Pasture

Forage Management After Drought and a Tough Growing Season

– Emma Matcham, Christine Gelley, Ted Wiseman, OSU Extension

Two years of drought have stressed pastures.

After two years of drought stress followed by erratic rainfall patterns in 2025, Ohio forage producers are facing a challenging landscape. Pastures across the region show signs of wear—uneven growth, bare patches, and thin stands—while newly seeded alfalfa fields have struggled to establish due to poor planting conditions and unpredictable moisture. As winter approaches, now is the time to take action to protect soil, improve forage stands, and plan for a more successful spring.

Bare ground in pastures is more than an eyesore—it can lead to erosion, weed invasion, and mud. To prevent further degradation, producers should . . .

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Managing Sorghum Species During Fall Frosts

– Emma Matcham, OSU Extension Forage Specialist

After frost, sudangrass is a health risk to ruminants.

While most of the state continues to have moderate fall temperatures, there are a few regions with a risk of frost. This means it’s time for our annual sorghum species prussic acid reminders.

What is prussic acid?

Prussic acid is a cyanide-containing compound that forms from a compound called dhurrin, which is part of the defense mechanisms found in sorghum species. When cells are damaged from frost (or occasionally other stressors like sudden high insect feeding), chemical reactions in the plant cells cause dhurrin to convert into prussic acid. When mammals consume prussic acid, it can disrupt oxygen transfer and may be toxic even at . . .

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Feeds and Feeding 2025: All over the place!

– Victor Shelton, Retired NRCS Agronomist/Grazing Specialist

Test hay for quality!

There’s an old saying that goes, “Droughty weather makes you worry, wet spells will make you starve.” This year, it sure feels that way. Some areas were too wet, making it tough to make hay or even get into the fields.  Other areas stayed dry and struggled to grow much at all. Now, with some much-needed rain, pastures have bounced back and cool-season forages have turned greener almost overnight. It’s a welcome sight, but one thing is still clear: forage growth is slowing down with shorter days, hay quality is all over the board and the choices we make this fall are going to carry right into next spring.

When grass greens back up, the temptation is to try and get as much grazing in as possible by grazing pastures tighter. I get it—we all want to stretch what’s out there. But grazing down to the nubbins usually does more harm than good. Plants need four inches of stubble to keep a solar panel working, to catch dew and to Continue reading Feeds and Feeding 2025: All over the place! →

Add Value by Adding Pounds

– Dr.Jeff Lehmkuhler, Extension Professor and Beef Cattle Specialist, University of Kentucky

Kentucky appears similar to Ohio on the Drought Monitor.

This year has been a year of extremes for precipitation. I pulled up the KYMesonet data from the Franklin County location. The total recorded precipitation was 10.9” for April, 8.8” in May, 7.3” in June, only 3.6” in July and a meager 0.5” in August. If we go a few miles east to the Lexington Mesonet recording station April was similar at 10.1”, 7.6” in May, June was 3.3” while July and August recorded only 2.0” of monthly precipitation. The high levels of precipitation in the spring made hay harvesting a challenge. This concerns me as most of the first cutting hay was cut late at a mature stage. Late-cut hay will have lower than normal nutritional value. I encourage you to work with your county extension agent or nutritionist to get your hay tested for nutrient content. The low levels of precipitation in July and August has led to much of the state experiencing abnormally dry to moderate drought conditions which can be shown by the US Drought Monitor map below. A bit of relief has come to some areas this week, but hopefully more rain will come to get some grass growth yet this fall.

The current forage conditions combined with the high feeder cattle prices and low grain/commodity feed prices have aligned in a manner that signals Continue reading Add Value by Adding Pounds →

Someone Call 911: Resuscitating Drought Stressed Pastures!!!

– Dr. Chris Teutsch, UK Research and Education Center, Princeton, KY

Figure 1. Recent research at the USDA Food Animal Production Unit located in Lexington, KY, found that compounds in red clover can reverse vasoconstriction caused by the toxins in endophyte tall fescue.

Every spring since I have been in Kentucky, I have written an article about getting ready for the next drought and every year we have had good rain. So, this spring I decided NOT to write an article on drought because I was beginning to feel like the boy that cried wolf. I think I jinxed us! In many parts of Kentucky two distinct dry periods, one in early summer and one in late summer combined with overgrazing significantly reduced summer and fall pasture growth and decreased pasture vigor. The good news is that pastures that were well managed prior to the drought seem to be recovering well. The bad news is that not all pastures were managed well prior to the drought. The objective of this article is to provide some practical suggestions for resuscitating pastures that may have been abused last summer.

