Pasture Management Emily Herring- Pender County Livestock Agent March 29, 2011
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Pasture ManagementEmily Herring- Pender County
Livestock AgentMarch 29, 2011
Thanks to:
Chris Teutsch, Virginia Extension Richard Melton, Anson Co Livestock Agent Eve Honeycutt, Lenior and Green Livestock
Agent Becky Spearman, Bladen County Livestock
Agent Jim Green, former NC Cooperative Extension
Forage Specialist
What is the goal?
Provide Feed Improve Animal Performance Save Money Aesthetically Pleasing Other
What are the limitations?
Number of acres Soil types Equipment available Facilities available Species to graze Time Desire
MANAGER
SOILS ANIMALS
FORAGES INFRASTRUCTURE
Establishing Forages
Plan what you will do Write down your plan Keep records – what and when did you plant,
fertilize, move animals, etc Farm can be simple or complex – no right or
wrong answer No silver bullets
Southern Forages – Develop a plan
1. Forage is a commodity – you are a forage farmer not just a livestock or horse farmer What is your philosophy?
2. Use reliable information Research based info Try small scale
Southern Forages – Develop a plan
3. Timeliness Optimum planting dates to establish are CRITICAL Fertilize Herbicide application Adjusting stocking rate Hay cutting
Southern Forages – Develop a plan
4. Use adapted species and varieties Sandy vs clay Wet vs well drained soils What is volunteering if the field already?
5. Match crop to animal needs
6. Maximize the length of the grazing season – diversity can help to have year round pastures
Southern Forages – Develop a plan
7. Soil testing and fertility
8. Use legumes if possible
9. Stored feed and hay
10. Grazing methods – continuous vs rotational
TERMINOLOGY
Legumes – roots have nodules containing bacteria capable of fixing nitrogen and increasing the fertility of the soil
Grasses – are herbaceous plants that have a parallel leaf vein, fibrous root system and have seeds on elongated sees stalks
Sedges – monocot plant that superficially resemble grasses. Usually not valued as a forage crop for animals
TERMINOLOGY
Cool season produce during the winter optimum: 65-80o F
Warm season produce during summer optimum: 85-95o F
TERMINOLOGY
Annuals Germinates, grows, reproduces and dies in one
growing season Must be planted every year
Perennial Under suitable conditions, live more than one year Can become dormant at certain times of the year
Forage Quality
As plants mature, the quality goes down Legumes are higher in quality than grasses Target grazing heights Grazing intensity or hay harvest
Primary site of “plant food” production.........
The green leaf
It is also the primary source of feed!!
Challenge....To Recognize Plant’s need
for “REST” or “protection” to replenish energy &/or Leaf area.
Growth Phases
Growth is slow at first, then rapid until near maturity, when it slows again
Keep plants in most active growth stage Graze when plants are at 6-12 inches and leave 2-4
inches of stubble after grazing Recovery time will depend on soil moisture,
temperature, leaf area remaining, and animal traffic
Growth Phase Activities
1 32AspectPhase
Yield.................... 500 2000 4000TDN..................... High High LowGrowth Rate........ Low Rapid MedLeaf Area............. Low High V.High
Necessities for Plant Growth
Sunlight Favorable Temperature Water Nutrients Carbon Dioxide Oxygen
Soil Moisture
Photosynthesis and Cooling Limited moisture causes growth to stop before
photosynthesis Slowed growth causes nitrate accumulation Limited moisture has more effect on yield than
quality (except drought)
Regrowth
Excess energy for regrowth is stored in specific organs in the plant
After cutting or grazing, the plant depends on this reserve energy
Green leaves near the soil surface (bermuda, fescue, bluegrass)
Regrowth is boosted by reserve energy in addition to continued photosynthesis from remaining leaf area
Use soil tests – free service Lack of nutrients affects yields, not quality Lime as recommended – follow reports For fertilization – follow reports
The Nitrogen rate for hybrid bermudagrass varies with soil type - 175 - 220 lb per acre
Apply 50–60 lb per acre in April and the remainder in equal increments in June and mid-July or after each cutting.
For established crops, apply P2O5 before plants begin new growth.
0
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Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Seasonal Distribution of Growth… (lb/acre/day) Warm season plants
BahiaBermudaBluestemBrowseCornCrabgrassDallisgrassGamagrassJohnsongrassMilletSorghum-SudanSoybeanSudanSwitchgrass
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Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Seasonal Distribution of Growth… (lb/acre/day) Cool season plants
AlfalfaBluegrassBrassicaChicoryCloversFescueOrchardgrassPrairiegrassRyegrass, annualRyegrass, perennialCereal grains
01020304050607080
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Cool-seasonWarm-season
Seasonal Distribution of Growth… (lb/acre/day) Cool and Warm season plants
Growth Curves for Common Forages
KY BluegrassOrchardgrass
Tall FescueLadino Clover
Red CloverAlfalfa
Small GrainsRyegrass
BermudagrassSwitchgrass
Caucasian BluestemSorghum-Sudan
Pearl Millet
JAN MAR MAY JUL SEPT NOV
Cool-Season Grasses
Warm-Season Grasses
Legumes
Cool-Season Annual Grasses
Warm-Season Annual Grasses
Adapted from Controlled Grazing of Virginia’s Pastures, Publication 418-012
Cool-Season Grasses more digestible and higher in CP longer growing season??
