Recovering From The Drought Of 2007

How Would You Rate Your 2007 Forage Management Performance

1,2 or 3• Did your management decisions for 2007 weaken or

strengthen your forage resources for 2008. ( 1 Weak 2 No change 3 Strong)

• Who benefited most from your decisions the Forage Harvesters or the Forage Plants. ( 1 Harvesters 2 No change 3 Plants)

• Did your short term decisions hinder your long term goals. ( 1 Hinder goals 2 No change 3 Support goals)

Score• 8 or 9 May want to come up front and

finish presentation.

• 5 to 7 May find some useful information in this presentation.

• 1 to 4 May want to listen.

Steps to Assure Productive Forage In 2008

• Evaluate forage stands in your pastures.

• Evaluate fertility.• Evaluate your grazing

management.• Evaluate any fencing

changes needed to improve utilization.

• Prepare for late winter seeding if needed.

TAKE A HIKE

• Most surviving plants bluegrass and white clover. ( A good indication pasture was overgrazed.)

• Most plants are white dutch clover and bluegrass ( Weeds are filling in areas where forage died during the drought.)

• Only forage that survived is tall fescue with nearly ungrazed clumps.( A lot of bare ground showing)

• Forage stand is adequate and alive but very short.

Forage Stand Observations

Do I Need to Reseed

• In one square foot of pasture, more than 20% bare ground.

• Grass to legume mix 60% to 40%

• At least three different grasses and two different legumes

Soil Test

• Soil amendments more easily applied in Fall but Spring application is okay.

• Applying lime to maintain proper PH is probably the most important step to insure good forage production.

• Each ton of forage produced needs 15 pounds of phosphorus and 60 pounds of potash.

• 80 percent of these nutrients are recycled in the pasture.

Evaluate Fertility

Soil Test Soil Test

Soil Test

Strategic Use of Nitrogen

• Late Winter• Late Spring • Late Summer

Late Winter

• 20-40 pounds of N/A in March.• Early fertilization should allow grazing two weeks

earlier in the Spring.• Only fertilize one acre for every two cows and

never any more than one third of total pasture.• Do not use nitrogen if you are going to frost seed

legumes.• Potential for grass tetany is increased with early

nitrogen application.

Late Spring

• 30-50 pounds of N/A in late June or July

• After reproductive stage of cool season grasses.

• Application should again only be limited to limited acres.

Late summer

• 30-50 pounds of N/A in August for most grasses.

• 50-60 pounds of N/A if stockpiling tall fescue for Winter grazing.

• Spend your nitrogen dollars on the pastures that will give you the most return.

Evaluate Grazing Management

• Uneven grazing patterns.• High fertility under trees

and near water.• Varying soil types.• South slopes produce

forage faster in the Spring.• North slopes produce

forage longer in Summer.

Fence Improves Grazing Management

• Permanent Fence

Temporary Fence

Consider Top Grazing Hay Fields to Relieve Pressure on Newly

Seeded Pastures.

Only graze for short periods of time when soil conditions will allow.

Considering a Late Winter Seeding

In situations where stands are thin or there is a desire to add new species,

now is the time to prepare.

Adding expensive, highly productive forage seed to poor

management is POOR MANAGEMENT

• Consider Management intensive Grazing.

• Soil test every three years and keep pastures amended to recommended levels.

• Consider changing fences to achieve more efficient grazing.

If we don’t change how we got here we will end up in the same

place.

Benefits of Legumes

• Higher Yields• Improved Quality• Nitrogen Fixation• Summer Growth

(1) Higher yieldsIn this study, red clover growing with fescue produced higher yields than fescue fertilized with up to 180 lb N/ac.

Table 1. Dry Matter Yields of Fescue-Clover vs. Fescue-Nitrogen--Lexington, 1978, 2 Yr. Average

Treatments Yields, lb/ac

Fescue-Red Clover

6 lb Seed/ac 11,100

Fescue + Nitrogen

0 lb/ac 3,900

90 lb/ac 6,700

180 lb/ac 9,900

Taylor, T.H., et al. University of Kentucky

(2) Improved qualityTable 2 show improved growth rates of beef cows, calves, and steers when legumes are used.

Table 2. Animal Performance on Grass vs. Legume-Grass Mixtures

SpeciesLength of Trials (Yrs)

Gain/Head (lb/day)

Animal Class

State

Tall Fescue 3 0.12 Cows IN

Tall Fescue + Red & Ladino Clover

0.74

Tall Fescue 3 1.30 Calves IN

Tall Fescue + Red & Ladino Clover

1.80

Orchardgrass 10 1.07 Steers VA

Orchardgrass + Ladino Clover

1.28

Table 3. Av. Daily Gain and Gains/Acre of Steers Grazing Tall Fescue & Tall Fescue-Clover Pastures

Pastures Daily Gain (lb/steer) Total Gains

lb/steer lb/ac

Fescue + Ladino Clover 1.53 307 582

Fescue + 150 lb N/ac 1.06 203 374

Hoveland, C.S., et al. 1981. Bulletin 530. Auburn, AL

Table 3 shows increased growth rates of beef steers grazing a fescue-ladino clover pasture. It also shows higher gains per acre as a result of improved forage quality and higher yields

High quality feed is important in getting beef cows re-bred after calving. Research conducted in Illinois and Indiana (Table 4) compared conception rates of cows grazing tall fescue pastures with and without legumes. In both tests, the cows grazing legume-grass pastures had much higher conception rates.

Table 4. Conception Rates on Grass vs. Grass-Legume Pastures

Species Conception Rate % State

Tall Fescue 75 IL

Tall Fescue + Legume 89

Tall Fescue 72 IN

Tall Fescue + Clover 92

(3) Nitrogen fixation(Table 5). Alfalfa usually fixes the most, while annual lespedeza is on the low side with about 75 pounds.

Table 5. Value and Amount of Nitrogen Fixed by Different Legumes

Crop Lb/ac/YrValue of Nitrogen1

Alfalfa200 - 300

$ 120-180

Red Clover100 - 200

$60-120

Ladino Clover100 - 150

$60-90

Vetch, Lespedeza and Other Annual Forage Legumes

75 - 150 $45-90

1Fertilizer nitrogen valued at $0.60/lb

The value of the nitrogen fixed by legumes depends on the cost of nitrogen fertilizer. The values in the right column of Table 5 are based on nitrogen priced at 60 cents/lb. 2003 price 25 cents a/lb.

(4) More summer growthMost of the growth of cool-season grasses occurs during the spring and fall. Legumes make more growth during the summer months than cool-season grasses. Growing grasses and legumes together improves the seasonal distribution of forages and provides more growth during summer.

Forage Seed Must Have Soil Contact to Germinate

Use No-Till Drill

Frost Seed

(Late February or Early March)

No-Till Drill

• Use chemicals to control early growth

• Use grazing management to keep existing forage in check so new plants can get sunlight.

Frost Seeding• Broadcast seed when

ground is honey combed. (During freezing and thawing in late February or early March.

• May need to lightly disc in heavy sod to expose soil.

Caring for New Seedlings

• Graze close before seeding

• Graze often after seeding to give new seedling sunlight.

• Stop grazing when seedlings are big enough to be damaged.

• Mechanical clipping may be needed to control competition for existing forage

Summary

• FOCUS ON KEEPING THE FORAGE PLANT HAPPY

• TAKE A HIKE

• SOIL TEST

Final Thought

TOUGH TIMES CREATE BETTER MANAGERS AND BETTER

MANAGERS ARE REWARDED IN TOUGH TIMES