Eb-Foraging Around, Lancaster Farming, Saturday, February 22, 2003 Warm-Season Grass Valuable For Summer Slump Switchgrass Trials Reported Matt A. Sanderson USDA-ARS Pasture Systems Warm-season perennial grasses, such as switchgrass, can provide valuable forage during the “summer slump” period and complement cool season grass pastures. Switch grass and other warm-season grasses are also useful for wildlife habitat. Information on the performance and per sistence and performance of switchgrass varieties is needed for producer recommenda tions. In a recent study, our objective was to determine the performance and persistence of switchgrass varieties under grazing and clipping manage ment. Cave-in-Rock, Trailblazer, and Shawnee switchgrass were established in April 1999 at Rock Springs, and on the Woody Zook farm near Glen more. Switchgrass was planted in plots (30 feet by 50 feet) in a prepared seedbed at Rock Springs. Two one-acre pas tures of each variety were no till planted on the Woody Zook farm. Plots and pastures were not cut or grazed during the establishment year. Helping kids do the job safely MOKTH AMERICAN OUK«UNfeSf*3* children’s ACaMCUtRIAAL tASk4 In 2000 and 2001, two-cut and three-cut system treat ments were imposed at Rock Springs. Nitrogen fertilizer was applied at 120 pounds/ acre at Rock Springs. Forage yield was determined at each harvest. At the Zook farm, the switchgrass pastures were grazed on four dates in 2000 and three dates in 2001 and 2002 by 25 cow-calf pairs. Grazing time at each date ranged from five to 10 days each year. Forage yield was determined on each pasture before grazing. No nitrogen fertilizer was applied in 2000; however, 60 lb of N/acre were applied in 2001 and 2002, along with two tons of lime. Averaged over three years, the Trailblazer variety of switchgrass yielded slightly more than other Cave-in-Rock or Shawnee. Yields were sig nificantly higher in 2002 due to a better distribution of rain fall compared to other years. At Rock Springs, there were no significant differences among varieties in yield; how ever, cutting three times in 2001 reduced switchgrass yields. The North American Ciuidelmes for Children's Agricultural Uuks can help parents match a child’s, physical, mental and emotional abilities with an agricultural job. View tke Guidelines online at navcat.o BRINGS YOU TOP PERFORMING VARIETIES WL 327 Alfalfa Radiant Alfalfa #6 out of 27 (= to the best} Penn State Landisvllle, PA 2001 Clover TEMPUS Red Clover #1 Cornell Trials Ithaca, NY 2001-2002 #2 Cornell Trials Chazy, NY 2001-2002 STARFIRE Red Clover #3 Cornell Trials Chazy, NY 2001 -2002 #4 Penn State Trials - 2002 Cornell Trials Ithaca, NY 2001-2002 #1 Duo (festuloilum) #2 Elgon #4 Aubisque #5 Herbie MULTI mMzm. Pasture Mixes “Specify By Design” The Premier Forage and Pasture Specialists Trumansburg, NY 14886 Phone: 1-800-836-3701 AgriCulver Seeds www.agriculverseeds.com Forage And Hay Potassium Paves The Way NORCROSS, Ga. Except for nitrogen, have you ever wondered which plant nutri ent is required in the greatest amount by your pasture or which nutrient is removed in the greatest quantities in hay harvests? The answer is potas sium. Potassium • encourages more efficient nitrogen use by plants, • increases the photosyn thetic production of carbohy drates which are necessary for energy production, • stimulates storage of starch reserves in the roots of summer perennial grasses to provide greater protection against winterkill, • enables plants to use soil moisture more efficiently, • regulates the opening and closing of leaf pores (stomates) to allow proper air exchange for photosynthesis and for plant cooling • improves root growth and enhances drought toler ance, AsriCulver Seeds Consistent Performance #2 out of 19 Cornell Trials Castle, NY 2000-2002 #5 out of 26 Cornell Trials Ithaca, NY 2000-2002 #7 out of 23 (= to the best) Penn State Rock Springs, PA 2000-2001 • decreases susceptibility to several plant diseases, • stimulates increased ni trogen fixation by forage leg umes and also increases plant protein content • is involved in many bene ficial enzymatic reactions. • And it increases forage yields, grazing capacity, and potential farm profits. Potassium is also essential in animal nutrition. It helps regulate the heartbeat, affects neuromuscular activity, main tains proper osmotic balance and acid-base balance in the blood system, and maintains water balance. Muscle con tains most of the potassium in the bodies of animals, but it is found in every cell of the body. If cattle and lambs are fed forage and hay with opti mum potassium, it can help reduce their stress when they are shipped to feedlots. Forage will take up potassi um in the following amounts (pounds of K2O per ton of for age): alfalfa=6o; fescue, tDAIRY BANQUET* j; ytfvwwwwwwvvr CTOtdenw Harvest. BRAND FORAGE PRODUCTS bromegrass, orchardgrass=so; bermudagrass, bahiagrass, dallisgrass=4s; clover/grass mixtures=6o. Grazing animals will return a large portion of the ingested potassium to the soil in feces and urine. If your summer forage pro duction seemed to drop off too rapidly as temperatures in creased, if cool season forages do not respond to nitrogen rates as expected, check your soil test potassium levels. Re member, hay and silage har vests remove more potassium from the soil than any field crops. To sustain and improve production, the harvested po tassium must be replaced. Growers should consider grazing and hay demands, soil testing to evaluate their soil’s potassium-supplying power, and applying potassium fertil izer with other recommended nutrients this fall. Paying at tention to potassium can im prove forage and livestock production and increase farm profits. #1 Elgon (also latest maturity) #2 Aubisque #4 Herbie
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