FORAGE PRODUCTION IN SOUTH GEORGIA

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FORAGE PRODUCTION IN SOUTH GEORGIA
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PASTURES CAN PROVIDE

• INEXPENSIVE HIGH QUALITY FEED IN THE FORM OF
  GRAZING, HAY OR SILAGE
• PASTURES AND HAY CAN SUPPLY ALL THE FEED NEEDS
  FOR COW-CALF OPERATION
• SUPPLY A LARGE AMOUNT OF FEED FOR BEEF STOCKER
  AND DAIRY HERDS

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IMPROVED PASTURE AND CATTLE MANAGEMENT CAN
PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INCOME FOR FULL-TIME AND
PART-TIME LIVESTOCK OPERATIONS
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NO ONE PROGRAM FITS ALL SITUATIONS

• BEST TO BEGIN ON SMALL SCALE THAT IS EASILY
  MANAGEABLE AND EXPAND AS YOU LEARN

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FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN PLANNING A FORAGE SYSTEM

• LAND AREA AVAILABLE
• LOCATION IN STATE
• PRODUCTIVITY OF SOIL
• KIND OF LIVESTOCK
• AVAILABILITY OF RESOURCES
• MANAGEMENT OF FORAGE SYSTEM

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FORAGE QUALITY

• REFERS TO THE NUTRITIVE OR FEEDING VALUE OF A
  FORAGE
• AFFECTS THE FORAGE INTAKE AND DIGESTIBILITY BY
  THE ANIMAL

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INDICATORS OF FORAGE QUALITY

• TDN-TOTAL DIGESTIBLE NUTRIENTS
• CP- CRUDE PROTEIN
• NDF- NEUTRAL DETERGENT FIBER
• ADF- ACID DETERGENT FIBER

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TDN

• THE TOTAL OF THE DIGESTIBLE PARTS OF CRUDE FIBER,
  PROTEIN, FAT AND NITROGEN-FREE EXTRACT.

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CP

• IS AN EXPRESSION OF NITROGEN CONCENTRATION- WHICH
  IS VERY IMPORTANT IN ANIMAL PRODUCTIVITY

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NDF

• IS ANALYZED CHEMICALLY AND CONSISTS OF TOTAL
  FIBER IN THE FORAGE AND RELATES NEGATIVELY TO
  ANIMAL CONSUMPTION

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ADF

• IS COMPOSED OF MORE INDIGESTIBLE FIBER AND
  RELATES NEGATIVELY TO DIGESTIBILITY

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HIGH QUALITY FORAGE

• IS MORE READILY CONSUMED
• USED MORE EFFICIENTLY
• ANIMAL PERFORMANCE IMPROVES AS FORAGE QUALITY
  IMPROVES
• STOCKER NEED A TDN OF 67.5 TO GAIN 2 LBS PER DAY
• GOOD MILKING BEEF COWS NEED A TDN OF 57

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FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE FORAGE QUALITY

• FORAGE SPECIES
• CROP MATURITY
• ENVIRONMENT (CLIMATE)
• FERTILITY
• PEST

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FORAGE FEEDING VALUE IS MOSTLY DETERMINED BY
MATURITY

• YOUNG, LEAFY VEGETATIVE GROWTH HAS A HIGHER LEVEL
  OF DIGESTIBLE NUTRIENTS
• PROTEIN DECLINES AS PLANTS MATURE

• OLDER FORAGE HAS FEWER LEAVES, MORE STEMS AND A
  HIGHER FIBER CONTENT
• SEED HEAD DEVELOPMENT INDICATES DECREASED QUALITY

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COOL SEASON VS SUMMER

• COOL SEASON ANNUALS PRODUCE HIGHER QUALITY FORAGE
  
• LEGUMES PRODUCE HIGH- QUALITY FEED WITH A HIGHER
  LEVEL OF PROTEIN
• GENERALLY COOL SEASON CROPS ARE HIGHER IN QUALITY
  THAN WARM SEASON GRASSES OTHER THAN LEGUMES

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GOAL

• MANAGING PASTURES TO UTILIZE YOUNG FORAGE
  THROUGHOUT THE GRAZING SEASON IMPROVES ANIMAL
  PERFORMANCE
• YOUNG CATTLE NEED QUALITY FORAGE TO MAINTAIN AN
  ACCEPTABLE RATE OF GAIN

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THE CARRYING CAPACITY OF A PASTURE IS A FUNCTION
OF THE AMOUNT OF FORAGE PRODUCED

• FORAGE SPECIES
• LEVEL OF INPUTS
• MANAGEMENT
• WEATHER

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PASTURE ESTIMATE FOR BEEF COWS

• 1 TO 2 ACRES OF PERMANENT PASTURE PLUS 1 TO 11/2
  TONS OF HAY OR 3 TONS OF SILAGE

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PASTURE ESTIMATE FOR STOCKER CATTLE

• ½ TO 1 ACRE OF WINTER ANNUAL PASTURE OR 1/3 ACRE
  SUMMER ANNUAL PASTURE PLUS SUPPLEMENTAL FEED

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PASTURE ESTIMATES FOR HORSES

• 1 TO 2 ACRES OF PERMANENT PASTURE PLUS ½ ACRE OF
  WINTER ANNUALS PLUS SUPPLEMENTAL FEED

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TYPES OF PASTURE

• PERMANENT PASTURES- ESTABILISHED IN WARM OR COOL
  SEASON GRASSES THAT LASTS FOR SEVERAL YEARS
• TEMPORARY PASTURES- SEEDED EACH YEAR WITH COOL OR
  WARM SEASON GRASSES

