Topic Outline. Renovating Pastures. Forages Grown in Missouri. Forages Grown in Missouri. Tall Fescue. Cool Season Grasses

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1 Renovating Pastures Topic Outline 1. Forages for Southern Missouri What can I plant? 2. Tips for success How can I be more successful? Sarah Kenyon Agronomy Specialist KenyonS@missouri.edu Forages Grown in Missouri Cool-season Grasses Grow best during cool, moist periods of the year Tall fescue Orchardgrass Warm-season Grasses Grow best during warm periods of the year Bermudagrass Millets Cool-season Grasses Warm-season Grasses Legumes Annuals Perennials Forages Grown in Missouri Native Introduced Cool Season Grasses Tall Fescue Forage Growth Rate Tall Fescue Perennial Ryegrass Orchardgrass Smooth Bromegrass Early spring production Medium to high yield potential Excellent Persistence Good Tolerance to: Poor Drainage Low Soil Fertility Heat Stress Cold Temperatures Poor forage quality due to the endophyte 1

2 Endophyte Infected Tall Fescue Fungus found in stem, leaf sheaths & seed Produces alkaloids toxic to livestock Increases progressively season long Minimized in young growth Problems with Toxic Endophyte Infected Tall Fescue Lower conception rates Reduced milk production Reduced feed intake Rough hair coat Increased core body temperature in summer (leads to heat stress) Frozen nose, ears, tails, etc (in winter) Fescue foot Roberts and Andrae, 2004 Novel Endophyte-Infected Fescue Novel endophytes ( Friendly ) retains the good qualities of fescue Available Varieties: MaxQ Advance Bar-Optima Others AR4 E- E+ Location Average Daily Gain (lb) Fayetteville, AR Mt. Vernon, MO West et al., 1998 Novel Endophyte-Infected Fescue Feedlot performance (lbs per animal) of beef cattle after grazing three types of tall fescue. Cattle that previously grazed E-and E++ tall fescue entered the feedlot 117 pounds heavier finished 108 pounds heavier than cattle that grazed E+ tall fescue. Roberts and Andrae, 2004 Orchardgrass Medium to high yield potential Medium persistence (3 years) Tolerant of cold temperatures Poor drainiage Forage quality can be good but matures early Smooth Bromegrass Medium yield potential Forage quality good if managed 2

3 An improved brome Grows earlier & later than brome Excellent quality Stays palatable in hot summer Needs intensive management or will not persist! Matua Kentucky Bluegrass Low yield potential Poor tolerance to: Heat Stress Forage quality good if managed Perennial Ryegrass Medium to high yield potential Fair to poor persistence Poor tolerance to: Forage quality good to excellent if managed Timothy Medium yield potential Fair persistence Poor tolerance to: Forage quality good if managed Benefits to Including Legumes Steer Gains (ADG) on Fescue With and Without Clover in the Stand Improved forage quality Fewer problems with fescue toxicosis Improves animal gain Minimizes the need for Nitrogen fertilizer Longer grazing season High Endophyte Low Endophyte Without Clover With Clover Multi-Year Tests on Four Research Farms in TN and GA 3

4 Cool-season Grass with Legumes Overseeding Legumes Cool season grass Red Clover Conduct soil samples Legumes require higher fertility White Clover Alfalfa Annual Lespedeza Use inoculants if minimal legumes are in the pasture ruary seeding dates have a 50% better chance than April seeding dates Red Clover White (Ladino) Clover Medium to high yield potential Fair to good persistence Forage quality good to excellent if managed Low to medium yield potential Poor tolerance to: Forage quality good to excellent if managed Annual Lespedeza Medium to low yield potential if reseeding is managed properly Forage quality good to excellent if managed High yield potential Poor tolerance to: Forage quality good to excellent if managed Alfalfa 4

5 Perennial Warm-Season Grasses Milk Production from Bermudagrassvs. CSG Pasture in Summer Cool season grass Forage Type Milk Yield (lb/d) Bermudagrass 47.0 CSG Mix 41.3 Perennial Warm-Season Grasses Bermudagrass Cool season grass Bermudagrass Caucasian bluestem High yield potential Fair to good persistence depending on cultivar Good tolerance to heat stress Poor soil fertility Forage quality good if managed Caucasian (Old World) Bluestem Annual Warm-Season Grasses Medium yield potential Poor soil fertility Poor tolerance to: Poor Drainage Forage quality good if managed Cool Season Grass Sudangrass Pearl Millet Crabgrass 5

6 Summer Annuals Sorghum Sudan Pearl Millet Teff Crabgrass Crabgrass Medium yield potential if reseeding is managed properly Poor soil fertility Forage quality good if managed Native Warm-Season Grasses Switchgrass Cool Season Grass Switchgrass Big Bluestem Indiangrass Eastern Gamagrass Medium to high yield potential Graze no shorter than 6 Graze 2-3 weeks earlier than Big Bluestem Often ready for grazing before the cool season grasses have stopped producing. Adapts well to wetter sites Aggressive - Competitive Forage quality good if grazed early Varieties: Cave-In-Rock; Kanlow; Alamo; Blackwell Big Bluestem Indiangrass Medium to high yield potential Slow to establish More difficult to establish than switchgrass Graze no shorter than 6 Drought tolerant Forage quality good if managed Varieties: Bonanza; Goldmine; Rountree; Kaw; Oz 70 Medium to high yield potential A late producer 1-2 weeks later than Big Bluestem Slow to establish Graze no shorter than 6 Poor soil fertility Forage quality good if managed Varieties: Rumsey; Cheyenne 6

