Forage Budgeting

1
Forage Budgeting

• Using it when it grows

2
Forage Budgeting

• Matching forage utilization with forage growth
  and accumulation
• Methods
• Preserved forages
• Hay
• Silage
• Controlled grazing
• Variable stocking rate
• Stockers
• Cull/Weanling sell

3
Primary Forage System

• Ryegrass (green)
• Cool season annual
• High Quality/Quantity
• Ambient Temperature factors
• Minimum 43oF
• Maximum 90oF
• Optimum 60oF
• Bermudagrass (yellow)
• Warm season perennial
• High Quantity/medium quality
• Most abuse tolerant
• Ambient Temperature factors
• Minimum 50oF
• Maximum 98oF
• Optimum 85oF

4
Forage Budgeting

• Forage Growth
• Species/variety selection
• Site specifications
• Genetic potential
• Rainfall
• nuff said
• Weed Control
• Shading
• Nutrient competition
• Soil Fertility
• Rest period
• TNC recharge
• Daylength
• Shortening daylength hastens reproduction

• Animal Requirements
• Livestock class
• Growth
• immature vs. mature
• Lactation
• dry needs less
• Pregnancy
• barren needs less
• Animal Weight
• metabolic stocking rate
• Animal Movement
• Other needs
• livestock water
• minerals, etc.

5
Limitations to forage growth

• Soils
• Renovation
• Fertilization
• Species and Variety Selection
• Establishment
• Weed Control
• Grazing Management

6
Soils (An Overview)
7
Soil

• Is
• Dynamic
• always changing
• Alive
• fauna and flora
• Complex
• combination of living, dead, mineral materials
• Nothing short of amazin!!
• Alright, Im a nerd.

• Is not
• Static
• Dirt
• dirt is soil in the wrong place
• Potting soil
• growth medium
• Sand
• silicon is chemically inactive

8
Soil Composition

• Constantly changing
• Mineral
• rock derivative
• Pore space
• water
• air
• Organic Matter
• plant and animal matter
• living and dead

9
Soil Profile

• Surface A horizon
• Active
• biological
• plant/animal activity
• chemical
• organic matter accumulation
• Subsurface E
• Pan formation
• nutrient mining
• Subsoil B
• Low OM
• Clay accumulation (B2t)
• Subsoil acidity
• Parent Material

10
Physical Properties of Soils

• Color
• Texture
• Structure
• Drainage
• Depth
• Surface features

11
Soil Color

• Determining factors
• Organic Matter
• Drainage Condition
• Oxidation
• Indications
• Red-Brown
• Good drainage
• Yellow
• fair drainage
• Grey to Dark
• poor drainage

12
Texture

• Particle size
• Properties
• Drainage
• SandgtSiltgtgtgtClay
• Water Holding Capacity
• ClaygtgtSiltgtgtgtSand
• Water availability
• SiltgtClaygtSand
• Fertility
• ClaygtSiltgtgtgtSand
• Workability
• SandgtSiltgtClay
• Classes
• Textural groups
• Textural classes

13
Texture Determination

• Particle size composition
• Feel method
• Form a Ribbon
• mix water soil (1 tblspn) ball
• press between thumb and forefinger
• Signs
• sand gritty
• silt slick, talcum powder
• no ribbon sand, loamy sand
• lt1 sandy loam, loam, silt loam
• 1-2 silty clay loam, clay loam
• gt2 clay
• Volumetric
• accurate, slow, costly

14
Textural Relationships
15
Soil Structure

• Soil Aggregate (ped) formation
• Organic matter driven
• Traffic impacted
• Long term development
• Pore space development
• Air flow
• root breathing
• Regulates water
• infiltration rate
• root penetration
• drainage

16
Soil Structures
17
Soil Depth
Factors - bedrock - water table -
compaction - subsoil pH - nutrient
stratification
18
Soil Organic Matter

• Composition
• Carbon Cycle
• living and dead
• plant and animal
• dynamic system
• Advantages
• Improves structure
• increased infiltration
• increased water holding capacity
• increased workability
• increased CEC
• OM has high number of exchange sites
• Increase to 3-4 OM in Northeast Texas under
  perennial pastures

