Georgia Extension Forage Newsletter

GEORGIA EXTENSION FORAGE NEWSLETTER Summer, 2006

Articles in This Issue 1. Southeast Hay Contest – Randy Franks 2. Warm Season Annual Grasses – John Woodruff 3. Forage Species Adapted to Georgia – Carl Hoveland 4. Forage Establishment Guidelines – John Woodruff 5. Forage Weed Management Guidelines – Tim Murphy 6. Pasture Concerns – John Woodruff 7. What About Switchgrass? – John Woodruff 8. Planning for Fall Legume Overseeding – John Woodruff

Southeast Hay Contest Randy Franks Agents

The new rules and guidelines have been revised and printed for the Southeastern Hay Contest to be held at the Sunbelt Expo in Moultrie Oct. 17-19, 2006. As you know, this is an Educational event and intended to improve the quality of Georgia Forages. There will be 6 categories this year for Southern forages; this gives us a chance to look at all the hay baled in Georgia.

South Carolina has been included to bring in Dr. John Andrae and Clemson Extension.

I hope you will encourage producers to enter this year’s competition and I would like to see more counties award top hay producers for their efforts this year. Georgia is a forage rich state with some of the best hay producers in the South we need to keep our producers involved.

If I can help you please feel free to call, my phone number is 912-427-5965.

Good Luck with your hay.

Randy Franks Wayne County Extension Agent Jesup, Georgia

1 2006 Southeastern Hay Contest October 17-19, 2006 Sunbelt Agriculture Exposition, Moultrie Georgia

Hay Evaluation

Hay and baleage samples will be evaluated in the following categories:

Warm Season Perennial Grass Hay (i.e. bermudagrass, bahiagrass, johnsongrass) Perennial Peanut and Alfalfa Hay Cool Season Perennial Grass Hay (tall fescue, orchardgrass) Mixed and Annual Grass Hay (clover/fescue, clover/ryegrass, bahia/per peanut, millet, ryegrass etc) Grass Baleage (high moisture bermudagrass, ryegrass etc. ensiled in wrapped bales) Legume Baleage (high moisture perennial peanut or alfalfa ensiled in wrapped bales)

Awards will be dependent upon sponsorship of the program.

Hay entries will be judged using NIR testing procedures by the University of Georgia Feed and Environmental Water Lab. The entries will be ranked using the Relative Forage Quality (RFQ) evaluation system, which accounts for protein, energy and fiber digestibility.

If necessary, ties in RFQ scores will be broken based on visual evaluation by the Forage Specialists from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina.

Entry Requirements

This contest is open to any hay or baleage producer from the southeastern United States (see map on entry form), but hay samples must be submitted by the farm where the hay was grown.

Hay/baleage samples, entry forms and analysis fees must be received by the UGA Feed and Environmental Water Laboratory by Friday, September 22. The fee for participation in the contest is the same as for standard NIRS testing + nitrates (F2 test): $10 per sample. The standard lab form for hay/silage analysis must be submitted with the sample. Forms are available at: http://aesl.ces.uga.edu/forms/index.html

A completed contest entry form (see below) must also be submitted. This form requires the signature of your local or regional County Extension Agent. Agents must assign an entry number by state and county on the entry form. This code will be used as the sample ID for analysis and for display at the hay show to protect the identity of the producer submitting the sample. (ex. FL – Jackson Co- 12)

2 Lab analysis samples must be taken from a single lot of hay and from a minimum of 5-10 randomly sampled square or round bales. Submit core samples for testing in a pint or quart sized Ziploc bag labeled with Sample ID as described above. A lot is defined as forage taken from the same farm, field, and cut under uniform conditions within a 48-hour time period. Analysis results should be available to the producer and county agent within 7-10 days after submission.

A grab sample of hay should be collected and submitted for display purposes in a 1 or 2-gallon Ziploc bag labeled with the Sample ID as described above. No baleage display sample is required due to storage issues. Display samples will not be returned, so separate display samples should be collected for entry into local or regional shows. Display samples may be stored in county offices until September 2006. Contest winners will be notified in early October.

