Additional Forage in Livestock and Dairy Operations - Schwab
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This document discusses cover crops for additional forage in livestock and dairy operations. It covers establishment issues, animal performance considerations, variety selection factors, yield variability, and costs associated with cover crops. Establishment depends on planting timing and method. Variety selection is based on objectives, timing and resources. Yield depends on weather and can vary widely. Costs range widely from $9-90 per acre depending on seeding and harvest methods. Cover crops may suppress following crop yields depending on termination timing and biomass. Resources for more information are provided.
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Additional Forage in Livestock and Dairy Operations - Schwab
- 1. Cover Crops Additional Forage in Livestock and Dairy Operations. Denise Schwab, ISU Extension Beef Field Specialist
- 2. Cover Crop Grazing IssuesCover Crop Grazing Issues Establishment Animal performance Variety selection Yield Cost
- 3. Cover Crop Grazing Issues EstablishmentEstablishment • Plan to prevent herbicide injury • Seeding method for good establishment • Consider seed size and low rate • Add filler to bulk up to 15 – 20 lbs/acre • Aerial - Double the seeding rate • Application cost $15-20/ac • Seeding timing for adequate growth • Every 2 wks after AUG 1 cuts yield by half • Last chance to plant ~ SEP 15
- 4. Photo: May 7, 2003 Aerial Seeded vs. Drilled Straate/Link Farm Soybeans harvested Sept. 11 Rye ~ 16 inches on May 4 Treated May 4 with herbicide Rye ~ 16 inches on May 4 Photo May 7 Rye ~ 24 inches on May 7 Rye 2 bu/ac Aerial Aug. 30 Oats 3 bu/ac Drilled 2 bu/ac rye Sept. 11 For cover For forage Johanningmeier Farm Corn silage harvested Sept. 9 Rye ~ 24 inches, near boot stage May 7
- 5. Winter Rye Cover Crop, Janesville, WI Photo: April 1, 2004 Planted Oct. 10, 2003 Planted Sept. 20, 2003 University of WisconsinUniversity of Wisconsin University of WisconsinUniversity of Wisconsin
- 6. Effect of Fall Planting Date on Rye Forage Yield in Spring 1) Mid-Sept. planting provides good cover and fall forage for grazing. 2) Sept. planted Rye tends to mature slightly earlier the next spring. 3) Little difference in overall spring yield as long as Rye is planted by early Oct. University of WisconsinUniversity of Wisconsin
- 7. • Moisture content • Brassica species are about 90% water • Cereal grains are about 60-65% moisture at boot stage • Corn stalks are about 8-10% moisture • C:N ratio • Carbon = fiber = digestibility • Brassica species C:N ratio of 25:1 • Cereal grains C:N ratio of 40:1 • Corn stalks C:N ratio 60:1 • Grazing timing Cover Crop Grazing Issues Grazing PerformanceGrazing Performance
- 8. Cover Crop Grazing Issues Variety SelectionVariety Selection Depends on your objectives, timing, resources •Cold tolerance •Residue management •Forage yield
- 12. Cold Tolerance
- 14. Oats • Germinate in soil temps as low as 38’ • 5-8 days to emerge • Rapid growth, good for short growing window • Drill 30-60 lbs/a at ½ to 1 ½” depth, can broadcast or aerial seed • Tolerates poorly drained to excessively drains soils and low fertility soils • Low drought or heat tolerance • Winter kills • High quality fall, early winter grazing
- 15. • Little grazing before winter - earlier planting dates improve grazing • Some of the earliest spring grazing • Grazing off seedstems in the spring will greatly reduce further seed production • A good stand can produce 3 to 4 ½ tons of hay or silage • Quality/yield trade-off • Do NOT let it get ahead of you Winter Cereals – Rye, Wheat, Triticale