19
Chemical Properties

• Soil pH
• Cation Exchange Capacity
• Organic matter content
• Clay mineralogy
• Essential Plant Nutrients
• Nutrient Movement
• Root/soil interaction

20
Cation Exchange Capacity

• Natural Fertility
• Exchange sites
• Organic matter
• Clay
• Edge charges
• other materials
• Function
• Attracts Cations
• Repels Anions

21
Liebergs Law of Limits

• Crop yield
• barrel water
• Yield limitations
• shortest stave
• 2000 water
• fertilize to match limitations
• over fertilize lost
• under fertilize lost yield
• proper fertilizer matches water limitation

22
Coastal yield, CP and water use as affected by
Nitrogen Rate
23
Influence of Nitrogen and Potassium on Coastal
Bermudagrass Survival
24
Soil Fertility

• Physical
• Texture
• Structure
• Infiltration rate
• Utility
• Aesthetics
• Crop selectivity

• Chemical
• Soil pH
• Essential Nutrients
• Macro
• Nitrogen
• Phosphorus
• Potassium
• Secondary
• Micronutrients
• Beneficial Nutrients

25
Nutrient Uptake Problems

• Root growth limited
• traffic pan
• soil chemistry
• surface root hair activity
• Acidity
• hostile pH (lt5.5)
• plant specific
• solution
• soluble Ca source
• Stratification
• subsoil mining
• limited nutrient movement
• solution
• banding
• soluble nutrients
• soil mixing

26
Water Storage

• Soil
• Seasonal storage
• Texture
• loamy best
• Infiltration
• Ground cover
• Water travel zones
• Rooting Zone
• Traffic pan
• Subsoil acidity
• Fertility stratification

27
Soil Compaction

• Rooting Barrier
• Limit water infiltration
• Limit root growth
• Prevalent in Grazing and Machine
• Sometimes difficult to control

28
Traffic Pans

• Compression of fine soil particles into the pore
  space between large particles.
• Limits water infiltration and root growth
• Occurs on wet soils
• Equipment movement
• Cattle Treading

29
Equipment Pans

• Location
• varies
• change in soil texture
• not all soils are susceptible
• Thickness
• usually thin
• Time
• short term
• thin pans
• long term
• Structure destruction

30
Treading

• Location
• usually in upper 4
• change in soil texture
• most visible in clay soils
• all soils susceptible
• Site exposure to animals
• short term
• Thin pans
• long term
• Rough field
• Structure destruction
• Long Term Solution
• protect susceptible sites
• manage for dense sods

31
Treatments

• Prevention
• protect susceptible sites
• competitive sward
• Soil Regeneration
• soil type
• rooting activity
• fauna activity
• mid to long term solution
• Mechanical
• depth determinant
• short term solution

32
Mechanical

• Break the traffic pan
• Reforms under moist conditions and traffic
• Shattering vs. slicing
• Root damage
• Timing is critical
• Proper moisture
• Late Winter/early spring

33
Depth Treatments

• Dormant sod
• Dec.- early March
• Shallow
• 0-3
• Disk Harrow
• Moderate
• 3-6
• Spike type aerator
• Deep
• gt6
• Chisel

34
Deep chiseling

• Horsepower hog
• 35-50 hp/shank
• Drier soils get better breakage but require
  greater horsepower
• Options
• bigger tractor
• smaller chisel
• Cost
• Paratill 8000
• used single shank??