Hay samples must be taken from fields with a minimum maturity or re-growth of at least 25 days to ensure fair competition. Hay from fields with less than 25 days of growth will be disqualified.

Hay samples for testing must be collected using a hay probe.

Hay samples with nitrate levels over 5000 parts per million (ppm) on a dry matter basis will be disqualified.

Dry hay samples with over 18% moisture will be disqualified. There are no moisture requirements for baleage categories.

Cored entries for quality analysis should be submitted to:

Tri-state Hay Show Feed and Environmental Water Lab (FEW) 2300 College Station Road Athens, Georgia 30602-4356

Include the following contest entry form, a UGA lab analysis form, and make $10 checks payable to UGA FEW Lab.

For Questions Concerning Show Entry Contact:

John Andrae Don Ball Ann Blount Your County Clemson Auburn University of Extension Office University Forage University Forage Florida Forage Specialist Specialist Specialist 864-656-3504 334-844-5491 850-482-984

Cooperative Extension Service

The Southeastern Hay Contest is open to any hay producer in the southeastern U.S. without regards to race, color, sex, age, disability or national origin.

3 2006 Southeastern Hay Contest Entry Form (use separate form for each entry)

State: County: Entry # Harvest Date: (month/day/year) Field ID Category: (Check Only One) □ Warm Season Per Grass Hay Forage Species and Variety: (i.e. Bermudagrass-Tifton 85, Bahiagrass-Argentine, Perennial Peanut-Florigraze, etc.) □ Perennial Peanut/Alfalfa Hay □ Cool Season Per Grass Hay Age or Maturity: (# of days from greenup or last cutting) □ Mixed and Annual Grass Hay □ Grass Baleage Rate and type of fertilizer applied to this cutting of hay: (i.e. 400 lbs/acre of 20-5-10) □ Legume Baleage Hay Producer Contact Information

Farm or Ranch Name:

Owner/manager:

Address:

City: State: ZIP:

Phone Number: County Extension Office Contact Information

County Extension Agent (print)

Address:

City: State: ZIP:

Phone Number:

Fax Number: Email:

County Agent Signature

WARM SEASON ANNUAL GRASSES

4 John Woodruff

Warm season annual grasses are often planted to attain fast temporary pasture when extra summer forage is needed, and/or when renovating pastures to improved perennial grasses. Most of the warm season annual grasses emerge and establish quickly and have pretty good drought tolerance. They can be used for grazing, hay, and, sometimes silage. Some species, under stress conditions, will accumulate prussic acid and nitrates to levels that are toxic to livestock. Careful management is necessary to make them suitable for livestock use. UGA variety test data is available for some of the warm season grasses at the web site www.griffin.uga.edu/swvt.

Listed below are some of the warm season annual grasses that might be considered for temporary summer pasture. RED RIVER CRABGRASS (Digitaria ciliais) is a reseeding, warm season annual grass released by the Samuel Roberts Nobel Foundation, of Ardmore, Oklahoma. It was derived from a single plant selection from a natural stand of common crabgrass. It has exceptionally high patability and forage quality, establishes quickly, and can be used for grazing or hay.

Red River crabgrass produces up to 10 times the yield of some common crabgrass selections. It can be planted annually, or managed as a planned volunteer in single or double crop forage mixes. Crabgrass palatability and digestibility are quite high when compared to bermudagrasses, and other summer annual grasses. Red River crabgrass can be considered for forage production where yield, quality, natural reseeding, and double-cropping are major needed characteristics.

Red River crabgrass performs best when planted on a well prepared seedbed from April to June. It can be overseeded into small grains or cool season annuals from February to May as a dormant seeding. Planting depth should be from soil surface to ½ inch deep. Planting 2 – 3 pounds (PLS) seed per acre on a firmed seed bed is recommended.

BROWNTOP MILLET (Panicum ramosum) originated in South East Asia. Brown Top millet grows 2 – 5 feet tall. It is occasionally used for grazing or hay production, but more commonly used for wildlife (dove fields) and erosion control. Browntop is less productive than most other summer annual forages, but can be planted as late as August. The seeding rate for Browntop millet is 25-30 pounds per acre and the seeding depth is ½ - 2/3 inch deep on a firm seed bed.

