A quarterly news publication of The Ohio State University Extension, Editors: Clif Little and Mark Sulc
This newsletter is made possible with support from the Bob & Jewell Evans Foundation
Click here for past issues of this publication.
Click here to subscribe to an e-mail version of Amazing Graze.

Contents:

• Comparing Turnips versus Mixed Grass Pastures.
• Fertilizing Grass - How Much Can You Pay?
• Extended Grazing Systems to Reduce Feed Costs on Ohio Beef Operations.
• Winter/Early Spring Weed Control in Alfalfa.

[top] Comparing Turnips versus Mixed Grass Pastures - Mark Landefeld and Clif Little, OSU Extension Agents

Alternative forages have been the buzz word in extending grazing conversations. At the Eastern Ohio Research and Development Center, we decided to evaluate animal performance and the cost of grazing turnips versus stockpiled grass. On Aug. 14, 2 acres were disced to prepare a seed bed for planting turnips. Purple Top turnips were seeded at a rate of 4.5 pounds per acre; broadcast by a hand seeder with the opening set as small as possible, but still allowing the seed to pass through the opening. A cultipacker was run over the seed to assure good seed-soil contact.

Ammonium nitrate fertilizer (34-0-0) was applied three weeks after planting at a rate of 150 pounds per acre or 51 pounds actual nitrogen using a broadcast spreader. Ammonium nitrate was used to eliminate nitrogen volatilization if a soaking rain did not occur soon after application.

Sixty-one days after seeding, four samples of the turnips in a 2- x 2-foot section were taken and weights added together, averaged, and the amount of forage available per acre was calculated. Dry matter (DM) was tested from these samples and found to be 7.5% DM for the tops and bulbs, which amounted to 8,281 pounds of DM per acre. Approximately 75% or 6,260 pounds was found in the tops and 25% or 2,021 pounds in the bulbs.

Forty-six heifers were randomly divided into two groups of 23 head and weighed. Group number 1 was placed on the turnips and group number 2 was placed on a 9-acre paddock of mixed grass. One hundred pounds of urea fertilizer (46-0-0) was applied per acre to the mixed grass on Aug. 3rd and growth was allowed to stockpile for 75 days prior to the test. The paddock was monitored during the test period to insure an adequate amount of forage dry matter was available and would not restrict any possible weight gain, but the paddock was not strip grazed.

Group number 1 on the turnips was strip grazed to reduce trampling and waste. No back fence was used and round bales, of the lowest quality hay from the farm, were offered free choice to increase the fiber level because turnips are low in fiber and have a high moisture content. Ten round bales, approx-imately 800 pounds each, were used during the 41-day feeding period.

Yield data was collected on the turnips Oct. 16 and the heifers turned into the turnips and the grass paddock on Oct. 18. Both groups were taken off Nov. 27. Table 1 outlines the results.

This trial shows the variation in cost between two forages, turnips and stockpiled grass, and what it costs the producer per ton of DM consumed. Weight gain differences were not significant from the type of crop being grazed. Heifers grazing the turnips averaged 1.78 pounds per day while the heifers on grass gained 1.73 pounds per day. If the farm manager is lacking pasture through the summer rotations and has limited area to stockpile forage for the fall/winter feeding period, turnips may be a good crop to establish. A greater quantity of forage dry matter was produced per acre with the turnips, but the cost per ton of dry matter consumed was higher.

TABLE 1.

Cost per ton of DM consumed
Turnips:
8281 lbs. x 2 A + 8000 lbs. (hay) =24,562 lbs.
24,562 ¸ 2000 lbs. = 12.28 ton
$246.50 ¸ 12.28 = $20.07/ton DM

Grass:
4366 lbs. x 9 A = 39,294 lbs.
39,249 ¸ 2000 lbs. = 19.65 ton
$360.00 ¸ 19.65 = $18.23/ton DM

[top] Fertilizing Grass - How Much Can You Pay? - Clif Little, Extension Agent

It has always been difficult to recoup the cost of fertilizer from grass pastures or hay. The value we currently set on forages dictates low returns per production unit. However, there are several ways to wisely use your fertilizer dollar on grass.

