Unit 8: Small Grains

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Unit 8 Small Grains Forage Grasses

• Chapter 18

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Unit 8 Small Grains Forage Grasses

• Unit 8 Objectives
• Describe the practices for growing oats
• Understand necessary methods of forage grasses,
  selection
• Knowledge of fertilizer needs

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Unit 8 Small Grains Forage Grasses

• Growing Small Grains
• Used as cash crop and livestock feed
• Well-adapted to most soils and for cool-season
  growing conditions
• May be used as a companion crop
• Seed development
• Contain carbos, fat, protein, vits, minerals
• Can be harvested at 13-15 moisture
• May be stored 2 yrs at lt13 w/ little spoilage

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Unit 8 Small Grains Forage Grasses

• 3 parts of the seed
• Seed coat (pericarp)
• Embryo
• Endosperm
• Germination Early Growth
• Germinates and anchors quickly under proper
  conditions
• Roots
• May be 3-6 deep
• 3-4 horizontal
• Very susceptible to weather problems early in
  development

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Unit 8 Small Grains Forage Grasses

• Growing point remains below the soil until the
  first visible node appears above the soil line
• Plant has produced several additional shoot
  (tillers)
• Growth of the main stem
• Can withstand very cold temps early in life
• Growth Stages
• Seedling
• Tillering
• Side shoots appear from the crown
• Jointing
• Nodes begin to separate and can be felt on the
  lower parts of the plant

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Unit 8 Small Grains Forage Grasses

• Boot
• Head can be felt inside upper leaf sheath
• Flag leaf has developed
• Heading
• Head spikes emerge
• Fertilization and kernel development
• Seedbed Preparation
• Provide proper amount of tillage to promote
  adequate moisture, firm seedbed
• Must have good seed/soil contact
• Dry, loose soil is unsatisfactory

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Unit 8 Small Grains Forage Grasses

• Selecting a Variety
• High quality seed is essential
• Selection factors
• Yield
• Maturity
• Disease resistance
• Straw strength
• Shatter resistance
• Plant height
• Grain quality

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Unit 8 Small Grains Forage Grasses

• Quality Factors
• Protein content
• Milling qualities
• Plumpness
• Test wt.
• Straw strength?
• Disease Resistance
• Leaf rust, smut, tan spot, scab
• Winter hardiness
• Planting
• Seed ASAP after frost is out in the spring
• Germination begins at 24-36º
• Best soil temp is 40º

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Unit 8 Small Grains Forage Grasses

• Early planting leads to higher yields
• Temps gt90 will reduce pollination and yields
• Want to complete development before hot weather
• Seed from late April to early May for spring
  seeding
• Seed early enough for good development before
  winter weather in fall (late August to September)
• Plant 2 deep, depending on soil moisture and
  temp
• Grain drill may be best tool for seeding
• Fertility Needs
• Adequate amounts of N, P, K must be available
  (though not as much as corn, etc.)
• Major portion of nutrients taken in between
  tillering and heading

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Unit 8 Small Grains Forage Grasses

• Most N P is removed w/ the grain
• Apply P N at planting
• N application in the spring for winter varieties
• Weeds
• Many weeds can cause problems
• Vigorous stand will compete effectively w/ weeds
• Weeds to watch
• Foxtail, quack grass, wild oats, mustard,
  pigweed, lambsquarter, wild buckwheat
• May need control w/ herbicides
• Broadleaves may outgrow the crop, and must be
  controlled w/ herbicide

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Unit 8 Small Grains Forage Grasses

• Diseases
• Fungi, bacteria, viruses
• Most spread by spores
• Fungal diseases can overwinter on dead plant
  material, seed, soil
• May attack leaves, developing heads
• Leaf rust, septoria leaf blotch, smuts
• Can be carried over to the next crop
• Most can be controlled w/ seed treatment or
  resistant varieties

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Unit 8 Small Grains Forage Grasses

• Oats
• Can be removed early for forage
• Used mostly in livestock feed, can be used in
  high-protein cereals
• Grow on a wide range of soil types
• Less sensitive to soil conditions than wheat
• Grows better on medium to fine textured soils
• Requires more water for development than any
  other small grain

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Unit 8 Small Grains Forage Grasses

• More susceptible to higher temps, and limited
  moisture
• N management is key to good yields
• Spring oats should be seeded early (Mar 1-Apr 15)
• Seeding rate depth
• 75-100 lbs/ac
• No more than 1
• Little crop residue is best

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Unit 8 Small Grains Forage Grasses

• Sorghum
• Usually cannot compete economically w/ corn
• New varieties have higher yield potential
• Grain can replace corn in animal rations
• Good cash markets are limited
• Hybrids
• Bird-resistant varieties have been developed
• Bitter taste to birds

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Unit 8 Small Grains Forage Grasses

• Cultural Practices
• Use bird-resistant varieties, if birds are a
  problem
• Plant one wk later than corn
• 30 rows or slightly less
• 8-12 lbs/ac seeding rate
• Fertilize according to needs
• Control weeds effectively
• Harvest at lt26 moisture
• Plan to dry the grain in most years
• Market crop before planting to ensure
  profitability

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Unit 8 Small Grains Forage Grasses

• Forage Grasses
• Kentucky Bluegrass
• Predominant pasture grass
• Can survive severe droughts
• Optimum temp for growth 60-90º
• Injury will occur at temps gt100
• Produces a dense sod
• Relatively unproductive in midsummer
• Can be increased or sustained
• Favorable moisture
• N fertilization

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Unit 8 Small Grains Forage Grasses

