– Christine Gelley, Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator, Noble County OSU Extension
Two years of drought have stressed pastures.
After two years of droughty conditions, pastures in the region have taken a hard toll and are showing distress in the form of uneven growth with patches of bare ground in-between. If these patches are left alone, they will either be filled in with opportunistic weeds or become muddy holes this winter. Bare ground is bad news for topsoil preservation as it will have a propensity to erode.
So, what is to be done before winter about uneven pasture coverage? What can be done this spring?
We want to try to cover the soil with something before the weather turns. We want to reduce animal hoof traffic in these damaged spaces if we expect them to recover.
Even though it is the middle of October, there are still opportunities to seed some grass into pastures before winter. Options are limited to fast growing annual grasses that can germinate quickly with a little water, develop roots soon after, and develop leaf tissue before hard freeze conditions. Cereal rye (annual rye) is easy to find, not too pricey, and is easy to seed with a no till drill or to broadcast and cultipack. Best results will occur if the seed can be drilled to a depth of 1-1.5 inches.
It is important to calibrate any seeder to the specific seed before planting and to test the planting depth in advance. Soil moisture, sod cover, and machine weight can all influence the planting depth and may require adjustments.
Cereal rye can be successfully planted in Ohio between July 2 and November 1.
More information specifically about cereal rye can be found in the OSU fact sheet- “Attributes and Considerations for the Use of Cereal Rye as a Cover Crop”, which can be accessed online at: https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/anr-0168
An option to consider if seeding is not an option is to lay down mulch in the form of hay or straw to provide some protection against the elements. Residual seed left behind in the hay may even germinate in the bare patches next spring.
Frost seeding legumes into the stand in late-winter when freeze and thaw cycles begin can also be helpful. Seed can be broadcast on the pasture by hand, with a mounted spinner on an implement, or with a drone. The expansion and settling of the soil combined with winter moisture can work the seed into the ground and provide an opportunity for early germination. This practice reduces compaction by keeping heavy equipment off of sensitive ground.
Seeding perennial cool-season grasses and legumes this spring in similar fashion can follow these efforts once soil conditions are conducive to planting and soil temperatures become warmer in April and May. It would be wise to soil test before planting perennial forages to be sure that the seed you choose will be able to thrive in the existing conditions and continue to make improvements to the stand as a whole by supporting good fertility.
For any of these solutions to be successful, rest is needed. Animal movement across these distressed spaces needs to be reduced to allow newly seeded plants to establish.
If you have questions about the nuances of inner-seeding in pasture systems, contact your county Extension office.