Interseeding Clover and Legumes in Grass Sod
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DIVISION OF AGRICULTURE RESEARCH & EXTENSION Agriculture and Natural Resources UA University of Arkansas System FSA3134 Interseeding Clover and Legumes in Grass Sod John Jennings Adding legumes to grass pastures legume species can be found and hay fields offers many benefits in FSA2117, Forage Clovers Professor - to forage system sustainability. for Arkansas. Forages Legumes in grass pastures improve animal performance, increase nutri- Basic Steps for Planting tional quality of hay and pasture, Kenny Simon extend grazing seasons and reduce Legumes Program Associate - the need for nitrogen fertilizer. In a Site selection is important for Forages recent survey (2011), over 40 percent maintaining good legume stands. of Arkansas producers reported Avoid shallow, droughty soils and having added clover to pastures sites with very low soil fertility or Dirk Philipp within the past five years and over heavy weed infestation. Several Associate Professor - 25 percent planted clover in fescue methods can be used to successfully Animal Science pastures to reduce fescue toxicity in establish legumes into a grass sod. their livestock. The basic steps for success of any method include: Commonly planted legumes adapted to Arkansas include annual 1. Establishing adequate soil pH and perennial clovers (e.g., red, and fertility white, crimson and arrowleaf), 2. Controlling weeds prior to and alfalfa, annual lespedeza, hairy after planting vetch, winter peas and others. 3. Removing the grass canopy and Recommended seeding rates are excess residue before planting shown in Table 1. Legumes are 4. Calibrating planting equipment not as tolerant of poor growing for correct seeding rate conditions or overgrazing as fescue 5. Providing good seed-to-soil and bermudagrass, so good manage- contact during planting ment must be used to establish and 6. Planting at the correct depth maintain legume stands. More infor- 7. Controlling the grass canopy after mation on characteristics of specific planting to reduce competition Table 1. Recommended seeding rates for legumes commonly planted into pastures and hayfields. Seeding Rate Annual Legumes (lbs per acre) Annual lespedeza (Kummerowia stipulacea and K. striata) 15-20 Arrowleaf clover (Trifolium vesiculosum Savi) 8-10 Crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum L.) 15-20 Hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth) 15-20 Subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L.) 12-15 Arkansas Is Winter peas (Pisum sativum L.) 20-30 Seeding Rate Our Campus Perennial Legumes (lbs per acre) Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) 20-25 Red clover (Trifolium pretense L.) 10-12 Visit our web site at: Trifolium repens https://www.uaex.uada.edu White clover ( L.) 2-3 University of Arkansas, United States Department of Agriculture, and County Governments Cooperating 8. Using proper grazing or hay harvest to allow ½ inch deep. Note that the depth of cut into the sod legume persistence by the drill’s disk openers sets the depth of seed placement. Shallow planting is far more successful for Conversely, the most common reasons for legume establishment than deep planting. Good unsuccessful legume establishment include excessive success is often achieved by adjusting the disk grass residue at planting time, poor weed control, low openers to barely cut the sod and adjusting more soil fertility, planting too deep, poor seed-to-soil down-pressure on the following press wheels. This contact, planting too late in fall or spring, causing allows the seed to drop to the soil surface and be excess grass competition by applying nitrogen firmed into the soil surface by the press wheels. fertilizer or litter and overgrazing. When planting with a broadcast planter, roughing Field Preparation up the short sod by pulling a harrow, tire drag or even a cedar tree across the field exposes soil and Fields should be clipped or grazed as closely as improves legume establishment (Figure 2). Seeds that possible to remove the grass canopy and excess thatch drop onto a slightly loosened soil surface will become before planting. In heavy grass residue, no-till drills anchored in place by action of frost or rain. Well- perform poorly and broadcast seed will not reach the anchored seeds have a higher chance of forming soil surface. A closely grazed grass stubble of two inches established seedlings than seeds lying in thatch or on or less is ideal. a hard soil surface. During germination, the seed Good clover stands can be established with a must be well-anchored for the emerging root to no-till drill (Figure 1) or by broadcast seeding penetrate the soil. If the seed is not well-anchored, (Figure 2). Research at the Livestock and Forestry the growing root pushes the seed away from the soil Research Station near Batesville showed no differ- surface, leaving both the seed and root exposed. ence in stand counts between no-till or broadcast This reduces seedling survival and causes poor