Amazing Graze

A publication of The Ohio State University Extension, Edward M. Vollborn, Editor
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January, 1999

Dear Friend:

Survival will be the theme for most livestock producers in 1999. Graziers sell forage through their livestock and livestock products. The current crisis in the hog industry will certainly make waves throughout the livestock industry.

Many of us in Ohio have come to respect Dr. Harlan Hughes, North Dakota State University, as one of the top cow-calf economists in the country. His analysis of records for 26 North Dakota herds in 1997 showed that the "best of the best," the "low cost 1/3" of those producers had unit costs of $62 per hundred pound of calf. If feeder calf prices dropped to 40 or 50 cents per pound, could you stay in business? If you dairy farm or raise sheep, etc., the same process applies. Recently, a moderate sized cow-calf producer told me that one management change with no extra cost and very little effort earned him an extra $1,000.

A formula for survival was recently shared with me: Survival = Anger x Imagination. With low prices the anger part comes easy, but we must somehow use the energy of anger to create the profit necessary for survival in 1999.

Think Spring,

Edward M. Vollborn

Leader, Grazing Program

OSU Extension, South District

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GRASS MANAGEMENT FOR THE DAIRY COW - Thomas E. Noyes, Extension Agent, Dairy, Wayne County

There is renewed interest in utilizing grass forage for dairy cows especially for dry cow feeding programs. The recent research reported by Goff (1,2) states that dietary calcium has little effect on the alkalinity of the cows blood under practical conditions so it does not induce milk fever. The key to milk fever prevention is to feed dry cows diets that contain less than 2% potassium.

Grasses are now being looked at as a source of low potassium forage. Corn is a warm season grass and corn silage tends to be 1 to 1.5% potassium. Other warm season grasses such as switch grass, big bluestem and Indian grass are also low in potassium but they are expensive, difficult to establish and do not yield as well in our climates. We therefore must produce our typical cool season grasses to contain low potassium.

Cool season grasses such as orchardgrass and bromegrass have a very extensive fibrous root system which makes them very efficient utilizers of soil potassium. They will actually out- compete alfalfa for potassium. This is why your alfalfa stand eventually becomes grassy.

The management key then is to control potassium uptake of the grass to provide a lower potassium forage. Much of Ohio's soils may contain 20,000 ppm K (40,000 pounds) per acre (3) especially in the dairy area. This soil K is found in 3 forms (1) soluble K; (2) exchangeable K; (3) non-exchangeable K. Fortunately, the majority of the potassium is in the non-exchangeable form with only a small amount several hundred ppm of the available K per year.

To adequately grow a 3.5 ton per acre grass crop requires 175 pounds of K2O per year. In most years if exchangeable K levels in the soil are between 200-400 pounds per acre, you can grow 3.5 tons or more of a grass crop annually. The key to controlling K content of the forage will be keeping the exchangeable K levels in this range. Control or avoid manure applications and the use of potash fertilizer. For 3.5 ton of forage requires 140 pounds of nitrogen application per season. Increase the nitrogen to 200 pounds and challenge the crop for 6 tons. Grow pure stands of a grass using orchardgrass, bromegrass and reed canary grass. These grasses usually test lower in K, provide the highest yields and do the best in the summer months.

The highest potassium levels are usually found in the first cutting. Potassium uptake is the most efficient when the soils are cool and moist. Therefore, designate the first cutting for milking cows and heifer feeding and make the second and third cutting for dry cows.

The key to milk fever prevention is to find or produce low potassium grass hay and combine it with corn silage to form the basis of your dry cow program. Try to formulate a total ration with less than 2% potassium. Watch to see if cows are eating bedding as oat straw is high in potassium.

Grass As A High Quality Forage - Many dairy producers that have soils where alfalfa does not do well have turned to intensive grass management to provide a high quality forage. Weiss (4) at the OARDC, in several trials, produced grass haylage and compared it to alfalfa.

The dairy quality grass was under 55% NDF and under 30% ADF and had a crude protein content of 18-20%. The energy of this forage was over .65 NEL with a RFV of over 125. Grass NDF differs from alfalfa in that it is higher but is more digestible.

