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Filling the Gap with Forages: Cover Crop Forage Options on Prevented Plant Acres

Rory Lewandowski, Extension Educator Wayne County

Lewandowski.11@osu.edu

Introductory statements• Consult with your crop insurance agent/adjuster regarding any

conditions/requirements they have for cover crops as forages on prevented plant acres. Document any special requirements/conditions.

• Be aware of any restrictions a herbicide application will add to use of a cover crop as a forage. Read the label.

• Be aware of possible seed treatment restrictions. Consult your seed dealer.

• Forage drying rates and conditions are often reduced with late season harvests, particularly after mid-September. Are you set up to harvest forage as a silage or baleage feedstuff?

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Lots of potential cover crop forage options…

• June 25 CORN newsletter articles provided information on a number of cover crop forage options:

• https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/201919/2019-challenge-forage-production-options-ohio

• https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/201919/using-corn-cover-crop

• https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/201919/forage-shortage-and-prevented-planting-acres%E2%80%A6-think-oats

• http://mccc.msu.edu/cover-crop-considerations-prevented-planting/

• Which cover crop option should you use?

Need to ask and answer some questions

• Key questions:• Is seed available?• Do I need/want fall and spring harvest? Or just fall harvest?• Am I restricted by earlier herbicide applications?• What kind of management is required? What is required for

harvest and storage?• Is grazing a possibility?

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Sorghum Species• Tall growing, coarse stemmed annual

• Forage sorghum, sudangrass, sorghum x sudangrass hybrids• Adapted to well-drained, fertile soils. Plant at 35-40 lbs./acre• Do not tolerate acidity (pH 6.0 to 6.5)• 8000 lb DM/acre average yield (planted late May, multiple

harvests)• Planted by Mid-July, plan for one harvest, 50-60 days after

planting, 1.5 to 2.0 ton DM/acre• Nitrate accumulators• Prussic acid concern! (following a frost)

Sorghum forages in dairy diets

Harvest before heading stage (4 ft tall or less)…start earlier than later to avoid getting caught with delays that result in poor quality.

Use BMR varieties for improved digestibility, lower lignin, and higher intake.

BMR varieties can produce equal milk in mid-lactation cows as alfalfa and corn silage diets (Aydin et al., 1999; Grant et al., 1995).

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Pearl Millet• Smaller stems and leafier

• Better adapted to acid soils (pH 5.5 to 6.5)

• Total yield less than sorghums over multiple cuttings

• More cold sensitive than sorghums

• Good drought tolerance

• better on sandier soils than sorghums

• Nitrate accumulator

• No prussic acid!

Warm Season Annual Management: Stored Feed

Hay is difficult because of slow drying stems

Baleage can also be problematic if stems poke through plastic wrapping or bag

Silage: harvest in late vegetative stage, 30-36 inches of growth for best quality

Forage sorghum is typically harvested for silage in the soft to medium dough stage

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Warm Season Annuals: Forage Quality

Species CP% NDF % Energy TDN

NEL

Mcal/lb

Sorghum x Sudangrass:

Early veg 16-18 50-55 68-70 .65-.68

Mid-bloom 8-10 62-68 55-60 .55-.60

What are the most realistic or likely options?

• Corn as a grass silage, planted by mid-July• Oats: planted late July/early August• Oats/winter cereal rye mix• Spring triticale planted late July/early August• Soybeans as silage planted by mid to late July• Mixes of these species, possibly adding peas or crimson clover to

boost CP and energy• Cost?

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Late Planted Corn for silage

• May be best fit in some fields due to earlier herbicide applications

• Highest yield potential. Wisconsin data: planted by July 15, forage yields were 3.5 to 5.6 tons of DM/acre

• Will not be conventional corn silage. Little to no grain yield. Think of this crop as a grass silage. Lower energy than corn silage. NDF around 60%

• Biggest challenge is moisture level at harvest. Successful fermentation depends upon harvest at 60-68% moisture (32-40% DM). Before a frost, very possible that plants will be at 80% moisture (20% DM).

Management Considerations: CC corn silage

• AgronomicsPlant population/row spacing: greater than 35K. 40K + to get faster canopy closure and weed suppression. Narrow rows are also helpful, 15-20 inch?Full season variety to get as much tonnage as possibleIf narrow rows not possible, cover crop in between corn rows?: clover, annual ryegrass, oats?Nitrogen: Consider 50-75 lbs. actual N/acre

• Crop InsuranceDoes your agent/adjuster have requirements for corn as a cover crop?

• Harvest: consider mowing before a killing frost, let the crop wilt to proper DM and then chop, probably the best harvest option

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Corn Insecticide treated seed: restrictions

• Cruiser (thiamethoxam): Cumulative seeding rate of 59,874 seeds/acre

• Poncho (clothianidin): Cumulative seeding rate of 75,575 for the Poncho 1250 formulation (much higher for others) plus a 30-day interval before replanting after a failed crop treated with Poncho

• Bayer Gaucho (imidacloprid): No grazing or harvest for food or feed if planted as cover crop.

