EFFECT OF DISC AND SICKLE
MOWER-CONDITIONERS
ON STAND PERSISTENCE
AND YIELD
Dan Undersander And
Darwin Frye
University of Wisconsin
The use of disc mower-conditioners
has grown rapidly since their intro
duction and surpassed the sale of
sickle mowers in 1997.
Despite these trends, there are still
many producers who resist purchasing
a disc mower because they feel this
mower is too aggressive on alfalfa
plants. These producers are concerned
about stand persistence and yield re
ductions that a disc mower may cause.
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716/343-5411
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With this concern in mind, a study
was initiated in Wisconsin to evaluate
the yield and persistence of alfalfa cut
with a disc mower-conditioner (DMC)
compared to a sickle mower-condi
tioner (SMC).
Plant stands were equal between
fields cut with the DMC and the SMC
with an average of 6.2 alfalfa plants
per square foot. Similarly, yields were
equal between DMC and SMC ma
chines averaging 1.48 tons per acre.
Based on this study, there doesn’t
appear to be any more stand reduction
or yield loss for a DMC compared to a
SMC. However, research station staff
found that the DMC allowed a faster
cutting speed and earlier morning cut
ting with less plugging than with the
SMC machine.
* * *
FALL-GRAZING
MANAGEMENT EFFECTS
GRASS PRODUCTION
AND PERSISTENCE
As the costs associated with animal
agriculture increase, so does the inter
est in grazing season into the fall or
early winter helps reduce animal pro
duction expenses relative to feeding
hay or silage. Tall fescue has tradi
tionally been the grass species used
for fall grazing and/or stockpiling (ac
cumulating standing forage during the
growing season for use in late fall or
winter).
However, other grass species which
have excellent fall growth attributes
may also work well for fall grazing
and/or stockpiling. Our objective was
to evaluate the seasonal and whole
year production of perennial ryegrass,
prairie grass, and tall fescue under dif
ferent fall grazing management
schemes.
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In 1994, 1995 and 1996 three fall
grazing treatments consisting of: 1.
Stockpiled: 2. Lax (grazing once in
September and then not grazing again
until spring); and (3) Intensive (con
tinue grazing on approximately 30-d
schedule through November) were
imposed on established stands of
“Bared” tall fescue, “Citadel” peren
nial ryegrass, and “Grasslands Matua”
prairie grass at the Haller Livestock
and Forage Research Center near
State College. Swards were grazed to
a residual 2 inches stubble height by
mature crossbred ewes. Forage yield,
persistence, and ewe grazing days
were monitored throughout the study.
Perennial ryegrass and tall fescue
responded similarly within and across
grazing treatments. Total season yield
and persistence of perennial ryegrass
were equal to those of tall fescue re
gardless of the fall grazing manage
ment.
During the first year after imple
menting the grazing treatments, prair
ie grass had lower survival and lower
total season yield in the Stockpiled
compared with the other grazing treat
ments. By year two of the study, prair
ie grass had not survived in any of the
grazing treatments. Poor winter survi
val of Grasslands Matua prairie grass
in Pennsylvania makes it an unsuit
able grass in perennial pastures.
Continuing to graze grasses on an
approximate 30-d interval into the fall
until the grasses stopped growing pro
duced the most annual forage and con
sequently the most grazing days.
However, unlike stockpiling, this
grazing practice (Intensive) cannot ex
tend the grazing season beyond No
vember in Pennsylvania. In addition,
spring growth of fall grazed and stock
piled grasses is less than when grasses
are not harvested after September
(Lax). Consequently, a combination
of Lax, intensive and Stockpiled graz
ing may be the most desirable under
similar conditions.
Recommendations: Tall fescue and
perennial ryegrass were similar in per
formance regardless of the fall grazing
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CUMMINGS and BRICKER, INC.
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wholesale distributors
100 Stover Drive 100-120 Lehigh Ave »PO Box 928
Carlisle, PA 17013 Batavia, New York 14021-0928
717/249-6720 716/343-5411
Serving Farmers Through Farm Equipment Dealers Since 1961
treatment. Grasslands Matua prairie
grass did not survive in this and other
studies in the noitheast region.
Therefore, varieties with improved
winter survival must be available be
fore fanners in northern climates con
sider prairie grass as a viable compon
ent in perennial pastures. Using a
combination of Lax, Intensive and
Stockpile grazing may be most desir
able. Intensive and Stockpile grazing
would allow continued grazing into
the fall and early winter, respectively,
and Lax grazing would permit early
spring grazing while the fall-grazed
pastures recover.
* * *
HARD SEED IN ALFALFA;
DOES IT MATTER?
Questions about hard seed in alfalfa
are becoming more important with in
creased seed production in the north
western United States where seed
tends to have higher levels of hard
seed. To answer questions about hard
seed, two studies were conducted at
three midwest locations in 1992 and
1993. Each year four varieties with
three levels of hard seed were planted
at each location.
In study one, 100 seeds were plant
ed in a ring in the ground and germin
ated alfalfa seedllings were counted
monthly and then removed. Most of
the seed germinate within the first
month after seedling with very little
germination in later months, regard
less of hard seed level. This tells us
that, when farmers ask about hard
seed filling in a thin alfalfa stand, the
answer is that it will not because very
few seeds germinate after the first
month.
A second study looked at the effect
of hard seed levels on alfalfa yield. In
this study all plots were seeded at 12
Ibs./a regardless of the level of hard
seed. As shown in the table below,
hard seed had no effect on yield in
either the seeding year or the year af
ter seeding.
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