35
Subsoiling/plowing

• Multiple Implements
• paraplow, aeroway, etc.
• standard chisel or disc
• Timing
• During dormancy
• preferably drier soil
• increase pan shatter
• prior to spring rains
• bermuda recovery

36
Soil pH

• pH log (H)
• limits nutrient availability
• Crop tolerance highly variable
• Al toxicity apparent before low pH affects plant
  survival
• preferred pH 6-7
• Ryegrass/small grains pHgt5.8
• Clovers pH specific

37
Sixteen Essential Nutrients

• CHOPKNS CaFe Mg B Mn CuZn MoCl
• Primary
• C, H, O
• Macronutrients
• N, P, K
• Secondary Nutrients
• Ca, Mg, S
• Micronutrients
• B, Cl, Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn, Mo
• Beneficial
• Na, Ni, Si, Co

38
Primary Nutrients

• Function
• Cell Wall formation
• Basic building blocks
• Electron Transfer
• Carbon, Oxygen
• Plant available form
• Plant takes in CO2
• Plant gets O2 from roots
• Hydrogen
• Plant available form H2O
• Releases O from water

39
Nitrogen (N)

• Most responsive fertilizer nutrient
• especially grasses
• Absorbed as NO2, NO3, NH4
• Very Mobile in both plant soil
• Function
• major component of plant chemicals amino acid,
  etc.
• Excess
• excess vegetative growth, limited fruits
• Deficiency
• limited growth, chlorosis, symptoms on old growth
  first
• Notes
• Changes form rapidly in the soil
• N soil tests have little value

40
Phosphorus (P)

• Plant available forms
• HPO4-2, H2PO4-
• Fertilizer form H2PO5
• Plant mobile, Soil immobile
• Functions
• ATP, ADP energy, germination, most aspects of
  plant growth
• Excess
• micronutrient deficiency of Zn, Fe and/or Co
• Deficiency
• Reduced plant growth, purpling or browning in
  foliage
• Notes Fixes readily with cations, pH dependent
  solubility

41
Potassium (K)

• Plant available form K
• Fertilizer form K2O
• Plant and soil mobile
• Function
• enhances fruit and flower, co-enzyme for TNC
  storage, water balance
• Excess
• causes N deficiency, interferes with other cation
  uptake
• Deficiency
• limited growth, shortened internodes, brown leaf
  edges (margin scorch), wilting
• Notes
• High demand in East Texas Soils. Critical for
  winter survival of perennials.

42
Calcium (Ca)

• Plant available form Ca2
• Plant immobile, very limited soil mobility
• Functions Cell membrane integrity, co-enzyme
• Excess
• Mg uptake interference
• Deficiency
• Inhibited bud growth, root tip death, mature leaf
  cupping, weak growth, blossom end rot and pits on
  fruits
• Notes
• Usually corrected with pH, Water stress affects
  Ca relationships.

43
Magnesium (Mg)

• Plant available form Mg2
• Plant mobile, limited soil mobility
• Functions
• Chlorophyll compound, co-enzyme, seed germination
• Excess
• Ca uptake interference
• Deficiency
• Growth Reduction, marginal chlorosis, interveinal
  chlorosis in mid and lower leaves, reduced seed
  production, cupped leaves
• Notes
• leaches with irrigation, usually corrected with
  Lime in fields, chelates and sulfates in pots

44
Sulfur (S)

• Plant available form SO4-
• Plant immobile, very soil mobile
• Functions
• structural compound of AAs, etc. and chlorophyll
  production
• Excess very limited information
• Deficiency
• Rarely deficient due to pollution and impurities
  symptoms include growth reduction, overall
  chlorosis
• Notes
• leaches with irrigation, usually corrected with
  other nutrients, true toxicity is rare and
  difficult to control, very high levels in low pH
  soils

45
Iron (Fe)

• Plant available form Fe2, Fe3
• Plant immobile, limited soil mobility
• Functions
• chlorophyll catalyst, co-enzyme activity
• Excess
• rarely occurs except on flooded soils, confounded
  with acid soils
• Deficiency
• Growth Reduction, interveinal chlorosis on young
  tissue, often becoming white, evident on high pH
  (gt7.5) soils, High P soils, high Cu, Zn soils and
  nematode infestations
• Notes Deficiency corrected with foliar
  applications of chelated Fe.

46
Boron (B)

• Plant available form BO3-
• Plant immobile, soil mobile
• Functions
• cell wall formation and membrane integrity,
  calcium uptake, TLC movement
• Excess
• intraveinal darkening and death
• Deficiency
• Seed Set failure, internal (stem) breakdown,
  apical bud death
• Notes
• Regulate with pH control, legumes highly
  responsive to low (lt2 lbs/ac) fertilization.

