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Using Annuals for Forage Production

Learn how to maximize forage yield while minimizing costs through the use of annual forage species. Discover the pros and cons of using annuals and how to incorporate them into your forage program. Explore the benefits of double cropping and the value of selecting the right species for optimum production.

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Using Annuals for Forage Production

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  1. Using Annuals for Forage Production Gary Bates Professor Plant Sciences

  2. Goals for forage program • Graze as much as possible • Spend as little money as possible

  3. Yield of tall fescue Ball and co-workers. 1996. Southern Forages

  4. Annual Forage Species Warm-season sudex pearl millet crabgrass teffgrass Cool-season wheat annual ryegrass rye turnips

  5. Using annuals for forage • Pros • Double crop • High quality • Selectivity of species • Cons • Expense • Establishment risk

  6. Developing a forage program • Start with tall fescue as base forage • Use annuals to fill in production gaps

  7. warm-season grass tall fescue Ball and co-workers. 1996. Southern Forages

  8. Warm Season Annual Grasses

  9. Warm-season forage • 10-25% of pasture • Grazing during June, July, August • Allows tall fescue to be rested

  10. Yield of tall fescue Ball and co-workers. 1996. Southern Forages

  11. Season yield of cool-season annuals Daniel and co-workers. 1983. NC State Univ. Crop Research Report No. 91.

  12. Cool-season annuals Warm-season grass Double-cropping forage

  13. Key Principles • Use tall fescue as base forage species • Red and white clover • Stockpile in fall • Devote 10-25% of land to a warm-season production • Bermudagrass • Summer annuals • Use cool-season annuals to follow warm-season program

  14. Will they improve the winter yield of tall fescue pastures? What about small grains into tall fescue? • Wheat • Rye • Annual ryegrass

  15. Wheat Ryegrass Early - mid Sept Late - mid Oct Fall – 0, 60, 90 lb/acre Spring – 80 lb/acre Study information • Two winter annuals • Two dates • N Fertilization

  16. Effect of overseeding and fall N rate on fall fescue yield Harvested 12/15/01 G. Bates. 2001. Knoxville Experiment Station.

  17. Effect of overseeding and fall N rate on spring fescue yield All plots received 80 lb N/acre in late February Havested 3/15/02 G. Bates. 2001. Knoxville Experiment Station.

  18. Key Principles • Use tall fescue as base forage species • Red and white clover • Stockpile in fall • Devote 10-25% of land to a warm-season production • Bermudagrass • Summer annuals • Use cool-season annuals to follow warm-season program

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