Tolerance to frequent mowing. Tolerance to heat and drought

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1 Forage Guide to Optimum ph Tolerance to poor drainage Tolerance to frequent mowing Tolerance to grazing Tolerance to heat and drought Plants Identification Potential annual yield Speed of establishment Competition (once established) Persistence Flowering Utilization Palatability Mixture

2 This guide, though not exhaustive, is designed to help you identify the main forage plants in Québec and become familiar with their characteristics. It was created to be easy to use wherever you are out in the fields or on the farm. It is an educational tool that we hope will serve as a reference guide for agricultural producers, educators, trainers, advisors and other stakeholders of the forage sector. We would like to thank our collaborators who graciously gave their time and shared their knowledge in contributing to this guide. Coordination Julie Baillargeon, Agronomist, M.Sc., Technology Transfer and Research Project Coordinator, Valacta Hélène Poirier, B.Sc.A., Project Manager, Conseil québécois des plantes fourragères Authors Mario Gauthier, Agronomist, Strategic Advisor, Valacta Michel Carrier, Agronomist, Organic Farming Advisor, Valacta Robert Berthiaume, Agronomist, Ph.D., Expert in Forage Systems, Valacta Conseil québécois des plantes fourragères 2013 Copyright 2013 Library and Archives Canada Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec Révision Réal Michaud, Agronomist, Ph.D., Research Scientist, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Gilles Bélanger, Ph.D., Research Scientist, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Translation James Lawler, Translator, Communications Specialist Photography Audrey Martin, Photographer Valacta Semican Graphic Design Tommy Ferland, La Fabrik Printing Imprimerie M. Carrière Inc. Produced with funding from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the Ministère de l Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l Alimentation (Québec) through the Programme de soutien aux stratégies sectorielles de développement. Guide to Forage Plants Identification Identification of forage grasses 4 Identification of forage legumes 6 1- Meadow Bromegrass 9 2- Smooth Bromegrass Orchardgrass Tall Fescue Timothy Alfalfa Red Clover 40

3 IDENTIFYING FORAGE GRASSES stem (hollow, except at nodes) leaf sheath node (distinct) stem ( culm ) Sheath Split with margins separate Bluegrass IDENTIFYING FORAGE GRASSES Ligule Membranous Meadow and smooth bromegrasses Tall fescue Italian and perennial ryegrasses Pointed Timothy Orchardgrass leaf blade collar (distinct) ligule (membranous) auricle margin of leaf sheath leaf sheath open or split and margins separate leaf sheath open or split and margins overlapped leaf sheath closed (the margins united) node (distinct) stem ( culm ) Source: livestock/beef/facts/ htm Split with margins overlapping Timothy Tall fescue Orchardgrass Italian ryegrass Closed with margins united Meadow and smooth bromegrasses Auricles Claw-like, encircles the stem Tall fescue Guide to Guide des plantes fourragères Forage 4 5 Absent Meadow and smooth bromegrasses Timothy Orchardgrass Source:

4 IDENTIFYING FORAGE LEGUMES Clover IDENTIFYING FORAGE LEGUMES Alfalfa Oblong or ovoid leaflet Petiolule Petiole Oblong leaflets serrated at the apex Petiole Red clover: A whitish mark in the form of an upside-down V is often in the centre of the leaf Stem 6 7

5 1 Forage Description of Plants Vegetative stage MEADOW BROMEGRASS 9

6 71 71 BROME DES PRÉS MEADOW BROMEGRASS Closed sheath with margins united Hairy leaf blade and sheath BROME DES PRÉS MEADOW BROMEGRASS Plant Identification

7 71 BROME DES PRÉS MEADOW BROMEGRASS Heading 9319 Characteristics Optimum ph 6.0 to 6.5 Tolerance to poor drainage Tolerance to frequent mowing Tolerance to grazing Regrowth Tolerance to heat and drought Speed of establishment Competition (once established) Persistence Heading Utilization Palatability Mixture Very sensitive Very good Excellent Good Good to very good Slow Average Good Semi-early Recommendations of the authors Pasture, silage and hay Very good Can be mixed with: red or ladino clover / timothy, alfalfa / smooth bromegrass Well adapted to the hay / silage and grazing / pasture systems. Retains quality until maturity. Large seed difficult to plant. Seeding can be done by broadcasting or using a special brome seed box MEADOW BROMEGRASS BROME DES PRÉS

8 SMOOTH BROMEGRASS Glabrous (hairless) leaf blade 14 Vegetative stage W-shaped marking in the centre of the leaf blade, characteristic of bromegrasses 7 2 MEADOW SMOOTHBROMEGRASS BROMEGRASS 2 15

9 72 72 Heading SMOOTH BROME BROMEGRASS DES PRÉS Closed sheath with margins united, rarely with hair SMOOTH BROME BROMEGRASS DES PRÉS 16 17