Warm-Season Grasses less digestible and lower in CP more drought tolerant more efficient at using water
Warm Season Grasses
Perennials Bermuda Bahiagrass Dallisgrass Native Warm Season
Eastern Gamagrass Swithgrass
Annuals Millet Sorghum Mixes
Bermudagrass Hybrid and seeded types
Grows in sandy soils Seed: April 1-May 15
Can plant Mar 15-Jun7 Broadcast 6-8lbs/ac or
Drill 5-7lbs/ac Grazing: Start at 4-6 in
and Stop at 2-3 inches
Bermudagrass Growth Pattern
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70
80
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
Month
Bermudagrass
Growth from April to October
Yields range from 3 to 6 tons per acre
Nitrogen Recommendations-60-80lbs/ac at establishment & 180-220 at maintenance
Optimum pH level= 6.5
Bermudagrass Stand Loss
Mostly due to management Sometimes due to soil type, drainage, shade Hay not harvested in a timely manner
Harvest every four weeks Cut at 12” growth
Competition from overseed or weeds Cut overseeded ryegrass off at the latest; April
Competitive effect of winter annual overseed
Bermuda
Hybrid Bermudagrass Hybrids include Coastal, Tifton 44, Tifton 78, Tifton
85, Midland 99, Ozark, Goodwell Hybrids don’t make viable seed and are sprigged Adapted to somewhat poorly drained to excessively
well drained soil series
Seeded Varieties Cheyenne II Mohawk Wrangler Ranchero
Seeding
Plant seed when soil temperature is 65 degrees or higher at a 4” depth Usually late April or May
Prepare the ground as soon as possible in spring to allow the soil to settle (apply lime before preparing seedbed)
Use glyphosate (Roundup) or paraquat(Gramoxone Max) to help create a weed-free seedbed
Seeding
Plant into a well-packed, clean-tilled seedbed Broadcast seed and immediately cultipack Avoid fields with heavy competition such as
crab, goose and nut grass No-till seeding - not deeper than 1/8”
General Rule
If you sink past sole of your shoe, seedbed is too soft
Broadcast + Cultipack
Cultipack, broadcast seed, cultipack
Can give excellent results for a relatively low equipment cost
Costs
Sprigging establishment costs from NCSU budget is $250
Seeded establishment costs from Va Tech is $225-$250
Bladen Plots
Charles Gillespie’s farm in Elizabethtown Becky Spearman, NC Cooperative Extension-
Livestock Agent, Bladen County Rick Morris, NCDA Regional Agronomist is a
major part of the plots Seeded on May 24, 2007 Used a Brillion seeder Plots were 25 x 70 feet
Varieties
Cheyenne Mohawk Ranchero Frio - blend of:
50% Cheyenne 2 17% Giant 16.5% Cheyenne 12% Mohawk
Wrangler
Spearman-Gillespie Elizabethtown Bermuda Trial 2008 Hrvst 1 (1 July)
0.00
500.00
1000.00
1500.00
2000.00
2500.00
MOHAWK RANCHERO CHEYENNE WRANGLER
YIEL
D (lb
s/ac
re)
CrabgrassBermuda
Spearman-Gillespie Elizabethtown Bermuda Trial 2008 Hrvst 2 (14 August)
0.00
500.00
1000.00
1500.00
2000.00
2500.00
3000.00
3500.00
4000.00
4500.00
5000.00
MOHAWK RANCHERO CHEYENNE WRANGLER
YIEL
D (lb
s/ac
re)
CrabgrassBermuda
Note doubling of scale on Y-axis for Aug harvest
Spearman-Gillespie Bermudagrass Trial 2008 Hrvst 3 (Oct 10)
0
500
1000
1500
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2500
Mohawk Ranchero Cheyenne Wrangler
Dry
Mat
ter Y
IELD
(lbs
/acr
e)
CrabgrassBermuda
Bahiagrass
Adapted to sites that may not work well for bermuda
Moderate quality Limited varieties Limited production season Plant Feb 15- Mar 15 at 15-
25lbs/ac broadcast and 10-20lbs drill
Optimum pH= 6.0 100-150 lbs N/ac
Bahiagrass Can spread to other fields Can be considered a nuisance
weed Tough on equipment and
animals teeth
Dallisgrass Bunch type grass Best adapted to moist soils Establishment is slow Broadcast seed in March or April Higher quality than bermuda
Native Warm Perennial Season Grasses
Switchgrass Eastern Gamagrass
Hard to establish Site specific Bunch grasses Heavy yields Require grazing management Limited overseeding Very efficient nitrogen users
Eastern Gamagrass
Switchgrass
Annual Forages Supply forage during summer and
winter deficit periods Advantages
fast germination and emergence rapid growth high productivity and quality provides flexibility
Disadvantages Establishment cost: $120 to $140 increased risk of stand failures hard to cure
Pearl Millet High Yield Excellent quality Higher leaf to stem ratios
than other warm season annuals
No Prussic acid Problems Requires grazing
management Hard to harvest excess Plant May 1- May 15 or Apr
20-June 30
Pearl Millet Better adapted to acid soils (pH 5.5 to 6.5) More cold sensitive than sorghums Good drought tolerance
better on sandier soils than sorghums
Grazing in 45-60 days For all animals Variety Selection
base on seed cost and availability
Crabgrass High quality Limited varieties Limited yield and
production data Hard to depend on
native establishment Plant after bare soil
temperature in the upper 2 -4 inches is consistently over 70 degrees Fahrenheit at midday
Crabgrass
Annual that acts like a perennial (reseed) Excellent forage quality -higher than
bermudagrass ‘Red River’ only variety Seeding rate 1-5 lbs/ac
Warm Season Legumes
Annual lespedeza Cowpea Sericea lespedeza Forage Soybean
Research is needed - try small acres to see how they do
Why use legumes?