47
Zinc (Zn)

• Plant available form Zn2
• Plant immobile, high soil mobility
• Functions
• co-enzyme, PGR co-factor, TLC metabolism, protein
  synthesis
• Excess
• Fe Mg uptake interference, seen in over manured
  soils
• Deficiency
• Small leaf size, leaf size reduction, rosetting
  (short internodes), distorted or puckered leaf
  margins, interveinal chlorosis
• Notes
• leaches with irrigation, usually corrected with
  balanced fertilizer, chelates and sulfates in pots

48
Copper (Cu)

• Plant available form Cu, Cu2
• limited plant mobility, not soil mobility
• Functions
• nitrogen metabolism, co-enzyme, TLC utilization
• Excess
• Fe Mg uptake interference, seen in over manured
  soils
• Deficiency
• Small, misshaped, wilted plants. Most commonly
  found in peat and potting soils
• Notes
• usually corrected with balanced fertilizer
  chelates and sulfates in pots

49
Manganese (Mn)

• Plant available form Mn2
• Plant immobile, soil mobile
• Functions
• Co-factor for Photosynthesis, respiration and
  nitrogen metabolism
• Excess
• Reduced plant growth, brown spotting on leaves,
  chlorosis similar to Fe deficiency, usually acid
  soils
• Deficiency
• interveinal chlorosis followed by browns spots,
  producing a checkered red effect.
• Notes
• Deficiencies usually corrected with balanced
  fertilizer

50
Molybdenum (Mo)

• Plant available form MoO4-
• Plant immobile, soil immobile
• Functions
• nitrate redox, protein synthesis
• Excess
• not plant toxic, high mammalian toxicity, usually
  a pollution problem
• Deficiency
• Interveinal chlorosis on older and midstem
  leaves, whiptailed (twisted) leaves
• Notes
• Primarily regulated with pH control

51
Chlorine (Cl)

• Plant available form Cl-
• Very Plant mobile, high soil mobility
• Functions
• water relations (stomate activity), cation
  movement
• Excess
• usually confounded with sodium (salt) toxicity,
  salt injury, leaf burn, increased succulence
• Deficiency
• Club roots, wilted bronzing leaves, chlorosis
  then death
• Notes
• leaches with irrigation, usually corrected with
  potassium fertilizer.

52
Sodium (Na)

• Plant available form Na
• Plant mobile (phloem), soil mobile
• Functions
• Osmotic regulation and Ionic balance
• Excess
• very toxic element, salt burn, poor water uptake,
  soil structure collapse, cell wall degradation
• Deficiency unkwown
• Notes
• Beneficial, not required, usually fully available
  in the soil

53
Nickel (Ni)

• Plant available form Ni2
• Plant mobile (phloem), very limited soil mobility
• Functions
• forms urease, enhances Fe uptake, concentrated in
  reproductive organs (seed germination)
• Excess
• chlorosis and leaf margin necrosis
• Deficiency unknown, iron chlorosis (?)
• Notes
• Beneficial, not required, often fully available
  in the soil

54
Cobalt (Co)

• Plant available form Co2
• Plant mobility not well understood, limited soil
  mobility
• Functions
• Nitrogen fixation in root nodules of legumes and
  non-legumes, deficiency limits seedling
  development (?)
• Excess unknown
• Deficiency unknown
• Notes
• limited amount in the soil, very reactive with a
  number of anions. Essential for bacteria
  (Rhizobium, etc.) growth

55
Silicon (Si)

• Plant available form SiO3-
• Plant immobile, soil mobile
• Functions
• Cell wall component, drought tolerance
• Excess unknown
• Deficiency unknown
• Notes
• Beneficial nutrient for some plants. Best
  application methods not understood.

