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The
ability to grow winter annual forages such as the small grains,
ryegrass, and various annual legumes to produce high-quality grazing
during some of the coldest months of the year is a major advantage
Alabama livestock producers have over producers in other parts of the
country. In a year like this during which there is a widespread shortage
of hay for wintering animals, winter annuals are of particular value.
Good
production from cool-season annuals requires adequate fertility.
Although initial fertilizer applications should have already been made
for most plantings in 2006, a review of general recommendations should
be appropriate. Phosphorous, potassium, and lime should have been
applied at or near planting time according to soil test recommendations.
Grass-legume mixtures planted on a prepared seedbed in early autumn
should have received 60 pounds of nitrogen at planting time or soon
thereafter. If the legume does not make up at least 30 percent of the
ground cover or additional grass growth is needed, another 60 pounds of
nitrogen should be applied in late February. Grasses grown without
legumes and planted in early September on prepared land should have
received 100 pounds of nitrogen per acre at or near planting time. An
additional 60 pounds of N per acre should be applied in late February.
Winter
annual forages overseeded on the sods of warm season grasses such as
bermudagrass or bahiagrass typically need less nitrogen fertilizer than
plantings made on a prepared seedbed. The reason is that overseeded
stands are usually planted 4 to 6 weeks later, which means there is less
time for growth between planting and cold weather that will severely
limit growth, so less nitrogen fertilizer is needed (this is true for
late plantings into a prepared seedbed as well).
What
species are planted and location within the state makes a difference as
to the amount of nitrogen needed as well. Small grains, especially rye,
make more growth than ryegrass in autumn and winter. Also, the farther
south one goes in Alabama, the more forage growth is likely to occur
during the winter months. A “rule of thumb” when making nitrogen
applications to winter annual grasses (where there is no legume present)
is that about a pound of nitrogen is needed per acre for each day of
good growing weather that is expected before the next application of
nitrogen is to be made or grazing is to be terminated.
It
is advisable to not begin grazing winter annuals until small grain
seedlings are at least 8 inches tall or ryegrass is at least 6 inches
tall. Overseeded ryegrass and clovers are unlikely to provide grazing
until late winter, but except for very late-planted fields, grazing of
small grain should be possible in late autumn. It’s also important to
keep cattle off of a winter annual pasture if the soil is quite soft or
during extremely muddy periods, especially when the plants are very
small.
If the acreage of
winter annuals available is limited and hay is short, a “limit
grazing” system in which cattle are turned into the pasture for only a
few hours each day is a great technique for efficiently using the
forage. Livestock producers who use this system confirm that it is not
as much trouble as it sounds like it would be. In this sort of system, 2
to 4 cows (or the equivalent) can be grazed per acre depending on how
much additional feed the animals are receiving. Winter annual pastures
will not grow in mid-winter (except possibly along the Gulf Coast), so
supplemental feed will be required for several weeks in most areas of
the
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