| Species | Comments |
| Corn plant silage | Highest single cut forage yield potential of all choices. Silage quality will be lower than with normal planting dates. Risk will be getting it harvested at right moisture for good fermentation. |
| Forage sorghum Sorghum-sudangrassSudangrass |
Best harvested as silage.
Brown midrib (BMR) varieties are best for lactating cows. Conventional varieties are okay if BMR seed is not available. Risk of prussic acid (hydrogen cyanide gas) if frosted. |
| Soybean silage | Reasonable alternative to replace alfalfa forage.
Check seed treatment and herbicide labels, many restrict forage use. |
| Teff grass | Best suited to beef and sheep; lower yield than sorghum grasses.
Can harvest as hay or silage. |
| Millets | Best suited to beef and sheep; many produce a single harvest.
Best harvested as silage. Pearl millet does not produce prussic acid after frost damage. |
| Mixtures of annual grasses with soybean | Best harvested as silage.
Mixtures of sorghum grasses or millets or even oats and spring triticale with soybean are feasible and can improve forage quality characteristics. |
Note: The forage grass options all require adequate nitrogen to maximize yield potential, either as fertilizer or manure (about 60 lbs of actual available nitrogen per acre). Check any potential herbicide restrictions from the previously planted crop. Work with your nutritionist to incorporate these alternative forages into properly balanced rations.
For more detailed information about each of these options, refer to this Fact Sheet: https://forages.osu.edu/news/emergency-forages-plant-yet-year-mechanical-harvest
Consult the Ohio Agronomy Guide for management details, available at https://extensionpubs.osu.edu/ohio-agronomy-guide-pdf/.
Updated: 7/5/2019