Choosing a Forage Species for Horse Pastures

Wade Hutcheson

Spalding County Agent, ANR

The University of Georgia

Dr. Dennis Hancock

UGA Extension Forage Specialist

Dr. John Andrae

Clemson University

Extension Forage Specialist

Don’t guess. Soil test.

Things to Consider When Choosing a “Base” Forage

• Animals that will graze

• Perennials should form foundation of grazing system Dependable! Persistent Productive Dependable

• Think about climate and timing of production

Horses grazing tall fescue/bermudagrass near Athens GA

Forage Distribution Slide

Effects of temperature on plant growth

Degrees Fahrenheit

Warm Season Perennials

• All base forages should be perennials!

• Warm season plants produce in summer monthsLate April – first frost

• Very drought tolerant and most are grazing and treading tolerant

• Bahiagrass and Bermudagrass

Yield and Digestibility of Bermudagrass Hybrids

G.W. Burton, unpublished datafertility and maturity equal

Hybrid BermudagrassMust be established vegetativelySlowExpensiveHard to contract small acreages

Benefits:Higher yields Good qualityExcellent for hay production

Hybrids:Coastal, Russell, Tifton 85, Alicia,Tifton 44 – slow to establish

Typically sprigged in 3 or 4 ft rows30 lbs N at emergence P & K prior to planting~50 lbs at lapping

$150+ per acre to sprig

Seeded Bermudagrass• Common bermudagrass can be a good choice for pastures!

Dense sod Good quality Yields approximately 60-70% of hybrids

• Cheyenne Excellent alternative to common and hybrids Yields approach Coastal Weed problems at establishment - limited options Weed control after establishment - many good options ~$105 per acre seed cost at 12 lbs/ac

• Giant Does not survive more than one or two years!!!

• New seeded varieties come and go, mostly go.

Seeded Bermudagrass Planting Guide

• Plant in a firm seed bed Use disc harrow to level & cultipack or roll to firm the

seed bed• Plant 12-15 lbs per acre- drill or broadcast• If broadcast- repack after spreading• Do not plant deeper than 1/4 inch• Can no-till into killed sod- may minimize weed concerns• Plant in the spring after soil has warmed to 65 F.

In most areas mid April to first of July

• No early weed control options – need to get past seedling stage, better yet when it starts running.

• Use certified seed.

Prepared Seedbed

• “Well-prepared” seedbed Plow/disc/finish at least 2-4

wks prior to sprigging Incorporate lime,

phosphorus, and potassium.

Allow time to settle or firm with cultipacker/roller.

• Seedbed should be firm Boot tracks should be ~1/4

in. deep If too fluffy, the soil will dry

very quickly (sandy soils)

Establishing Hybrid Bermudagrass

Best methods1) Dormant sprigs (rhizomes) - 40-50 bu/A

Dec. to early Mar.

2) Sprigs with green tops – 30-50 bu/A spring (after last freeze) to early Aug.

3) Tops/green stems – 50-60 bu/A Jun. – Aug. Not recommended for Tifton 44

• Best if seedbed is well-prepared

Bahiagrass

• Three options- Pensacola, Tifton 9, Sand Mountain

• Slower to establish than bermudagrass

• Denser sod Treading and grazing tolerant

• Longer grazing season• Tolerant of low fertility and

pH• Lower producing• Not a great option for this

area.

What about native species?

