FORAGE PRODUCTION IN SOUTH GEORGIA

PASTURES CAN PROVIDE: INEXPENSIVE HIGH QUALITY FEED IN THE FORM OF GRAZING, HAY OR SILAGE PASTURES AND HAY CAN SUPPLY ALL THE FEED NEEDS FOR COW-CALF OPERATION SUPPLY A LARGE AMOUNT OF FEED FOR BEEF STOCKER AND DAIRY HERDS

IMPROVED PASTURE AND CATTLE MANAGEMENT CAN PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INCOME FOR FULL-TIME AND PART-TIME LIVESTOCK OPERATIONS

NO ONE PROGRAM FITS ALL SITUATIONS BEST TO BEGIN ON SMALL SCALE THAT IS EASILY MANAGEABLE AND EXPAND AS YOU LEARN

FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN PLANNING A FORAGE SYSTEM LAND AREA AVAILABLE LOCATION IN STATE PRODUCTIVITY OF SOIL KIND OF LIVESTOCK AVAILABILITY OF RESOURCES MANAGEMENT OF FORAGE SYSTEM

FORAGE QUALITY REFERS TO THE NUTRITIVE OR FEEDING VALUE OF A FORAGE AFFECTS THE FORAGE INTAKE AND DIGESTIBILITY BY THE ANIMAL

INDICATORS OF FORAGE QUALITY TDN-TOTAL DIGESTIBLE NUTRIENTS CP- CRUDE PROTEIN NDF- NEUTRAL DETERGENT FIBER ADF- ACID DETERGENT FIBER

TDN THE TOTAL OF THE DIGESTIBLE PARTS OF CRUDE FIBER, PROTEIN, FAT AND NITROGEN-FREE EXTRACT.

CP IS AN EXPRESSION OF NITROGEN CONCENTRATION- WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT IN ANIMAL PRODUCTIVITY

NDF IS ANALYZED CHEMICALLY AND CONSISTS OF TOTAL FIBER IN THE FORAGE AND RELATES NEGATIVELY TO ANIMAL CONSUMPTION

ADF IS COMPOSED OF MORE INDIGESTIBLE FIBER AND RELATES NEGATIVELY TO DIGESTIBILITY

HIGH QUALITY FORAGE IS MORE READILY CONSUMED USED MORE EFFICIENTLY ANIMAL PERFORMANCE IMPROVES AS FORAGE QUALITY IMPROVES STOCKER NEED A TDN OF 67.5% TO GAIN 2 LBS PER DAY GOOD MILKING BEEF COWS NEED A TDN OF 57%

FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE FORAGE QUALITY FORAGE SPECIES CROP MATURITY ENVIRONMENT (CLIMATE) FERTILITY PEST

FORAGE FEEDING VALUE IS MOSTLY DETERMINED BY MATURITY YOUNG, LEAFY VEGETATIVE GROWTH HAS A HIGHER LEVEL OF DIGESTIBLE NUTRIENTS PROTEIN DECLINES AS PLANTS MATURE OLDER FORAGE HAS FEWER LEAVES, MORE STEMS AND A HIGHER FIBER CONTENT SEED HEAD DEVELOPMENT INDICATES DECREASED QUALITY

COOL SEASON VS SUMMER COOL SEASON ANNUALS PRODUCE HIGHER QUALITY FORAGE LEGUMES PRODUCE HIGH- QUALITY FEED WITH A HIGHER LEVEL OF PROTEIN GENERALLY COOL SEASON CROPS ARE HIGHER IN QUALITY THAN WARM SEASON GRASSES OTHER THAN LEGUMES

GOAL MANAGING PASTURES TO UTILIZE YOUNG FORAGE THROUGHOUT THE GRAZING SEASON IMPROVES ANIMAL PERFORMANCE YOUNG CATTLE NEED QUALITY FORAGE TO MAINTAIN AN ACCEPTABLE RATE OF GAIN

THE CARRYING CAPACITY OF A PASTURE IS A FUNCTION OF THE AMOUNT OF FORAGE PRODUCED FORAGE SPECIES LEVEL OF INPUTS MANAGEMENT WEATHER

PASTURE ESTIMATE FOR BEEF COWS 1 TO 2 ACRES OF PERMANENT PASTURE PLUS 1 TO 11/2 TONS OF HAY OR 3 TONS OF SILAGE

PASTURE ESTIMATE FOR STOCKER CATTLE ½ TO 1 ACRE OF WINTER ANNUAL PASTURE OR 1/3 ACRE SUMMER ANNUAL PASTURE PLUS SUPPLEMENTAL FEED

PASTURE ESTIMATES FOR HORSES 1 TO 2 ACRES OF PERMANENT PASTURE PLUS ½ ACRE OF WINTER ANNUALS PLUS SUPPLEMENTAL FEED

TYPES OF PASTURE PERMANENT PASTURES- ESTABILISHED IN WARM OR COOL SEASON GRASSES THAT LASTS FOR SEVERAL YEARS TEMPORARY PASTURES- SEEDED EACH YEAR WITH COOL OR WARM SEASON GRASSES

