Tim Schnakenberg Agronomy Field Specialist Galena, MO 417-357-6812 Forage Quality, Growth & Species Tim Schnakenberg Agronomy Field Specialist Galena, MO 417-357-6812 Sections of this program have been adapted from programs written by Dr. Craig Roberts, State Forage Specialist, and Dr. Rich Crawford, former SW Center Superintendent.

“It’s the Grass” Darrel Franson – Mt. Vernon, MO

Graziers Depend Heavier on Solar Energy than Fossil Fuel Energy Carbon energy Dioxide Oxygen Plants can take up water from the soil, combine it with carbon dioxide from the air, and produce sugar and oxygen. This is a process known as photosynthesis. It requires the sun to power the reaction, and it occurs in the chloroplast of the green plant tissue. Water Sugars

Winter 2018-19 Pugged Pastures

Grazier – “Solar Panel Manager” “Every Acre is 43,560 ft2 of Solar Panel” Jim Gerrish- American Grazing Lands Services, May, Idaho Undesirable Solar Panels Bare Soil Overgrazed Plants Mature Plants Weeds

Management-intensive Grazing Incorporates a grazing strategy and recovery periods Quality & quantity increases Enhanced forage utilization Persistence increases Weed pressures may subside Percent of Rest Paddock # 1 0% 2 50 4 75 10 90 100 99 This may involve strip grazing....allocating so much forage a day based on pasture condition and animal needs. May require remapping the farm pastures. Grazing Rye – Anna McDonald – Crane, MO

Plant Growth & Management: Plant Persistence and Growth During grazing periods: control stubble height Keep growing points Provide for good photosynthesis Keep roots growing Between grazing periods: schedule recovery periods Allows for photosynthesis Allows leaves to regrow “Vegetative reproduction” (spreading plants) can occur Use I V V Recover The 3-day grazing period, as well as the 33-day rest period will affect individual plants. If paddocks are grazed at the proper height, plants will retain some growing points, chloroplasts, and roots. This will help the plants recover during the rest period. During a long rest (assuming grazing has not been too severe), new tillers will emerge, leaves will make and store carbohydrates, and roots will keep growing. Overgrazing requires an additional 15 days to recover. Short grazing is the biggest factor in reduced forage.

Orchardgrass Grazing Response University of Kentucky Study Dr. Ray Smith Laura Schwer Tom Keene

Methods Two similar orchardgrass plants were chosen from greenhouse. Both were managed the same for 6 months: Clipped ~once per month Supplied with good fertility (N,P, K) and water  

Methods Left plant simulates continuous grazing. Initially clipped to a 1 inch height Then clipped weekly for the next 4 weeks at a 1 inch height Right plant simulates rotational grazing. Initially clipped to a 3.5 inch height Then clipped again at 3.5 inches four weeks later Time lapse photography started at the beginning of the fifth week (day 29) for both plants. 

Day 1 (24 hours after clipping) 1” Continuous 3.5” Rotational

Day 2 1” Continuous 3.5” Rotational

Day 3 1” Continuous 3.5” Rotational

Day 4 1” Continuous 3.5” Rotational

Day 5 1” Continuous 3.5” Rotational

Day 6 1” Continuous 3.5” Rotational

Corresponding Root Growth % Leaf Removed % Root Growth Stopped 10 20 30 40 50 2 to 4 60 70 78 80 100 90 To remain healthy, 30% of grass root systems must be replaced annually Removing leaves also affects the plant below ground. If too many leaves are removed, all the stored energy goes to making new leaves; the roots do not grow. As a rule, “taking half and leaving half” allows some leaves to be removed while not slowing down root growth.  Stops root growth 12 days  Stops root growth 18 days

Washington DC exhibit roots

Forage Quality Working definition: “high protein, low fiber” Directly related to INTAKE For our discussion, we will consider forage quality in terms of fiber and protein. This does not address problems with toxicosis. Nor does it distinguish between types of protein, extreme C:N imbalances, etc. But a simple working definition like “High Protein, Less Fiber” allows us to focus our attention on plant effects. There are three major “plant factors” that affect fiber and protein. These are discussed later. For now, observe that forage quality is mainly a measurement of nitrogen and fiber. The main values used in ration balancing or hay auctions are calculated from the fiber. Let’s now consider how these main components (fiber and protein) are affected by three factors, factors that can be controlled in grazing management.