• NemaStrike ST: Cumulative seeding rated of 40,400 seeds/acre (1.0 mg/seed) or 80,800 seeds/acre (0.5 mg/seed)

Read the label AND consult with the seed company

Oats as a cover crop forage crop

• Lots of experience (15+ years) in Ohio growing oats as a forage crop. (http://u.osu.edu/beef/2019/06/26/forage-shortage-and-prevented-planting-acres-think-oats/)

• Key is to wait on planting until late July/early August. Keep the oat plant in vegetative stage with decreasing day length.

• May be the most economical option, with the possibility of producing 3 to 5 tons of DM forage/acre.

• Not necessary to use certified seed oats. On farm demos and field trials have used bin run and feed oats most commonly.

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Oats as a forage

• Control weeds before planting.

• Seed source choices• Forage oats, genetics specifically for forage production. More expensive

but quality will probably be higher and may have more resistance to rust• Feed oats typically purchased out of Canada. Good supply. Typically are

cleaned to provide horse quality feed so weed seeds not an issue. Price likely in the $15-$22/cwt range.

• Bin run, local oats. May be the cheapest seed, but cleaning to remove weed seeds is a must

Rust can be an issue with earlier plantings and wet conditions. Can reduce forage palatability

Oats as a forage: Agronomics

• Plant late July/early August at 60-90 lbs./acre

• Apply 40-50 lbs. N/acre

• Harvest at 60 days of growth for highest quality. 12-18% CP, TDN 62-65%, NDF 38-50%. Similar to mid-bloom alfalfa.

• Yield can increase past 60 days depending upon growing conditions, while quality will decrease

• Oats tends to maintain quality after killing frosts.

• In late September to October requires 5-7 drying days for dry hay production. Baleage is good option.

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Spring Triticale

• Similar to oats: plant late July to early August at 90 to 110 lbs./acre

• Yield likely to be in the 2-3 ton of DM/acre harvested 60 days after planting

• Maintains its quality over a wider harvest window

• Quality can be slightly better than oats, feed value similar to early to mid-bloom alfalfa.

• Seed cost is higher.

Annual Ryegrass (Italian Ryegrass)

• Rapid emergence, similar to oats. Planted early to mid-August will produce 1.0 to 1.5 tons DM/acre 60-80 days after planting

• Could produce another 3.0 tons DM + the next spring through early summer. (Done by July of following year)

• Choose varieties with good winter survival if the spring/early summer harvests are important. https://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/forage2018/ Click on “Annual Ryegrass Variety Trial” in left-hand column. Winter injury ranged from 5.0 to 62%

• Quality: CP mid-teens, NDF in mid 50’s

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Annual Ryegrass Agronomics

• Plant into a firm seedbed

• Planting depth of no more than one-half inch, preferred is one-quarter inch

• Seeding rate is 24 to 28 lbs./acre

• Apply 30-50 lbs. of N/acre at planting or early tillering. Spring production will require additional N.

• Do not allow overwinter growth to exceed 4-6 inches.

Mixes

• Oats or spring triticale combined with winter cereal rye

• Reduce the seeding rate of each component to 70% of the full rate.

• Advantage is spring forage.

• Oats or spring triticale combined with peas or soybeans. Seeding rate: peas at 35-50 lbs./acre, SB’s at 60% of normal. Peas need to be planted 1.5 to 2.0 inches deep.

• Advantage: Can increase the CP (3-4%?) and energy levels

• Disadvantage: Increased cost

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AA

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1.5

2.0

Dry

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10/22/2009

Oat

Promax

PP-102M

Teff

Forage dry matter yield – 2009 Findlay

Planted July 27Bin run oatsPromax hybrid BMR sudangrassPP-102M Pearl milletTeff

N applied: ?Harvested October 22

Univ. Findlay – Forage Quality

Forage % CP % NDF

Oat 10.6 58.2

Promax 11.2 64.7

PP-102M 8.7 66.3

Teff 9.7 61.8

Oat+sudangrass 11.8 58.1

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Oats and Rye in Combination

Aug   Sep   Oct  Nov   Dec  Jan   Feb  Mar  Apr   May

For

age

Ava

ilabi

lity

MU‐FSRC

Oats

Rye

Small Grain + Peas (U. Wisc)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

DM yield CP NDF

Oats

Oats+pea

Barley

Bar+Pea

Lbs/Ac x 100

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Italian Ryegrass in November – Western OH(Seeded in early September)

Italian Ryegrass – Western Ohio(April Growth, seeded prior Sept)

Winterhardiness varies among varieties0 to 6.7 tons DM/acre year after seeding

Trials in VA and PA: 3.5 to 5.6 tons DM/acre from November to July

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Yields (tons DM/acre)Worst variety Best variety

2005-06 0.8 7.2 2006-07 0.3 3.62007-08 1.7 4.7 2008-09 4.5 7.0 !2010-11 4.7 5.72011-12 5.1 7.1 !2012-13 4.9 8.4 !

