Choosing a Forage Species for Horse Pastures Wade Hutcheson Spalding County Agent, ANR The University of Georgia Dr. Dennis Hancock UGA Extension Forage Specialist Dr. John Andrae Clemson University Extension Forage Specialist
Choosing a Forage Species for Horse Pastures
Wade Hutcheson
Spalding County Agent, ANR
The University of Georgia
Dr. Dennis Hancock
UGA Extension Forage Specialist
Dr. John Andrae
Clemson University
Extension Forage Specialist
Things to Consider When Choosing a “Base” Forage
• Animals that will graze
• Perennials should form foundation of grazing system Dependable! Persistent Productive Dependable
• Think about climate and timing of production
Horses grazing tall fescue/bermudagrass near Athens GA
Warm Season Perennials
• All base forages should be perennials!
• Warm season plants produce in summer monthsLate April – first frost
• Very drought tolerant and most are grazing and treading tolerant
• Bahiagrass and Bermudagrass
Yield and Digestibility of Bermudagrass Hybrids
G.W. Burton, unpublished datafertility and maturity equal
Hybrid BermudagrassMust be established vegetativelySlowExpensiveHard to contract small acreages
Benefits:Higher yields Good qualityExcellent for hay production
Hybrids:Coastal, Russell, Tifton 85, Alicia,Tifton 44 – slow to establish
Typically sprigged in 3 or 4 ft rows30 lbs N at emergence P & K prior to planting~50 lbs at lapping
$150+ per acre to sprig
Seeded Bermudagrass• Common bermudagrass can be a good choice for pastures!
Dense sod Good quality Yields approximately 60-70% of hybrids
• Cheyenne Excellent alternative to common and hybrids Yields approach Coastal Weed problems at establishment - limited options Weed control after establishment - many good options ~$105 per acre seed cost at 12 lbs/ac
• Giant Does not survive more than one or two years!!!
• New seeded varieties come and go, mostly go.
Seeded Bermudagrass Planting Guide
• Plant in a firm seed bed Use disc harrow to level & cultipack or roll to firm the
seed bed• Plant 12-15 lbs per acre- drill or broadcast• If broadcast- repack after spreading• Do not plant deeper than 1/4 inch• Can no-till into killed sod- may minimize weed concerns• Plant in the spring after soil has warmed to 65 F.
In most areas mid April to first of July
• No early weed control options – need to get past seedling stage, better yet when it starts running.
• Use certified seed.
Prepared Seedbed
• “Well-prepared” seedbed Plow/disc/finish at least 2-4
wks prior to sprigging Incorporate lime,
phosphorus, and potassium.
Allow time to settle or firm with cultipacker/roller.
• Seedbed should be firm Boot tracks should be ~1/4
in. deep If too fluffy, the soil will dry
very quickly (sandy soils)
Establishing Hybrid Bermudagrass
Best methods1) Dormant sprigs (rhizomes) - 40-50 bu/A
Dec. to early Mar.
2) Sprigs with green tops – 30-50 bu/A spring (after last freeze) to early Aug.
3) Tops/green stems – 50-60 bu/A Jun. – Aug. Not recommended for Tifton 44
• Best if seedbed is well-prepared
Bahiagrass
• Three options- Pensacola, Tifton 9, Sand Mountain
• Slower to establish than bermudagrass
• Denser sod Treading and grazing tolerant
• Longer grazing season• Tolerant of low fertility and
pH• Lower producing• Not a great option for this
area.
What about native species?
