Non-traditional Forages for Central Appalachia Kim Cassida USDA-ARS, Appalachian Farming Systems and Research Center Beaver, West Virginia

Control points for GIN in pastures Direct control Biochemical – plant secondary compounds toxic to GIN Biochemical – plant secondary compounds toxic to GIN Mechanical – Mechanical – 1)structure of plant or sward impedes larval migration 2)interruption of GIN life cycle (tillage, haying) Indirect control better nutrition helps animals tolerate GIN load better nutrition helps animals tolerate GIN load

Legume Pastures for Finishing Goats

Orchard grass Alfalfa Red Clover- grass Forage mass (lb/acre) 2304 a 2114 ab 1985 b CP (%)19.3 b 23.8 a 19.2 b TDN (%)64.6 c 68.9 a 66.2 b IVTD (%)72.6 b 74.6 a 72.0 b ADG (lb/d) Objective: improve nutrition June – Sept. Rotational stocking 10 paddocks 40-day grazing cycle (4d graze, 36d rest) Stocking rate= 16 kids/acre 16 kids/acre

Good yield Good yield Best nutritive value Best nutritive value ‘Alfagraze’ persisted for four years under haying/grazing ‘Alfagraze’ persisted for four years under haying/grazing Requires well-drained, neutral pH site Requires well-drained, neutral pH site High-maintenance High-maintenance P, K, and B fertilizer P, K, and B fertilizer Lime to maintain pH Lime to maintain pH Leafhopper control Leafhopper control Post-grazing stubble should be mowed short Post-grazing stubble should be mowed short Legume Pastures for Finishing Goats – Alfalfa

Legume Pastures for Finishing Goats – Red Clover Animal performance equal to alfalfa in the first year when clover was a pure stand Animal performance equal to alfalfa in the first year when clover was a pure stand Proved difficult to maintain as a pure stand Proved difficult to maintain as a pure stand Stubble should not be mowed after grazing Stubble should not be mowed after grazing Poor regrowth during dry spells Poor regrowth during dry spells

Cool-season perennial bunchgrass Cool-season perennial bunchgrass Grows best in spring & fall, but also has good summer growth Grows best in spring & fall, but also has good summer growth Adapted throughout Appalachia Adapted throughout Appalachia Will reseed itself Will reseed itself Good yield when well fertilized (150 lb N/acre/year) Good yield when well fertilized (150 lb N/acre/year) Very palatable Very palatable Prone to downy mildew (control by harvesting and applying N) Prone to downy mildew (control by harvesting and applying N) 2008/2009 – severe winterkill at AFSRC for unknown reasons 2008/2009 – severe winterkill at AFSRC for unknown reasons Stockpiled prairie brome, September 2007 Stockpiled Prairie Brome for Grass-finishing Lambs

‘Dixon’ prairie bromegrass ‘Dixon’ prairie bromegrass Grazed in 2006 and 2007 Grazed in 2006 and 2007 Harvested two cuts of hay (May, July) Harvested two cuts of hay (May, July) Stockpiled forage for ~60 days (from Aug. 1 to Sept. 25) Stockpiled forage for ~60 days (from Aug. 1 to Sept. 25) Strip-grazed by Polypay-cross ewe lambs (79 lb start wt) for 24 days (Sept. 25 – Oct. 18) Strip-grazed by Polypay-cross ewe lambs (79 lb start wt) for 24 days (Sept. 25 – Oct. 18) Stockpiled Prairie Brome for Grass-finishing Lambs

Target forage utilization 50%75% lambs/acre1219 ADG (lb/d) gain/lamb (lb)1412 final lamb wt (lb)9391 gain/acre (lb) Oct. 10, 2006 Stockpiled Prairie Brome for Grass-finishing Lambs 3969 lb forage/acre CP19.2 % TDN68.3 % IVTD75.0 % TNC9.0 %

Chicory____________________________________ Short-lived perennial forb (2 to 3 year stand life) Short-lived perennial forb (2 to 3 year stand life) Excellent forage quality, high mineral content, good yield Excellent forage quality, high mineral content, good yield Easy to establish Easy to establish Has helped control GIN in New Zealand Has helped control GIN in New Zealand Reduced adult worms (Marley et al., 2003) Reduced adult worms (Marley et al., 2003) Reduced numbers of larvae on forage Reduced numbers of larvae on forage Reduced anemia (Burke et al., 2009) Reduced anemia (Burke et al., 2009)

Chicory is Not Always Palatable________________ Sesquiterpene lactones are bitter! Sesquiterpene lactones are bitter! S.L. content varies with variety and fertility S.L. content varies with variety and fertility Sheep preferred Puna Sheep preferred Puna and Lacerta over Forage Feast (Foster et al., 2002) Goat kids showed no Goat kids showed no preferences among Puna, Lacerta, and Forage Feast (Cassida et al., 2008)

Phosphorus Fertilizer and Chicory______________ P fertilizer did not affect stand establishment P fertilizer did not affect stand establishment Increasing soil test P from 25 to 47 lb/acre increased annual chicory yield by 27% in WV Increasing soil test P from 25 to 47 lb/acre increased annual chicory yield by 27% in WV P fertilizer did not have practical benefit on stand persistence P fertilizer did not have practical benefit on stand persistence

Chicory Varieties Compared_____________ All varieties yielded best in second year All varieties yielded best in second year In PA, peak yield single-year from Lacerta but it died by third year In PA, peak yield single-year from Lacerta but it died by third year In WV, Puna and Lacerta yielded well in second year, Puna best in third year In WV, Puna and Lacerta yielded well in second year, Puna best in third year Forage Feast susceptible to frost-heaving Forage Feast susceptible to frost-heaving

