Photo of oats that were planted August 5 and photographed three months later. Yield was in excess of 4 tons of dry matter grown

Last week, USDA released the declaration that a cover crop planted onto prevented planting acres can now be harvested as a forage after September 1^st, rather than the normal date of November 1^st, which provides a small glimmer of hope for some livestock producers and those equipped to harvest forages.  While Ohio is also experiencing a severe shortage of forages for all classes of livestock, weed control on prevented planting acres is a major concern, and with USDA’s declaration, we can now address both problems in one action – seeding cover crops that will be harvestable as a forage after September 1^st.

As with everything else this season, however, patience is the key!  Although an ideal situation would be cover crops that can be put out immediately and reduce the need for tillage, chopping, or spraying of weeds already present, there are unfortunately not many species of cover crop that will accomplish this and still provide significant tonnage or feed quality as a forage in September.  Sorghum/Sudangrass seed is in very tight supply, soybeans as a cover may not be ideal for making hay or producing desired tonnages, and corn as a cover crop is still questionable in terms of insurance payments, and whether or not we can get it dry enough to make good silage.  Teff grass, pearl millet, and Italian ryegrass may be good options if you can locate seed and get them established, but if planted now, they may be ready for harvest prior to September 1^st, and quality will be sacrificed.  Most other species of crops that fit the bill for making a good forage simply won’t work well at all if planted right now.  So, again, we wait.  But once we get to late July or early August, our options begin to open up.

Our traditional cover crops of cereal rye, annual ryegrass, oats, peas, turnips, and other brassicas have been used by livestock producers for many years with good success at producing forages.  There are several good articles, fact sheets, and recommendations on these crops used as an annual forage following a wheat crop, or even aerial seeded into standing soybeans and corn acres available in our library at www.u.osu.edu/beef, and on the OSU Extension forage site at www.forages.osu.edu.  With over 15  years of experience with summer planted oats under our belts, preceded by and intermixed with several years of experience with cereal rye, brassicas, and grasses, we know there’s still plenty of time to ‘create’ anywhere from one to five tons of forages in wheat stubble or prevented plant fields. From our experiences with many operations in all parts of the state, and on our own farms in Northwest Ohio and Southeastern Ohio, oats would be the species of choice to provide the lowest input, most readily available forage, with the best chance for significant tonnage this year.

The ideal situation is planting oats into vacant fields resulting from Prevented Planting or harvested wheat on or around August 1. Existing weeds must be controlled prior to planting with a herbicide application. With just a little moisture (no pun intended), and a small amount of nitrogen, you might be surprised at the growth you can get out of oats planted in late July or August.

Oat hay is an acceptable forage for all classes of livestock, and while nutrient content will vary depending on maturity at harvest, we have repeatedly seen oats harvested at 60 days of growth with crude protein levels from 12-19%, and digestible organic matter as high as 65%.  If you are looking to make dry hay, it can be a challenge in late September or October, often requiring 5-7 days after being cut, but it is certainly possible, and small amounts of rain during the dry down process will not deteriorate this forage nearly as rapidly as alfalfa and other grasses.   If you do not get that window to cut them for dry hay, it may cost a little more, but having the oats wet-wrapped beats the alternative of having no hay available, and your cows, goats, and sheep will literally run you over to get to it once you start feeding it!

There are some options on oats as far as what to plant, including forage type oats that are bred specifically for forage production, bin run oats that may be harvested locally or around Ohio yet this summer, or feed oats that are likely shipped in from Canada and used in many of our livestock rations at co-ops all around the state.   Depending on your goal, all three sources of seed will work.  If you are feeding dairy cows or maybe even looking at horse quality hay, forage oats will be more expensive, but are likely the best option, as nutrient levels tend to be higher, given the later maturity of the plant and the lower likelihood of the plant trying to form a seedhead.  Fungus issues in the form of rust are about the only major issue we see in any type of oats seeded for forage, but the varieties bred for forage production are generally less susceptible, helping keep these more palatable as hay.  If you plan to use this option, contact your seed dealers ASAP to check on availability.

