Title: A Forage Primer
1A Forage Primer
2Agenda
- The main forage species
- Blends
- Blend Management
- Establishment
- Corn Production
- Grazing, Silage, Grain
- Questions
- Forages very broad so interaction is always a key
3Forage Species
4Main Forage Species
- Alfalfa
- Brome Grasses
- Fescues
- Wheatgrasses
- Timothy
- Orchard Grass
- Other Grasses and Legumes
5Choosing Perennial Forages Species
- Area of Adaptation
- Special soil conditions
- Growth Habit
- Uses
- Yield Potential
- Forage Quality
- Persistence
6Choosing the right forage species ?
- What is it going to be used for?
- Are theyre any special issues to consider?
- Soil conditions
- Disease Insect Considerations
- Management plan
- Is the species being selected suitable for use
and conditions?
7Legumes
- Alfalfa
- Sweet Clover
- Birds Foot Trefoil
- Red Clover
- Alsike Clover
- Cicer Milk Vetch
- Sainfoin
- Other Clovers
8Alfalfa
- Queen of the Forages
- Hay Pasture
- Pure stands and Mixtures
- High Quality
- High Yield
- Widely adapted
- Persistent
225,000 seeds per lbs 1lbs per acre 5 seeds per
sq ft
9Alfalfa Crown Structure Key
- Crown Buds
- Key for over-wintering
- Re-growth
- Impact of harvest Mgt
- Variety Selection
- Diseases
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11Alfalfa Root Types
Tap Root
Branched Root
Sunken Crown
12Alfalfa Varieties
- Disease Resistance
- Multifoliate
- Traffic Tolerance
- Sunken Crowns
- Branched Roots
- MsSunstra Hybrids
13Sweet Clover
- Biennial Crop
- Drought Tolerant
- High Nitrogen Fixation
- Low Coumarin for Hay Production
- Volunteers Dormant Seed
14Birdsfoot Trefoil
- Non-Bloat Legume
- Branched Tap Root
- Poor Seedling Vigor
- Pasture
- Likes Moisture
- Reseeds
370,000 seeds per lbs 1lbs per acre 8 seeds per
sq ft
15Red Clover
- Tolerant of Acid Soils
- Short Lived
- Bloat
- Hay Pasture
- Easy Establishment
16Alsike Clover
- Tolerates Wet Low Areas
- Acid Soils
- Toxicity Potential in Horses
17Cicer Milkvetch
- Non-bloat
- Pasture Mixes
- Slow to establish (2-3 years)
- Moderate to long persistence
- Moderate tolerane to drought, salinity and
alkalinity
18Other Legumes
- Sainfoin
- Non Bloat, Limited Regrowth
- White Clover
- Lawn Mixtures
- Pastures
- Kura Clover
- Slow to establish, Bloat
19Grasses
20Grasses
- Overwintering
- Regrowth
- Grazing Management
21Grasses
- Bromes
- Wheatgrasses
- Fescues, Orchardgrass Timothy
- Ryes
- Others
- Reed Canarygrass, Kentucky Bluegrass, Native
Species
22Smooth Brome
23Brome Grass
- Smooth Brome
- Erect structure
- Great for haying
- Aggressively rhizomatous
- Great for soil stabilization
- Most drought tolerant of the bromes
- Some salinity tolerance
- Slow regrowth
24Smooth Bromegrass
- Aggressive Sod
- Persistent
- Hay Pasture
25Meadow Brome
26Meadow Brome
- Bunch type growth habit
- Low growing point
- Very good early season growth
- Great grazing species
- Rapid regrowth
- Not great for haying
- Poor tolerance to salinity and drought
27Meadow Bromegrass
- Less Competitive than Smooth Brome
- Fluffy Seed
- Varieties
- Moisture and Nutrients Important