• Native species do not tolerate continuous grazing
• Pure switchgrass has recently been implicated in some horse toxicity problems in Midwest US
• These species are difficult to manage- introduced species offer more advantages to horse producers
Switchgrass
Cool Season Perennial Grasses
• Tall fescue is most persistent and productive species for this area
• Orchardgrass will persist in this area for 2 -4 years under grazing Less productive in fall than
tall fescue
• Timothy and KY Bluegrass are NOT an option
Tall fescue
Warm Season Annuals
• Crabgrass is probably best warm season annual pasture for horses Can be used in combination
with tall fescue
• Millets can be grazed with horses but are difficult to manage
• Sorghums should be avoided due to urinary cystitis problems, et.al. (johnsongrass, sorghum-sudan, sudangrass) Crabgrass
Cool Season Annual Grasses• Best utilized as a
complimentary species• Perform well in dormant
bermudagrass pastures Rye – drill 15-20 lb/ac broadcast 20-25 Wheat Oats Annual ryegrass\ 15-25 lb/ac mixes; 25-30 alone
• Broadcasting 20 lbs/ac of annual ryegrass on closely grazed bermudagrass is economical and effective
• Do not overseed annual grasses into tall fescue Annual ryegrass + white clover
sodseeded in dormant bermudagrass
What about Legumes?
• Clovers can be a valuable addition to perennial pastures Fix nitrogen Improve grazing season Improve forage production Improve quality
• White clover in tall fescue
• Some winter annuals in bermudagrass Arrowleaf and vetch highly
unpalatable
Crimson
White
Red clover and “slobbers”• Red clover can be infected
by a fungus Rhizoctonia leguminicola
a.k.a. black patch Produces an alkaloid
known as slaframine
• Occurs normally in cool, wet springs
• Decreases after 10 mo in hay
• Disappears with feed change after 48-72 hrs
• Normally a cosmetic problem
A horse showing signs of “slobbers”http://www.gov.on.ca/OMAFRA/english/livestock/horses/facts/info_slobbers.htmSteven S. Nicholson, DVM , LSU
Black patch on clover
www.ss.ngri.affrc.go.jp/ disease/de38.htm
Grazing Tolerance of Various Grasses
WS Perennial CS Perennial
Bahiagrass Excellent E+ Tall Fescue Excellent
Bermudagrass Excellent E- Tall Fescue Fair
Switchgrass Poor Orchardgrass Good
Appendix- Southern Forages
Grazing Tolerance of Various Grasses
WS Annual CS Annual
Crabgrass Excellent Small grains(rye, wheat, oats)
Good
Millets Fair Ryegrass Excellent
Sorghums XXXXXX
Appendix- Southern Forages
Grazing Tolerance of Various Legumes
Annuals Perennials
Crimson Fair Red Fair
Ball Fair White Excellent
Arrowleaf, vetch
XXXXXX
Appendix- Southern Forages
Summary
• Choose perennial “base” forage carefully Dependability and grazing persistence are important! Tall fescue and bermudagrass work well in this area Can use BOTH- in pure or mixed stands!!!!
• Compliment this base forage with appropriate species to minimize hay or fertilizer needs Cool season grasses and legumes for bermudagrass Crabgrass or white clover for tall fescue
• Establish paddocks for rotational grazing• Close a gate sometimes
What is GOOD Hay?
Source: Using RFQ to Categorize Hay, Dr. Dennis Hancock, UGA Extension Forage Specialist
Good based on sellers word oran inexpensive forage test?
The categories and RFQ ranges used in theSoutheastern Forage Quality categorization system.Forage QualityCategory RFQSupreme > 185Prime 160-185Choice 140-160Select 110-140Standard 90-110Utility < 90
B/T 2004-10 More than 16,000 forage samples sent to the UGA. Nearly 40% fell into the Utility category.
In contrast, only about 7% of the samples were in the top three categories: Premium, Select, or Choice. Dr. Dennis Hancock, UGA Extension Forage Specialist
If weed problem exists,do you spray or fertilize first?
• Spray first, many good herbicides available. ID weed or weeds for timing, best control method and product selection.
• Spray with knowledge and confidence• Calibrate sprayer• Control weeds then improve fertility.• Fertilize based on soil test report.• pH is critical.
For more information on this and other forage related topics, visit the website
www.georgiaforages.com
Wade HutchesonSpalding County Agent
Agriculture & Natural Resources232 East Broad Street
Griffin GA 30223770.467.4225