Transcript Native Warm Season Grass Management

Native Warm Season
Grass Management
Brian Jones
Extension Agronomist
Native Warm Season Grasses
 Grasses were historically native
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
Provided most of the forage for early settlers
Free roaming livestock and overgrazing
 Grow during the warm months of the year
 Dormant during autumn and winter

Opposite life cycle than that of cool season
grasses (tall fescue, etc.)
Many Species
 Big bluestem
 Little bluestem
 Broomsedge bluestem
 Indiangrass
 Switchgrass
 Sideoats grama
 Eastern gamagrass
Big Bluestem
 Height of 8-9 feet
 Fine silky hairs near the
base of upper leaf
 Seedhead resembles
turkey foot
 Extremely drought tolerant
 Extensive root system (12
feet deep)
 Wildlife and forage
Little Bluestem
 Grows 2-4 feet
 Stem flattened at base
 Red or purplish during
early growth
 Mature plants reddishbrown
 Quality wildlife habitat
Switchgrass
 Grows 6 to 10 feet
 Early maturing
 Flowers in early to mid-
June
 Extensive root system
 Extremely drought
tolerant
 Also tolerant to wet soils
 Wildlife and forage
QUESTIONS?
Uses of WSG
 Wildlife habitat
WSG for Wildlife Habitat
 Primary importance is cover, more often
limiting factor
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Early successional
Aerial predator prevention
 NOT for “food plots”
WSG for Wildlife Habitat
 “Bunch type” grasses
 Open space at ground
level

Allows mobility for small
wildlife
 Attractive for brood rearing
 Also for nesting
 Leaves remain erect,
avoiding thatch buildup
WSG for Wildlife Habitat
 Winter cover
 Tall species provide protection from
wind, rain and snow
Uses of WSG
 Wildlife habitat
 Erosion control
WSG for Erosion Control
 WSG are excellent choice for sites not
suitable for cropping
 Highly erodible soils, rocky soils, riparian
buffers, field corners
 Field borders can increase quail and songbird
populations, while still maintaining
productivity

Usually less productive areas anyway
(shading)
Uses of WSG
 Wildlife habitat
 Erosion control
 Biofuel production
WSG for Bio-Fuel Production
 Biofuels are renewable carbon-
based energy sources
 Typically think of switchgrass
 Energy from:
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Cellulosic ethanol production
Direct combustion or co-firing
 Market has not developed
Uses of WSG
 Wildlife habitat
 Erosion control
 Biofuel production
 Forage production
WSG for Forage Production
 Useful for both grazing and harvested
forage
 Highly productive during summer months
 If managed can be high yielding and
nutritious
The “fit” for Warm Season Grasses
 Can complement current pasture and hay rotations
 Highly palatable prior to heading
 Most productive from June to September
 Help to overcome the “summer slump” in our cool
season species
Grazing WSG
 Will not tolerate close,
continuous grazing or
cutting

