C4-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, February 3,2001 Richard Leep Crop And Soil Sciences MSU Extension Frost seeding can be used to establish legumes or certain grasses into existing pastures to improve forage palatability and yield. Frost seeding is not new in Michigan. Many cash crop pro ducers in the Saginaw Valley and Thumb area of Michigan have used the technique for seeding legumes into winter wheat in the early spring. The resultant legume seeding is then plowed down for green manure for the next cash crop in the rotation. The freezing and thawing of the soil, combined with early spring rains, help the germination of the broadcast legume seeds. The key to success with this method is to seed at the proper time and follow up with rota tional grazing or mowing to reduce grass competition. It is also possible to seed cer tain grass species with this method. Recent research in Wis consin has shown good success with frost seeding annual rye grass into row cropland, which is being converted into pastures. Their research showed that eight pounds per acre annual ryegrass was ideal for seeding the species. Both research and producer experience in Michigan have shown red clover and birdsfoot A LESSON WELL LEARNED.. LANCASTER FARMING'S CLASSIFIED ADS GET RESULTS! Frost Seeding Improves Pastures In Michigan trefoil to be in the best choices for frost seeding legumes. Seed lings of both species can tolerate the lower temperatures in the early spring better than alfalfa seedlings. Red clover has good seedling vigor and is one of the easiest le gumes to establish. It is also tol erant to slightly acidic and somewhat poorly drained soil. However, red clover will only last two years since it is a short lived perennial. Birdsfoot trefoil is slow to es tablish but is one of the most long-lived pasture legumes grown in Michigan. It can adapt to a wide range of soil condi tions, such as low soil pH and poor soil drainage. Additionally, it does not cause bloat in feeding animals. Red clover and birds foot trefoil are often seeded to gether, however, red clover is much more vigorous and can crowd out the birdsfoot trefoil seedlings during establishment. Therefore, one should choose one or the other rather than mix the two. Red clover should be seeded at 8-12 pounds per acre, and birdsfoot trefoil should be seeded at 6-8 pounds per acre. Many Michigan pastures have been over grazed this past year and are excellent candidates for frost seeding as the grass is somewhat weakened in these pastures as well as grazed closely. Frost seeding into these pastures offers potential for im provement. SEE YOUR LOCAL 2 WHITE I AGCO I DEALER HERNLEY’ S FARM EQUIPMENT, INC. 2095 S Market St Elizabethtown, PA 717-367-8867 J & M MACHINERY CO. Route 22 & 819 Greensburg, PA 412-668-2276 LEBANON VALLEY IMPLEMENT CO., INC. 700 E Linden St Richland, PA 717-866-7518 MILLER EQUIPMENT CO. RD 1 Bechtelsville, PA 610-845-2911 SIBERT EQUIPMENT 1175 Bnckcrafters Road New Oxford, PA 717-624-8763 STANLEYS FARM SERVICE RD 1 - Off Rte 125 Klmgerstown, PA 570-648-2088 WITMER’S INC. Box 368 Columbiana, OH 44408 330-427-2147 Steps To Successful Frost Seeding There are five steps to take for successful frost seedings: • Step 1 Site selection. Select closely grazed grass pas tures which contain finer tex tured soils such as clay, silt, or sandy loams. These soils tend to create more action with the freeze thaw cycles of the spring while providing more moisture for the newly emerged seedlings. • Step 2 Soil fertility. Soil pH should be 5.5 or above. Both red clover and birdsfoot trefoil tolerate acid soils, however, they will grow better at a soil pH above 6.0. Soil test to correct for both phosphorus and potassium. Apply fertilizer by broadcasting after new seedling me estab lished. The phosphorus will help stimulate root growth, and the potassium will increase forage growth and promote winter har diness. • Step 3 Seeding time. Broadcast in the early spring when the ground is still frozen. Late February and March are good times in Southern Michi gan while March and early April are good in northern Michigan. The important thing to remem ber about seeding time is that one is depending upon the freez ing and thawing action to help put the seed into contact with the soil for germination. The more freeze thaw cycles, the better chance of seed germina- Pul the power and performance of a new WHITE tractor into your operation Find out the details of this 0% APR financing offer on in-stock models, today Call now before this offer is gone! AGCO* is a registered trademark and WHITE is a worldwide brand of AGCO* Corporation Duluth. Georgia USA Financing subiectlo approval by AGCO Finance™ Offer 0% APR financing options available and may apply depending on qualifying requirements Offer available only on select dealer in-stock models for a limited time tion. • Step 4 Grazing manage ment for establishment. Graze early and close in the spring to keep grass competition to a min imum. Grass suppression is nec essary to allow seedling to grow and compete. Rotationally grazed pastures work best for successful frost seeding as this practice keeps grass in a vegeta tive stage throughout the entire grazing season. • Step 5 Management after establishment. After estab lishment, check soil test levels to determine if additional applica tions of phosphorous and potas sium are needed. Reseed at least every other year with red clover. If stands are still thin after the frost seeding year, consider reseeding the following year Lancaster Farming ✓Check Ont Our Web site www.lancasterfarming.com /VRfRUNCMK FOR UP TO 60 MONTHS with additional seed. Birdsfoot trefoil should become more dominant during the second year after frost seeding as this crop is less competitive than red clover. Leaving red clover or birdsfoot trefoil reseed every few years will enhance natural reseeding. Frost seeding offers producers an inexpensive method of im proving pastures. However, frost seeding is more risky than other methods as a dry spring will reduce the establishment poten tial of frost seeding. The relative low cost of this method is proba bly the greatest incentive for producers to utilize frost seed ing. With good animal manage ment and rotational grazing, the system has worked quite well on many Michigan farms. ■'% A]. WHITE LAOCO |
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