Nutrition
These weather challenges
then result in repeating the
same cycle of spending lots
of resources and time on
harvesting a substandard
hay crop that relies on
expensive supplementation
to offset the problem.
Warm Season Grass Production
One south-Missouri producer
averaged 5.3 dry tons of hay
per acre from two cuttings
on his big bluestem stand
in 2018. This stand was
part of a demonstration
project in cooperation with
the NRCS+MU Grasslands
Project and the Missouri
Department of Conservation.
There is a mindset in
Missouri that the solution
to many of the problems is
to compliment fescue fields
with additional fields planted
to warm season grasses. “The producer had used seeded
bermudagrass for many years
for hay, but is switching to big
bluestem since it has been
more productive and uses less
fertilizer,” said Schnakenberg.
“These do not have issues
with endophyte and can be
hayed at more suitable times
of the year for haymaking. In
many cases, the native warm
season grasses are much more
productive per acre than
fescue for both pasture and
hay,” said Schnakenberg. Establishment Challenges
A University of Kentucky study
found their tall fescue plots
averaged 3.1 tons per acre.
The native warm season grass
plots averaged between 3.9
and 5.3 tons of forage per
acre per year, depending
on the species studied.
A University of Tennessee study
found after three years that their
big bluestem plots yielded 5.6
tons per acre using significantly
less fertilizer than fescue.
The challenges of establishment
are real, but there are
some ways to address this
according to Schnakenberg.
Some Missouri producers
have successfully made the
conversion to these grasses
and attribute the success to
a herbicide chemistry called
imazapic. This chemistry
is commonly found in the
products of Plateau and
Panoramic herbicides.
“These affordable products
can be safely used, even
the establishment year, on
new and old stands of big
bluestem and Indiangrass.
Weed control the first year can
lead to a much higher success
rate,” said Schnakenberg.
Once established, the native
warm season stands must be
cared for notes Schnakenberg.
“If used for grazing, they must
be in a Management-intensive
Grazing (MiG) system where
the post-grazing heights
are kept high, and cattle are
moved off for a significant
rest period before grazing
again,” said Schnakenberg. “If
someone intends to manage a
stand like their fescue stands,
we would not recommend
considering these grasses.”
If used for hay these grasses
require a high stubble be
left behind the harvester to
ensure that carbohydrate
storage in the lower stems are
not compromised. Contrary
to common thinking, this
practice does not lower overall
hay yields of the season
according to Schnakenberg.
“We typically recommend
producers start with planting
small acreages to try them
out and lower the risk,”
said Schnakenberg.
If interested in using native
grasses, contact a University of
Missouri Extension agronomy
field specialist for more
information on how to establish
and manage these stands. I
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