56
Fertilizer Selection

• Dont guess soil test
• Match needs with available fertilizer
• Fertilizer
• Form
• Inorganic
• Organic
• Type
• Complete
• Incomplete

57
Fertilizer Form

• Organic
• slow release
• generally poorly balanced (3-2-2 for PL)
• Micronutrients included
• Improved soil
• Inorganic
• fast release
• tailor application to field
• Micronutrients have to be added
• limited, if any, soil improvement

Decision - science, economics - fertilizer
availability - personal preference - everyone
has an opinion
58
Fertilizer Type

• Incomplete
• Unbalanced
• over/under fertilizer rate
• Economics (?)
• Complete
• balanced, tailored to specifications
• blend unbalanced fertilizers to create balanced
  fertilizer

59
Fertilizer Sources
60
Blending Fertilizer
Soil Test Results Ryegrass for Rabbits 60-60-60
N-P2O5- K2O per acre 1000 sq. ft of
ryegrass 43560 sq. ft/acre
61
Other Fertilizers

• Slow release
• Advantages
• fewer applications
• Low burn potential
• Release rate varied to clients need
• comparatively slow release
• Disadvantages
• Cost
• Limited Availability
• Release rate not governed by plant

• Manures Sludges
• Advantages
• Low burn potential
• Relatively slow release
• Micronutrient content
• Condition soils
• Disadvantages
• Salting potential
• Bulky
• Odor
• Weed seed
• Heavy Metals
• Availability/Variable cost

62
Summary

• Soils are dynamic
• Soil Properties
• Physical
• Biological
• Chemical
• Soil change can be modified
• OM content
• Structure (traffic pans)
• Fertilizer cost money, use appropriately
• Youll learn something new every day

63
Soil Management

• Physical
• Water
• Texture
• Structure
• Infiltration rate
• Utility
• Aesthetics
• Crop selectivity
• Chemical
• Nitrogen
• Soil pH
• Phosphorus
• Micronutrients
• Potassium
• Secondary

64
Soil Fertility Management

• Soil Test
• Proactive Mentality
• Utilize available nutrients
• Controlled nutrient mining
• Nutrient Removal
• Renter Mentality
• Replacement of mined nutrients

65
Soil Testing

• Identify Fields
• Multiple samples
• Individual fields
• Stratification
• 0-2
• 2-6
• Composite and Mail
• Multiple Labs
• TAMU
• others

66
Nutrient removed (lbs/ac) by grazing and hay
production
67
Pasture Renovation

• Reduced pasture production
• Causes
• Compaction
• Machinery
• Livestock
• Drought Damage
• Poor Fertility Management
• pH, K, micronutrients
• stratification

68
Symptoms for Renovation

• Reduced forage production
• Thin bermudagrass stands
• Reduced rhizome number vigor
• Weed invasion
• broadleaf
• grass
• improper water movement
• Poor drainage (slope)
• Poor infiltration

69
Renovation Practices and Requirements

• Minimum
• Soil testing
• Fertilization
• Weed Control
• Prescribed burning
• Light mowing
• Grazing management
• Reduce stocking rate
• Increase stubble ht.

• Extensive
• Intensive Weed Control
• Intensive grazing management
• Subsoiling/chiseling
• Discing/plowing
• Replanting
• Heavy fertilization

70
Nutrient Stratification

• Nutrient Movement
• Root interception
• Mass Flow
• Diffusion
• Stratification
• P, Ca, Zn, Cu, etc.
• mostly during cold (January) or dry (August)
  periods

71
Fertility Management

• Nitrogen Bermudagrass
• Grazing180 units/year include recycled
• Hay most responsive with early harvests
• Hybrid Bermuda 100 units/cutting, split
• others 60 units/cutting
• Phosphorus
• 60 - 120 units per year
• pH dependent
• build up with manure

72
Fertility Management

• Potassium Tricky
• Grazing limited
• Hay depletion
• First indication Winter kill
• Late application may be more important
• examine roots in late summer
• fertilize for Ryegrass Requirements

73
Fertility Management

• Soil pH
• limits nutrient availability
• Cool season more intolerant
• Ryegrass/small grains pHgt5.8
• Soil pH alteration
• Liming
• Estimated Calcium Carbonate Equivalent
• Multiple Sources
• Ag limes
• Flue dusts
• Gypsum board (?)
• Lowering pH
• difficult
• Sulfur fertilizers
• Nitrogen fertilizers
• long term

