As the commercials say , “ Great milk comes from happy cows”—but we might also add that the oxen ’s health play a major role in what end up in you your milk field glass , too . Whether you advance dairy farm or bitch cattle , the nutrient you provide for them — i.e. , the nutritional lineament of your eatage — will be a big element in the quality of Cartesian product they give you back .
When a pasture or hay field of operation becomes less productive than desired , redevelopment can serve meliorate or regenerate the commonwealth . The accurate steps you take to achieve this will depart depending on the mood and grunge where you last and farm , so the best thing you’re able to do is work with your county extension agent , who can connect you with information about forage management that ’s specific to your motive .
1. Test your soil.
After take in the outcome of your soil mental testing , apply amendments , such as linden tree and fertilizer , if necessary . legume call for a higher dirt pH and fertility horizontal surface than grasses ; however , void using nitrogen - based fertilizer if you have 25 per centum or more legumes . bestow atomic number 7 stimulates grasses , which then compete with the leguminous plant .
2. Reduce vegetative cover.
This is best achieved with enceinte grazing in belated fall and early wintertime . Removing excess grass cover will make it sluttish to help legume seed make physical contact with the soil .
3. Carefully select the legumes you use.
The legumes you prefer to use in your grazing land will depend on the soil and the planned utilization of the grass . In Kentucky , research has shown that lucerne or red clover is usually best for hay . In addition to their mellow protein mental object , these crops grow very rapidly in summer in that area . For both hay and skimming , a combination of red clover and Ladino ( white ) trefoil works well . For ley , Ladino clover , red clover and/or one-year Lespedeza all work well there .
Alfalfa and clover can cause bloat in kine , though . While a grass mix with leguminous plant can impact the forage ’s longevity , legumes should not be the sole beginning of roughage , unless the oxen are append with bloat safeguard ( poloxalene ) .
4. Use the right kind and amount of seed.
Select plant varieties that grow well in your country . Your local extension phone agentive role can bespeak you to current enquiry about appropriate varieties . The only way to be sure of what you ’re planting is to use certify seed . Also be sure to mix the appropriate in high spirits - quality inoculant with the seed just before planting , along with a sticking agent to check the inoculants hold fast to the seed . Most legume seed currently available is pre - inoculated . look into the seed tag or inoculum bag for the “ plant by ” date .
found the come so it makes good contact with the ground . A simple , effectual method acting is to diffuse the legume seminal fluid on the soil surface in belated wintertime . As the filth freeze and thaw , the seeds become covered , though this method does not act well with Medicago sativa . Make certain the stand is grazed or thin out closely so that most flora residue is remove and the seed hit the soil surface .
5. Control grass and weed competition.
After leguminous plant start to grow , this step is one of the most critical . Many attempts to refurbish pastures have failed plainly because the pasturage was allowed to grow and reduce the Light Within , nutrient and water system useable to the untried legume plants . The grass must be kept short via browse or mow until the new legume plants are 3 to 4 inches marvelous . Stop grazing if the cattle bite off the untried leguminous plant leaves . After reaching 3 to 4 inches in elevation , grazing and mowing should be stopped for several hebdomad to allow the legume to become well established .
After legume are well - establish , the orbit should be mowed or grazed regularly to aid wield good experimental condition . We highly urge adopting a rotational grazing system to ascertain optimal pasture direction . In addition to a rotational shaving organization , a “ repose - rotational ” system could extend the utility and productiveness of the pasture . Depending on acreage imply , you might want to consider a sundry - metal money shaving system with cattle and meat laughingstock or sheep . Holistic imagination - management systems are great pasturage harvest home systems with stock , too .
Garry D. Lacefield , PhD is a Forage Specialist at the University of Kentucky Research Education Center , and Ray Smith , PhD , is a Forage Extension Specialist , Department of Plant and Soil Sciences in University of Kentucky ’s College of Agriculture .
This article originally appeared in the September / October 2013 issue ofHobby Farms .
