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

2. Complementary Forages
Introduced to complement native range

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

4. 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 pounds per acre = 11,500 pounds
1 acre bermudagrass fertilized with 300 pounds of N per acre = 12,000 pounds

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

6. Web Soil Survey

7. 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

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

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

10. NE Oklahoma Fertilizer Prices
$/lb.
11/14/06
N - 34¢
P2O5 - 22¢
K2O - 22¢
1/9/09
$386
$428
$813
1/9/09
N - 42¢
P2O ¢
K2O - 68¢

11. Bermudagrass – Complementary Uses
Increased Carrying Capacity
Hay production

12. Bermudagrass Yield Response to Precipitation
Burton and Hanna, 1995

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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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.

18. 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)

19. 1982 Mayes Co. Grazing Demonstration Performance
1.4 ADG
475 lbs. Beef/A

20. 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

21. Fescue

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

23. 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

24. 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

25. 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.

26. 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.

27. 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 th Annual Conference Proceedings. Arkansas Forage and Grassland Council.

28. Stocker cattle average daily gains grazing tall fescue
Study Location and Duration
Cattle
Tall Fescue Cultivar
Endophyte Status
Average Daily Gain, lb
Fayetteville, AR; 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); year study
Hereford Steers
Jesup
(MaxQ™)
1.72
2.14
0.68

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

31. 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

32. 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

33. 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

34. 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

35. 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

36. 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

38. 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=
6350 X .25 X 4.1 =
5250 X .25 X 17.5 =
1875 X .25 X 1 =
Total /39 = 1280 lbs/A

39. 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=
6350 X .25 X 4.1 =
5250 X .25 X 17.5 =
1875 X .25 X 1 =
Total /39 = 1280 lbs/A