Pasture Forage Quality Readings 479 samples from W. Virginia pastures Pasture Nutrient Quality Height CP ADF NDF TDN RFV Inches % Dry Matter High 75 Percentile 7.5 21.9 27.3 47.5 67.0 132 Ave. 50 Percentile 5.0 18.6 30.9 52.1 64.1 115 Low 25 Percentile 3.0 15.3 33.8 56.9 60.5 102 1997-2001 Growing Seasons (samples taken monthly during growing season) Most samples consisted of a mix of fescue, bluegrass, orchardgrass and clovers Hay Comparison CP ADF NDF TDN RFV Good Orchardgrass 17.1 33.2 55.6 62.0 105 Aftermath Fescue 8.9 46.4 71.8 49.3 69

3 Factors Affecting Forage Quality 1. Maturity Several factors affect fiber and protein in a plant. We will consider three main factors; these three are within our control. The first factor is maturity. As plants grow from leafy (vegetative) to stemmy (reproductive) stages, fiber concentrations increase and protein levels decrease. In addition, the fiber becomes less digestible. A “real life” example of this can be seen eastern gamagrass. At boot stage (seedhead still wrapped in leaf), typical crude protein will be near 13 to 14%. When plants are pollenating one month later (anthesis), protein may be 7 to 8%. At mature seed a month later, protein will be about 5 to 6%. This means the sharpest decrease in quality occurs when seedheads appearl. During this growth phase, plants are losing quality by the hour.

When do you harvest asparagus?

Surplus Forage can be turned into Baleage, Hay or Return Forage to the Ground

Management Styles

The Grazing Wedge Using a Plate Meter

The Grazing Wedge

Smartphone pasture monitoring under development

The Grazing Stick

Take Half / Leave Half Leave about a 3-5” residual behind Short grazing is the biggest cause of lost production First 30 days of the season, run all cattle through every paddock to top the growth. Leave lots behind.

3 Factors Affecting Forage Quality 1. Maturity 2. Plant Part A third factor is plant part. In hay production, this can be slightly important as leaves shatter during bailing. But in pasture management, it is very important as leafy forage can be rapidly depleted. As seen above, the first bite in a paddock will contain high quality leaves. As the grazing period gets longer, cattle are forced to take additional bites on the same plants. These additional bites contain more and more stems as the plants get shorter.

Clipping Fescue Pastures Benefits Encourages vegetative growth Keeps seedheads out of eyes Lowers endophyte Lowers ergot Clips weeds Aesthetics Disadvantages Fuel costs Equipment costs / Wear & tear Eliminates natural seed drop Timing of Clipping April - May May – July May - July June – September May – October

3 Factors Affecting Forage Quality Maturity Plant Part Species A second factor is species. In general, legumes have higher protein and lower fiber than do grasses. If protein is lacking in the diet, it can be partly supplied by adding legumes to a grass pasture. And animals will select out the legumes in the mixture. Another” real life example” of selectivity can be seen in a 3-year grazing trial just now being completed in Columbia. Steers were grazing endophyte-free tall fescue mixed with birdsfoot trefoil. Even if pastures contained only 9% birdsfoot trefoil, the steers were selecting up to 25% from the pasture.

Types of Forages annual & perennial cool-season & warm-season grasses & legumes forbs & browse In Missouri, there is a wide range in common forage species. Missouri forages include both annual species, such as annual lespedeza, and perennials, such as tall fescue. Also, Missouri forages include cool-season forages and warm-season forages. And Missouri forages are both grasses and legumes. All of these forages can be combined in a grazing system to provide excellent quality pasture throughout most of the year.

Yield Distribution: growing season Tall Fescue Yield Distribution: growing season Missouri pastures have a cool-season grass base. This base is usually tall fescue, and it provides ample forage supply during the spring and fall.