Rest pastures this fall and next spring. The saying is that “time heals all wounds” and this includes pastures. However, the deeper the wound, the longer it is going to take and some of our pastures have pretty deep wounds that may need a little salve. At this point it important to Continue reading Someone Call 911: Resuscitating Drought Stressed Pastures!!! →

Weeds, especially challenging this year in both pastures and hay fields!

– Victor Shelton, Retired NRCS Agronomist/Grazing Specialist

Perilla Mint: Deadly to livestock, and it’s no longer hiding in the shade – watch for it in open pastures.

Weather has been the biggest variable again this year, and it’s made clear just how different conditions can be from one farm to the next. From my own place in southwest Indiana, we’ve had more rain than we’d like, while others nearby have been dealing with the opposite. No one set of observations covers every situation, so what I share each month comes from what I see at home, along with farm visits, conversations with producers and the questions and challenges you pass along. My goal is to offer ideas and principles you can adapt to your own conditions—rain or shine.

Weeds have been especially challenging this year across both pastures and hay fields. Prolonged periods of either excessive rainfall or drought have stressed desirable forage species, opening the door for Continue reading Weeds, especially challenging this year in both pastures and hay fields! →

Managing Perennial Weeds in Pastures and Hayfields this Fall

– Emma Matcham, Eugene Law, PhD, Ted Wiseman, OSU Extension

Fall is a good time of year for managing perennial weeds.

Fall is an important time of year for managing perennial weeds in forage crops, especially pastures. Some weed issues were exacerbated in 2025 due to last year’s drought, and we’ve seen many pastures and hayfields with high levels of hemp dogbane, milkweed, Canada thistle, and others. Perennial species can be particularly hard to control since their root systems and other underground structures allow them to regrow quickly after their above ground structures are killed. Fall is an important window for perennial species control, since actions taken now can reduce the amount of energy they store underground for next year.

Frequent mowing is a type of mechanical weed control that helps deplete the amount of carbohydrates that plants have stored in their root systems. Over time, plants that . . .

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Stockpiling Fescue and Orchardgrass

– Clif Little, OSU Extension Guernsey County, retired

A timely application of nitrogen can grow an additional ton of high quality forage yet this fall and extend the grazing season.

EDITOR’s NOTE: The article that follows was originally written and published in the Ohio BEEF Cattle letter in 2019 by now retired Extension Educator Clif Little. Considering the challenges faced by most Ohio cattlemen today with regard to forage quality and supply, Little’s article remains relevant today.

Stockpiling fescue and orchard grass is generally considered an economical way to extend the grazing season and cut feed costs. The cost of fertilizer and application of nitrogen too late in the growing season will affect the economics of stockpiling. In order to maximize yield from stockpiled forage, one must select a field that is suitable for late season grazing, and one that will not be utilized after July 31st.

Stockpiling has some inherent risks. In order for it to work correctly, the Continue reading Stockpiling Fescue and Orchardgrass →

Priority One: Staging Forages

– Victor Shelton, Retired NRCS Agronomist/Grazing Specialist

Looks like more but about 30% legumes by dry weight – red and white clover and desmodium, a native legume.

August always seems to show up too soon and races by even faster. For me, August 1 feels like the unofficial countdown to the first frosty morning. Depending on your location in Indiana, that gives us roughly 60 to 75 days to prepare. There’s a lot to get done in a short amount of time.

Always thinking one step ahead, my first priority is staging forages, something that really needs to be done all season. Know where your forage is, what quality it is and how much you have. Start identifying the fields you’ll stockpile for fall and winter grazing.

These fields should change from year to year, just like your first spring-grazed paddock. Ideally, stockpiling begins when the Continue reading Priority One: Staging Forages →

August is here . . . Spotted Knapweed is too!

– Christine Gelley, Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator, Noble County OSU Extension

Knapweed can look similar to red clover.

Welcome, August!

As you enjoy the rest of summer, keep your eyes peeled to look out for spotted knapweed. This troublesome weed continues to creep down our roadways and into pastures, hayfields, lawns, and waste spaces. If you aren’t familiar with spotted knapweed yet or need a refresher on why it is a weed of concern and how to identify it, keep reading.

Spotted knapweed is difficult for many people to identify. The color of the flower is similar to that of red clover, the growth habit is similar to chicory, and the flower shape is similar to Canada thistle and ironweed. However, the combination of growth habit, color, and flower shape is unique to Continue reading August is here . . . Spotted Knapweed is too! →