Milk production was very similar to that produced on alfalfa with cows producing over 60 pounds of milk per day. Diets consisted of 60% forage, 40% concentrate and balanced for crude protein and minerals.

To produce high quality grass requires some intense management. 1) Develop and maintain a pure stand and select varieties that are late maturing to provide harvest opportunity in the spring. 2) Maintain proper fertility.

There is opportunity for yields up to 6 ton per acre which will require 200 pounds per acre of nitrogen. 3) Cut at the proper time! Certainly must be harvested boot or earlier for maximum quality. With good fertility cut every 28-30 days on a regular schedule.

1) Goff, Jesse, 1997, Strategies for Preventing Milk Fever in Dairy Cows. Proceedings Tri-State Dairy Nutrition Conference.

2) Goff, Jesse, 1998, Physiologic Factors to Consider in Order to Prevent Periparturient Disease in the Dairy Cow. Continuing Education Session, Roche Animal Nutrition

3) Agronomy Guide, 1995, Ohio State University Extension Bulletin 472.

4) Weiss and Shockey, 1991 Dept. Of Animal Science Report.

NOW AVAILABLE - ANNUAL PUBLICATION

Ohio Forage Performance Trials, 1998, Series 195 OSU Horticulture and Crop Science Department thirty page bulletin with Ohio forage variety trial results for 1998. Available at County Extension offices or look on the "web" (http://www.ag.ohio-state.edu/~perf/forage98/).

ANNUAL LESPEDESA - Edward M. Vollborn, Grazing Leader, OSU Extension, South District

Need a legume for healing a poor site? Annual lespedesa is tolerant of acidity and low soil phosphorous. In fact, under ideal fertility it may be crowded out by more vigorous grasses and legumes. Annual lespedesas are warm season, short-day flowering, legumes that are most productive when cool season legumes and grasses are unproductive mid or late summer. The use of annual lespedesa was a common practice in the 1930's to 1950's.

Recent demonstrations in Ohio have utilized the variety "Marion" with good results. Seed production for "Marion" lespedesa is concentrated in a region south of Kansas City. Frost-seeding at a rate of five to ten pounds per acre has worked in Kentucky 31 fescue stands. Pastures should be managed to allow removal of late spring canopy to give lespedesa seedlings room to grow once warm weather arrives. Late season grazing should be controlled to allow for the production of sufficient seed for next years stand.

TALL FESCUE TOXICOSIS RESEARCH BREAKTHROUGH? - Edward M. Vollborn, Grazing Leader

Ag Research, a New Zealand research institute and world leader in endophyte technology, identified and developed two endophyte strains that did not produce ergovaline. These have been named "novel animal-friendly endophytes." Testing has been conducted by University of Georgia and University of Tennessee. One of the varieties tested has been 'Jesup,' a fungus-free tall fescue variety which can be grown in our region. When the "novel" endophyte was introduced, Roy Deason, in an article for AFGC's "Forage Leader," says we get the "best of both worlds" a persistent high quality grass pasture which is easy to establish and maintain.

Can we grow Jesup in our region? Jesup EF (endophyte free), a variety that researchers are now adding the "novel" endophyte (non- ergovaline producing endophyte) to, was used in the three year fescue variety trial at the Jackson Branch of OARDC. It ranked 5th of 13 varieties (11 fescue, 2 orchardgrass), in total three year yield, but that yield was not significantly different from the top yielder. It appeared to be consistent among the three years. Jesup EF showed significantly lower December 1996 stockpile yield than more than half the varieties including the two orchardgrasses. It came back in December 1997 to have only one variety, Au Triumph, to produce a significantly higher yield. During the difficult spring of 1998, Jesup held its own with only one variety (Barcel) having significantly higher protein in May and only two varieties (Au Triumph and Festorina) having better digestibility (lower NDF). Although palatability results are not completely analyzed, early results put Jesup EF in the middle of the varieties tested at Jackson Branch of OARDC.

Experts say it will be the summer of 2000 before commercial amounts of seed will be available.

