PLSC Exam 2

What is the value of cool season grasses?

Generally of higher nutritive value than warm season grasses

Have a longer productive season

Provide highly nutritious grazing when warm season grasses are dormant

Kentucky Bluegrass

Europe

Perennial

Pasture, limited use for hay

High nutritive value

Intolerant of drought and high temperatures

Orchardgrass

Europe

*Perennial bunchgrass*

Less tolerant of drought but more shade tolerant

Stands in the south last 2-4 years

Pasture, hay

High nutritive value

Reed Canarygrass

Europe

Sod-forming perennial

Extremely tolerant of flooding and poorly draining soils

Pasture, hay, silage

Common reed canarygrass contains alkaloids that reduce palatability

Annual Ryegrass

Europe

*Annual bunchgrass*

Tolerates wet, poorly drained soils

High moisture requirement

Mainly pasture, sometimes hay or silage

High nutritive value

Responds well to nitrogen

Tolerant of moderate soil acidity

Westerworld Ryegrass

Vast majority of annual ryegrass is grown in the southeast, and this is mostly Westerworld varieties

Typically planted in autumn and grazed from autumn through late spring, at which time plants head and die

Usually simply referred to as "annual ryegrass"

Italian Ryegrass

Requires vernalization to initiate flowering

If planted in spring, will not head until following spring

In the southeast, Italian ryegrass acts like a true annual, but in the northern tier of the US, it may act as a biennial

Perennial ryegrass

Europe

*Perennial bunch grass*

Less tolerant of heat and drought

Pasture, hay, silage

Can cause staggers if infected with toxic endophyte

Why not use perennial ryegrass?

-Grown primarily in upper Midwest and northeast

-Can live for several years in a cool, moist climate

-If planted in south, plants will die within the year and be less productive than annual ryegrass

Small grains

Rye, Oats, Wheat, Barley, Triticale

Iraq, Turkey, Brazil

*Annual bunchgrass*

All have high nutritive values

Pasture, hay, silage

Smooth Bromegrass

Russia

Perennial cool season grass

Pasture, hay, silage

Tall Fescue

Europe

*Perennial long lived bunchgrass*

Pasture, hay, erosion control

High nutritive value if free of fungal endophyte toxins

Fescue foot

Timothy

Northern Europe

Blueish green *perennial bunchgrass*

Primarily a hay plant

Popular for horses

Cool season legumes growing time

Make most growth in late winter/early spring and in autumn when temperatures and rainfall are favorable

Cool season annual legumes are most commonly grown for _____ in the south and annual legumes are most commonly planted ______

Forage; with annual grasses

Cool season legumes are either planted on ______ ______ or _______ in Bahia/Bermuda grass during autumn

Prepared seedbed; over-seeded(uses more seed but keeps grass stand)

Bloat

A serious condition in cattle that occurs when excess gas builds up in the rumen, usually caused by the consumption of highly digestible plants(legumes) and the plant particles create a foam when digested that prevents the release of gas

Death within ____ hours for bloat

3-4 after onset of clinical signs

What plant is known as the Queen of forages

Alfalfa

Alfalfa

Queen of forages

Perennial

Has a few varieties adapted to the south

Hay and pasture

Huge demand for horses and dairy cattle

PH of 6.5 or higher required and higher level of management

Pests/issues with Alfalfa

Blister beetles produce cantharidin which causes a wide range of issues in horses

Most common in midwest and southern ranges

Bloat due to rapid digestion of a highly digestible plant

Alfalfa Weevil

Arrowleaf clover

Annual

NOT adapted to wet areas(use on hills)