methods for establishing white clover. stand establishment. No-till drills should be calibrated and set to plant the seed an average depth of ¼ inch but no more than Planting Legumes in Fescue and Other Cool-Season Grasses Legumes can be planted into fescue and cool- season grass sods during fall or in late winter. Planting in late winter (February to early March) is sometimes called “frost-seeding” because freezing and thawing of soil helps work the legume seed into the soil surface. The fescue is usually grazed very short during winter so the small legume seed can reach the soil surface. An effective method also is to overseed legumes after stockpiled fescue has been completely grazed in late winter. Fall planting, late September to mid- October, can be successful if the fescue is grazed short (2- to 3-inch stubble). Fescue can produce heavy Figure 1. Planting clover with a no-till drill into growth in fall, making it competitive for soil moisture closely grazed fescue sod in late February. during dry fall seasons. Planting Legumes in Bermudagrass or Bahiagrass Fall (late September to mid-October) is the preferred season for planting legumes into bermudagrass or bahiagrass sod. The reason is that warm-season grasses start to go dormant in fall when night temperatures drop below 60°F and they are not competitive with the legume seedlings. Planting during this period allows enough time for adequate seedling development before onset of cold weather. Fall establishment also allows the legume to have a developed root system for rapid growth in spring before warm-season grasses become competitive. Figure 2. Planting clover with a broadcast seeder Clipping or grazing the sod to a 2-inch stubble height and ATV followed by a tire drag on a closely grazed fescue sod in late February. before planting improves establishment success. Winter annual legumes are commonly grown in Several good herbicides and management practices bermudagrass and bahiagrass pastures to provide can be used to reduce weed populations in grass forage in spring before the warm-season grasses pastures prior to planting legumes. Heavy grazing become productive. Typical winter annual species pressure may reduce growth of certain weeds, but include crimson clover, arrowleaf clover and hairy some may survive to produce even more seed. vetch. Winter annual legumes should be planted in fall for best results. Dry matter yield of winter Long-term prevention of weed seed production will annual legumes planted in February is lower and help reduce the weed seed bank in the soil. A combina- the production is typically delayed compared to tion of good soil fertility, well-timed herbicide applica- fall plantings. tion and good grazing management is the most effective weed control program. Planting Strategies Legumes can be planted after adequate weed Legumes are usually solid-seeded, meaning that control is achieved. For herbicide options for the entire field is planted. Success is variable, with controlling weeds in pastures, refer to MP44, establishment ranging from 0 to near 100 percent Recommended Chemicals for Weed and Brush Control. of field coverage, depending on factors already discussed. For perennial legumes, such as red Soil Fertility and white clover, establishment rate is often 25 to 30 percent of the pasture. Adequate soil fertility is necessary for good root growth and stand persistence. Nitrogen fertilizer is Two alternative planting strategies for white not needed for establishing legumes in grass sods. clover called “strip-seeding” and “stripe-seeding” Nitrogen fertilizer or animal manure will stimulate have been developed. These methods may improve growth of the grass sod which will out-compete establishment success and reduce planting costs. developing legume seedlings. For strip-seeding, white clover is planted in strips Soil test phosphorus levels should be 75 to 100 over an area equivalent to 25 percent of the field (see pounds per acre and soil test potassium levels should FSA2159, Strip-Seeding Strategy for Establishing be 260 to 350 pounds per acre. Recommended soil pH Clover in Pastures). The seeding rate is increased for legumes is 6.2 or higher. Lime may take up to a over the recommended rate. For example, the typical year to increase soil pH. Soil tests should be made 6 recommended seeding rate for white clover is to 12 months in advance of planting to allow time for 2 pounds per acre. If the same total amount of seed correction of serious fertility deficiencies. To get is planted in wide strips (50 to 60 feet wide) over fertilizer and lime recommendations for overseeding 5 percent of the field, the effective seeding rate is legumes, ask for soil test code #116, “Legumes 8 pounds per acre in those strips. This helps ensure Over-seeded into Grass Sod,” when submitting good establishment of clover, and then natural vege- soil samples to the county Extension office. tative growth and seed dispersal by grazing livestock help spread clover into the unplanted areas of the Legume seed should be inoculated with the correct field.