Tall Fescue Endophyte fescue Endophyte-free fescue Fungus found in stem, leaf sheaths & seed Produces alkaloids toxic to livestock Increases progressively season long Minimized in young growth Endophyte-free fescue Novel “friendly-endophyte” fescue

Endophyte-Free Vs. Endophyte Fescue Photo Credit – Pat Miller, Vernon Co. Extension Field Agronomy Specialist, 2017

Novel Fescue The problem with “endophyte-free” “Friendly-endophyte” retains the good qualities of fescue Some of the Novel Fescue Brands Available: Jesup MaxQ; Martin 2; BarOptima Plus E34; Estancia; Texoma MaxQII; Lacefield MaxQII KY+ HM+4 ADG - Mt Vernon(2yr) 0.55 1.25 ADG - Fayetteville(2yr) 0.90 1.40

Cool Season Grasses Perennial Ryegrass Tall Fescue Orchardgrass Forage Growth Rate Feb Apr Jun Aug Oct Dec

Orchardgrass Early spring producer Quick, high quality regrowth Little fall growth Susceptible to drought and disease Doesn’t tolerate close grazing

Kentucky Bluegrass Early spring producer Low growing Fills in with rhizomes Sometimes an indicator of overgrazing

Annual Ryegrass A good fit for thin fescue Rapid fall growth Retains green tissue nearly all winter Remains vegetative through May, then leaves a gap over summer Reproduces by seed Leaves a forage gap during summer/early fall Slide #2: The costs of making, and feeding hay represents about half of the cost to produce beef in Missouri. Skyrocketing equipment costs, combined with high storage and feeding losses, make hay one of our most expensive feeds for beef cow operations. Slide #3: Hay quality is quite variable in Missouri. Poor weather for haymaking in the spring lowers hay quality by rain damaging hay or forcing producers to make hay after it is too mature. Compound this with improper storage and feeding practices and losses can approach 50%. Slide #4

What about…. Perennial Ryegrass? Smooth Brome? Matua? Timothy? Meadow Fescue? Festulolium? Reed Canarygrass? Native warm-season grasses can also fill the summer gap. Research at the University of Missouri Southwest Center showed that steers grazing eastern gamagrass gained as much as steers grazing alfalfa; however, they did not graze as long. The reason is seen in this slide; eastern gamagrass (as well as switchgrass) does not produce the high yield of alfalfa during late summer and early fall.

Winter Grazing Wheat Triticale Cereal Rye Oats Annual Ryegrass Stockpiled Fescue Stripgrazing Native warm-season grasses can also fill the summer gap. Research at the University of Missouri Southwest Center showed that steers grazing eastern gamagrass gained as much as steers grazing alfalfa; however, they did not graze as long. The reason is seen in this slide; eastern gamagrass (as well as switchgrass) does not produce the high yield of alfalfa during late summer and early fall.

Case Study: Stockpiled Fescue Quality Don Hounschel – Stark City, MO (Newton Co) Standing Fall growth tested Jan. 1, 2017 Estancia Fescue C. Protein – 15.4 % TDN – 60.6 % Photo taken on Jan. 27

Brassicas - Turnips / Radishes Slide #2: The costs of making, and feeding hay represents about half of the cost to produce beef in Missouri. Skyrocketing equipment costs, combined with high storage and feeding losses, make hay one of our most expensive feeds for beef cow operations. Slide #3: Hay quality is quite variable in Missouri. Poor weather for haymaking in the spring lowers hay quality by rain damaging hay or forcing producers to make hay after it is too mature. Compound this with improper storage and feeding practices and losses can approach 50%. Slide #4

Turnips and Rye

Cool Season Grass with Legumes Red Clover White Clover Forage Yield Lespedeza Feb Apr Jun Aug Oct Dec

Always inoculate legumes Limit legumes to 25-35% of stand White (Ladino) Clover Stolons allow it to persist Excellent early growth Lower growing than red clover Always inoculate legumes Limit legumes to 25-35% of stand

Red Clover Short-lived perennial (biennial behavior) Must be allowed to go to seed or overseed periodically Mixes well with most cool season grasses Needs high fertility (P > 20 lbs/acre)

Too much clover

Annual Lespedeza Tolerates low pH & drought Most growth after late June Must reseed itself Mixes well with cool season grasses Less N fixation than clovers

Cool Season Grass with Alfalfa Forage Yield Feb Apr Jun Aug Oct Dec

Sunn Hemp New Alternative

2018 Drought – Christian County, MO

Warm Season Grasses Caucasian bluestem Bermudagrass Cool season grass Crabgrass Forage Yield Feb Apr Jun Aug Oct Dec