Pasture and hay

Highly digestible

Bloat rarely a problem

UMBLE shaped flower

Ball clover

Annual

Tolerates POOR drainage

Pasture and honey production

HIGH bloat potential

Berseem clover

Annual

PH of 7

Tolerant of WET soil

Pasture and hay

High nutritive value

Rarely causes bloat

Requires high fertility and BORON

Birdsfoot Trefoil

Shortlived perennial

Tolerant of drought and moderate soil acidity

Cant compete with bermuda or bahia grass

Pasture

High nutritive value

Non-bloating legume

Black Medic

Annual

Pasture

Tolerates acidic soil

Low yield occurs mainly in April/May

Button Clover

Annual

Pasture and hay

PH 6 or higher

Only 1 harvest if cut for hay

Singletary Pea

Annual

Grows on soil too wet for clover

Does well on acidic and calcareous soil

Pasture and grazing discontinued in late spring due to toxic seed pods and to allow reseeding

Crimson Clover

Annual

Doesn't tolerate calcareous or poorly draining soils

Pasture/hay/cover crop/green manure crop/field/roadside beautification

Will produce more forage than any other clovers

Large Hop / Small Hop Clover

Annual

Pasture

Tolerant of soil acidity/low fertility

Low yield over a short season in April/May

Persian Clover

Annual

Tolerates poor drainage

Does well in the South

PH of 6 or higher

Pasture/hay/green manure

Bloat CAN be a problem

Red Clover

Short lived perennial

Annual in south

Drought tolerant

Tolerates soil acidity and poor soil drainage

Long growing season

Hay/pasture

Rose Clover

Annual

Pasture

High nutritive value

PH 6/7

What is a green manure crop?

A leguminous crop grown for a specific period and then plowed under to improve soil fertility.

Spotted/Southern Burclover

NOT A TRUE CLOVER

Different genus than true clover

Annual

Pasture

PH 6 or higher

Vetch (Hairy, Common, and Bigflower)

Annual

Pasture/hay/silage/green manure

Tolerant of soil acidity

High PHOSPHOROUS requirement

White Clover

Long-lived perennial in upper south

Short lived annual in lower south

Pasture

Very high quality grazing plant

Bloat can be a problem

Ph of 6 or higher

Austrian Winter Pea

Annual

Silage/green manure

High nutritive value

Tolerant of soil acidity

NOT adapted for pasture

Does not tolerate trampling or close grazing

Too difficult to cure for hay

Forage crop establishment is

Most critical time in forage production

Errors that will seriously reduce forage returns are more likely made during ________ than any other time

Establishment

Forage crop requirements ____ greatly

Vary

What is the process of liming?

A pH sample was taken and adjustments are made

-if field is too acidic, use a dual application of lime

-apply 1/2 of the recommended lime several months in advance and till into the soil

-apply other 1/2 prior to planting or after planting

Fertilizer application

Should be applied just prior to final seedbed preparation

Till into the soil

Nutrients are at a shallow depth

Reasons for tiling

Beneficial weeks or months ahead of planting

Stimulated weed seed germination(expose and kill)

Rain will settle soil and create a moist and firm seedbed

But there is a potential for erosion

Seed considerations

Seed cost is a minor portion of the total establishment expense

The use of cheap, low quality seed is neither agronomically or economically sound

Seedling rates are based on the assumption that _____ are high

Germination rates

Seedbed prep has a major influence on _____

The % of seed that will ultimately produce healthy plants

A well pulverized, level seedbed is conductive to _____ _____, ______ ______, and ______

Planting depth

Good germination

Establishment

Drill planting requires ____% less seed than broadcast

20

What kind of seeding may justify higher amounts of seed?

Aerial/helicopter

Soil conservation may also require higher amounts

Broadcast seeding is acceptable for planting _____

Small seeded forage crops

Broadcasting should be followed with a ______ to obtain good seed to soil contact

Cultipacker

It is important to properly _____ a seedbed

Firm

A good rule when determining if a field is properly firmed?

Shoeprint should not be much deeper than shoe sole

When planting legumes, both ____ and ____ must survive

Seed

Inoculant

What kind of soil should legumes be planted in?

