By Jerry Volesky and Ben Beckman
Are you looking to increase production from pastures or hay fields? Frost seeding or interseeding legumes might just work in your operation.
Nitrogen is one of the key ingredients for productive pastures. A way to get more nitrogen in a pasture is to plant legumes. Alfalfa, red or white clovers, birdsfoot trefoil, and other legumes all fix atmospheric nitrogen and can reduce nitrogen costs. These legumes are also very high in forage quality.
Not all pastures are good candidates for adding legumes, however. First, legumes need adequate phosphorus and a pH usually above 6, while some prefer a pH closer to 7. Frost seeding is a method where legume seed is simply broadcast in winter to allow the natural freezing and thawing of the ground to plant the seed for you. Because frost seeding requires seed to be close to the soil surface after broadcasting, snow-free or very little snow is preferred. Frost seeding success can vary and while frost seeding is easier to do, drilling is almost always a better option if the pasture conditions allow it. Interseeding with a no-till drill better ensures seed placement and seed to soil contact.
Lastly, heavy flash grazing several times in the spring will reduce the competition from existing grasses and help establishment of legume seedlings. Once the grass is three to four inches taller than the seedlings, graze quickly until the grass is grazed down to the height of the legume seedlings.
Legumes can help reduce fertilizer cost and create higher quality pastures and hay. Frost seeding or no-till drill interseeding are two approaches that might work to establish legumes in your operation.
Taking Stock
In Nebraska, February is typically the halfway mark through winter. As we move toward the later half of the season, now may be a good time to take stock of feed resources.
How is your hay stockpile looking at this point in the winter? We really want to avoid having to purchase more this late in the game to make it to spring, but if that is the case, how can we avoid it next year? If we decide to raise our own, annual forages can provide a quick yield. If this problem keeps occurring, maybe expanding grass or alfalfa acres is worth consideration. Of course, we need to keep an eye on the forecast. If irrigation isn’t an option, forage plans require adequate precipitation to happen.
Speaking of perennial fields, how did they yield last year? Is it time to renovate grass or alfalfa hayground? If we need to tear out an old alfalfa stand to give a year’s rest before a new seeding, we need to start planning now. Even planning to interseeding a grass field with legumes should happen quickly.
Maybe a full renovation isn’t needed, but some fertilization to boost yield would help. Plan for soil sampling if it hasn’t already been done in the fall and figure out timing of applications now. Remember, not all plants grow at the same time of year, so the timing of fertilizer needs to be matched with your predominant species.
Finally, it’s worth looking at the overall financial standing of your forage operation. Is new equipment needed? Can the costs be justified? We might even weigh the pros and cons of producing hay ourselves vs. buying it or having it custom harvested. This isn’t limited to the balance sheet, but labor, scheduling, and quality of forage all need to be considered.
While we might not appreciate the hardships, winter brings time to take stock of our current operations and plan for the future. Looking at current hay stocks, last year’s yields, and weighing out all options available may not be a task we look forward too, but it can make a huge difference in success for the upcoming year.
Source : unl.edu