Higher yields and forage quality Improved summer growth Dilution of endophyte infected tall fescue Free nitrogen
legumes >30% no additional N needed always inoculate legume seed
Annual Lespedeza
Tolerant of acidic soils July - September Drought resistant Some articles say they can
reseed, but mixed results Two species
Korean Striate or common
Sericea Lespedeza
Long-lived perennial Nonbloating Extremely drought tolerant Tolerant of acid soils Grazed rotationally Poor seedling vigor Establishment difficult
Cool Season Grasses
Perennials Fescue Matua Bromegrass
Annuals Ryegrass Small grains
Wheat Rye Oats Triticale
Tall Fescue
Endophyte issues 2/3’s, 1/3 growth Minimal variety selection
KY 31 Max Q BarOptima
Long term reliability Clay and loamy soils Excellent Quality Management Forgiving
Tall Fescue
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Jan
Feb
Mar AprMay
June Ju
lyAug
Sept
OctNov Dec
Month
Fescue
Best time to plant is Oct. 1-15 Possible: March 1-15 or Oct. 15 - Nov. 15
Seeding rate – 15-25 lbs/ acre Suppress competition by close grazing or
herbicide application Good soil fertility is critical Not good in sandy soils
Ryegrass
Annual vs. Perennial Tremendous spring
growth Multiple varieties Minimal soil cover at
establishment Widely adapted
Annual Ryegrass
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70
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
Month
Annual Ryegrass High yielding with excellent quality Regrows after cutting until June
Must be controlled if overseed crop
Consistent production Requires nitrogen fertilization Overseed bermudagrass or double crop with
summer annual
Winter Annual Grazing
Over seed into short or thin pastures Wheat, oats, rye, ryegrass, triticale Can provide grazing from November - April if
conditions are right Use caution grazing (limit graze)
Cool Season Legumes
White Clover ??? Vetch ??? Alfalfa ???
White Clover
Excellent Quality Good compliment to
perennial grass stand Relatively inexpensive Can limit management
options Well adapted varieties Poor drought tolerance
Vetch
Tolerant of acid soils Relatively high
phosphorus requirements
Close grazing can destroy regrowth
May not be palatable for horses
Alfalfa
High level of management Expensive to establish and
maintain Limited life expectancy Excellent quality Marginal adaptability Well-drained soils Can cause bloat
Alfalfa
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Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
Month
Putting it all together! Goal: Year-Round Grazing Potential System for NC
JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC
Tall FescueStockpiled Stockpiled
Small Grain Bermudagrass
Year-round grazing requires management
Recommend Stocking Rates Cattle
1.5 – 2 acres per cow depends on mature size of cow
Goats 6-8 goats on an acre
Horses 1 horse per 2 acres
Sheep 5-6 sheep on an acre
Evaluate what you have
How much land per horse?> 2 acres – best scenario with
good possibility of providing substantial grazing for horse
1-2 acres – need excellent grazing management to maintain stand and keep weeds under control
<1 acre – can provide exercise and limited grazing, difficult to keep stand of grass intact
Economics
There are forage budgets available to help you determine prices
NCSU Budgets located at:http://www.ag-econ.ncsu.edu/extension/Ag_budgets.html
Print version and Excel version available
Production costs
Operating expenses for one cropping season Fixed costs for machinery and equipment Annual
All costs are incurred during a single crop
Perennial Costs separated into establishment and annual costs
Materials and services
Seed Seed Inoculants Herbicide Lime Fertilizer Custom Application costs
Other Costs
Labor $9 per hour for machinery labor $8.50 for other labor
Machinery operating Fuel, lubricants and maintenance and repairs
Machinery ownership Fixed costs include depreciation, property taxes,
insurance premiums and interest charges
Seed or sprigging costs Lime costs $0 - $45 per acre Fertilizer costs – depends on the crop and the
soil report $130 - $250 per crop
Seed cost estimates
Here are some seed costs for the recommended seeding rate in 2009 KY 31 tall fescue $65 Max Q $112 Seeded Bermuda $85 - $120 Millet $25 Ryegrass $42 Bermuda sprigs $175
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