Hi Riley,

Here are some thoughts; I work with the NRCS so bear in mind most of my experience is in Cropland to CRP. That process, broadly speaking is seedbed prep to cover crop to grass n’ stuff. It sometimes takes a couple of years to get the land unit “in the mood” to grow the grass. Ecological inertia I like to call that phenomena.

In CRP establishment we use disturbance (fires, grazing the way you’re describing and the like) to increase diversity in the land unit because like you said it’ll beat that grass back. BUT! you’ll also get all kinds of forbs (weeds) wanting to grow. The cover crops will most likely do their part in choking those out though.

All this is to say, I think the practices you are thinking to use would work great but keep in mind if you want to conserve those neat ecological goings on in your soil, which break with tillage, you’ll have to give the land some time to adjust back so consider what you’re expecting from your land in the next few years.

Other options: prescribed burning if that’s an option? Disking is an option too but if the grass in your CRP is rhizomatous that’ll quickly turn into a problem even with cover crops. Hope this helps!