7 Eastern Gamagrass High yield potential Approximately 2 inches per day 6.5 tons per acre measured in Missouri Very slow to establish Graze no shorter than 6 Drought Poor drainage Low soil fertility One of the most palatable native warm-season grasses SW Center dairy heifer gain data: Gama = 2.1 lb/day Alfagraze = 2.3 lb/day Shorter stature (2-4 ) Works well in a blend Often confused with broomsedge Varieties: Camper; Aldous Little Bluestem Sideoats Grama Winter Forage Crops Sod forming Works well in a mix Grows 1-3 fttall CS Perennial CS Annual Variety: El Reno Extend the Grazing Season Wheat & Rye are High Quality in Fall and Winter Wheat Cereal Rye Annual Ryegrass Stockpiled Tall Fescue Winter grazing can reduce hay costs by 1/3 1/ Wheat Rye ADF (%) Jan Mar Apr 7

8 Rye Produces More Winter Pasture than Wheat Animal Performance on Wheat and Rye Pasture Yield (lb./acre) Wheat Rye -01 Jan Mar-01 Total Crop ADG Gain lb/d lb/acre Wheat Rye Horn et al., 1981 Small Grains Recommendations Annual Ryegrass Plant in early-september at 100 to 130 lb./acre 40 to 60 lb./acre N at planting 50 lb. more in spring if needed Do not graze to a height of less than 3 inches Graze rye heavily in the spring to maintain vegetative growth Easily established Rapid fall growth Retains green tissue nearly all winter Remains vegetative into early May Annual Ryegrass / Cereal Rye Annual Ryegrass Ready for Grazing Grazing often can begin 60 days after planting Rotational grazing a must for best utilization Graze no shorter than 3 to encourage regrowth 8

9 No-Till Forage Workshop -- Hartville, MO 3/8/2013 Annual Ryegrass Recommendations Plant a winter hardy cultivar in late-august at 25 to 30 lb./acre Apply 60 lb./acre of N at planting Apply a additional 40 to 60 lb./acre of N in late. Begin grazing when grass reaches 8 to 10 inches Leave a 3 to 4 inch stubble for regrowth especially in winter If reseeding is desired, remove livestock in mid-may Stockpiled Tall Fescue Hay & Supplement Costs - $.80/cow/day Stockpiled Fescue - $.42/cow/day E+ Tall Fescue in the Fall Still a Problem Brassica Forages 350 Ergovaline ppb Jan Brassica Forage in Winter Mar Brassica Forages Recommendations Plant in late-august at 2 to 4 lb./acre Apply 60 lb./acre of N at planting Grazing should start so that all of the forage is utilized before January 1 Graze a short as possible (little regrowth possible) Do not be fed alone in the diet (bloat and other problems) 9

10 Questions? Keys to Success 1. Plan for a Balanced Forage System 2. Fertility 3. Planting Date 4. Planting Depth 5. Beware of Herbicide Carryover 6. Manage Correctly Step 1: A Balanced Forage System Determine Animal Needs 80 CS Perennial Clover WS Annual or Perennial CS Annual Tons of Forage Needed ruary Calving September Calving Year-round Calving Jan March April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov 100 cow herd 1,200 lb cows 13,000 lbs milk/cow/year Source: Dr. Kallenbach MU Step 2: Fertility Why test your soil? Species differ in their nutrient requirements Alfalfa Red clover White clover Birdsfoot trefoil Annual lespedeza Cool-season grass Warm-season grass Very low Low Medium High Avoid potential nutrient deficiencies Identify possible causes for poor pasture or hay production Save money $$$ Apply enough plant nutrients Avoid excessive expense 10

11 Step 3: Determine When to Plant TIMING IS EVERYTHING! Forages have the best chance of success when planted early For cool-season grasses and legumes this is mid August through mid September Winter Wheat and Cereal Rye should be planted by October 15 No-Till Drill vs. Broadcasting No-Till Drill Ensures proper seed-soil contact, plant spacing, and depth Conserves soil moisture Broadcasting Increased chance of failure due to poor seed placement Rolling or cultipacking will improve seed to soil contact Works best for frost seeding legumes Step 4: Don t Plant Too Deep Don t Plant Too Deep Most new seeding's fail because the seed was planted too deep Most forage grasses and legumes should not be planted deeper than ¼ inch If planting into a prepared seed bed, roll the field before planting to achieve a firm seed bed Step 5: Beware of Herbicide Carryover Step 6: Manage Correctly Most broadleaf herbicides can damage young grass seedlings GrazonP+D Cimarron Chaparral GrazonNext 2,4-D It may take 12 months before the new stand is fully developed A few short grazing periods followed by adequate rest will ensure a healthy stand Monitor grazing closely 11

12 Manage Grazing Manage Grazing New seedlings should only be grazed when they are able to pass the pull test Grab the forage and gently pull If the root comes out of the soil when you pull delay grazing Flash grazing may be necessary Interseeding s Legume establishment Suppress weed competition Monitor grazing closely! Weed Management Weed Management Weed problems can also result in seeding failure Young seedlings Most herbicides can damage small seedlings Mow or graze weeds Weed Management Keys to Success Older Seedlings Identify the weed Control according to recommendations 1. Plan for a Balanced Forage System 2. Fertility 3. Planting Date 4. Planting Depth 5. Beware of Herbicide Carryover 6. Manage Correctly 12

13 THANK YOU! Sarah Kenyon Agronomy Specialist