Case Study: Warm Season Grass in a Drought Switchgrass Grazing – July 4, 2018 - Ed Cahoj (Polk Co)

Case Study: Warm Season Grass in a Drought Red River Crabgrass Ready for Grazing–July 4, 2018 – Clint Hetherington (Stone Co)

Bermudagrass Warm-season grass Rhizomes & stolons Challenge to establish Winterhardiness issue

Standing fall growth tested Case Study: Stockpiled Bermudagrass Quality Lindell Mitchell, Anderson Ranch, Seligman, MO (Barry Co) Standing fall growth tested Midland 99 Bermuda C. Protein – 12 % TDN – 54 %

Caucasian Bluestem (Old World Bluestem) Availability Issue Quick establishment Grows on poor soils but responds well to fertility Excellent choice for livestock producers in the fescue belt

Crabgrass High quality summer annual July / August grazing Improved varieties available: Red River Quick-N-Big Quick-N-Big Spreader MoJo Must reseed annually

Yield Distribution: growing season Native Warm Season Grasses Yield Distribution: growing season Native warm-season grasses can also fill the summer gap. Research at the University of Missouri Southwest Center showed that steers grazing eastern gamagrass gained as much as steers grazing alfalfa; however, they did not graze as long. The reason is seen in this slide; eastern gamagrass (as well as switchgrass) does not produce the high yield of alfalfa during late summer and early fall.

Varieties: Oz 70; Bonanza; Goldmine; Rountree; Kaw Big Bluestem Drought tolerant Somewhat harder to establish than Switchgrass Good production timing for our area 4-6 ft tall Varieties: Oz 70; Bonanza; Goldmine; Rountree; Kaw

Case Study: Big Bluestem J.D. McKee– Pottersville, MO (Ozark Co) Planted June, 2016 Oz 70 Bluestem “More production than bermudagrass with less fertilizer” Photos of 2017 hay crop (above) and 2018 growth on June 13, 2018 (below)

Indiangrass A late producer - 1-2 weeks later than Big Bluestem Lower yielding Not always persistent

Varieties: Cave-In-Rock; Kanlow; Alamo; Blackwell Switchgrass 2-3 weeks earlier than Big Bluestem Often ready for grazing before the cool season grasses have stopped producing. 3-5 ft tall Adapts well to wetter sites Stiff stemmed & upright Aggressive - Competitive Varieties: Cave-In-Rock; Kanlow; Alamo; Blackwell

Eastern Gamagrass Relative to corn Perhaps the most palatable native WSG Fast, early growth - 2”/day 6.5 tons/acre measured in Missouri SW Center dairy heifer gain data: Gama = 2.1 lb/day ; Alfagraze = 2.3 lb/day

Native Warm Season Grasses Do not establish unless managed grazing is planned. Seed costs may exceed $100 / acre Recommend a late April seeding; occasionally dormant seeding is used. Weed control is a important during establishment Plateau / Panoramic can be used on big bluestem and Indiangrass Univ. of TN has found that with attention to weed control, expect an 85% success rate on the 1st attempt.

Production Comparisons Annual Yield (Tons/Acre) Nitrogen Fertility Harvests Species Range Average Lbs/Ac # / Year Big Bluestem 2.6 – 6.0 3.9 60 1 - 2 Indiangrass 2.5 – 5.9 4.6 Eastern Gamagrass 3.1 – 9.6 4.9 Switchgrass (Alamo) 2.0 – 11.6 5.3 Tall Fescue (KY31) 2.1 – 4.8 3.1 180 4 Data Source – University of Kentucky Extension, provided by Dr. Pat Keyser, University of Tennessee Preliminary Univ. of TN Data (3 years with 60 lbs N and 2 harvests): Big Bluegrass – 5.6 tons/ac (7 varieties) Indiangrass – 4.4 tons/ac (6 varieties)

Summer Annuals Sorghum Sudan Pearl Millet Sudangrass – Jason Wacha – Highlandville, MO

A Balanced Forage System WS Annual or Perennial CS Perennial Clover CS Annual Forage Yield Feb Apr Jun Aug Oct Dec

Pasture Combos that Work K31 Fescue-Orchardgrass-Clovers-Lespedeza Novel Fescue Weaker Fescue Stands-Crabgrass Big Bluestem-Indiangrass Bermudagrass with Rye or Triticale drilled in each September Crabgrass/Lespedeza-Annual Ryegrass (natural seed drop) Johnsongrass-Annual Ryegrass