will see yield decrease the
following year
 Must utilize some form of
rotational grazing system
to maximize yield and
quality
Grazing Management
 In VA: may begin grazing ESTABLISHED
stands at the end of May/early June
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Breaks winter dormancy in late April
Greens up early
 Begin grazing at 12-18”
 Graze to a height of 8-10”
 Avoid overgrazing!
Grazing Management
 Allow at least 5 weeks for 28-32” of new
growth before grazing again
 Consider haying if growth exceeds demand to
maintain quality
 May also creep graze very effectively
 Grazing period ends in late August
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Plant must have reserves going into winter
Grazing Preference
Name
Alamo switchgrass
Blackwell switchgrass
Blue panicgrass
Carostan flaccidgrass
Dallisgrass
Ermelo lovegrass
Johnsongrass
Lometa indiangrass
Midland 99 bermudagrass
Morpa Lovegrass
Pensacola bahiagrass
Pete Eastern gamagrass
Sand Mountain bahiagrass
Selection 75 kleingrass
late vegetative - 1
early reproductive
-2
late reproductive 3
mature4
Veg.
stage
1
1
2
2
4
4
3
1
1
4
3
3
1
3
Bites
total
4774
1045
867
567
538
26
1220
2230
948
153
2224
2264
1739
186
%CP
11.30
11.00
14.74
11.26
8.73
11.19
9.55
10.79
15.11
10.80
15.55
9.40
15.52
12.75
%ADF
41.97
42.76
41.43
43.87
28.94
42.91
46.28
43.23
36.98
43.63
39.00
48.18
37.72
39.63
%NDF
69.26
71.08
63.99
69.43
43.43
72.01
70.76
68.39
65.69
72.96
59.82
75.05
61.48
64.28
%IVDMD
67.96
63.52
72.93
66.28
46.27
57.62
63.12
64.49
69.11
55.33
74.42
59.23
70.66
67.04
%TDN
56.21
55.59
56.63
54.72
36.72
55.47
52.85
55.22
60.09
54.91
58.51
51.37
59.51
58.03
Grazing Productivity
 Yield and animal gain are potentially high if
managed correctly
 VA research indicates 1 acre may support as
much as 2.2 AU (0.45 acres/AU)
 Gains of over 2 lbs/day have been reported
 Avoid temptation to return to paddocks too
early, must have adequate regrowth
Cutting Management
 Manage differently than cool season hay
 Research shown that one harvest is typically
optimal
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Two or more harvests per year have actually
decreased total yield, and limited further yield
 Maximum yield observed at anthesis
(flowering), however quality suffers
Switchgrass Quality over Time
vegetative
Burns et al., NC State
mid-boot 20% emerged
QUESTIONS?
WSG Establishment
 Turns more people off than anything else
 Can be difficult, but not impossible
WSG Establishment
Top five reasons stands fail:
1.
Planted too deep
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Do not plant deeper than ¼”
Should see as much as 30% of seed on surface
WSG Establishment
Top five reasons stands fail:
1.
2.
Planted too deep
Inadequate weed control
WSG Establishment: weed control
 WSG do not compete well
 Control perennial cool-season grass stands in
the fall prior to planting
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Graze/hay/mow closely
Apply burndown herbicides
 Control summer annual and perennial
competitors
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Pre-emergence herbicide for broadleaf and
selective grass control
WSG Establishment
Top five reasons stands fail:
1.
2.
3.
Planted too deep
Inadequate weed control
Planted too late
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No later than mid-April to end of May
WSG Planting Date and Methods
 Avoid planting too late:
 Germination and growth reduced
(plants need moisture early)
 Greater levels of weed competition
WSG Planting Date and Methods
 May be broadcast or drilled
 Drilling preferred: better seeding rate control
 Specialized seed box required
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WSG seed are very fluffy, difficult to flow through
drill
Reduced tillage very successful with proper
drill
 If broadcasting consider using a carrier
(pelletized lime, fertilizer, cracked corn, etc)
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Broadcasting will required thorough tillage
followed by cultipacking
WSG Establishment
Top five reasons stands fail:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Planted too deep
Inadequate weed control
Planted too late
Drill not calibrated / PLS not calculated
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Determine PLS from seed label
Buy certified seed
Lower seed purity and germination (inherent
dormancy)
Improving Germination of WSG
 WSG (esp. switchgrass) have a high
dormancy rate (survival mechanism)
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Some clear cut areas will have switchgrass
emerge after 100+ years
 Break dormancy by stratification
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Wet chilling process involves soaking then
storing in a cool location and then drying
May buy cold-stratified seed
WSG Establishment
Top five reasons stands fail:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Planted too deep
Inadequate weed control
Planted too late
Drill not calibrated / PLS not calculated
No patience!
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Stands can take up to a year to become
established
Other considerations for WSG
 Seeding rates
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Depend on objectives
Wildlife require a more open stand (4 – 6 lb
PLS)
For pasture and hayfields, plant 8 – 12 lb PLS
Other considerations for WSG
 Mixtures
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Consider mixing variety of species for wildlife
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Tall mixes: bluestems, indiangrass, switchgrass
Shorter mixes: little bluestem, sideoats grama
Grazing or haying
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May mix switchgrass with either big or little
bluestem
 Forage use efficiency is the key
Management flow chart
QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?