FOXTAIL MILLET (Setaria italica) is an annual warm season grass which can grow 2-4 feet tall with cultivation. Foxtail millet was cultivated in China as early as 2000 BC, and later introduced to Europe. It was brought to the US in about 1850, and is often used as emergency summer grazing, or hay, or stabilization for construction and disturbed soil sites. Foxtail millet may have a place in pasture systems where the primary grass fails or is in short supply. Under stress, foxtail millet can accumulate nitrate to levels that are toxic to livestock. Foxtail millet, though, has been largely replaced by sorghum x sudangrass which is superior in quality and yield. When used, Foxtail millet should be planted at 20 – 30 pounds seed per acre, at a soil depth of ¼ to ½ inch, and on a firm seed bed. HYBRID PEARL MILLET (Pennisetum glaucum) is the most widely planted summer annual grass in Georgia. Varieties such as Tifleaf 3 can produce as much as six tons/A dry matter yields. Pearl millets have a distinct advantage over sorghum x Sudan grasses in that they do not contain the prussic acid often found in the latter. Pearl millets can be grazed or harvested at any growth stage and during droughts without the risks associated with sorghum x sudangrasses.

5 Planting can be made in the spring as soon as soil temperature, two inch depth, warms to 70º F, and can be made in close or wide rows. Seeding should be at 25 – 30 pounds per acre, and at soil depths of ½ to 1 inch.

Pearl millet can be used for grazing, hay or silage. Researchers at Tifton have had good results starting pearl millet grazing when plants accumulates 20 – 24 inches height, and by maintaining stubble height at 9 – 12 inches. Pearl millet can make good quality hay if cut when height is 2 – 3 feet tall. Drying time for millet hay is slow because of thick stems, but this can be sped up by use of a conditioner.

SORGHUMS – are warm season grasses of African origin. Several forage types have been developed. Under stress conditions, these grasses will accumulate toxic levels of prussic acid and nitrates, as such, they are not preferred choices for pastures where grazing is desired. Their primary use is for silage. The ensilaging process (after 2 to 3 weeks) breaks down prussic acid toxins so that the toxicity problem for livestock is reduced. Brown midrib varieties (BMR) are usually preferred varieties since they have less lignin and higher digestibility than old line varieties. Sorghums can be planted in close or wide rows. Seeding rates are usually in the range of 140,000 to 170,000 PLS per acre, the seeding depth should be about one inch. Do not use the sorghums for horse pasture.

(1) Forage sorghums (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) are high yield producers that may have from 0 to 50 percent grain in the forage, depending upon the hybrid and stage of maturity at harvest. As plants mature, lignification increases sharply reducing digestibility and quality. Careful selection of BMR hybrids and timing of harvest are necessary to get highest total digestible nutrients (TDN). Highest crude protein and digestibility will usually be obtained by harvesting in the vegetative growth stage while dry matter production will be increased with headed and more mature plants. Harvesting in the late grain dough stage will maximize per acre TDN. (2) Sudan grass (Sorghum sudanese) has finer stems, tiller profusely and are leafier than forage sorghums. They produce very few seed. Their rate of regrowth after cutting or grazing is superior to that of sorghums. For this reason, they are sometimes used for temporary rotational grazing. They tend to have less prussic acid accumulation than forage sorghums. Prussic acid levels tend to decline as Sudan plants mature. For this reason, care should be taken to let Sudan grass accumulates at least 24 inches of regrowth before grazing. (3) Sorghum x Sudan hybrids can be used for grazing, hay, or silage. Higher seeding rates are often used to increase the proportion of leaves to stems, but this can result in more lodging problems. If grazed, the sorghum x Sudan grasses should be managed like Sudan grass, i. e., they should be rotationally grazed allowing regrowth height to reach 24 inches before grazing.