LATE WINTER TIME TO FROST-SEED PASTURES AND HAY FIELDS - Mark Bennett*

Late winter's warm daytime temperatures and freezing nights are perfect for frost-seeding legumes in pastures or hay fields. The freeze-and-thaw cycle helps broadcast seeds get into the soil.

Frost-seeding saves time and money. A broadcast seeder can cover twice the ground of a drill. Research also shows frost-seeding yields and stands are comparable to those that are conventionally planted. Legume forage yields can rise by up to two tons per acre. Frost-seeding works best with a management-intensive grazing system. When cattle trample seeds, they improve seed-to-soil contact, especially in large seedings or when seeds are exposed.

Fall and winter grazing before seeding cuts forage growth and also opens the sod, allowing better soil-to-seed contact. Keeping plant growth down is important because broadcasted seeds can become lodged or stuck in tall forages and never reach the soil.

Grazing the prior year's growth also reduces competition between established plants and new ones that require plenty of sun.

Red clover mixed with ladino clover aids quick establishment. Four pounds of red clover and .5 to 1 pound of ladino clover per acre works. If planting legumes alone where clovers are absent, plant these species at the following rates per acre: red clover, 6-8 pounds; ladino clover, 2 pounds; birdsfoot trefoil, 6 pounds; lespedesa, 8 pounds.

Producers should avoid grasses. Lightweight grass seeds will not fly as far as legumes do, resulting in an uneven stand. Grass seeds also get stuck in existing plants more than legume seeds. Soil tests are needed to match legume with the soils. Soil acidity, drainage and fertility all affect legume choice. For example, when soil pH is 6 or less, consider clover, birdsfoot trefoil or Marion lespedesa. These legumes also do well in poorly-drained soils.

Rotational grazing can help in managing the newly-seeded stand. Grazing removes top growth, which helps new plants regrow during rest periods. This also opens plants to sunlight.

Frost -seeding can be done every year. Re-seeding is crucial if stand productivity drops in the fall. Knowing the cause of the decline is key. However, before deciding to reseed, producer should find out the cause of the decline, in case it was due to improper seeding, poor establishment, disease or poor legume selection.

*This article was prepared February 1996 by Mark Bennett. Mark is a former County Agent, and Grazing Coordinator for OSU Extension. He is the founder of "Amazing Graze." I thought it would be a good time to recycle this article. There is currently a lot of discussion about frost- seeding annual or perennial ryegrass (grasses). This year's Great Lakes Conference would be a good place to get that questions answered. - - Ed

IMPORTANT DATES IN HISTORY

(1841) Edmund Ruffin in Virginia increased the yields of crops such as alfalfa with lime.

(1874) Barbed wire patented for fence.

(1886) Hellriegel and Wilfarth in Germany discovered that legumes fix nitrogen in nodules of roots.

(1914) Smith-Lever Act established the Coopera-tive Extension Service in the U.S.A.

(1919) First grassland plant breeding station in the world started by R.G. Stapledon at Aberystwyth, Wales.

(1975) Development of high voltage electric fence in New Zealand.

...Selected from listing in Southern Forages, D.M. Ball, C.S. Hoveland, G.D. Lacefield, 2ndEdition, 1996, p. 6-7.

FERTILITY MANAGEMENT OF MEADOWS - Clif Little, OSU Extension, Guernsey County**, Jeff McCutcheon, OSU Extension, Perry County**

Soil pH has considerable influence on forage quality and plant growth. Soil may naturally become more acidic due to the leaching of basic cations, primarily calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sodium. Furthermore, when the plant takes up these basic cations, they are replaced with hydrogen, contributing further to acidifying soils. Fertilizers containing ammonium nitrogen, which release hydrogen when nitrified, may also lower soil pH.

Soil pH is of utmost importance in plant nutrition, as it has an influence on many crop nutrients. Most forage plants have optimum growth when soil pH is between 6.0 and 7.0.

Nitrogen availability in the soil is associated with microbial activity. Microbes are involved in organic matter decomposition which helps convert organic nitrogen to forms that are available for plant uptake. As soil pH decreases below 5.5, bacteria become less adapted, decreasing the mineralization of organic nitrogen compounds. In addition, low pH is also detrimental to the rhizobial nitrogen fixation in legumes.

