as bees and butterflies. Native forbs and flowering plants can provide nectar and pollen throughout the growing season, helping support pollinator populations. These insects can also travel between native grasslands and nearby agricultural fields.
Many crops are capable of self-pollination, but additional pollination from insects can increase yields in some crops. This creates another connection between native grasslands and agriculture. Vegetation established for grazing and conservation can also support pollinators that may benefit neighboring cropland.
Another important benefit of native grasslands is water.
The High Plains depend heavily on water, both for agriculture and for the communities that live here. Native grasslands can be highly effective at capturing rainfall. Their extensive root systems and diverse plant communities can help water move into the soil instead of quickly running off the surface. Keeping more rainfall in the soil can help vegetation survive dry periods and, when conditions allow, contribute to groundwater recharge.
This is particularly important in a region where groundwater is essential to agriculture. The water that falls as rain is part of the larger water system that supports the aquifer used by farmers for irrigation and provides water for communities across the High Plains. Improving the ability of the land to capture and hold rainfall can therefore benefit more than just the plants growing on the surface.
These benefits show how native grasslands can connect agriculture, livestock, wildlife conservation, pollinators, soil health, and water conservation.
A producer who converts suitable marginal cropland to native grassland is not giving up on the land. Instead, the producer is giving that land a different agricultural purpose. The grass can provide forage for cattle, help protect the soil, improve the land’s ability to capture rainfall, support pollinators, and provide habitat for quail and other wildlife.
The greatest benefits can come when native grasslands are connected with existing pastures, brush, croplands, and other habitat. Different land uses can work together to create a diverse agricultural landscape. A field can produce a crop; a pasture can produce forage, and native vegetation can provide habitat and support pollinators, all within the same agricultural system.
For producers in the High Plains, there is no single answer for every acre. Some ground may be best suited for wheat or other crops, while other ground may be better suited for grazing. Choosing the right use for each piece of land can help producers remain productive while improving the condition and diversity of the surrounding landscape.
The High Plains will continue to be an agricultural region. Farmers and ranchers will continue to adapt to changing weather, markets, and growing conditions. Native grasslands can be part of that adaptation—not as a replacement for farming, but as another way to keep land productive while providing benefits that extend beyond the fence line.
Drought presents challenges, but it can also encourage innovative approaches to land management. Converting selected acres to diverse native grassland can provide forage for cattle, protect soil, capture rainfall, support pollinators, and create valuable habitat for bobwhite quail.
What begins as a decision about how to best use an acre of farmland can benefit the producer, the cattle, the soil, the water, the pollinators, and the wildlife that share the landscape.
For the High Plains, the future may not be about choosing between cropland, grassland, livestock, water, and wildlife. It may be about finding the best use for each acre and allowing agriculture and conservation to work together.
For the full story SUBSCRIBE to the online edition of The Dalhart Texan, call (806) 244-4511 to setup a subscription to our physical paper or pick a copy up at one of our many convenient news rack locations. You can also stop by and purchase a paper or subscription in person at our news office located at 410 Denrock Ave.