The first priority for maximizing the fertilizer dollar should be to maintain a proper pH. Soil pH has great influence on forage quality and plant growth. Nitrogen availability from organic matter decomposition and soil suitability for legume growth are both influenced by pH. In addition, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, sulfur and other micro-nutrients are affected by soil pH.

The second priority for maximizing the fertilizer dollar should be to conservatively utilize nitrogen in the correct form at the right time. Ammonium sources of nitrogen and urea will likely be cost prohibitive during the early part of this growing season. However, diammonium phosphate (DAP) or 18-46-0 is currently competitively priced. For mixed stands of managed cool-season grass/legume pastures a strategic use of nitrogen would be to apply 30-50 units of nitrogen in the form of DAP after the first round of initial growth has been removed. If your decision is to fertilize only once this year, then you might consider approximately 50 units of nitrogen in late summer or early fall as you would to stockpile forages for late season grazing.

The final strategy for conserving money on fertilizer inputs is to frost seed legumes. A pasture composed of 30 percent legume can provide for all forage nitrogen requirements. Frost seeding can be done during February and March.

Besides the strategies mentioned above, producers should also attempt to manage livestock dunging patterns. A pasture will have a greater variability in soil fertility levels than most row crop fields. Livestock recycle nutrients. Forage manages control where these nutrients are redeposited. For more information on grazing, contact your local extension office for a member of the Ohio Integrated Forage Management Team, or check the Ohio Forage Network website (http://forages.osu.edu) or the OSU Beef Team website (http://beef.osu.edu).

[Top] Extended Grazing Systems to Reduce Feed Costs on Ohio Beef Operations - J.C. Fisher, Chris Penrose, Dave Samples. OSU Extension

Ohio beef producers have traditionally relied on stored feed as the primary source of nutrition for livestock for up to five months of the year. Feed costs account for over 90% of the variable costs on many cow-calf operations and the major portion of that cost is for hay production. A 1987 Ohio study indicated that stored feed costs for 25 cow-calf producers averaged $175 per year. Extended grazing alternatives can reduce these harvested feed costs over $100 (Fowler & Stout, 1990). Stored feeding can be reduced to as little as 60 days.

There are several options to extend the grazing season, including growing forage brassicas, small grains, stockpiling cool-season grass pastures and utilization of crop residues. Irish researchers calculated that every 3/4 inch of autumn saved pasture is equivalent to feeding out a ton of haulage (Murphy, 1994). Forage brassicas can provide up to five tons of forage in as little as 90 days at a daily feed cost of approximately 17 cents per head (Penrose, 1996). Cereal rye is a high quality forage that can provide excellent livestock gains, producing up to one ton of forage in the fall, and one and a half tons of forage in early spring, at a cost of 72 cents per day (Samples, 1999). Stockpiling cool-season grasses, predominantly tall fescue, by fertilizing with 50 lbs. of actual nitrogen, can provide over a ton of additional forage production at a cost of 20 cents per day (Vollborn & Fisher, 1999). The utilization of corn stalks can provide 30 days of free grazing and an additional 30 days with protein supplementation at a cost estimate of 0 to 51 cents per day depending on grazed vs machine harvested (Fisher, 1999).

In addition to reducing daily feed cost, extended grazing offers several other advantages. Labor is reduced through decreased time harvesting & feeding stored feeds in addition to handling manure. Nutrient cycling is improved through greater microbial activity & improved decomposition rates (Murwira et al, 1990). When forage access is managed, nutrient concentration is more evenly distributed and forage utilization can be improved from 30% to over 80% (Missouri Grazing Manual, 1995). Livestock health and aesthetics are improved by avoiding concentrated winter feeding units.

Extended grazing will reduce unit cost of production. Reducing cost by 20%, with a 20% margin, can nearly double profit in the average size beef herd (Penrose & Samples, 1999).