Where to Go From Here Phase 1 Options Starting from a straight K31 fescue base No-till clover (Sept 1) or frost seed clover (Dec-Feb) Frost-seed lespedeza (Dec-Mar) No-till additional cool season forages into stand (Sept 1) Kill or retard old stand – No-till mix of fescue and annual ryegrass or orchardgrass (Sept 1) Frost seed clover and/or lespedeza into new grass stand (Dec – Feb) Convert 25-100% of the cool season paddocks to novel fescues – Spray-smother-spray approach is imperative!

Where to Go From Here Phase 2 Options Developing the warm season grass grazing platform 10-30% of the grazing system Crabgrass If willing to manage an annual Native Warm Season Grasses If willing to assume higher seed costs, potentially slower establishment, but with very high returns once completed Bermudagrass Seeded or Sprigged Works well as a part of the hay-grazing system No-till cool season annual over the winter as needed

Agronomy Field Specialist Tim Schnakenberg Agronomy Field Specialist Galena, Missouri 417-357-6812 schnakenbergc@missouri.edu Questions?

However, cows tend to not consume as much during hot times.

Breaking Dormancy & Early Growth Tillers emerge from buds in crown Tillers use carbohydrates stored last fall Plants begin making new sugars as leaf area develops Most new sugars supplement carbohydrates to help growth This presentation will discuss plant growth chronologically, beginning at spring greenup and continuing throughout the growing season. It will talk mainly about perennials, illustrating their growth with tall fescue and alfalfa. When plants break dormancy in the spring, new tillers grow from buds in the crown. This growth uses the energy (carbohydrates) stored last autumn. Grass tillers can begin making new sugars rapidly.

Rapid Leaf Growth & Increased Tillering Leaves get longer New tillers grow from buds, tillers branch Many leaves speed up photosynthesis New Sugars: Some used in growth Some used as storage carbohydrates As leaves grow, they give the plant many more chloroplasts. This allows photosynthesis to speed up. Some of the newly-formed sugars are used in growth, while some are shipped to the lower part of the plant. There, they are converted to carbohydrates and stored for the next growth period.

Slow Leaf Growth & Early Reproduction Leaf growth slows down Photosynthesis continues making sugars Most new sugars stored as carbohydrates Seedhead begins to form – Quality drops Eventually, growth slows down, even though sugars are still being made through photosynthesis. At this point, most of the new sugars are moved into storage. Grass carbohydrates are stored mainly in the stem base, and legume carbohydrates are stored mainly in the roots and crowns.

Paddocks Insure that the Best Quality Forage is Always Available previous paddock current paddock next paddock In a rotational grazing system, the paddock most recently grazed has stemmy, low quality residual; the paddock ahead is high quality leaf material. Cattle select for high quality, low fiber forage

Plant Growth & Management: Plant Persistence The 3-day grazing period, as well as the 33-day rest period will affect individual plants. If paddocks are grazed at the proper height, plants will retain some growing points, chloroplasts, and roots. This will help the plants recover during the rest period. During a long rest (assuming grazing has not been too severe), new tillers will emerge, leaves will make and store carbohydrates, and roots will keep growing.

Plant Growth & Management: Example: 12 paddock system 3 day grazing period 36-day grazing cycle 33-day rest period Good pasture management is based on the simple principles of plant growth covered earlier. To illustrate, we will we will consider management of a 12-paddock system; this system will have 3 days of grazing on each paddock, so it will provide 33 days rest for each paddock. The livestock rotation in this example will show how appropriate leaf removal and rest periods will help plants and pastures thrive.

Regrowth & Carbohydrate Depletion In tall fescue… regrowth from intact growing points using some carbohydrates In clover… regrowth from basal buds using most storage carbohydrates Tall fescue leaves regrow as seen above. Alfalfa regrows as new tillers emerge from buds at the crown. Had the alfalfa been grazed to a high stubble, it could have regrown from the “auxiliary” buds on the stems. , but this assumes a higher stubble height. Regrowth seen in light green

Perennial Ryegrass and Jesup MaxQ Yields for 2002 & 2003 Kg/Ha SW Center Cutting Heights(inches)