74
Fertility Management

• Secondary Ca, Mg, S.
• Ca, Mg adjust with lime
• Sulfur becoming more important
• Micronutrients Zn, Cu, others
• pH regulates
• pHlt5.5 Zn, Cu, others
• pHgt7.5 Fe, others
• manure build up of Cu

75
Forages for North and Northeast Texas

• The short version

76
Diversity

• Ecosystems/soil/initial agriculture
• Piney Woods
• Deep sands
• Timber/Horticulture
• Post oak Savannah
• Loamy
• Row crops/Dairy
• Blackland Prairies
• Clay
• Cotton/Wheat
• Cross Timbers
• Loamy
• Cattle/Wheat

77
DiversityRainfall

• Precipitation
• 32-48
• West Driest
• NE wettest
• Similar Pattern
• Typically wet springs
• Dry to very dry late July through August.
• Rains in late September - November

78
Similarities

• Temperature
• Generally Mild
• Soil Moisture Holding Capacity
• Remarkably similar
• Typical Forage Base
• Bermudagrass/Ryegrass

79
Primary Forage System

• Bermudagrass
• Perennial Warm Season
• Types Common (seeded), Hybrid (sprigged)
• Ryegrass
• Annual Cool Season
• High quality and production
• Multiple varieties

80
Bermudagrass/ryegrass

• Advantages
• Abuse tolerant
• Best match of quality/quantity to date
• Disadvantages
• Nitrogen Hawg
• 240 lbs.. N/ac/yr.
• Abuse tolerance leads to mismanagement
• Weed Invasions
• Reduced forage production

81
Species Selection

• Determine
• Your production needs?
• Quantity
• Quality
• When
• What do you want? (qualitative)
• What can you afford? (economic)
• Plant what fits your site
• Rule of thumb
• Select species that are found no more than 50
  miles west and 100 miles north, south and east
  (lots of exceptions)

82
Soils

• First determinant of species or variety selection
• Roots grow shoots!
• Physical
• Texture
• Clay, loam, silt, sand
• Water movement storage
• Rooting Barriers
• Chemical
• Soil Test
• pH
• P K
• Nitrate (?)

83
Species Selection

• Annual vs. Perennial
• Cool vs. Warm season
• Bunch vs Sod (grasses)
• Growth habit
• Tall - short
• prostrate

84
Establishment Considerations

• Soil Fertility
• CHOPKNS CaFe Mg B Mn CuZn MoCl
• Level varies with soil type
• Incorporation into the soil is best and done
  during seed bed preparation
• Inoculation
• Symbiotic relationship between Rhizobium bacteria
  and legumes which provides plant with nitrogen

85
Soil Fertility and Fertilization

• Rules of thumb
• Soil Test, Dont Guess
• Grasses need nitrogen soon after germination and
  thereafter
• Avoid nitrogen with legumes
• Legumes respond to phosphorus
• Species response variation huge
• Both need K and other nutrients

86
Legume Inoculation

• Proper Rhizobium
• species specific
• Fresh Rhizobium
• heat and light sensitive, dont save
• some may exist in the soil
• Mix within 24 hours of planting
• Use a sticker
• mix according to directions.. and let dry

87
Recommended Species

• Grasses
• Legumes

88
Warm season grassesHigh - Moderate Defoliation
tolerance

• Bermudagrass
• Hybrid
• Coastal, T-44, T-85, Jiggs, many others
• Common
• Giant, Cheyenne, others
• Paspalums
• Bahiagrass
• Pensacola, Tifton-9
• Dallasgrass common
• Johnsongrass, Kleingrass
• health other issues
• lower defoliation tolerance

89
Bunch Type GrassesLimited defoliation tolerance

• Slick seed
• dormancy period
• Switchgrass (Alamo/Caddo)
• Eastern Gamagrass (Pete)
• Fluffy seed
• hard to plant
• Indiangrass
• Bluestems
• Little Big
• Old World
• WW-Bdahl
• other bunchgrasses being developed

