Complementary Forages in a Stocker System Bob Woods Area Extension Agronomy Specialist Northeast Oklahoma

Complementary Forages Introduced to complement native range

Complementary Forages Increased Carrying Capacity Improved Forage Quality Lengthened Grazing Season Heavy Traffic Tolerance Hay Production

You can double your stocking rate with 10% of your acreage in introduced forages – Dr. Wilfred McMurphy 9 acres native range with a harvestable yield of 1280 pounds per acre = 11,500 pounds 1 acre bermudagrass fertilized with 300 pounds of N per acre = 12,000 pounds

Bermudagrass Yield Trial Summary - Variety Ozark Midland 99 Tifton 44 Wrangler (S) ERS/Haskell, OK 2000-02 7.31 7.77 6.98 6.15 100 lbs. N applied 3 times

Web Soil Survey

Complementary Forages Warm Season Perennials – bermudagrass Cool Season Perennials – fescue Cool Season Annuals – wheat, rye, ryegrass(?) Legumes – Red Clover, Arrowleaf Clover, Ladino Clover, Hairy vetch, Alfalfa, Lespedeza Warm Season Annuals – crabgrass, sorghum types

Here is a picture showing how variable a field can be.

This slide summarizes the major components of a good sampling technique.

NE Oklahoma Fertilizer Prices $/lb. 11/14/06 N - 34¢ P2O5 - 22¢ K2O - 22¢ 1/9/09 46-0-0 $386 18-46-0 $428 0-0-60 $813 1/9/09 N - 42¢ P2O5 - 30¢ K2O - 68¢

Bermudagrass – Complementary Uses Increased Carrying Capacity Hay production

Bermudagrass Yield Response to Precipitation Burton and Hanna, 1995

Split N Effects on Bermudagrass Yield ERS, Haskell, OK Dry Matter, T/A 200 + 200 400 100 + 100 100 + 100 200 200 100 + 100 200 1978 1979 1980

N Fertilizer Applications (1971-2000) Rainfall for Osage County Warm Season Grass P and K annually according to soil test recommendation 50 lbs N per ton of forage based on yield goal

Effect of Stage of Maturity on Yield and Forage Quality of Bermudagrass Multiple Harvests High Forage Yield Nutritive Value Bermudagrass 4 Weeks Low Stage of Maturity

Effect of Nitrogen Fertility and Maturity on Crude Protein in Bermudagrass Lbs. of N/A O 50 100 Stage of Maturity 4 weeks 6 weeks 8 weeks Estimated CP % 7 6 5 9 12

Bermudagrass Grazing Study, Perkins - 1985 - 87 Variety Hardie Midland Guymon ADG 1.63 1.46 1.56 Steer Days per acre 324 292 269 Gain/Acre 529 422 418 1985 May 6 to Sept. 23 140 days 535 in wt. 1986 May 1 to Aug. 21 112 days 507 in wt. 1987 May 15 to Oct. 2 140 days 545 in wt.

2 pasture rotation on bermudagrass – 1982 Mayes County 124 crossbred heifers – 485 lb. Avg. 46 acres 2.7 hd./A – 1350 lbs/A 75 lbs N/A (P&K) April 20, 92 lbs N/A June 24 Grazed April 10 to August 16 (128 days) Mowed late May and Early July (baled excess)

1982 Mayes Co. Grazing Demonstration Performance 1.4 ADG 475 lbs. Beef/A

Native $60/Stocker Bermudagrass ½ A/Stocker = $62/hd Rent $20/A 150 lbs N, $66/A 40 lbs P2O5, $11.60/A 40 lbs K2O, $26.80/A

Fescue

Cool Season Perennial Grass Trial ERS Planted 1996 Picture Taken Spring 2000

N Fertilizer Applications (1971-2000) Rainfall for Osage County Cool Season Grass Cool Season Grass P and K annually according to soil test recommendation 60 lbs N per ton of forage based on yield goal

Fall Fertilized Fescue 2001 Cherokee Craig Delaware Mayes Muskogee Nowata Okfuskee Ottawa Wagoner Washington Unfert. Lbs/A 865 1108 778 885 1117 659 1329 1382 723 Fertilized Lbs/A 3803 2174 2111 2281 3201 2419 3733 4520 5480 1574 Increase Lbs/A 2938 1067 1333 1396 2084 1760 2404 3138 4596 851

From the 288 samples analyzed in this survey prediction curves were developed to show the expected crude protein and TDN levels throughout the grazing season as effected by the 3 treatments. Crude protein is adequate for both dry and lactating cows throughout the growing season even without fertilizer, assuming adequate forage is available. Fertilizer is required to maintain adequate protein for 500 pound growing cattle to gain 1.5 lb. per day.