If you are simply looking for the cheapest and easiest source of seed, and are not as concerned about germination, seed quality, or foreign material in your seed, then locally produced oats are your best option.  Be aware that many oats were planted late this year, may not yield as much as needed, and likely will have significant weed seed in them at harvest, so cleaning would be a must, or we lose sight of the original intent of covering the ground on prevented plant acres.

The final option of utilizing feed grade oats as the seed is likely the most realistic and economical option.  First off, most feed oats have come from Canada, where production has not been an issue, and we have not talked to any co-op or feed mill that has any indication of a tightening supply or major cost increase.  Feed oats are usually triple-cleaned to provide horse quality feed, so weed seeds should not be present, and you can likely buy these in bulk from your local co-op for $15-22/hundred weight.

Once you have obtained a source of seed that is right for you, the establishment is usually pretty simple: No-till 60-90 pounds into harvested wheat fields, or prevented plant fields anytime from late July up until early September. It appears that late July or early August may be the optimum time to plant oats when high-quality forage is the goal. “Spring” oats seldom make seed when planted after the days begin to shorten in July, but will continue to grow leaf until Thanksgiving or after in Ohio. Consider applying 40-50 units of nitrogen about 60 days before you plan to harvest them, regardless of the harvest method for optimal nitrogen use.  Common scenarios for this include broadcasting urea ahead of the drill, mixing UAN 28% with roundup if a burndown is needed, or applying ammonium sulfate after germination.  Conventional till planting scenarios have worked as well and could be required this year depending on weed control up until planting time, but typically drier conditions make germination and early growth slightly less productive with oats.

While many of the hardest hit portions of Northwest Ohio may not even have their own livestock or be considering grazing options, it could be relevant in some areas where fences exist around prevented plant acres, and some of these areas could also have the need for spring forages.

If your primary needs are forage for grazing, hay, or silage next spring, cereal rye appears to be the best alternative. The opportunity exists to graze it in the late summer and fall, however, the most abundant tonnage will come in the spring. In addition to planting it with the options mentioned above for oats, you may also no-till it after row crop harvest – particularly soybeans and silage corn – this fall.

If your primary needs are grazeable forages as soon as possible, consider turnips or a combination of oats and turnips. Previous summers we’ve seen good results locally when planting a ‘grazing turnip’ such as Appin in combination with oats. If some precipitation is received shortly after planting, this combination could be strip grazed as early as 5-6 weeks after planting. The oats will provide some additional fiber in this grazing mix, and the Appin turnips will continue to regrow after being topped off with early grazing.

As you review your options, realize that at times seed oats are difficult to purchase this time of year. Contact the Ohio Seed Improvement Association or visit http://www.ohseed.org for a list of growers who may have seed oats available. If you take the opportunity to try any of these extended grazings or forage production alternatives, please keep us updated on your progress and success.  We hope to be able to follow along with some real-time updates through the summer and fall with the status of cover crop forage plantings, and we also have plans to seed trials at the North Central Agricultural Research station near Fremont that will evaluate seeding dates, variety of oats, and possibly the benefits of a fungicide application on oats planted for forage.  Many fact sheets and articles are available on these forages at your local extension office, the OSU Beef team website, the OSU Forage team website, or at www.ohioline.osu.edu

If you have questions or would like further information, feel free to contact Allen at the Sandusky County office 419-334-6340 or gahler.2@osu.edu, or Stan at the Fairfield County office 740-653-5419 or smith.263@osu.edu

Across Ohio, farmers are facing challenges unimagined just four months ago.  Widespread loss of established alfalfa stands coupled with delayed or impossible planting conditions for other crops leave many farmers, their agronomists and nutritionists wondering what crops can produce reasonable amounts of quality forage yet this year. In addition, frequent and heavy rains are preventing harvest of forages that did survive the winter and are causing further deterioration of those stands.

