It’s hard to have grazing success without a good forage base. But what forage species constitute a productive pasture?
Jason Cavadini often finds himself trying to answer the question “What should I plant in my pasture?” The University of Wisconsin Division of Extension grazing specialist recently addressed this same question during a Focus on Forage webinar.
“People want to know what species are best to seed a new pasture with or renovate an existing pasture,” Cavadini began. “It’s not an easy question to address because the answer varies with the farm being considered.”
Cavadini pointed out that there is a plethora of pasture premixes available on the market while showing the names of 38 such products on-screen. He said that all of the premixes may have utility in certain situations, but any given premix may not be the best choice for a specific farm, and planting the wrong one can result in a costly mistake.
“Planting is a step in the development of a forage base, but it is not the most important step, and it doesn’t need to be the first step,” Cavadini asserted.
Before deciding to seed new pastures, the grazing specialist suggested first asking three important questions:
What are my grazing goals?
What are my farm’s existing resources?
Can I work with what I’ve got?
“We have to determine whether existing forage species in our pastures or hayfields are desirable or undesirable based on our farm’s goals,” Cavadini said. “We also need to know if the existing species are compatible or incompatible with each other. Given that management impacts the species present, it may be that a change in management can be used to improve a pasture’s forage inventory.”
Once there is an understanding of the soil types, land use limitations, and the existing species, then the key question becomes “Can I work with I’ve got?”
If the answer to that question is “yes,” Cavadini suggested graziers look toward management changes before purchasing seed. Such changes may include simply “planting more fence posts” or developing a renovation plan. A change in management is typically the most economical approach to getting a more productive pasture, Cavadini noted.
A new start
There will be times when the existing pastures or hayfields won’t help meet the farm’s grazing goals. In these cases, a new seeding may be necessary, and Cavadini recommends you start with a clean seedbed because most seed mixes don’t establish well where there is competition from existing plants.
A new seeding allows for the greatest opportunity to select forage species that will be compatible to each other and the soil characteristics of the farm. Cavadini cited the example of mixing tall fescue with meadow fescue. “If you mix these two species, the animals will devour the more palatable meadow fescue and leave the tall fescue. Within a few years, you will find yourself with nothing but a tall fescue pasture.”
Selected species also need to meet the overall goals and management of the farm. For example, some species won’t persist if adequate residuals or rest periods aren’t possible.
Cavadini pointed out that grass species can be classified as either a bunch grass or sod former. Although both can be used, he cautioned that sod formers such as Kentucky bluegrass or smooth bromegrass can be competitive in a new seeding. They can also make future renovation difficult. For these reasons, most new pasture mixes include several bunch grass types plus some legume species. Examples of bunch grasses include festulolium, meadow fescue, tall fescue, orchardgrass, and perennial ryegrass.
The correct species to plant will ultimately depend on the individual farm and the type of management being used. Cavadini recently co-authored a fact sheet that can help farmers, technical providers, and grazing planners work through the question of “What should I plant in my pasture?” It can be downloaded here.
