Agriculture and wildlife get along

At the University of Missouri’s Bradford Research and Extension Center, agronomic research and quail go hand in hand.
Story by Aaron Jeffries

It’s not unusual to see a covey of quail on the University of Missouri’s Bradford Research and Extension Center just east of Columbia, Mo. Bradford’s focus is a science-based look at major commodity crops, alternative crops and a great range of crop protection and crop variety trials. But along the way, researchers have realized that a diverse farm just outside a population center represents a unique opportunity to branch out. Over the years, Bradford has become much more than a pure agronomic research farm. It has become a show place for how agriculture can interact with its neighbors, including wildlife.

While variety testing and crop research still take top priority at the center, staff are also conducting field research on quail habitat, cellulosic production and native plants. The center hosts numerous field days and workshops like the annual FFA Field Day and Crop Injury and Diagnostic Clinic. The center also hosts not-so-usual workshops including the popular Tomato Festival and Native Plant and Quail Habitat Field Day. In fact, over 8,000 people visited the center last year. Somehow, staff at Bradford are able to fit in field days and workshops between the daily field work and research.

Bradford is also a popular destination for local birdwatchers. The diversity of habitats and quality native grasslands provides nesting and hiding places for grassland birds like short-eared owls, dickcissels and meadowlarks. Brad Jacobs, who lives near the center and is an ornithologist for the Missouri Department of Conservation, frequently visits the area and keeps a bird list for the center. To date, over 140 bird species have been identified at Bradford.

 Partnerships are the Key

In 2006, Bradford staff worked closely with the Missouri Department of Conservation and Missouri Soybean Association to establish several different quail friendly practices in idle plots and odd corners on the research grounds and the Missouri Soybean Association property just south of the center. Some of the habitat work includes edge feathering, shrub plantings, perennial food plots, prescribed burning and disking techniques, as well as CP-33 habitat buffers on the edges of the crop fields. The Missouri Department of Conservation and University of Missouri Extension assist with the habitat improvements, field days and research studies on the area.

Other demonstration and research plots beneficial to bobwhites include diversion channels planted to native grasses, native grass and wildflower forage plots, invasive plant control and wildlife friendly biofuel mixes. The purpose of these plots is to show landowners that applying these practices is not only economically feasible and helps to protect natural resources, but can also provide quality habitat for quail and other species of wildlife at the same time. Tim Reinbott, facility manager, says every year the quail habitat plots become even more popular with visitors. In fact, at last year’s diagnostics clinic many of the farmers and participants wanted to see the quail habitat projects.

In addition to the habitat management practices, Department of Conservation biologists and Bradford staff trapped four adult, male quail and attached radio transmitters to track their movements on the farm in 2008. The radioed quail were almost exclusively found using the perennial food plots, weedy fields that had recently been burned or disked and within woody draws that had been managed to provide a shrubby understory. During the Bobwhite Quail and Native Plant Field Day, at least 150 landowners and visitors had the opportunity to see where quail were located on the farm when telemetry locations were found during the tour.

Also, for the first time, quail monitoring was conducted in October 2008 to determine quail population trends on the farm. The surveys proved that quail habitat management works. The density estimate was 0.44 quail per acre. This is equivalent to approximately 38 coveys on Bradford and the surrounding landscape. This estimate far outreaches the goal set for the entire Bradford Focus Area of one quail per 15 acres.

Growing interest

Several landowners around the farm have also taken an interest in the research center and in improving their land for bobwhite quail. As a result, the Missouri Department of Conservation established the Bradford Quail Focus Area. The focus area is approximately 20,000 acres in size and is made up of numerous small farms and homesteads, but also large production farms with crop fields, pastures and woody draws. Mark McCulloch, private land conservationist for the Missouri Department of Conservation, says there is great potential for quail habitat work in the area. “The research farm gives local landowners the opportunity to see how simple it can be to create good quail habitat.”

Like many other focus areas in the state, a key to the Bradford Quail Focus Area’s success has been active landowners doing habitat management and getting others involved. George Hobson’s “quail heaven” is right next to Bradford and is part of the Bradford Quail Focus Area. George has been managing his 100-acre farm for bobwhites for several years with the help of private land conservationist Mark McCulloch and soil conservationist Kim Reitz with the Natural Resource Conservation Service.  

George established native grass field borders and buffers in his crop fields through CRP. The native grass buffers provide ideal nesting cover and reduce soil erosion. To provide critical shrubby cover, George builds brush piles around the edges of his fields and in idle spots. Because of George’s dedicated work, he has maintained three coveys of quail on his farm. “The coveys have gotten a little bigger each year and two of them often move back and forth between my farm and Bradford.”

When you talk to George you quickly realize he’s passionate about quail and habitat work. In fact, his farm is one of the tour stops during the quail field day at Bradford. He often explains, “It doesn’t take a lot of work or room to make good habitat. Bradford Farm is a great example of how a little habitat work can go a long way toward helping quail.”

Landowners interested in learning more about quail habitat management should visit

www.mdc.mo.gov/landown/wild/quail or call their local Department of Conservation office.

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