With July 1^st just around the corner, Mark Sulc, OSU Extension Forage Agronomist and Bill Weiss, OSU Extension Dairy Nutritionist, help address this forage dilemma.  If one is looking for quality and quantity, what are your best options? The article starts with a quick summary of options and then dig into some of the pros and cons of these options (listed in no particular order of preference).

Options

1. Corn plant silage– Still has the highest potential yield but silage quality will decline with delayed planting and getting it harvested at the right moisture is the biggest risk.
2. Forage sorghum – Brown midrib (BMR) varieties are best for lactating cows. Conventional varieties are okay if BMR seed is not available.
3. Sorghum-sudangrass – BMR varieties are best for lactating cows. Conventional varieties are okay if BMR seed is not available.
4. Sudangrass – BMR varieties are best for lactating cows. Conventional varieties are okay if BMR seed is not available.
5. Oat or spring triticale silage – Safer option than corn silage but lower yield than corn silage. It can be mowed and allowed to wilt to correct harvest moisture. Spring Triticale is commonly planted as a hay or haylage crop and can produce high levels of dry matter under challenging conditions. It is later maturing than oats or barley and will maintain its forage quality for an extended harvest window.
6. Oat and Winter Rye mixed silage – Has the advantages of oat silage with a slightly higher yield in the fall and the potential for rye silage harvest in the spring.
7. Italian Ryegrass silage – Small fall harvest with three cuttings next year starting in April.
8. Soybean silage – If you need a replacement for alfalfa, soybean silage is a reasonable alternative.  Care must be taken with spray programs that allow harvest as a forage.
9. Teff – Is a warm-season annual grass best suited for Sheep and Beef, lower yield than sorghum grasses despite multiple harvests being possible.
10. Millets – Millets are a major grain crop worldwide and best suited for beef and sheep, many will produce a single harvest.
11. Brassicas –  High in energy, but very low in fiber (more like a concentrate) with high moisture content. Only for grazing by Sheep and Beef.

Note: These forage options all require adequate nitrogen fertilization to maximize yield potential.  Check any potential herbicide restrictions from the previously planted crop. Work with your nutritionist to incorporate these alternative forages into properly balanced rations.

Option 1: Corn silage

Silage

The biggest risk with late-planted corn is getting moisture down to a reasonable level at harvest. With current soil moisture conditions, it will be a crap shoot when many farms will be able to plant. Corn planted into July will not make corn silage as we know it because it won’t have many ears and will be low in starch. This silage will primarily be a source of fiber with potential yields about half of normal.Harvesting corn silage at the proper moisture will be critical to a successful fermentation (drier than 30% DM up to about 40% DM).  Before a frost, many of these plants will be about 20% DM.  Some late-planted corn may require a frost to allow the plant to dry down.  Because leaves die after frost, plants look drier than they actually are, so measuring dry matter regularly is essential.  When a plant is frosted, the window of opportunity to harvest as silage – before the plant is too dry – may be limited depending on local weather conditions.  Harvest timing is critical, so regularly monitor plant moisture post-frost and be ready to harvest when conditions are met. Another possible option for corn with no ear would be to mow at some point before a killing frost and wilt the crop to the proper dry matter before chopping and ensiling the crop.

This high fiber feed will probably contain about 60% NDF.  Work with your nutritionist as substantial diet changes must be made. More than likely these changes will include increased feeding of corn grain.  With higher corn prices looming, this is not an attractive option, but the tradeoff is feeding more expensive hay.

Check with seed suppliers for any seed treatment restrictions on the use of the corn seed for silage or forage when planted this late.

Option 2-4: Forage sorghum, Sorghum-sudangrass hybrids, Sudangrasses

Sorghum Sudangrass

Brown midrib (BMR) varieties are most desirable, but the seed may not be available.  If this is the case in your area, conventional varieties are your next best choice.  Plant by July 15^th and plan for one cutting.  A mid-September cutting will optimize quality for milking cows.  An early October cutting will have a much higher yield, but the higher-fiber forage will be more suited for heifers, dry cows, or beef cattle.Sudangrass harvested at 50 days of growth is an okay feed for dairy cattle. At a 60-day harvest range, it is more challenging to feed to dairy cows for good milk production.