88,000 seeds per lbs 1lbs per acre 2 seeds per
sq ft
28Hybrid Brome
29Hybrid Brome
- Smooth/Meadow
- Better Regrowth than smooth and Less than Meadow
- More Elongation than Meadow
- Less Competitive
30Timothy
- Bunch Grass
- Very Palatable
- Persistent
- Wet Soils
- Acid Soils
31Timothy
- Easy to Over graze
- Moisture
- Hay Pasture
1,100,000 seeds per lbs 1lbs per acre 26 seeds
per sq ft
32Wheatgrasses
- Crested
- Intermediate, Pubescent
- Slender
- Tall
- Western
- Northern
33Wheatgrass
- Tame species
- Intermediate
- Pubescent
- Crested
- Tall
- Native species
- Western
- Northern
- Slender
- Awned
- Streambank
34Crested Wheatgrass
- Bunch Grass
- Very Drought Tolerant
- Early Spring Growth
- Can become Wolfy
- Not as Palatable as Matures
35Wheatgrasses
- Crested Wheatgrass
- Very common
- Very long lived
- Drought tolerant
- Excellent early season growth
- Gets wolfy late in season impalatable
- Diploid type Fairway, Parkland
- Tetraploid type Goliath, Kirk
36Intermediate and Pubscent Wheatgrass
- Like Quackgrass
- Not as strong rhizomes
- Good with Alfalfa for Hay Blend
37Wheatgrass
Intermediate Wheatgrass
Pubescent Wheatgrass
38Wheatgrasses
- Intermediate Wheatgrass
- Good forage production
- Better suited to black soil zone
- Moderate grazing tolerance
- Pubescent Wheatgrass
- Good forage production
- Well suited to the dark brown soil zone
39Tall and Slender Wheatgrass
- Tall Wheatgrass
- Saline Tolerance
- Bunch
- Coarse
- Slender Wheatgrass
- Short Rhizomes
- Saline Tolerant
- Shorter lived
40Orchard grass
- Bunchgrass
- Pasture Hay
- Very Palatable
- Winter Survival
- Susc. Drought
- Moisture Nutrients
- Use in Mixtures
41Orchard Grass
- Incredible forage producer
- Very fast regrowth
- Requires adequate moisture and fertility
- Moderate to poor winter hardiness
42Fescues
- Tall Fescue
- Meadow Fescue
- Creeping Red Fescue
450,000 seeds per lbs 1lbs per acre 10seeds per
sq ft for CRF about ½ for Tall and Meadow
43Tall and Meadow Fescue
- Bunch Grasses
- Fair Winterhardiness
- Very Leaf
- Vigorous Seedlings
- Use in Blends
- Saline
- Tough Conditions
44 Tall Fescue
- Tall Fescue
- Drought tolerant
- Flood tolerant
- Saline tolerant
- Newer varieties
- Very palatable
- Endophyte free
- Excellent late season feed quality
- Moderate winter hardiness
45Creeping Red Fescue
- Turf Grass
- Sod Forming
- Acid Soils
- Tolerates close grazing
- Important Seed Crop
46Fescues
- Creeping red fescue
- Sod forming
- Good early season grazing
- Required lots of moisture and fertility
47Ryegrasses
- Russian Wildrye
- Shallow roots, bunch grass, Dry
- Altai Wildrye
- Dahurian Wildrye
- Vigorous seedling, Short lived
- Perennial Ryegrass
- Annual Ryegrass
48Other Grasses
- Reed Canarygrass
- Flood Tolerance, Low Alkaloid
- Kentucky Bluegrass
- Native Grasses
- Specific Uses
- Seedlings
- Overgrazing
49Choosing the right forage species ?
- What is it going to be used for?
- Pure Stand vs Blend
- Are theyre any special issues to consider?
- Soil conditions
- Disease Insect Considerations
- Management plan
- Is the species being selected suitable for use
and conditions?
