Seed Inoculation Reminders for Forage Legumes by Rhonda R. Gildersleeve1 Introduction Legumes play a significant role in the production of high quality forages and pastures. As members of the Fabaceae or Pea Family, legumes have a unique place in agriculture because they serve as a symbiotic host for rhizobia bacteria, which fix nitrogen (N) from the […]
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Sainfoin Not Recommended for Wisconsin by Dan Undersander Sainfoin (Onobrychis vicifolia) is deep-rooted and very drought-resistant. It yields best on high pH, deep, well-drained soils, and will not withstand wet soils or high water tables. It is not as winterhardy as some cultivars of alfalfa. Sainfoin is short lived where root and crown rots are a […]
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Hay Desiccants and Preservatives by Dan Undersander, UW-Extension Forage Agronomist Hay preservatives can reduce the spoilage and heating losses from hay baled wetter than optimum. First, it is important to recognize that two totally different types of products with different modes of action are sold: one is a desiccant which is a compound applied to the hay […]
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Relative Forage Quality (RFQ) Indexing Legumes and Grasses for Forage Quality by Dan Undersander, University of Wisconsin and John E. Moore, University of Florida Relative Feed Value has been of great value in ranking forages for sale or inventorying and assigning forage to animal groups according to their quality needs. With the introduction of the new approaches to determining […]
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Diurnal Variation in Forage Quality Affects Animal Preference and Production H.F. Mayland, USDA-ARS, 3793 N 3600 E, Kimberly, ID 83341 email: mayland@kimberly.ars.pn.usbr.gov phone: 208-423-6517 G.E. Shewmaker, Univ. Idaho, Twin Falls, ID 83303-1827 D.S. Fisher, USDA-ARS, Watkinsville, GA 30677-2373, and J.C. Burns, USDA-ARS, Raleigh, NC 27695-7620 Introduction In 1993, we began to evaluate animal grazing preferences among eight tall fescue […]
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Frost Seeding Legumes and Grasses into Established Pastures by Mike Rankin1 University of Wisconsin-Extension Why frost seed? Frost seeding legumes and grasses is common means to improve forage yield or change the species composition of a pasture. Frost seeding offers several potential advantages: the ability to establish forage in an undisturbed sod, a reduced need for […]
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White Clover for Wisconsin Pastures by Ken Albrecht1 and Derek Woodfield2 1University of Wisconsin-Madison 2AgResearch New Zealand White clover has been described as the “key to the international competitive advantage of New Zealand’s pastoral industries”. World wide, it is recognized for its high forage quality, ability to support high levels of intake by livestock, and capacity to fix […]
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Alternative Forage Crops by Dr. Dan Undersander, Forage Agronomist Department of Agronomy, University of Wisconsin First, we should put things into perspective by stating that alfalfa is still the best choice, in most cases, for long term production of high quality, high tonnage harvested forage. We also expect to see increased use of corn silage, where […]
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Tall Fescue and Kura Clover for Dairy and Beef Stockers Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems University of Wisconsin – Madison Do orchardgrass, fescue or legume/grass combinations produce more meat on growing, pastured beef animals? Do beef steers, beef […]
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Experiences with Kura Clover in Agricultural Systems in Wisconsin by Ken Albrecht Introduction Long term-experiments in Wisconsin and Minnesota have demonstrated that kura clover will persist for 20 years (and counting) and can be a truly permanent component of a pasture or hayfield. It has survived winters that damaged adjacent alfalfa and red clover fields. It […]
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