[Top] Winter/Early Spring Weed Control in Alfalfa - Mark Loux and Jeff Stachler

Late winter can be a good time to work on a number of weed problems in alfalfa fields. Common weed targets include winter annuals (chickweed, mustards, purple deadnettle, henbit, etc), dandelion, and curly dock. In established alfalfa stands (more than a year old), one of the most effective strategies for control of these weeds is the late-winter application of Sencor or Velpar. These herbicides can be applied anytime in winter when alfalfa is dormant and soil conditions allow sprayer traffic. Velpar can be applied until alfalfa has 2 inches on new growth in the early spring. Sencor is labeled for use in alfalfa and alfalfa/grass mixtures, although some injury to grasses may occur. The Sencor rate varies from 0.5 lbs/A, which controls many winter annual weeds, to 1.3 lbs/A, which can suppress dandelion and curly dock. Velpar is labeled for pure alfalfa only, and may actually help control some non-desirable perennial grasses. Velpar may be more effective than Sencor for control of dandelion. Both herbicides will suppress or help control curly dock, in combination with a healthy forage stand and proper management of cuttings. Velpar should only be used where the alfalfa stand will be kept for at least two more years due to its persistance in soil and 2-year recrop restriction.

Weed control in new seedings (less than one year old) is somewhat more difficult, since Sencor and Velpar cannot be used. Herbicide options for spring application in new stands include Pursuit, 2,4-DB (Butyrac), Buctril/Moxy, Select and Poast/Poast Plus. All of these except Buctril/Moxy can also be applied to established stands that are no longer dormant. 2,4-DB is relatively safe to forage grasses, compared to the other products, but is not labeled for mixed stands.

Pursuit controls a number of summer and winter annual weeds when small (1 to 3 inches), including chickweed, henbit, field pennycress, shepherdspurse, and yellow rocket. Apply a rate of 1.44 to 2.16 oz/A with nonionic surfactant (1 qt/100 gal) and fertilizer solution (1-2 qt/A). The label recommends that alfalfa have no more than 3 inches of new growth to ensure adequate spray coverage on weeds. Alfalfa should be in at least the 2nd trifoliate stage of growth, though.

2,4-DB (Butyrac) can be applied when alfalfa, clover, and trefoil have at least 2 trifoliates. Apply 1 to 2 qts/A when weeds are no more than 1 inch tall, and 2 to 3 qts/A when weeds are 2 to 3 inches tall (or when rosettes are not more than 2 inches across and not bolting). 2,4-DB controls pennycress, wild mustard, shepherdspurse and yellow rocket, but is not effective for control of chickweed, purple deadnettle, or henbit.

Buctril/Moxy can be applied to seedling alfalfa with at least 4 trifoliates. Weeds should be less than 2 inches tall, have fewer than 4 leaves, and rosettes should be no more than 1 inch across. This product can injure alfalfa if temperatures exceed 70 degrees the day of and for several days after application.

Select and Poast/Poast Plus control annual and perennial grasses and are very safe to alfalfa. Select is more likely to provide effective control of quackgrass, johnsongrass and other perennials with a single application. Poast/Poast Plus can be used in clover also.

Control of winter annual weeds in early spring after alfalfa resumes growth tends to be more difficult, compared to fall herbicide applications. Weeds can react very slowly to herbicides under cold early spring conditions. Pursuit and 2,4-DB should be applied during periods of relatively warm weather if possible, when air temperatures are above 45 degrees at night and 60 degrees during the day for several days prior to application.

All educational programs and activities conducted by Ohio State University Extension are available to all potential clientele on a nondiscriminatory basis without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, sex, age, handicap or Vietnam-era veteran status. Keith L. Smith, Associate Vice President for Ag. Admin. and Director, OSU Extension. TDD No. 800-589-8292 (Ohio only) or 614-292-1868.

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.

Want Amazing Graze e-mailed to you? Send an e-mail message to amazinggraze-on@ag.osu.edu