Yield of Marshall (tons DM/acre)2005-06 4.1 2006-07 3.52007-08 3.72008-09 4.82010-11 4.72012-13 6.3Average 4.5

Italian Ryegrass – Western OHSeeded Sept. – harvested Nov to July

Soybeans as cover crop for silage

• Soybeans have the potential, as a legume, to be a high quality forage, comparable to early bloom alfalfa.

• Difficult to harvest as a dry hay. Better suited to silage.• Harvest at the R3 to R5 growth stage.• Moisture level needs to be in the 60 to 68% range for best ensiling.• Harvesting at more advanced growth stages causes problems with

fermentation due to higher oil content of the forage.• Mixing soybeans with a grass can improve silage palatability and

silage fermentation.

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Soybean cover crop for silage: Agronomics

• Limitations/issues• Few if any herbicides cleared for use on soybeans as forage• Seed treatments: legal limit on how much can be applied/acre, which

could limit plant population. In addition there may not be a label with the seed treatments that allows forage use. Need clarification from seed companies

• Variety selection: choose later maturing variety to get more growth/forage

• Row spacing: narrow rows 15-inch or less to get canopy closure and reduce weed pressure

• Plant population: normal to above normal plants/acre

Insecticide treated soybean seed: restrictions• Poncho (clothianidan), Votivo (biological): Do not graze or feed

soybean forage/hay to livestock

• Mertect (thiabendazole): Do not feed hay grown from treated seed to livestock

• Bayer Gaucho or Acceleron (imidacloprid): Do not graze or feed soybean forage/hay to livestock.

• BASF ILeVO (fluopyram): Do not graze or feed soybean forage and hay to livestock.

• Intego Suite(Clothianidin+ethaboxam+ipconazole+metalaxyl): Do not graze or feed soybean forage and hay to livestock

• Intego Solo (ethaboxam): Do not graze or feed soybean forage and hay to livestock

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Soybean Seed treatment restrictions continued

• Cruiser (thiamethoxam), Maxx (fludioxonil,Metalaxyl), Vibrance(sedaxane): cumulative seeding rate of 500000 seeds/acre

• NemaStrike ST: cumulative seeding rate of 254000 seeds/acre at the 0.5 mg/seed treatment rate

• Many labels also have replant statements that provide a plant back restriction for certain crops

• Message: Read the label AND consult with the seed company

Source: Soybeans for Forage, Iowa State University Extension, 1993.

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Buckwheat as a cover crop forage?

• Cornell field studies: buckwheat cut in early flower (5-6 weeks after planting) has quality similar to good quality alfalfa hay.

• Example buckwheat cut in flower: CP 16.4%, ADF 33%, NDF 42%, 0.68 NEL, RFV 141.

• Yield in a good stand 30-36 inches in height: 2-3 tons/acre• Feeding concern: light colored cows fed a ration of more than 30%

buckwheat can develop a skin rash when they are in the sun.• Drill at 50-70 lbs./acre, 1 inch deep. Apply 30 to 50 lbs. N/acre• Note: buckwheat is sensitive to atrazine, trifluralin, and sulfonylurea

herbicides

If you can wait for forage until spring

• Late summer seeded alfalfa: plant in August

• Soil pH 6.8

• Any winter cereal grain: wheat (after Hessian fly free date), triticale, rye

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Grazing options:

• Brassicas (turnips, radish, rape, kale) planted in early August (2-4 lbs./acre) can yield 3- 5 tons of dry matter (DM)/acre (tops and bulbs). The cautions is that brassicas act more like a concentrate than a forage due to low fiber levels. Often need to supplement fiber.

• Winter cereal grains planted in early to mid August (90 – 120 lbs./acre) can yield 1 to 1.5 tons of DM

• Mixes of brassicas with winter cereal grains provide a better forage due to the fiber content.

Some management keys for good silage

• Harvest at correct moisture percentage. Goal is 65% moisture for bunker silos and bags, 62% moisture for upright silos and 50% moisture for baleage.

• Chop length of 3/8 to one-half inch• Must exclude air. Air is the enemy of good fermentation and an ensiled

feedstuff. • Packing is critical for bunker silos and piles, goal is a density of 40-45 lbs. of

forage per cubic foot• Baleage need dense, tightly packed bales

• Wrap/cover: as soon as possible • Baleage with minimum of 6 layers of 1 ml plastic within 8 hrs of baling• Bunker and piles: Oxygen barrier products

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Final Comments

• This year’s prevented plant acreage, forage needs, cover cropping situation is un-charted territory. Need to learn from this year.

• Questions that have been raised regarding species for PP cover crops, and potentially used for forages are not common questions. Some have label (legal) restrictions/ramifications.

• It is a dynamic and fluid situation as researchers, seed companies, and policy administrators provide answers and offer clarification.

• Consult and verify decisions with crop insurance agents/adjusters, seed companies and chemical dealers. Report to FSA.

• Read herbicide labels!

https://u.osu.edu/2019farmassistance/faqs/