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 months Late 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Yield and Digestibility of Bermudagrass Hybrids G.W. Burton, unpublished data fertility and maturity equal

Hybrid Bermudagrass Must be established vegetatively Slow Expensive Hard to contract small acreages Benefits: Higher yields Good quality Excellent for hay production Hybrids:Coastal, Russell, Tifton 85, Alicia, Tifton 44 – slow to establish

Typically sprigged in 3 or 4 ft rows 30 lbs N at emergenceP & 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 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 methods 1) Dormant sprigs (rhizomes) bu/A  Dec. to early Mar. 2) Sprigs with green tops – bu/A  spring (after last freeze) to early Aug. 3) Tops/green stems – 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 lb/ac broadcast  Wheat  Oats  Annual ryegrass\ lb/ac mixes; 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 hrs Normally a cosmetic problem A horse showing signs of “slobbers” Steven S. Nicholson, DVM, LSU

Black patch on clover disease/de38.htmss.ngri.affrc.go.jp/ disease/de38.htm

Grazing Tolerance of Various Grasses WS PerennialCS Perennial BahiagrassExcellentE+ Tall FescueExcellent BermudagrassExcellentE- Tall FescueFair SwitchgrassPoorOrchardgrassGood Appendix- Southern Forages

Grazing Tolerance of Various Grasses WS AnnualCS Annual CrabgrassExcellentSmall grains (rye, wheat, oats) Good MilletsFairRyegrassExcellent SorghumsXXXXXX Appendix- Southern Forages

Grazing Tolerance of Various Legumes AnnualsPerennials CrimsonFairRedFair BallFairWhiteExcellent 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 or an inexpensive forage test? The categories and RFQ ranges used in the Southeastern Forage Quality categorization system. Forage Quality Category RFQ Supreme > 185 Prime Choice Select Standard Utility < 90

B/T 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

Wade Hutcheson Spalding County Agent Agriculture & Natural Resources 232 East Broad Street Griffin GA