• Native species do not tolerate continuous grazing

• Pure switchgrass has recently been implicated in some horse toxicity problems in Midwest US

• These species are difficult to manage- introduced species offer more advantages to horse producers

Switchgrass

Cool Season Perennial Grasses

• Tall fescue is most persistent and productive species for this area

• Orchardgrass will persist in this area for 2 -4 years under grazing Less productive in fall than

tall fescue

• Timothy and KY Bluegrass are NOT an option

Tall fescue

Warm Season Annuals

• Crabgrass is probably best warm season annual pasture for horses Can be used in combination

with tall fescue

• Millets can be grazed with horses but are difficult to manage

• Sorghums should be avoided due to urinary cystitis problems, et.al. (johnsongrass, sorghum-sudan, sudangrass) Crabgrass

Cool Season Annual Grasses• Best utilized as a

complimentary species• Perform well in dormant

bermudagrass pastures Rye – drill 15-20 lb/ac broadcast 20-25 Wheat Oats Annual ryegrass\ 15-25 lb/ac mixes; 25-30 alone

• Broadcasting 20 lbs/ac of annual ryegrass on closely grazed bermudagrass is economical and effective

• Do not overseed annual grasses into tall fescue Annual ryegrass + white clover

sodseeded in dormant bermudagrass

What about Legumes?

• Clovers can be a valuable addition to perennial pastures Fix nitrogen Improve grazing season Improve forage production Improve quality

• White clover in tall fescue

• Some winter annuals in bermudagrass Arrowleaf and vetch highly

unpalatable

Crimson

White

Red clover and “slobbers”• Red clover can be infected

by a fungus Rhizoctonia leguminicola

a.k.a. black patch Produces an alkaloid

known as slaframine

• Occurs normally in cool, wet springs

• Decreases after 10 mo in hay

• Disappears with feed change after 48-72 hrs

• Normally a cosmetic problem

A horse showing signs of “slobbers”http://www.gov.on.ca/OMAFRA/english/livestock/horses/facts/info_slobbers.htmSteven S. Nicholson, DVM , LSU

Black patch on clover

www.ss.ngri.affrc.go.jp/ disease/de38.htm

Grazing Tolerance of Various Grasses

WS Perennial CS Perennial

Bahiagrass Excellent E+ Tall Fescue Excellent

Bermudagrass Excellent E- Tall Fescue Fair

Switchgrass Poor Orchardgrass Good

Appendix- Southern Forages

Grazing Tolerance of Various Grasses

WS Annual CS Annual

Crabgrass Excellent Small grains(rye, wheat, oats)

Good

Millets Fair Ryegrass Excellent

Sorghums XXXXXX

Appendix- Southern Forages

Grazing Tolerance of Various Legumes

Annuals Perennials

Crimson Fair Red Fair

Ball Fair White Excellent

Arrowleaf, vetch

XXXXXX

Appendix- Southern Forages

Summary

• Choose perennial “base” forage carefully Dependability and grazing persistence are important! Tall fescue and bermudagrass work well in this area Can use BOTH- in pure or mixed stands!!!!

• Compliment this base forage with appropriate species to minimize hay or fertilizer needs Cool season grasses and legumes for bermudagrass Crabgrass or white clover for tall fescue

• Establish paddocks for rotational grazing• Close a gate sometimes

What is GOOD Hay?

Source: Using RFQ to Categorize Hay, Dr. Dennis Hancock, UGA Extension Forage Specialist

Good based on sellers word oran inexpensive forage test?

The categories and RFQ ranges used in theSoutheastern Forage Quality categorization system.Forage QualityCategory RFQSupreme > 185Prime 160-185Choice 140-160Select 110-140Standard 90-110Utility < 90

B/T 2004-10 More than 16,000 forage samples sent to the UGA. Nearly 40% fell into the Utility category.

In contrast, only about 7% of the samples were in the top three categories: Premium, Select, or Choice. Dr. Dennis Hancock, UGA Extension Forage Specialist

If weed problem exists,do you spray or fertilize first?

• Spray first, many good herbicides available. ID weed or weeds for timing, best control method and product selection.

• Spray with knowledge and confidence• Calibrate sprayer• Control weeds then improve fertility.• Fertilize based on soil test report.• pH is critical.

For more information on this and other forage related topics, visit the website

www.georgiaforages.com

Wade HutchesonSpalding County Agent

Agriculture & Natural Resources232 East Broad Street

Griffin GA 30223770.467.4225

hutch@uga.edu