- 16. Forage Turnips • Germinate in soil temps as low as 45’ • 4-10 days to emerge • Rapid growth, good for short growing window • Drill 1-3 lbs/a at 1/4 to ½” depth, can broadcast or aerial seed • Tolerates somewhat poorly drained soils and heat • Low shade or drought tolerance • Responsive to fertilizer, especially N • Usually winter kills • High protein fall, early winter grazing, requires additional dry matter in the diet
- 17. Tillage Radish • Germinate in soil temps as low as 45’ • 3-5 days to emerge • Rapid growth, good for short growing window • Drill 5-10 lbs/a at 1/4 to 3/4” depth, can broadcast or aerial seed • Tolerates somewhat poorly drained soils • Good heat and drought tolerance • Responsive to fertilizer, especially N • Usually winter kills • Not preferred for grazing, requires acclimation • Do not allow seed formation
- 18. Annual and Perennial Ryegrass •not the same as cereal rye! •cool season grasses‑ •relatively rapid emergence •high nutritive quality Perennial Ryegrass •Varieties imported from Australia and New Zealand often winterkill •More promising perennial ryegrasses coming out of Europe have better winter survival
- 19. • Very weather dependent • Varies with seeding method • Varies with harvest method • Quantity/Quality tradeoff • Fertilize for optimum forage growth • Fertility impact on following crop Cover Crop Grazing Issues YieldYield
- 20. Practical Farmers of Iowa Data Fall seeded cover crop, spring forage yields • Winter Rye 575 lb DM/A 765 lb DM/A 1,138 lb DM/A 2,958 lb DM/A 2,055 lb DM/A • Winter Triticale 2,375 lb DM/A 1,535 lb DM/A Forage Yield Variable & Based on Weather
- 21. % TDN % Protein Quantity/Quality tradeoff
- 22. Moisture Protein* Digestibility* Yield of when cut, in dry matter of dry matte DM TDN Stage % % % tons / A T/A Vegetative 82 85‑ 24 80 0.6 0.5 Boot 82 20 22‑ 76 1.0 0.7 Heading 82 15 18‑ 66 1.4 0.9 Milk 78 15 62 2.1 1.3 Early dough 71 13 56 2.9 1.6 Late dough 60 11 53 3.2 1.7 *Summarized from several Iowa studies Nutritive Values for Oat Forage
- 23. How Many Acres Will I Need? General Rule of Thumb: Plant in late-July or early August = ½ acre/cow/month Plant in mid-August to early September = 1 acre/cow/month Plant after early September = 1.5 – 2 acres/cow/month
- 24. • Seed & planting • Harvest method • Termination • Yield suppression? • Pest problems? Tom Kasper, USDA-ARSTom Kasper, USDA-ARS Cover Crop Grazing Issues CostCost
- 25. Cost – Wide Range $9-90/ac Aerial Seeding Rate, lb/ac Seed Cost/Ac Drilled Seeding Rate, lb/ac Seed Cost/Ac Oats 90-120 lbs $62-83 (Forage ) $25-34 (cover) 60-80 lb $41-55(Forage ) $17-23 (cover) Cereal rye, triticale, wheat 83-150 lb $26-47 (rye) $32-57 (triticale) 55-100 lb $17-32 (rye) $21-38 (triticale) Turnips Not recommended 3-7 lb $9-20 Oats/radish 54-72 lb oats 3-7 lb radish $15-20 (oats) + $9-21 (radish) 36-48 lb oats 3-6 lb radish $10-14 (oats) + $9-18 (radish) Oats/crimso n clover 54-48 lb oats 9-14 lbs clover $13-15 (oats) + $21-33 (clover) 24-32 lb oats 6-9 lb clover $7-9 (oats) + $14-21 (clover) Aerial Application $15-20/ac Custom Drill $11-20/ac
- 26. Iowa Learning Farm Cover Crop Cost Calculator http://www.extension.iastate.edu/ilf/content/cover-crops-0
- 28. 1) Delayed planting 2) Surface residue • Slower soil warm-up • Planter issues • N suppression / immobilization 1) Allelopathy from winter small grains on corn production 2) Reduced soil moisture for the following crop 3) Residue can delay soils drying during a wet spring 4) Most of these issues become worse with increasing biomass Tom Kasper, USDA-ARSTom Kasper, USDA-ARS Yield Suppression? • Soybean yields no change. • Corn silage yields no change. • Corn grain yields on average 4 to 6 bu/ac lower following rye, no change with oats. If rye killed 14 d before corn planting and at less than 8” tall risk greatly reduced.