Moist soil to enhance germination

What should legume seeds not be mixed with?

Fertilizer; the salt can kill the inoculent

Legume seed should be no deeper than ____x the thickness of the seed

8

Sprigging of Bermuda

Nursery establishment

Saves money

Loosen sprigs

Rake and load into trucks

Spread onto a field and then lightly disc in

Plant sprigs in feb/march

Establishment from clippings

- clippings from hybrid-Bermuda grass can also be used to establish a new stand

- feasibility greatly varies with variety

- let growth reach 18 inches and there are several nodes on each stem

- generously spread over field and lightly till in

- 17 bales per acre

When is hay necessary?

When pasture growth is scarce; some type of stored feed is needed

Excess forage can be cut for ____ which ______ waste

Hay

Minimizes

Harvesting excess growth can also promote production of ______ forage growth

Tender

_____ is the eternal enemy of forage nutritive value

Maturity

Hay crop selection is limited to what?

The species adapted to the area

Nutritional needs of the animal

Cost of establishment or maintenance

It is generally economical to produce hay from _____ rather than _____

Perennials

Annuals

A legume/grass mixture for hay production will do what?

Improve the hay nutritive value compared to grass alone

A large portion of hay production are _____ _____

Fixed costs

Usually 30%-40%

When producing forage, the goal is to achieve a thick, vigorous stand of ....

An adapted productive forage variety

On many farms _____ is generally the emphasis

Quantity

The two most important criteria used in evaluating hay nutritive value are the _______ _______ and ______ ______ ______

Crude protein (CP)

Total Digestible Nutrients (TDN)

Emphasis should be put on improving CP or TDN?

TDN (total digestible nutrients)

Factors that affect hay nutritive value

Plant species

Variety of the plant

Weeds

Insect damage

Diseases

Weather at harvest

Harvesting techniques

The single most important producer controlled factor influencing hay nutritive value is.....

Stage of maturity at harvest

Stage of maturity influences....

Palatability

CP content

*Digestible energy level

When should legumes be harvested?

Bud to early bloom stage

When should grasses be harvested?

In the boot stage(just before seed-head emergence)

As maturity increases, so does yield but forage value____

Decreases

When ____ content increases, _____ and _____ decreases

Fiber

Palatability and digestibility

Steps of baling hay

Cutting/Mowing

Conditioning/Fluffing

Raking

Baling

Cutting/Mowing

- Cut after dew has dried

- Set a proper height

Conditioning/Fluffing

Reduce drying time by up to 20-30 percent

Raking

Greatest source of lead loss during harvest*

Narrow, thick windrows have the potential to damage machinery

Slows down drying also

Baling

Losses from 3-8% with squares

Losses from 5-15% with rounds

All loses can be mitigated with a _____ ______

Skilled operator

Forage testing

Similar to soil testing

Best way to get nutritive value of hay

Why is weathering loss more of an issue with square bales?

Massive exposed surface area

Where is it best to store square bales?

Inside a barn

Dense bales reduce ____ and ____ from escaping

Heat and moisture

In humid climates, it is common for ___% or more dry matter to be lost with outside storage of round bales

30

Twine wrap lost ___% weight outside whereas net wrap lost ___% outside

11

7

Net wrap had ___% less hay loss during baling

1

Once hay is protected from the elements, it _____ nutritional value

Loses little

What happens to the visual aspect of hay as it stores?

It changes color and becomes visibly less attractive

Storing round bales outside should be located in an _____, well _____, ______ location convenient to _____ _____

Open

Drained

Sunny

Feeding area

Much of spoilage from outside storage comes from the _____ rather than the top

Ground

Leave ____ ft between bale stacks

3

Store bales _____ side together

Flat

If storing rounds on a slope, how should they be positioned?

Running up and down the slope

Feeding loss occurs mainly from ____, ____ and ____ _____

Trampling

Refusal

Leaf shatter