liwmivtwii | What farmers'^'X^''^^ ( can do during , | ! drought conditions Supplemental Or Emergency Forage Crops Fanners are becoming increas ingly concerned about the inadequate amount of forage that their traditional crops will produce under the dry conditions currently existing around the state. What can be done to increase forage production this summer? If adequate rain does begin to fall in the near future, proper fertilization (especially nitrogen) of existing grass forages will help maximize their production during the remainder of the growing season. In addition, several “emergency forage crops” can still be planted that may help farmers increase the amount of stored forage available this winter. Summer-annual grasses, which maintain relatively high levels of production during hot and dry conditions, will provide additional forage if we get some rain. Factors to consider when deciding which emergency forage crop to grow are: crop use (silage, hay, or graz ing), seed availability and cost, optimum seeding and harvest dates, and relative yield and qual ity. Summer-annual grasses grow Au FARM DAYS *9l 9 am-5 pm Sponsored by the Empire State Potato Club, Inc. Host Farm Family: Rodman Lott and Sons Fraa Arimieeinn IN COOPERATION WITH: American Agriculturist • New M Stan Colligt ol Agriculture A Lite Sciences • rice MUmiaaiUi I g, w ftrk E . t| |p nt|n | Dtalan’ Asnciitlon • New ttot Stall Farm Equipment Club • Comall Parking $2 per car Cooporollw Eilonilon • New Kbit State Electric i Gas Corporation • Rocliatter Gac i Electric Corporation best at relatively high tempera tures (80 degrees F) and can pro duce under conditions of limited moisture. Sorghum is grass which has been bred for both grain and for age production. The grain sorg hum types are relatively short growing (less than 6 feet) and pro vide moderate yields when harvested as a forage. Forage sorghum, on the other hand, grows tall (6 to 15 feet) and has the potential for high yields. Like com, sorghum hybrids are classi fied into maturity classes. Late maturing sorghum types yield more than earlier-maturing types, but may not reach maturity before a killing frost. The sorghums are usually harvested only once and used for silage or green-chop pro duction. Some producers have seeded 90 lb. per acre of soybeans along with grain sorghum to improve forage quality. Sudangrass usually grows between 3 and 8 feet high and has stems about 'A inch in diameter. Solid stands of sudangrass grow shorter than when seeded in rows. Sudangrass will regrow following each harvest until cool tempera tures or lack of moisture inhibit growth. RL4I4 Sorghum-Sudan Hybrids or Sudax resemble sudangrass but are taller, have larger stems and leaves, and give higher yields. Hybrids tend to be coarser than sudangrass and vary in yield and growth characteristics depending on their parents. Like sudangrass, sorghum-sudangrass hybrids will regrow after each harvest unless environmental conditions are restrictive. Millet has smaller stems and is more leafy than the sorghum, sudangrass, or sorghum sudangrass hybrids. Pearl millet will regrow after harvest but not as rapidly as either the sudangrass or sorghum-sudangrass hybrids. German or Foxtail millet, howev er, does not regrow after harvest. Millet yields are usually lower than sorghum-sudangrass hybrids. Summer annuals should be planted by the end of June. How ever, seedings may be made as late as July 15 in emergency situa tions, but yields will be reduced because of limited moisture in the summer and cool temperatures during the fall. Forage and grain sorghum planted for forage should be planted in rows to facilitate harvest and minimize lodging. Avoid planting the sorghums too deeply as emergence problems may occur when planted deeper than one inch in most Pennsylva nia soils. Also, avoid seeding rates above 10-12 pounds per acre since they can increase the risk of lodg ing, particularly with the tall for age sorghum types. Fewer herbi cides are labeled for grain and for age sorghum than com so select fields where weeds can be con trolled with labelled herbicides. When using Lasso or Dual, be sure to use seed that has been treated with the appropriate safen er. When planting after a failed Seneca Falls, MY. Establishment com crop, be sure that the herbi cides used on the com are labelled for sorghum. The other summer annual spe cies can be broadcast seeded and cultipacked or seeded with a grain drill into a well-prepared seed bed (Table 1). Solid seedings result in finer and shorter plants which are desirable for silage and grazing. Wider row spacings (20 to 36 inches) allow for cultivation and results in better regrowth and Table 1. Suggested seeding rates for summer-annual grasses in Pennsylvania. Seeding Method Rows Grain drill Broadcast Table 2. Silage yield and nutrient content of summer-annual grasses. Species Hybrid com Forage sorghum Sudan-grass Millet Fertilization For forage production, fertilize grain and forage sorghums using soil test recommendations. In lieu of a soil test, fertilize similar to com silage. Fertilization of the other summer-annual grasses, should be similar to other annual grass crops. Apply sufficient nit rogen (40 to 80 lb./acre) at plant ing to insure establishment and stimulate plant development. Another 50 pounds of nitrogen after the first harvest is also recommended for optimum pro duction. Crude protein content of these grasses is directly related to rate of nitrogen fertilization. How ever, caution must be exercised to avoid nitrate poisoning when high rates of ntirogen fertilizer or man ure are applied. k. %3m ll .A- * **w «.iil J • - ‘ Southeast Pa. Florian Geider 215-266-7328 Western Pa Robert Smola 412-942-0125 Lancaster Farming, Saturday, July 27, 1991-C3 more uniform production through out the season. Row spacing itself, however, has relatively little effect on total forage production. Plant sudangrass, sorghum sudangrass hybrids, and millets 1 inch deep in medium to heavy soils and VA inches deep on san dy soils. If the soil is dry and rain is not anticipated before seedling emergence, cultipack the seedbed to maximize seed-tosoil contact and moisture conservation. Soil moisture expectations Dry matter yield t/acre 5.46 4.50 4.15 3.75 Both the grain and forage sorg hums are most frequently used for silage or green chop in a single cut system, although they can be grazed if desired. Silage should be cut when the grain is in the medium to hard dough stage. Under most conditions, com sil age will produce higher silage yields and quality (Table 2). The sorghums will produce similar or higher yields than com silage on droughty soils. The other summer-annual gras ses can be used for grazing, green chop, silage or hay. The best time to graze is when the plants are between 18 and 30 inches tall (6 to 8 weeks after planting). Grazing when the plants are less than 18 inches tall will delay regrowth and FARM Livestock • Storage • Utility - HORSE Barns • Riding Arenas • Open-Sided Shelters ' T» - J COMMERCIAL Office • Warehouse • Retail Over 35 years of design-build experience and expertise in providing turnkey solutions, competitively priced with a variety of financing options For more information contact AG WAY BLNLDMMGS (agway) Dry Moist lb./acre 8 12 10 15 20 30 Total Dude digestible protein nutrients 8.2 64.9 8.3 61.1 12.2 58.5 10.1 56.4 Utilization (Turn to Page C 4) Penn-Atlantic Region P.O. Box 43 Elizabethtown, Pa. 17022 717/367-1178 South Jersey Griff Ellison 609-678-8513 Northeast Pa. Don Hohn 717-663-2929
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