Condensed Tannins_________________________ PRO Prevent bloat Prevent bloat Reduce protein degradability Reduce protein degradability Anthelmintic activity Anthelmintic activity Reduced FEC, egg hatch, larval activity, and number of adult worms in grazing goats (Min et al., 2004; 2005) Reduced FEC, egg hatch, larval activity, and number of adult worms in grazing goats (Min et al., 2004; 2005) Increased goat weight gain and immune response (Min et al., 2005) Increased goat weight gain and immune response (Min et al., 2005)CON Unpalatable Unpalatable Toxic in very high concentrations Toxic in very high concentrations Needs to be a constant part of the diet, anthelmintic effect disappears within 7 d of removal from diet Needs to be a constant part of the diet, anthelmintic effect disappears within 7 d of removal from diet

Sericea Lespedeza_________________________ Warm-season perennial legume Warm-season perennial legume Tolerates poor fertility and pH Tolerates poor fertility and pH Anthelmintic activity when fed as pasture, hay, or pelleted hay Anthelmintic activity when fed as pasture, hay, or pelleted hayPROBLEMS: Reputation as a noxious weed Reputation as a noxious weed Slow establishment Slow establishment Poor cold tolerance (very short growing season, high risk of winterkill) Poor cold tolerance (very short growing season, high risk of winterkill) Slow regrowth Slow regrowth Poor tolerance of continuous stocking Poor tolerance of continuous stocking Limited flexibility for grazing in WV Limited flexibility for grazing in WV Our research focused on use as hay in our region

Birdsfoot Trefoil_____________________________ Cool-season perennial legume Cool-season perennial legume Non-bloating Non-bloating Tolerates wetter and more acid soils than many legumes Tolerates wetter and more acid soils than many legumes Good cold tolerance Good cold tolerance Anthelmintic activity when fed as pasture, but unclear whether benefit is CT or better nutrition Anthelmintic activity when fed as pasture, but unclear whether benefit is CT or better nutrition Establishment is a problem Slow and risky to establish Slow and risky to establish Best sown in mixtures Best sown in mixtures Can be frost-seeded Can be frost-seeded

Do not use Pursuit herbicide to control broadleaf weeds in trefoil! Do not use Pursuit herbicide to control broadleaf weeds in trefoil! Varieties differ in CT content Varieties differ in CT content Common variety ‘Norcen’ has one of the lowest CT values (1.3%) Common variety ‘Norcen’ has one of the lowest CT values (1.3%) ‘Pardee’ has twice the CT of Norcen (2.6%) ‘Pardee’ has twice the CT of Norcen (2.6%) 2.5 to 4.5% CT is the desirable reference range for GIN control (Min et al., 2003) 2.5 to 4.5% CT is the desirable reference range for GIN control (Min et al., 2003) Grazing Trial Grazing Trial began this year began this year compare trefoil, red clover, and chicory for finishing goats compare trefoil, red clover, and chicory for finishing goats Birdsfoot Trefoil Research_____________________ Birdsfoot trefoil variety tannin comparison at AFSRC Birdsfoot trefoil and red clover pastures, 8 July 2009

Forage Brassicas___________________________ Annual forbs (turnips, tyfon, rape, kale, swedes) Annual forbs (turnips, tyfon, rape, kale, swedes) Outstanding cold tolerance – excellent for fall stockpiling Outstanding cold tolerance – excellent for fall stockpiling Typical yield up to 6000 lb/acre Typical yield up to 6000 lb/acre Outstanding forage quality (“high moisture concentrate”) Outstanding forage quality (“high moisture concentrate”) Pasture finished lamb ADG of 0.24 to 0.55 lb/d Pasture finished lamb ADG of 0.24 to 0.55 lb/d Historically used as forage for dairy goats in Europe Historically used as forage for dairy goats in Europe Potential for meat goats unknown Potential for meat goats unknown

No-till with herbicide sod suppression not a reliable method for turnip or rape establishment on hill pastures (planting failed 37% of time, especially for turnip) No-till with herbicide sod suppression not a reliable method for turnip or rape establishment on hill pastures (planting failed 37% of time, especially for turnip) Using Roundup for sod suppression reduced next-year hay yields by up to 42% Using Roundup for sod suppression reduced next-year hay yields by up to 42% Conclusion: brassicas should not be no- tilled into productive pastures, but can be useful as first step of renovation of poor pastures Conclusion: brassicas should not be no- tilled into productive pastures, but can be useful as first step of renovation of poor pastures Forage Brassicas & No-Till_____________________

Brassica plants are toxic to pathogenic soil nematodes Brassica plants are toxic to pathogenic soil nematodes Brassicas can cause anemia Brassicas can cause anemia ? How do brassicas interact with GIN ? In a 4-week pen-feeding study: GIN-free goats fed hay-based diet gained more weight than those fed turnip-based diet … but parasitized goats gained more weight on turnips than hay GIN-free goats fed hay-based diet gained more weight than those fed turnip-based diet … but parasitized goats gained more weight on turnips than hay Parasitized goats were anemic on both diets…but turnips did not make anemia worse Parasitized goats were anemic on both diets…but turnips did not make anemia worse In a laboratory assay: Turnip and rape extracts did not reduce Haemonchus larval motility Turnip and rape extracts did not reduce Haemonchus larval motility More research needed to resolve conflicting results… Forage Brassicas & Haemonchus______________