CROPS
A forage plan is critical this spring and summer
By Dr. Paul Tracy
Given economic and environmental circumstances, cattle producers face many concerns but even more opportunities. Several seasons of drought pushed last winter’s hay reserves to critical lows. Hopefully, spring rainfall has been adequate enough to stimulate forage growth and recharge groundwater and surface impoundments. Fertilizer and feed prices have risen considerably over the past year. The ice storm in southwest Missouri also put high pressure on forage resources. This winter, I heard several folks refer to the current situation as a “perfect storm.”
With some fields in poor health, now is a good time to evaluate forage resources, set priorities and make improvements. More than ever, this year has proven that forage-based animal operations require very diverse management.
Cow/calf producers rely on forages to supply over 75 percent of their feed resources. Management-intensive grazing programs have become extremely popular. This winter, many MIG operations had to purchase expensive hay or were forced to reduce herd size. This is one of the reasons I have always emphasized hybrid operations that utilize the best MIG technology in combination with hay, silage or grain production, and a supplemental feed program.
Agricultural economists estimate that hay-based forage requires 50 percent more input costs per pound of beef produced compared to pasture-based forages. However, it is virtually impossible to provide year-round grazing in our environment, especially when drought, snow, ice or floods occur. The best sustainable approach is to integrate your land resources by prioritizing pasture versus hay fields and cool versus warm–season species fields and then managing them accordingly.
Here is a list of agronomic management options that may help your forage production this spring. These lists are general and incomplete. For additional information, visit your local MFA agronomy specialist or extension agronomist.
Short term
1) If adequate soil moisture is present, plan to use a second cool-season grass hay crop or an extended grazing period. This will require a timely first hay harvest or evenly grazed management program. Harvest the first cutting of cool-season grass before seed head formation. This needs to be followed immediately with enough plant food to produce at least 1 ton of summer forage. Additionally, applying 40 to 60 pounds of nitrogen fertilizer per acre onto fescue pastures in August/September is the single most efficient management practice to ensure good stockpile production.
2) Planting warm season annual forages for hay, silage or grazing management should be considered this year. Species include pearl millet, sudangrass, sorghum sudan, forage sorghum and forage soybeans.
3) Weeds can reduce forage production by more than 50 percent. To control forage weeds, you must identify which weeds are present, prioritize fields and have long-term and short-term strategies. Annual weeds can easily be controlled with inexpensive treatments. Biennial or perennial weeds will require much more aggressive, expensive and long-term programs.
Long term
1) Tall fescue is still the dominant base grass in our pasture systems. Most producers should evaluate which fields need to be renovated and start the transition. Consider haying or tightly grazing fields that need renovation. Follow with stand destruction and the planting of warm season annual forages to be used as a “smother crop.” Take as much summer forage as possible until fall and then plant a cool-season annual like Marshall ryegrass, wheat or triticale with the intention of planting fescue in the spring or fall of 2008. A planned addition of companion legumes to fescue-based fields should always be a long-term priority.
2) In addition to tall fescue, some fields need to be renovated using your choice of orchardgrass, smooth bromegrass, alfalfa, bermudagrass, warm season native grasses or other species.
I can’t overemphasize the importance of species diversity. In southern areas, bermudagrass works very well as a warm-season base forage grass. Other perennial warm-season grasses can work well in our environment but require patience during establishment.
Why not put alfalfa in your designated hay fields and use a combination of rotated cool- and warm-season-grass based pastures? This system allows most forage to be harvested “off the hoof,” but also provides a planned supplemental and backup hay program. It still boggles my mind that Missouri is No. 2 nationally in cow/calf numbers but No. 22 in alfalfa production.
Click here to respond to this article
Top of page