50Blends
- Considerations
- Long term goals
- Soil capabilities
- Moisture holding capacity
- Fertility
- Use
- Pasture or hay
- When do you want to graze it
51Blends
- Considerations
- Species
- Palatability
- Suitability
- Competitiveness crested wheat grass, smooth
brome - Seed size
- Meadow brome 80,000 seeds per lb
- Timothy 1,230,000 seeds per lb
52Blends
- Examples
- Hay blend by weight
- 30 smooth brome
- 70 alfalfa
- By seed count approximately
- 20 smooth brome
- 80 alfalfa
53Blends
- Pasture blend by weight
- 5 creeping rooted alfalfa
- 50 meadow brome
- 15 tall fescue
- 15 pubescent wheatgrass
- 15 intermediate wheatgrass
- By Seed Count
- 9 alfalfa
- 36 meadow brome
- 30 tall fescue
- 13 pubescent wg
- 12 intermediate wg
54Blends
- Would this be a good pasture blend in the dark
brown soil zone? - 10 creeping alfalfa
- 50 meadow brome
- 20 timothy
- 20 orchard grass
- By seed count
- 4 alfalfa
- 10 meadow brome
- 56 timothy
- 30 orchard grass
55Blend Management
- What is the expected usefulness of a
- Alfalfa stand?
- Forage stand?
56Blend Management
- Many determining factors affect success
- Species selection
- Fertility
- Moisture
- Grazing practices
57Blend Management
- Species selection
- Competitiveness - smooth brome
- Longevity short lived species - orchard grass
- Suitability grazing tap rooted alfalfa
- Adaptation climactic zones native species,
tall fescue
58Blend Management
- Fertility
- Marginal land
- Low productivity to start with
- Zero additional inputs
- Compounded by over grazing
- Good land
- Maximize carrying capacity/yield
59Blend Management
- Moisture management
- Overgrazing
- Less snow trap
- Increased run off
- Alfalfa stands
- Extreme user of water
- Deep root system
- Uses up lots of sub soil moisture
60Blend Management
- Grazing practices
- Over grazing
- Selection of less desirable species
- Death of beneficial species orchard grass ,
alfalfa - Grazing rotation
- Always grazing the same pasture first or last
- Species shift
61Blend Management
- In short
- The more we beat up our forage stands
- Quicker we will loose beneficial species
- Sooner we will see a drop in production
- Weeds and other non beneficial species will enter
the stand - Sooner we will need to replant our stand
62After the choices are made
- Establishment failure is the most likely trouble
spot. - All forage seedlings are relatively weak and poor
competitors - Weeds and Cover crops can be deadly.
- Target 40 productive stems per square ft
63Competition at establishment
No Cover Crop
Cover Crop
First year of production after establishment
64Stand Establishment Practices
- Seed size and seeding rate
- Seed bed preparation
- Seed Inoculation and Seed Treatment
- Seeding Depth
- Cover Crops
- Time of Seeding
- Fertility
65Managing the crop
- Harvest management for hay yield and quality
- Pasture management
- Overgrazing
- Rest periods
- Fertility
- Winter survival
66Corn
- Grazing (Extending Grazing Season)
- Silage
- Grain
67Can we extend the grazing season?
68Corn for Grazing
- Why?
- High energy
- High digestibility
- High digestibility per acre
- Increase carrying capacity
- Lower feed costs
69How much land is needed?
- If you have 200 cows and want to graze for 30
days, the formula is - 30 days x 200 cows
- 6000 cow grazing days, if you assume 200
cow-days per acre you would require, 6000/200 or
30 acres.