- 29. Kaspar unpublishedKaspar unpublished 0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 Cover Crop Dry Weight, lbs/ac Yielddifference,bu/ac withCCvs.noCC Corn Yield Difference vs. Rye Cover Crop Dry Weight
- 30. Practices to Reduce the Risk of Corn Yield Drag Following Rye Cover Crops • Kill rye cover crops 14 days before corn planting or use spring oat which winter kills • Kill rye cover crops before they reach 1000 lbs/acre in the spring; about 6 to 8 in tall • Increase corn population/stand - ??? • Apply some N and P fertilizer at planting • Use strip till or residue clearing attachments
- 31. Pest Problems? Weed Potential Volunteer from dormant seeds • Buckwheat Hairy vetch Mustards Potential if allowed to flower • Annual ryegrass Buckwheat • Hairy vetch Mustards Oilseed radish Difficult to terminate crops • Annual ryegrass Cereal rye • Clovers Hairy vetch Insect pests? i.e. Armyworm with winter rye Ergot
- 33. Difference between forage crop and cover planting – Forage crops are meant to be fed and will leave the field – Cover planting – plant material does not leave the field either harvested or grazed If the biomass produced is removed from the field it is considered a “crop” on pesticide labels
- 35. ReviewReview Cover Crop Grazing Issues Establishment Animal performance Variety selection Yield Cost
- 36. Resources Midwest Cover Crop Council http://mccc.msu.edu/index.htm Iowa Beef Center www.iowabeefcenter.org Iowa Learning Farms http://www.extension.iastate.edu/ilf/content/cover-crops-0 Practical Farmers of Iowa http://www.practicalfarmers.org/programs/Field-Crops_cover.php Managing Cover Crops Profitably http://mccc.msu.edu/publications.html Midwest Cover Crops Field Guide ($5) https://ag.purdue.edu/agry/dtc/Pages/CCFG.aspx
- 37. Thank You Are there any questions? Denise Schwab Benton County Extension Office, Vinton Phone 319-472-4739 Cell 319-721-9624 email: dschwab@iastate.edu www.iowabeefcenter.org
Editor's Notes
- Good references for this presentation include: Short-term and Supplemental Forages, http://www.iowabeefcenter.org/content/cows%20plows/Supplemental%20forages.pdf Struggling alfalfa fields: Consider temporary forage options, http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/icm/node/2417/print Producing Emergency or Supplemental Forage for Livestock, http://www.agry.purdue.edu/ext/forages/publications/ay263.htm <30 minutes
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- Daikon radish is tolerant of frost until temperatures dip below 25 oF. It takes several nights of temperatures in the low 20’s oF to kill Daikon radish. Temperature Cereal rye is grown in the cool temperate zones or at high altitudes (Bushuk, 1976). It is the most winter hardy of all small cereal grains (Miller, 1984; Stoskopf, 1985) enduring all but the most severe climates (Johnny's Selected Seeds, 1983). Its cold tolerance exceeds that of wheat, including the most hardy winter wheat varieties (Stoskopf, 1985), and it is seldom injured by cold weather (McLeod, 1982). Starzycki (1976) stated that 3-5 degrees C or higher is required to germinate, with the optimal range being 25-31 degrees. In the Northeast, it can be established when seeded as late as October 1 (Schonbeck, 1988). Minimal temperatures for germinating cereal rye seed have been variously given as 3 to 5, 0.6, and 1 to 2 degrees C; optimal range has been given as 25 to 31 and 13 to 18 degrees C. According to Stoskopf (1985), for vegetative growth to occur, a minimumum temperature of 4 degrees C is required. Once well established, cereal rye can withstand temperatures as low as -35 degrees C (-31 degrees F). The structure of the rye plant enables it to capture and hold protective snow cover, which enhances winter-hardiness. Cereal rye is a long-day plant and flowering is induced by 14 hours of daylight accompanied by temperatures of 5 to 10 degrees C (Stoskopf, 1985). Because it grows better in cooler weather, cereal rye can be incorporated earlier in the spring (McLeod, 1982). In summary, cereal rye is one of the best crops where fertility is low and winter temperatures are extreme (McLeod, 1982). Vegetative growth for cereal rye requires a temperature of at least 4 degrees C Stoskopf, 1985). http://ucanr.org/sites/asi/db/covercrops.cfm?crop_id=12
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- Corn grain yield decreases seem to be related to decreases in corn population following a rye cover crop. Earlier rye kill helps. Some risk with dry conditions, but can be managed with earlier kill.
- If any plant material leaves the field it is considered a crop on the pesticide label. Labels vary considerably on how they address rotational restrictions.