by Jeremy Sweeten

Below are a few topics that seem to come up regularly when speaking with dairy farmers who are not only making hay but are also incorporating grazing into their practice. The three topics addressed below are:

• what to use for a nurse crop when planting new forage stands

• reducing the summer slump in a ryegrass-based pasture

• increasing NDFd levels

These are simply quick bullet point tips that we hope you’ll find valuable.

Spring Triticale vs Oats

• Triticale is less competitive than oats with a spring seeded forage crop (especially alfalfa).

• On sandy soils, a spring triticale seeding rate of 70 lbs/A is recommended.

• Spring triticale is a more upright, erect growth plant; it does not shade the underlying forage crop as much as oats do.

• In my experience both on-farm and with customers, it is obtainable to harvest a total of 3 cuttings off a spring seeded field.

• Spring triticale does a good job in suppressing weeds while allowing the alfalfa to establish.

High-quality grass to help reduce the summer slump in ryegrass based pastures

• My top choice would be a friendly endophyte tall fescue for drought tolerance.

• Incorporate more Albion perennial ryegrass because it was developed in Missouri as a heat and drought-tolerant PRG.

• Incorporate festulolium that has parentage of tall rescue and tetraploid ryegrass.

Interseeded grasses in alfalfa to increase NDFd levels

• 2 lbs/A - TetraMag Intermediate Ryegrass

• 2 lbs/A - Preval Meadow Fescue

• 1 lb/A - Hostyn festulolium

• 2 lbs/A - Bearcat Medium Red Clover (if desired)