Improved animal performance

1
Advantages of Sudangrass

• Improved animal performance
• High yielding
• Renovating cool season pasture
• Double cropping system
• Emergency situations
• Salvage crop

2
Disadvantages of Sudangrass

• Management
• Economics
• Crop failure
• Toxicities

3
Brown Midrib Gene

• Genetic mutation found in grass species
• Reduces lignin in plant cell walls and vascular
  tissue
• Improves fiber and whole plant digestibility

4
Brown Midrib Gene
Color varies from reddish-brown to dark brown and
is visibly evident on stems and leaves.

• Color is only a marker
• Intensity of color is not indicator of forage
  quality

5
Conventional vs. BMR
6
Establishment

• Planting dates Late April-Late July (Southeast)
• Soil Temperature must be 60-65 at planting
• Planting depth 0.5-1.0 inches
• Fertilizer
• Lime, P, and K according to soil test
• Apply 60 units/N after germination and another
  60/N after hay harvest or after 60 days of
  grazing
• Seeding Rate
• Drilled 25-30 lb/A
• Broadcast 30-40 lb/A
• No-till or Prepared seed bed

7
Hay Management

• Harvest height 30-40 in. (just prior to seed-head
  emergence)
• Stubble of 6-8 in. for quicker re-growth and
  drying
• Harvest with a hay conditioner
• Three to four cutting/year will vary with the
  weather, fertilization, and planting date
• Yields 2 to 5 tons/season

8
Silage Management

• Harvest in the boot stage (just before seed head
  emergence)
• Wilt down to 65 moisture before placing in silo
• Chopping finely (1/4 to 1/2 in.) and packing
  tightly will improve silage quality

9
Target Grazing Heights
Pregrazing height 20 24
Postgrazing height 8-10
10
Grazing Management

• Stocking rate
• 2 to 3 beef cow w/calves or dairy cows
• 3 to 5 stocker calves
• Continuous grazing
• Not a good method
• Requires one-half more acreage as compared to
  other grazing systems
• Limit grazing
• 3-4 hours/day
• Reduces trampling

11
Grazing Management

• Rotational grazing
• Rotate every 7-10 days
• Increases utilization and efficiency
• Strip grazing
• Using an electric fence to allow cattle access to
  only a small strip of pasture
• Provide livestock with 4-7 days worth of grazing
• Using a back fence will allow grazed area time to
  re-grow

12
Strip Grazing
13
Potential issues with Sudangrass

• Prussic Acid
• Nitrate Poisoning

14
Prussic Acid

• Interferes with red blood cells transfer of
  oxygen
• Symptoms occur 10-15 min after consuming forage
  containing prussic acid and include excessive
  salivation, rapid breathing, muscle spasms, and
  stagers
• Occurs immediately after frost
• Pasture should not be grazed for 7 10 days
• Young plants, suckers, and growth during dry
  weather can contain high levels of prussic acid
• Not a problem in hay or silage

15
Nitrate Poisoning

• Interferes with oxygen transfer
• Animal symptoms labored breathing, muscle
  tremors and staggering
• Membranes of the eyes and mouth are bluish
  because of the lack of oxygen
• Nitrates accumulate during drought or after frost
  particularly if fertilized just prior
• Wet pastures during cool cloudy weather
• Nitrates are stable in hay
• Levels 5,000 to 15,000 are dangerous and require
  restricted feeding
• Levels over 15,000 are toxic