Phosphorus becomes less available as soil pH levels drop below 5.5. At this low pH, insoluble iron and aluminum phosphates form and phosphorus becomes essentially unavailable to plants.

Calcium (Ca) and pH are directly related since the soil calcium concentration primarily determines pH. When the soil base saturation of calcium is high (ex. below 90%), the pH will usually be high (6.5 or greater). When the base saturation of Ca is low (ex. below 50%), the pH will usually be low (5.0). Gypsum can be used to supply only calcium without affecting the soil pH.

Magnesium (Mg) is also a basic ion like Ca whose concentration is influenced by soil pH. When the soil pH is low, Mg becomes more available and has the potential to leach. It is possible to have adequate pH levels when Mg content of the soil is low. Fertilizer Mg in these cases should be applied in a form other than dolomite to avoid over-liming. To supply magnesium without affecting soil pH, magnesium sulfate may be utilized.

Sulfur (S) is like nitrogen and its availability is greatly influenced by the activities of microorganisms. A soil pH that favors forage growth generally favors microbial activity and sulfur availability. Sulfur has great potential to leach along with many for the bases (calcium, magnesium, and potassium) which leach out as sulfates.

Iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), and copper (Cu) become increasingly available as soil pH drops. Soil pH levels of 7.0 or greater can result in low concentrations of these plant nutrients in forages. When relying heavily on forages as the primary source of nutrition, forage test to check for adequate levels. When the soil pH is below 5.0 aluminum availability increases to the point where it may become toxic to many common forage species.

Another important aspect of soil pH is its impact on herbicide carryover. Low soil pH results in triazine herbicide binding to the soil. If liming is applied for a forage crop just prior to seeding, the herbicide will be released and can have serious detrimental effects on forage seedlings. Triazine herbicide carryover effects are aggravated by the use of EPTC (Eptam), a pre-plant herbicide labeled for use in forage legume forage seedlings.

**From a draft copy of a fact sheet being prepared by Little and McCutcheon. See next issue of "Amazing Graze" for corrective portion of the fact sheet.

SPECIAL EVENTS:

January 11, 1999, Producer Meeting (Beef) Extended Grazing/Last Trimester Feeding; Contact: Jim Barrett, OSU Extension, Washington County (740-376-7431)

January 28, 1999, Producer Meeting (Beef) Grazing Management; Wood County, West Virginia (Parkersburg vic.); Contact: H. R. Scott (304-424-1960)

February 15-16, 1999, Great Lakes Grazing Conference, Wooster, Ohio area; Contact: OSU Extension, Wayne County, Tom Noyes (330-264-8722)

February 23-24, 1999, Management Intensive Grazing School; Contact: Tammy Dobbels OSU Extension , Logan County (937-599-4227)

March 5, 1999, Ohio Forage & Grassland Council Annual Meeting ODA, Reynoldsburg, Ohio; Contact: Ed Vollborn (740-286-2177)

March 11,1999, Producer Meeting Grazing Management/ Extended Grazing, Etc. Southeastern Indiana (minutes from Cincinnati vic.); Contact: Dave Nuhring (812-934-4474)

March 11, 1999 (Tentative), Producer Meeting Year Round Grazing Forage Program (Invited out-of-state speaker); Contact: Jennifer Byrnes, OSU Extension, Gallia County (740- 446-7007)

March 12-13, 1999, Knox County Grazing School, Mt. Vernon, Ohio; Contact: Troy Cooper, OSU Extension, Knox County (740-397-0401)

March 22-29, April 5, 1999, Holmes-Wayne Counties Grazing School Mt. Hope, Ohio; Contact: Dean Slates, OSU Extension, Holmes County (330-674-3015) -or- Tom Noyes, OSU Extension, Wayne County (330-264-8722)

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All educational programs and activities conducted by Ohio State University Extension are available to all potential clientele on a non-discriminatory basis without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, gender, age, disability or Vietnam-era veteran status.

Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Keith L. Smith, Director, Ohio State University Extension.

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Updated on January 8, 1999 by Stan Smith