|
By
Don Ball
The
extreme drought in 2007 has many livestock producers concerned about the
condition of their pastures as well as concerned about how they are
going to provide feed for their animals. This is a time when many
producers are considering the feasibility of various pasture management
options.
Introduce
Clover. There is
an old saying to the effect, "When life gives you lemons, make
lemonade." While this may seem trite and simplistic, this concept
may have some value and relevance on many livestock farms at a time like
this. In some cases a little thinning or reduction of vigor of a cool
season perennial grass pasture might be viewed as an opportunity to
introduce clovers. Evidence of the truth of this is that "good
clover years" usually follow droughts that open up pasture sods and
reduce competition. However, it is important to remember that clovers
and other legumes can only be expected to establish and grow well in
areas in which the soil pH is suitable (usually 6.0 to 6.5 or higher)
and where there are good levels of soil phosphorus and potassium
available for the legume plants.
Thicken
Cool Season Perennial Grass Stands. Sometimes
a drought will thin cool season perennial grass pastures enough that
grass forage production is likely to be severely reduced for quite some
time unless stands are thickened. In such cases, simply drilling around
10 pounds of orchardgrass or tall fescue seed per acre at a depth of 1/4
to 1/2 inch will help ensure that there will be a good stand of
perennial grass present in the field in future months. However, the
value of the concept of introducing clover still applies and thus
planting clover along with seeding additional cool season perennial
grass should be given serious consideration.
Auburn
University recommendations are to plant cool season perennial grasses in
autumn because this is normally the single best time to dependably
obtain a stand. However, in the northern 1/3 or so of Alabama, there is
a reasonably good likelihood of success with drilling cool season
perennial grass seed and/or white clover or red clover in late winter
(around early March) as well. Therefore, a failure with no-till seeding
in autumn, a lack of having drilled seed in autumn due to a misjudgment
as to the extent to which a stand has thinned, or omission of autumn
planting due to continued severe drought, might be corrected with a late
winter planting.
Overseeding
Warm Season Perennial Pastures. Overseeding
summer pastures with winter annual forages can be of great value when
hay supplies are low. Annual ryegrass in particular is well suited to be
seeded into bermudagrass, bahiagrass or dallisgrass fields in autumn
after the summer grass has ceased vigorous growth. Small grains can also
be drilled into warm season perennial grass pastures, but are less
economically feasible to plant into a sod than ryegrass because of
greater seed expense and relatively little time for them to make growth
before cold weather. Various annual legumes, especially crimson clover
and arrowleaf clover, can also be overseeded on summer sods. Alabama
Cooperative Extension System Circular ANR-227 available from Alabama
County Extension offices provides detailed information about overseeding.
Interseeding
Annuals Into Cool Season Perennial Pastures. Often
when producers realize that their season perennial grass stands (in most
cases, tall fescue pastures) have been thinned, they are tempted to seed
winter annuals (especially annual grasses such as small grain and/or
annual ryegrass) into them. The idea here, of course, is that this will
provide some additional forage in late autumn and spring to help
compensate for reduced fescue growth.
However,
there can be some problems associated with seeding winter annuals into
cool season perennial grass pastures. In most cases there will be little
forage growth from such seedings until late February or March. Winter
annuals typically make vigorous growth in spring providing good grazing
for animals, but it also creates competition for the perennial grass
that has already been weakened and thinned by drought. Winter annuals
are especially competitive against perennial grass or legume seedlings
that may be present. There may be some situations in which seeding
winter annuals into cool season perennial grasses can be justified, but
the negatives associated with using this technique need to be considered
carefully because in many situations it can be considered a questionable
practice. The feasibility of doing this is greater if a
substantial portion of a pasture consists mainly of warm season species
such as common bermudagrass, crabgrass or bahiagrass. |