• More energy/lb than smooth bromegrass
• Extremely palatable
• Carrying capacity can be increased w/ weed
  control, addition of legumes, fertilization
• Dont graze to lt2-3
• Overgrazing will increase weed pressure
• Reduces growth rate and vigor
• Poor root rhizome development
• Controlling Pasture Weeds
• Can be annual, biennial, or perennial
• Ragweed, fleabane, sunflower can come back each
  year from seed

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Unit 8 Small Grains Forage Grasses

• Dock, ironweed, etc. common perennial problems
• Mowing/clipping may help reduce weed stands
• Early bud stage is best for mowing of perennials,
  annuals should be mowed before seed production
• Bluegrass Other Forages
• Improves production and lengthens growing season
• Birds-foot trefoil, ladino clover, red clover,
  alfalfa may be seeded w/ bluegrass
• Trefoil may be best companion crop produces
  heavily during summer
• Fertilizing Bluegrass
• Pure bluegrass fertilize annually w/ 60-20-20
• May be able to omit potash if levels are high
  enough

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Unit 8 Small Grains Forage Grasses

• If legumes are included in the pasture omit N,
  use higher levels of P, K
• Seeding rate
• Pure 10 lbs/ac
• Mixed w/ forages 2-4 lbs/ac
• Canada Bluegrass
• More tolerant of acid soils
• Can be found in KBG pastures
• Bluer foliage than KBG
• Matures later, less productive, slow recovery
  after grazing

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Unit 8 Small Grains Forage Grasses

• If present, good sign to soil test
• Orchard Grass
• Versatile, perennial bunch grass
• Establishes rapidly
• Good for hay, silage, or pasture
• Rapid regrowth
• Produces well under intensive cutting or grazing
• More summer growth than other cool-season grasses
• Tolerates drought better
• Grows best in deep, well-drained soils

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Unit 8 Small Grains Forage Grasses

• Especially suited for mixtures w/ alfalfa, red
  clover
• Rapidly declines in palatability as it matures
• Timely harvest mgmt is essential
• Perennial Ryegrass
• Bunch grass suitable for hay, silage, or pasture
• Excellent quality, palatable forage
• Vigorous
• Long growing season
• High yield
• Moisture not lacking
• Good fertility

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Unit 8 Small Grains Forage Grasses

• Best seeded on combination w/ other grasses
• Less winter hardy
• Less competitive w/ legumes
• Matures later than orchard grass
• Sturdy
• Hard to cut, slow to dry
• Reed Canary Grass
• Tall, leafy, coarse, high yielding
• Hay, silage, pasture
• Poorly palatable, low forage quality

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Unit 8 Small Grains Forage Grasses

• New varieties making it more acceptable
• Drought tolerant, grows well in various soils
• Resistant to leaf diseases, persistent, responds
  to high fertility, tolerates flooding, low pH
• Forms a dense sod
• Establishes slowly
• Quality declines rapidly after heading
• Smooth Bromegrass
• Leafy, sod-forming
• Best suited for hay, silage, early spring
  pasture

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Unit 8 Small Grains Forage Grasses

• Spreads through underground rhizomes and seed
  dispersal
• Good companion w/ cool-season legumes
• Matures somewhat later than orchard grass w/ less
  summer growth
• Winter hardy
• Deep rooted
• Drought tolerant
• Excellent quality forage
• Especially if harvested early
• Harvest for hay in early heading stage

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Unit 8 Small Grains Forage Grasses

• Grazing or cutting during jointing will decrease
  production
• Tall Fescue
• Deep-rooted, long living, sod-forming
• Spreads by short rhizomes
• Suitable for
• Hay
• Silage
• Pasture (beef, sheep)
• Highly adaptable
• Highly tolerant

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Unit 8 Small Grains Forage Grasses

• Best grass for heavy livestock or machinery
  traffic
• May contain a fungus (endophyte)
• Reduces palatability
• Animal performance
• Severe health problems
• Breeding problems
• Endophyte-free varieties should be selected
• Timothy
• Hardy, perennial bunchgrass
• Grows best in cool climates
• Not suitable for drought conditions
• Shallow root system

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Unit 8 Small Grains Forage Grasses

• Most yield comes in the first crop
• Summer regrowth is limited
• Horse hay
• Adversely affected by cutting or grazing during
  jointing
• Perennial Warm-Season Grasses
• Can produce good hay during warm, dry midsummer
  months
• Initiate growth in April and early May
• 65-75 of growth mid-June to mid-August
• Compliment cool-season grasses well

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Unit 8 Small Grains Forage Grasses

• Bermuda Grass
• Grown extensively in southern U.S.
• Aggressive
• Spreads quickly by seeds, stolons, rhizomes
• Used for
• Hay, pasture, lawns, turf
• Best in fertile clays soil, warm full sun
• Managing Forages
• Seeding Year Management
• Establish a good stand
• Select varieties adapted to the target soils

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Unit 8 Small Grains Forage Grasses

• Crop rotation will improve productivity
• Reduces disease
• Can fail an entire crop
• Rotate out at least 1 yr
• Insect problems
• Fertilization Liming
• Essential for optimum production
• Soil test
• Pay close attention to soil pH and the
  preferences of the crop

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Unit 8 Small Grains Forage Grasses

• Seed Quality
• Use only high quality seed
• Certified seed is best
• Free from weed seed, or other crop seed
• Weed Management
• Establish and maintain a vigorous crop
• Competition will contain most weeds in well
  maintained forage crops
• Proper fertilization
• Control insects
• Proper harvesting

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Unit 8 Small Grains Forage Grasses

• Weeds can reduce yields, quality, palatability
• Control weeds w/ herbicides prior to planting,
  when needed
• Check labels when used postemergence herbicides