WARM SEASON GRASSES PERENNIAL -HYBRID BERMUDAGRASS -COMMON BERMUDAGRASS -BAHIAGRASS ANNUAL -PEARL MILLET -HYBRID MILLET -SORGHUM X SUDANANGRASS -SUDANGRASS

HYBRID BERMUDAGRASS COASTAL TIFTON 44 TIFTON 78 TIFTON 85 ALICIA

COASTAL FIRST HYBRID FORAGE DEVELOPED RELEASED OVER 50 YEARS AGO PRODUCES HIGH YIELDS OF HIGH QUALITY WHEN PROPERLY FERTILIZED AND MANAGED

TIFTON 44 WINTER HARDY PRODUCES HIGHER QUALITY THAN COASTAL OR ALICIA YIELDS SIMILAR TO COASTAL AND ALICIA GROWS EARLIER IN SPRING AND LATER IN FALL

TIFTON 78 RELEASED IN 1984 IN TESTS PRODUCED 25% MORE DRY MATTER 7% HIGHER IN DIGESTIBILITY NOT AS WINTER HARDY STANDS HAVE NOT BEEN PERSISTENT

TIFTON 85 RELEASED IN 1992 LARGER STEMS, BROADER LEAVES AND DARKER COLOR PRODUCES 26% MORE FORAGE THAN COASTAL 11% MORE DIGESTIBLE PRODUCES MORE LIVE-WEIGH GAIN PER ACRE

ALICIA FROM AFRICA IN EARLY 1970’S EASY TO ESTABLISH PRODUCES YIELDS LIKE COASTAL LOWER QUALITY THAN COASTAL

COMMON BERMUDAGRASS ONLY 50-60% THE YIELD OF THE HYBRIDS CAN BE ESTABLISHED FROM SEED

BAHIAGRASS PENSACOLA- USE ON POORER SOILS TIFTON-9 – HIGHER YIELDING ARGENTINE- NOT AS FROST TOLERANT, USE ON POOR DRAINED SOIL COMMON- LOWER YIELDS

WARM ANNUALS HIGH YIELDING RESPOND TO GRAZING MANAGEMENT HYBRIDS PRODUCE HIGHER YIELDS HARD TO MANAGE FOR LEVEL GRAZING- NOT ENOUGH ONE DAY AND TOO MUCH THE NEXT DAY

WINTER ANNUALS RYE, OATS, WHEAT, RYE GRASS PRODUCES HIGH QUALITY FORAGE CAN GET GOOD GAINS FROM STOCKER CATTLE CAN CUT DOWN ON HAY AND PROTEIN NEEDS FOR WINTER

LEGUMES CLOVER, ALFALFA AND PERENNIAL PEANUT NOT REAL COMMON IN SOUTH GEORGIA HAVE PROBLEMS GETTING AND KEEPING GOOD STANDS

LIMING AND FERTILIZATION ALWAYS TAKE A SOIL TEST BEST TO USE SPLIT APPLICATION FOR EVERYTHING EXECPT PHOSPOROUS PROPER FERTILIZATION PROMOTES RAPID EARLY GROWTH AND HELPS ENSURE GOOD STANDS ALWAYS APPLY MAJOR, SECONDARY AND MICRO NUTRIENTS TO PASTURES

HYBRID BERMUDAGRASSES HAY LBS N/ ACRE AND LBS PER CUTTING- P AND K ACCORDING TO SOIL TEST BAHIAGRARSS - APPLY LBS N PER ACRE IN SPLIT APPLICATIONS - P AND K ACCORDING TO SOIL TEST WINTER ANNUALS - UP TO 150 LBS N IN SPLIT APPLICATIONS- RYEGRASS MAY NEED AN EXTRA APPLICATION OF LBS N LATER - P AND K ACCORDING TO SOIL TEST

GRAZING MANAGEMENT CONTINUOUS- CATTLE STAY ON THE PASTURE FOR EXTENDED TIME ROTATIONAL- LARGE PASTURES ARE DIVIDED UP INTO SMALLER UNITS- WHEN CATTLE GRAZE ONE UNIT DOWN THEY ARE MOVED TO ANOTHER

PASTURE MANAGEMENT PROTECT FROM EROSION CONTROL WEEDS ESTABLISH A SYSTEM THAT WORKS FOR YOU HARVEST AND STORE EXCESS FORAGE USE A CAREFULLY- PLANNED FERTILIZATION PROGRAM SPREAD ANIMAL DROPPINGS BURN PASTURE IN EARLY SPRING IF NOT OVER-SEEDED

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REFERENCES -Pastures in Georgia – Extension publication can be found at- -Modern Livestock and Poultry Production- Fifth edition- James R. Gillespie