70Corn
- All is essentially result of grain target
- Grain
- Silage
- Grazing
- (More Flexibility)
- Agronomy is the same for growing the crop
71Corn Agronomy
- Hybrid selection
- Seeding time (Early? Warm Soil)(use Planter)
- Row Spacing (20-30)
- Seeding Depth (1.5-2.5)
- Plant population (26,000-32,000 Even)
- Fertility
- Weed Control
- Proper Harvest timing
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75Grazing Tips
- Limit access to paddocks
- Manage the graze to use produced feed most
efficiently
76Corn Grazing Tips
- Turn herd in paddock after freeze up
- Feed test, supply supplements as needed
- Corn is lower in calcium 2 or 3 to 1 ratio
calcium to phosphorus mineral - Add alfalfa hay on last day of each corn paddock
77Grazing Tips
- Use electric fence with a high quality energizer
to divide paddocks. - Clear alley ways through corn
- Rebar makes good posts, place posts before freeze
up or use cordless drill - Provide shelter where possible, bush or portable
shelter - Provide water or use snow
78 Corn for Silage?
7950 Milk Line Stage
80Optimum moisture
81Silage Issues Here
- Efficient cost effective high energy feed
production - Choosing hybrids
- Freezing
- Overdry crop
- Chop Shorter
- Add Water
82BrettYoung Partner ELITE
- Canadian organization
- Concentrate all our resources
- on early corn maturity
- ( less than 3000 CHU)
- ELITE is the only seed corn brand for which all
decisions are made for the early Canadian markets
83Elite is owned by La Coop
- Crop inputs
- Seeds
- Fertilizers (Ag.Retail, Distrib., Indust.)
- Crop Protection
- Hardware
- Petroleum distribution
- Feed
- Pork and poultry production and processing
- Grain
84ELITE hybrid development focuseson the Northern
market Less than 3000 CHU
85Whats behind the Elite seed brand ?
Seed corn production
Corn inbred line distributors
Brett Young Sales team
Biotech traits distributors
Farmers
86Elite corn hybrid development
- 5000 small plots
- Evaluation of 1500 hybrids
- On 4 sites
- Experimental strip plots sites
- 42 sites
- Grain and Silage
- Demonstration plots
- 240 sites
- Commercial
87Elite puts a big emphasis on Field Trials!
- Field Scale
- You need to look at corn hybrids in different
environments
88Hybrid Selection for Grain
- Yield
- Standability
- Dry down
- Plant health
89Elite corn
- Designation for corn silage
- Selected for
- Wider harvest window
- High energy level
- High digestibility level
9012 new corn hybrids for 2009
91What is needed here?
- Silage, Grazing, High Moisture Grain
- Conventional, RR, BT
- Lodging Resistance
- Height
- Right Maturity
- Yield
- Quality
92CHU Ratings
- Silage vs Grain CHU rating
- Difference between 50 milk line and 100
- About 150 (100-200 safe)
- East vs West
- Elite doesnt make any adjustments
- Conservative ratings on known hybrids
-
93Corn Hybrids BrettYoung
- Grain
- 30A27 RR
- 91B17 RR Dual
- 91B18 RR -RR BT
- 46T07 RR Dual
- 20T47 RR Dual
- 20T18 RR -RR BT
- 25T99 RR -VT3
- Silage and Grazing
- FUSION RR
- TUNDRA RR
- MURANO RR
Seed Treated Apron, Maxim, Dynasty and Poncho
9430A27 RR 2150 CHU
Earliest Grain Corn Available
9591B17 RR X2217 RR 2250 CHU
- RR
- Compared to 46T07 RR
- Mature earlier
- Tall plant
- Semi flint
- Faster drydown
- Competitor
- DKC26-78
9691B17RR91B18 RR RRBt
9791B18 RR X2218 RR 2300 CHU
- Compared to 46T06
- Mature earlier
- Tall plant
- Semi flint
- Faster drydown
- Competitor
- DKC26-79
9846T07 RR 2300 CHU
9920T47 RR
10020T47 RR X2047 RR 2350 CHU
- RR
- Competitive yield for his maturity
- Dent corn
- Strong stalk
- Fast drydown
- Tall Plant
101FUSION RRTUNDRA RR
Grazing Silage
10220T18 RR RRBT