FORAGE SPECIES ADAPTED TO GEORGIA Carl Hoveland There are many forage species with a proven tack record for use in Georgia including perennial grasses and legumes (warm season and cool season), and annual grasses and legumes (warm season and cool season). A detailed review of these was recently posted on this web site at http://commodities.caes.uga.edu/fieldcrops/forages/foragespeciesadaptedtogeorgia

FORAGE ESTABLISHMENT GUIDELINES 6 John Woodruff

See the above web site for an indepth review of guidelines for establishing seeded and sprigged forages.

FORAGE WEED MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES Tim Murphy

See above web site also for an indebt review of forage weeds, and management techniques, including herbicide treatments

PASTURE CONCERNS John Woodruff

This spring has shaped up to be a major challenge for many pastures across Georgia. Lots of concerns are being raised about warm season grasses not responding to fertilizer, showing unusual herbicide injury, dying back from leaf tips, and just not growing as expected. A lot of the problem, I think, can be attributed to weather. Rainfall and temperatures were above average for January and February, but since then rainfall has been much below normal, and temperatures have been all over. Most of the concerns are about bermudagrasses, and Alicia in particular. Leaf spot disease has not become a significant problem yet, but some fields just are not performing as expected. I expect that pastures will return to normal when the weather returns to normal. In the meantime, here are some things that might help reduce pasture stress: 1) Avoid overgrazing, and use rotational grazing, if possible to give pasture some time for recovery between grazing periods. 2) Take care of basic needs: fertility, liming and weed management. 3) Irrigate, when available. 4) Watch for insects like armyworms, chinch bugs and spittle bugs. These tend to increase when grass is drought stressed. Plan for treatment when economically damaging populations occur.

WHAT ABOUT SWITCHGRASS? John Woodruff

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), a native warm season perennial bunch grass, is getting much attention of late for its’ potential as a bioenergy crop. This native forage species is resistant to many pests and is widely adapted to many soils including those with infertile, flooded and drought stress conditions. There is an upland type switchgrass that accumulates 3-6 feet of growth annually, and a lowland type that can accumulate as much as 10 feet of growth, annually. Switchgrass is often used as a forage species in some areas, but, in GA, has not been competitive with hybrid bermudagrasses for yield, quality and persistence.

Crop scientists began exploring switchgrass potential for bioenergy about two decades ago. Some of the stats make switchgrass look impressive. It has fairly high tonnage yield, requires fairly low maintenance and fertility, and can provide fairly high ethanol yield, about 100 gallons per ton of hay. President George Bush even mentioned it in his 2006 State of the Union

7 Address “We will… fund additional research in cutting-edge methods of producing ethanol, not just from corn but from wood chips and … switchgrass”.

Will switchgrass be part of the Georgia farm scene in the near future? I doubt it. Getting switchgrass established is a challenge. A high percentage of switchgrass seed are initially dormant. Breaking this dormancy has not been easy. It usually takes up to three years to get switchgrass established. While yields up to 12 tons per acre have been reported, annual switchgrass yields are usually in the range of 5 to 7 tons/A when fertilized with 80-100 lbs N and cut twice. Switchgrass persistence has been a problem in some environments with two or more annual cuttings. In a recent UGA study, Alamo switchgrass, grown along with Tifton 85 bermudagrass, napiergrass, and bahiagrass, out yield the bahiagrass, but yielded only 80 to 90 percent that of the Tifton 85 bermudagrass. The Tifton 85 bermudagrass appeared to have distinct advantages (yield, quality, persistence) over switchgrass as a forage, and similar potential for bio-energy. If switchgrass is to have a place in GA, there will have to be significant breeding progress towards correcting the seed dormancy problem, improving yields and persistence.

PLANNING FOR FALL LEGUMES John Woodruff

Please encourage growers to take advantage of overseeded legumes for improving pasture yield, quality and economics. The Durana and Patriot white clovers are performing well in cool season pastures. And for warm season pastures, the new alfalfas show much promise where high soil pH and fertility can be maintained. In most cases, the expenses for legume overseeding can be easily recovered the first season after establishment. See our article in the winter forage newsletter for establishment details.