90
Warm Season CroplandHigh risk (rainfall) yield

• Grasses
• Good to high quality
• Nitrogen required
• poor to excellent yield
• Millet Acid Sands
• Alkaloid, Nitrate
• Sorghums Alkaline Clays
• Nitrate, Prussic Acid
• Legumes
• High quality, no N
• Soybeans Loam-clay, multiple maturity groups
• Cowpeas Sands

91
Cool Season Grasses

• Annuals
• Ryegrass backbone,
• spring growth
• Small Grains winter yield
• Rye cold tolerance, high yield
• Wheat low yield, cheap seed
• Oats cold tol. High palatability
• Triticale low palatability, yield
• Perennial
• Tall Fescue
• endophyte
• GA-5
• Jose Wheatgrass
• Cold disease tolerance ?

92
Cloversacidic soils
93
Cloversalkaline soils
94
Summary

• Base Program
• Bermuda/ryegrass
• Legumes
• Quality
• Nitrogen
• Management
• Other options
• site dependent
• limited information

• Producer Options
• know what you got
• know what you want
• know what you need
• know when you need it
• know what you can afford
• Make your plans

95
Crop Establishment

• Agronomic aspects

96
Agronomic QuestionsStarting the Journey

• Soils
• What do you have?
• How do you correct it?
• Species selection
• What do you want?
• What kind of seed?
• Establishment
• How do you get it?
• Weed control -
• How do you get rid of the problem plants?

97
Germination Requirements

• All are plant specific
• Stratification
• period of temperature change.
• Temperature
• Moisture
• seed swell
• Sunlight
• IR band

98
Soils

• First decision
• species/variety selection
• Soil Factors
• Physical
• Texture
• Rooting barriers
• Chemical
• Soil Test
• pH
• P K
• Nitrate (?)

99
Soil Test Recommendations
100
Translation

• Bermudagrass (154550)
• Mildly acid
• no lime needed
• Med - High P, Ca Mg
• low in Nitrogen (expected) Potassium
• Recommendation
• 100-0-45
• 300 lbs AN and 75 lbs 0-0-60/ac
• One hay cutting and grazing
• Fertility wise site is well managed and normal

• Garden (08227)
• Moderately alkaline
• excessively alkaline for east Texas
• if a pine tree grows here it should not be
  alkaline
• High pH, P, Ca and Mg indicates excess
  application of commercial fertilizer and lime,
  maybe manure.
• Indicates a micro-nutrient test is needed
• Low nitrogen
• side dress with the equivalent of 30 lbs N/ac.
• Low potassium

101
Establishment

• Species selection
• What to plant
• Seeding Date, Rate and Depth
• Seedbed Preparation
• Planting Method
• Conventional
• No-till
• Companion crops
• Fertilization
• Weed Control
• Reduce Competition

102
Species Selectiongetting a smoother ride

• Plant what fits your soil
• Determine the desired results
• Native species
• no more than
• 50 miles west
• 100 miles north, south and east (lots of
  exceptions)
• Naturalized species
• local information
• SWAG it.
• What do you want? (qualitative)
• What can you afford (economic)

103
Species Selection

• Broadleaf/grass/grasslike
• what do you want it to do.
• Annual vs. Perennial
• how long do you want it
• Cool vs. Warm season
• when do you want it?
• Legume vs. Nonlegume
• Nitrogen production
• Native vs Naturalized

104
Planting Date

• Cool season grasses and most forbs are planted in
  the fall (Sept. - Nov.) some opportunity exists
  for early spring (Feb 15 to March 15) plantings
• Warm season grasses and some forbs are planted in
  the spring (late March to late May). Plantings
  after June 1 are risky without irrigation.