10 72 Characteristics Optimum ph 6.0 to Tolerance to poor drainage Sensitive Tolerance to frequent mowing Low SMOOTH BROME BROMEGRASS DES PRÉS Tolerance to grazing Tolerance to heat and drought Regrowth Speed of establishment Competition (once established) Persistence Heading Utilization Palatability Mixture Good Good to very good Average Slow Average Good Semi-late Recommendations of the authors Pasture, silage and hay Very good Can be mixed with: ladino clover / timothy, alfalfa / meadow bromegrass Large seed difficult to plant. Seeding can be done by broadcasting or using a special brome seed box. Vegetative stage ORCHARDGRASS 18 19

11 3 3 ORCHARDGRASS Flat stem giving the tiller a compressed appearance (cross-sectional view) Flat stem giving the tiller a compressed appearance (front view) ORCHARDGRASS 20 21

12 3 3 ORCHARDGRASS Very long, pointed, membranous ligule Heading ORCHARDGRASS 22 23

13 3 ORCHARDGRASS Characteristics Optimum ph 6.0 to 6.5 Tolerance to poor drainage Tolerance to frequent mowing Tolerance to grazing Regrowth Tolerance to heat and drought Speed of establishment Competition (once established) Persistence Heading Utilization Palatability Mixture Sensitive Very good Very good Good Good Fast Strong Average Early Recommendations of the authors Silage, hay and pasture Good (before heading) Seeded pure or can be mixed with alfalfa or red clover High potassium absorption. Not recommended for dry cows. Harvest before heading. Highly stimulated by nitrogen, like all grasses. Late-maturing cultivars available. Hay harvest before heading. Vegetative stage TALL FESCUE

14 TALL FESCUE TALL FESCUE Thick, leathery blade, prominent veins on the upper face; blade has rough margins Split sheath with margins overlapping; blunt auricles with soft, downy hair 26 27

15 4 TALL FESCUE Heading Characteristics Optimum ph 5.8 to 6.5 Tolerance to poor drainage Good Tolerance to frequent mowing Very good Tolerance to grazing Good Regrowth Very good Tolerance to heat and drought Good (also in autumn) Speed of establishment Fast Competition (once established) Strong Persistence Average to good Heading Semi-late Recommendations of the authors Utilization Silage Palatability Low, especially in pasture 4 TALL FESCUE Mixture Can be mixed with alfalfa or red clover Tolerates brief flooding. Species most tolerant to acidity. Not recommended for pasture or hay due to its low palatability and leaf roughness

16 Ligule Vegetative stage 30 TIMOTHY 5 TIMOTHY 5 Split sheath 31

17 TIMOTHY 5 TIMOTHY 5 Late boot stage Ligule has a distinct notch on each side 32 33

18 5 TIMOTHY Characteristics Optimum ph 6.0 to 6.5 Tolerance to poor drainage Moderate Tolerance to frequent mowing Low Tolerance to grazing Low to average Regrowth Poor Tolerance to heat and drought Low Speed of establishment Average Competition (once established) Average Persistence Excellent Heading Late 6 ALFALFA Recommendations of the authors Utilization Palatability Mixture Low absorption of potassium. Hay for dry cows. Silage, hay and pasture Very good Can be mixed with red clover / bromegrass, alfalfa / bromegrass Vegetative stage The petiolule (foot-stalk) of the central leaflet is 2 to 3 times longer than the petiolules of the lateral leaflets 34 35

19 6 6 ALFALFA ALFALFA Seedling Bud stage 36 37

20 6 ALFALFA Characteristics Optimum ph 6.6 to 7.0 Tolerance to poor drainage Very sensitive Tolerance to frequent mowing Moderate Tolerance to grazing Low Tolerance to heat and drought Low Speed of establishment Fast Competition (once established) Strong Persistence 3 to 5 years Flowering Early 6 ALFALFA Recommendations of the authors Utilization Silage, hay Palatability Very good Flowering stage Mixture Seeded pure or can be mixed with tall fescue, timothy, bromegrass or a combination of the 3. Needs to have a rest period in the fall. Be careful of deficiencies in potassium and boron

21 7 7 RED CLOVER RED CLOVER Seedling Vegetative stage (with buds) 40 41

22 7 RED CLOVER Flowering stage Characteristics 7 Optimum ph 6.0 to 6.5 Tolerance to poor drainage Tolerance to frequent mowing Tolerance to grazing Tolerance to heat and drought Speed of establishment Competition (once established) Persistence Flowering Utilization Palatability Mixture Sensitive Moderate Moderate Low Very fast Very strong 2 to 3 years Mid-season Recommendations of the authors Contains phytohormones. Silage, pasture and green manure Very good Can be mixed with tall fescue, timothy, bromegrass or a combination of the 3. Excellent forage for direct seeding in case of winter loss. RED CLOVER 42 43

23 Forage Guide to orage Plants Identification Produced with funding from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the Ministère de l Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l Alimentation (Québec) through the Programme de soutien aux stratégies sectorielles de développement.