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WARM SEASON GRASSES

• PERENNIAL
• -HYBRID BERMUDAGRASS
• -COMMON BERMUDAGRASS
• -BAHIAGRASS

• ANNUAL
• -PEARL MILLET
• -HYBRID MILLET
• -SORGHUM X SUDANANGRASS
• -SUDANGRASS

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HYBRID BERMUDAGRASS

• COASTAL
• TIFTON 44
• TIFTON 78
• TIFTON 85
• ALICIA

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COASTAL

• FIRST HYBRID FORAGE DEVELOPED
• RELEASED OVER 50 YEARS AGO
• PRODUCES HIGH YIELDS OF HIGH QUALITY WHEN
  PROPERLY FERTILIZED AND MANAGED

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TIFTON 44

• WINTER HARDY
• PRODUCES HIGHER QUALITY THAN COASTAL OR ALICIA
• YIELDS SIMILAR TO COASTAL AND ALICIA
• GROWS EARLIER IN SPRING AND LATER IN FALL

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TIFTON 78

• RELEASED IN 1984
• IN TESTS PRODUCED 25 MORE DRY MATTER
• 7 HIGHER IN DIGESTIBILITY
• NOT AS WINTER HARDY
• STANDS HAVE NOT BEEN PERSISTENT

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TIFTON 85

• RELEASED IN 1992
• LARGER STEMS, BROADER LEAVES AND DARKER COLOR
• PRODUCES 26 MORE FORAGE THAN COASTAL
• 11 MORE DIGESTIBLE
• PRODUCES MORE LIVE-WEIGH GAIN PER ACRE

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ALICIA

• FROM AFRICA IN EARLY 1970S
• EASY TO ESTABLISH
• PRODUCES YIELDS LIKE COASTAL
• LOWER QUALITY THAN COASTAL

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COMMON BERMUDAGRASS

• ONLY 50-60 THE YIELD OF THE HYBRIDS
• CAN BE ESTABLISHED FROM SEED

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BAHIAGRASS

• PENSACOLA- USE ON POORER SOILS
• TIFTON-9 HIGHER YIELDING
• ARGENTINE- NOT AS FROST TOLERANT, USE ON POOR
  DRAINED SOIL
• COMMON- LOWER YIELDS

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WARM ANNUALS

• HIGH YIELDING
• RESPOND TO GRAZING MANAGEMENT
• HYBRIDS PRODUCE HIGHER YIELDS
• HARD TO MANAGE FOR LEVEL GRAZING- NOT ENOUGH ONE
  DAY AND TOO MUCH THE NEXT DAY

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WINTER ANNUALS

• RYE, OATS, WHEAT, RYE GRASS
• PRODUCES HIGH QUALITY FORAGE
• CAN GET GOOD GAINS FROM STOCKER CATTLE
• CAN CUT DOWN ON HAY AND PROTEIN NEEDS FOR WINTER

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LEGUMES

• CLOVER, ALFALFA AND PERENNIAL PEANUT
• NOT REAL COMMON IN SOUTH GEORGIA
• HAVE PROBLEMS GETTING AND KEEPING GOOD STANDS

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LIMING AND FERTILIZATION

• ALWAYS TAKE A SOIL TEST
• BEST TO USE SPLIT APPLICATION FOR EVERYTHING
  EXECPT PHOSPOROUS
• PROPER FERTILIZATION PROMOTES RAPID EARLY GROWTH
  AND HELPS ENSURE GOOD STANDS
• ALWAYS APPLY MAJOR, SECONDARY AND MICRO NUTRIENTS
  TO PASTURES

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• HYBRID BERMUDAGRASSES
• HAY- 80-100 LBS N/ ACRE AND 60-100 LBS PER
  CUTTING- P AND K ACCORDING TO SOIL TEST
• BAHIAGRARSS- APPLY 100-200 LBS N PER ACRE IN
  SPLIT APPLICATIONS - P AND K ACCORDING TO SOIL
  TEST
• WINTER ANNUALS- UP TO 150 LBS N IN SPLIT
  APPLICATIONS- RYEGRASS MAY NEED AN EXTRA
  APPLICATION OF 40-60 LBS N LATER - P AND K
  ACCORDING TO SOIL TEST

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GRAZING MANAGEMENT

• CONTINUOUS- CATTLE STAY ON THE PASTURE FOR
  EXTENDED TIME
• ROTATIONAL- LARGE PASTURES ARE DIVIDED UP INTO
  SMALLER UNITS- WHEN CATTLE GRAZE ONE UNIT DOWN
  THEY ARE MOVED TO ANOTHER

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PASTURE MANAGEMENT

• PROTECT FROM EROSION
• CONTROL WEEDS
• ESTABLISH A SYSTEM THAT WORKS FOR YOU
• HARVEST AND STORE EXCESS FORAGE
• USE A CAREFULLY- PLANNED FERTILIZATION PROGRAM
• SPREAD ANIMAL DROPPINGS
• BURN PASTURE IN EARLY SPRING IF NOT OVER-SEEDED

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THE END
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REFERENCES

• -Pastures in Georgia Extension publication
• can be found at-
• http//www.ces.uga.edu/pubs/pubsubj.html
• -Modern Livestock and Poultry Production- Fifth
  edition- James R. Gillespie