University of Illinois Dudley Smith Farm Clover Project

1. University of Illinois Dudley Smith Farm Clover Project Ed Ballard University of Illinois, Retired Extension Animal Systems Educator

2. Welcome to Dudley Smith FarmChristian County, Illinois

3. Purpose of Study to Evaluation Clover Frost Seed Into Cool Season Grasses vs. no Clover • Cool Season Grass Paddocks were established in August, 2002. • Study to show important of nitrogen provide by clover vs. commercial nitrogen.

4. 700 N Continuous Corn (Control) C2 Dudley Smith Farm Plot 2012 Continuous Corn (Control) C3 Treatment Codes A- AMPAC mix B- Barenbrug mix M-MaxQ mix RG – Row crops grazed C – Conventional Crop M16 A18 B20 A24 A4 B8 M12 M22 2200 E A3 M11 M15 B7 M21 B23 A17 B19 A2 B6 M10 A14 Acreage per experimental unit row crop (3, 48 acres each) B5 M9 B13 A1 Dry lot Continuous Corn (Control) C1 cool season pasture (Group # 4, 2.5 ac. paddocks) cool season pasture (Group # 3 2.5 ac. Paddocks) Cool season pasture Group # 2 -2.5 acres Paddocks Cool season pasture Group # 1 -2.5 acres Paddocks continuous corn (control) (2, 5 ac. each) dry lot/corral area (5.5 acres)

5. Ampac Paddocks • Quartet Perennial Ryegrass 7.5 lbs • Due Festuolium 7.5 lbs • Tekapo Orchardgrass 15 lbs • Starfire Red Clover 4 lbs* • Kopu White Clover 2 lbs* • * Clover were seed in March, 2003

6. Barenbrug Paddocks • Baradan Orchardgrass 11.25 lbs • Barcel Tall Fescue 14.75 lbs • Alice White Clover 2 lbs* • Freedom Red Clover 5 lbs* • Clover Seed March 2003

7. Pennington Paddocks • Max Q Tall Fescue 20 lbs • Patriot White Clover 3 lbs* • White Clover Seeded March, 2003

8. Frost Seeding of Clover • For the Ampac and Barenbrug Paddocks • 5 lbs Red Clove and 2 lbs White Clover frost seed in March each year. • For Pennington Paddocks 2 lbs White Clover frost seeded in March each year.

9. Percent Clover in Stand • When study begin in spring of 2008 the stands consisted of 60 percent cool season grasses and 40 percent clovers by dry matter content in all paddocks. Half of paddocks continue to receive clovers frost seeded annually and one half of paddocks received no clovers for 4 years from 2008 to 2011.

10. Crude Protein % Average for 2008 thru 2011, U of I Dudley Smith Farm

11. % TDN Average for 2008 thru 2011, U of I Dudley Smith Farm

12. % RFV Average for 2008, 2009 , 2010 & 2011

13. Value and Amount of Nitrogen Fixedby Various Legumes Source: Marvin Hall, Pennsylvania State University

14. Advantages of Mixtures of Cool Season Grasses and Clovers • Legumes provide nitrogen for grasses • Legumes improve forage quality and reduce the potential for nitrate poisoning • The fibrous root system of grass helps in stabilizing slopes and reducing erosion • The stand life of forages is lengthended • Grasses reduce bloat potential when included with legumes

15. Clovers are generally higher in the following nutrients than grasses • Crude Protein • TDN • Calcium • Magnesium • Clovers maintain much higher levels of magnesium than grasses on wet soils in spring, reducing potential for cattle losses from tetany.

16. Average daily gain and gains per acreof steers grazing tall fescue and tall fescue-clovers pastures. Source: Hoveland, C.S., et.al. 1981. Bulletin 530. Auburn University

17. Effect of Interseeding on Pasture Yield (Year after Seeding) Source: Cosgrove, 1995 University of Wisconsin

18. Dry Matter Yields of Fescue-Clover vsFescue-Nitrogen-Lexington, Ky, 1978, 2 yr Average Source: Taylor, T.H. , et.al. University of Kentucky

19. Clover percentage, dry matter and crude protein yields of 2nd year orchardgrass-red clover mixture Source: Templeton, W.C. 1975. University of Kentucky

20. Georgia CLOVER VS NITROGEN Source: John Andrae, White Clover Establishment and Management Guide University of Georgia

21. Average daily gain and gains per acreof steers grazing tall fescue and tall fescue-clovers pastures. Source: Hoveland, C.S., et.al. 1981. Bulletin 530. Auburn University

22. Animal Performance on grass vs. legume-grass mixtures

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

24. Beef Steer performance as affected by clover on pastures of endophyte-free tall fescue (E) and other grasses

25. Frost Seeding • Frost seeding legumes and grasses is increasingly being used by producers as a means to improve pasture yields or change forage species composition within the pasture.

26. Keys to successful frost seedings • 1. Seed to soil contact • 2. Reduce plant competition with new seedlings • 3. Species selection and seeding rates • 4. Seeding time

27. Frost seeding pitfalls • 1. Seed planted into sod too tall. • 2. Legumes seeds not inoculated. • 3. Competition by taller grass. • 4. Poor soil fertility.

28. Fescue and Red Clover

29. Summary: Benefits of Clovers • 1. Improved Quality • 2. Nitrogen Fixation • 3. Higher Yields • 4. Extend Summer Growth

30. Summary # 2: Cost of Clovers vs Commercial Fertilizers • The Cost for frost seeding clovers has ranged from$20 to $30 per year. • The cost for commercial nitrogen applied at 100 lbs. actual nitrogen per acre would range from $55 to $75 plus application cost per year.