Growing Steer This slide shows that energy (TDN) is also adequate for cows throughout the growing season even without fertilizer as long as forage availability is not limiting. This slide also shows why fescue is often described as a good cow feed but not a good stocker feed, or why stocker operators often feed additional grain when grazing stockers on fescue. Note that for a 500 lb. stocker gaining 1.5 lbs per day, TDN may be limiting except when fertilized and grazed continuously (i.e........... kept short and leafy) and even then, adequate only during the spring growth period.

Effects of white clover on steer growth performance in toxic endophyte-infected tall fescue pastures Toxic E+ Tall Fescue E- Tall Fescue Forage Clover% Steer ADG, lb Grass alone 0.79 2.03 Grass + Regal White Clover 5 to 7 1.47 0 to 2 1.96 Grass + Durana white clover 35 to 54 2.55 35 to 53 3.21 Source: J. H. Bouton. 2002. 29th Annual Conference Proceedings. Arkansas Forage and Grassland Council.

Stocker cattle average daily gains grazing tall fescue Study Location and Duration Cattle Tall Fescue Cultivar Endophyte Status Average Daily Gain, lb Fayetteville, AR; 2-year study Steers HiMag 4 (ArkPlus) 1.43 Endophyte-free 1.55 Kentucky-31 Toxic endophyte-infected 0.93 Eatonton, GA (Central Georgia Branch Station); 3-year study Hereford Steers Jesup (MaxQ™) 1.72 2.14 0.68

Legumes are not a free fertilizer option! P, K, pH – According to Soil Test 3 Tons/A contribution that did not require N

Legume Management Residue Management – 2 inches or less in late summer or fall. Follow soil test recommendation Drill to establish if possible Plant cool season legumes in late summer or early fall, lespedeza in late winter or early spring Innoculate the seed

Small Grains Planting Dates Picture taken 11/30/99 9/10/99 11/4/99 10/7/99 10/21/99 9/23/99 First planting was clipped 10/27/99 removing 1,880 lb/a of forage

Sod Seeded Small Grains for Fall Grazing?? Count on spring grazing ONLY Perennial grasses too competitive early Dry soil profile Insufficient time for fall growth

Consider a Legume instead of Ryegrass Save spring N topdress avoid ryegrass as a weed in wheat for grain Same growing season Equal or better forage nutritive value Red clover, Arrowleaf clover, hairy vetch

N Fertilizer Applications (1971-2000) Rainfall for Osage County Warm Season Grass Cool Season Grass Cool Season Grass P and K annually according to soil test recommendation 50 lbs N per ton of forage based on yield goal

Complementary Forages Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Cool-season Grass Cool-season legumes Bermudagrass Native Range Native Range

Lbs X 25% X Acres = harvestable yield 4900 X .25 X 16.3= 19967 79870 26035 91875 1875 173,646 Lbs X 25% X Acres = harvestable yield 4900 X .25 X 16.3= 19967 6350 X .25 X 4.1 = 6508 5250 X .25 X 17.5 = 22968 1875 X .25 X 1 = 468 Total 49911/39 = 1280 lbs/A

AUY = 9360 pounds 9360/1280 = 7.3 acres Stockers SL = 3.6 A/hd Stockers IES = 1.8 A/hd Lbs X 25% X Acres = harvestable yield 4900 X .25 X 16.3= 19967 6350 X .25 X 4.1 = 6508 5250 X .25 X 17.5 = 22968 1875 X .25 X 1 = 468 Total 49911/39 = 1280 lbs/A