105
Seed Quality

• Quality cost
• Certified seed meet state standards
• Germination
• Weed seed
• Newest technology
• Reduced failure rate
• Decreased disease
• Increased Production
• Local Seeds Plants
• Adapted to ecosystem
• Local business

106
Seeding Rate

• Species dependent
• Perennial 20 - 80 K/ac (1/2 to 4 plants/ft2)
• Annual 100-300K/ac.
• Seeding Rate
• Increase seeding rate with increased hazards
• Decrease species seeding rate with mixture (total
  seeding rate increases)
• Seed quality dependent base seeding rate on pure
  live seed calculations
• PLS(germ hard seed)purity

107
Early Ryegrass Yield as Affectedby Seeding Rate
and Method
108
Seeding depthWhere to park the seed

• Best if planted to moisture
• (field cap.)
• Considerable species variation
• The bigger the deeper
• (4 to 8) seed diameter
• 1/4 to 1/2 , Not more than 3/4
• many small seeded plants (lt 1/8 ) can be surface
  planted, if soil moisture is or will be adequate.

109
Planting MethodGetting home

• Seedbed preparation
• Prepared Seedbed
• Sod or minimum tillage
• Companion crop
• defoliation
• desiccation
• Seeding method
• drill
• broadcast
• transplant

110
Seedbed Preparation

• Minimum Tillage
• Advantages
• Reduced erosion potential
• Reduced energy costs
• Annual weed control
• canopy closure
• OM and Moisture Retention
• Disadvantages
• Nutrient Stratification
• Planning required
• Seed costs (?)
• Additional Equipment requirement
• Drills
• Sprayer

• Clean Tillage
• Advantages
• Perennial weed control
• root destruction
• Eliminate rooting barriers
• Mix Nutrients, OM, etc.
• Enhances Seed/soil contact
• Disadvantages
• Exposure to erosion
• High energy costs
• OM Reduction
• Moisture loss

111
Conventional Tillage

• Clean, firm seedbed
• Tillage
• till to 6 to 12
• 2-6 passes
• breakdown
• pans
• clods
• incorporate
• Organic matter
• Nutrients
• Lime
• Cultipack
• 1/4-1/2 footprints

112
Minimum Tillage

• Establish cover crop
• Planning
• previous growing season
• planting period
• crop uses
• grain
• grazing
• Management
• soil moisture recharge
• control specific weeds
• crop yields (?)
• Canopy control
• Harvest
• leave gt4 stubble
• Roundup
• open canopy

113
Seeding Method

• Drill
• best seed/soil contact
• lowest seeding rate
• medium speed
• equipment needed
• Broadcast
• small seed required
• increased seeding rate
• fast, limited equipment
• Transplant
• greatest success rate
• greatest expense
• Money, labor, time

114
Effect of planting and and light disking on
forage production by April 1 of ryegrass
overseeded on bermudagrass, Winnsboro, LA
Values are in lbs per acre
115
Chemical Desiccation of Dallisgrass Sod
116
Enhancing Success

• Use Common Sense
• Increase seed soil contact
• Disk, Drill and Pack
• Broadcast
• Scratch
• disk, harrow, etc.
• Drag
• pipe, chain, tire, cedar bush
• Seeding Rate
• Transplants
• Use for maximum success
• Limited seed
• Need for speed (?)

117
Points to Ponder

• Seed limitations
• Germination
• Fertility
• remember the basics
• Erosion control
• Sediment is the first form of pollution

118
Seed Germination

• Seeds require infrared light to germinate
• Litter and canopy blocks infrared light
• Open up the sod
• Established plants compete for light, water and
  other nutrients
• Plant when mature plants are dormant
• Suppress dominate growth

119
Fertilization

• Nonlegumes need nitrogen
• Legumes dont need nitrogen
• Use Rhizobium inoculant
• avoid heat damage
• proper legume/Rhizobium combination
• use a surfactant
• Legumes need phosphorus
• Avoid nitrogen with legumes
• Species variation huge
• Both need K other nutrients
• Soil test

120
Erosion Control

• Erosion is a storm event not a season event
• Prevention
• the steeper the slope closer to water, the more
  important the effort
• gt60 ground cover
• Use companion crop
• green sprangletop with bunchgrass
• Wheat or oats with white clover or alfalfa

121
Summary

• When it comes to forage selection and
  establishment, the only thing set in stone is
  your Epitaph.
• Stay Flexible!!!