Challenges:  If the sorghums are frosted, prussic acid formation in the plant is an issue.  It can be mitigated by ensiling, but avoiding frost is the best option.

Option 5: Oat or Spring Triticale silage

Do not plant these for silage before the last week of July or overall yield will suffer. The overall potential yield is the lowest of the forage options.  Yields of 1.5 to 3 tons of DM per acre (about 5 to 5.5 tons at 30 to 35% DM) of chopped oat silage are possible if planted in early August.  Harvesting between late boot, or early heading, will optimize quality.

Oats

The potential feed value of oat will be similar to mid-bloom alfalfa.  As a grass, inclusion rates in a lactating cow diet would have to go down, but it is a very acceptable feed.Spring Triticale is a biotype of the hybrid cross between cereal rye and wheat (there is a winter biotype that acts like winter wheat). In our research, oat averaged slightly higher fall yields than spring triticale, but this varied with season. Spring triticale yields a higher feed value similar to early mid-bloom alfalfa. Seed cost for spring triticale will be higher than oat, but it is later maturing than oat or barley and will maintain its forage quality for an extended harvest window. Spring triticale yields a higher feed value similar to early to mid-bloom alfalfa.

These forage options all require adequate nitrogen fertilization to maximize yield potential. Check potential herbicide restrictions from the previously planted crop. Potential challenges include rust infection in damp conditions, especially with oat. Rust could impact yield and feed quality and depends on when the infection of rust occurs during the growing season.

Option 6: Oat or Spring Triticale and Cereal Rye mixed silage

Planting mixtures of oat or spring triticale and cereal rye will allow a fall harvest as well as a spring harvest. Note that the window for harvesting rye silage in the spring to optimize feed quality is usually very short. The rye harvested in early spring can yield 2.5 to 3 tons of DM per acre of dairy-quality forage when harvested at boot stage.  In the fall, the oat/rye or spring triticale/rye mix should yield slightly more than oat or spring triticale alone, with the potential for the spring cereal rye harvest.

Option 7: Italian Ryegrass silage

This crop emerges as fast as oats and could produce up to a ton of dry matter per acre in the fall if planted in August, and less yield if planted into September (it should be planted by mid-September at the latest). This crop would also be available for additional cuttings next year, starting in late April or early May and then every 25-30 days.

Plot work with fall harvest and three harvests the following year have shown average yields between 3 to 5 tons of dry matter from improved varieties with good winter survival and adequate moisture. It will winterkill in severe winters. Do not let a lot of growth go into the winter to avoid winter as mold growth that damages the stand. To avoid this, make a late fall cutting or graze to a height of 3 inches.  This crop will shut down by mid- to late-summer the year after a fallen establishment.

As a grass, harvesting earlier optimizes quality.  If planted in September and harvested in late fall, the quality will be superb (NDF 48% and Neutral Detergent Fiber digestibility (NDFd) about 80%).  August plantings harvested in late fall will not be quite as high in quality.  It will probably have protein in the mid-teens and NDF in the mid-50s.  Next year, the crop will head out quickly at each harvest. Overall it is a medium quality forage, but with proper diet, this formulation can work for lactating cows.

Option 8: Soybeans

Soybeans planted at this time of year and harvested as silage will yield about 2 tons of dry matter per acre (dry plants to 65 to 70% moisture before chopping).  Narrow rows will yield about 15% more than wide rows.  Harvest between R5 and R7 stage, but no later than R7 (one pod on the stem is a mature color).

Silage harvest will be easier than dry hay because of difficulty in getting the crop dry. Silage harvesting later creates issues with the high oil content of the beans, and more leaf shatter will inhibit a good fermentation.  Harvesting later than R5 to R7 creates an issue with the high oil content of the beans, and more leaf shatter will inhibit a good fermentation.  Feed quality would be similar to early bloom alfalfa.

Check seed treatment labels or ask seed suppliers for any restrictions on using soybean seed for forage, as some seed treatments may not allow it. Review any herbicides applied and see labels for restrictions before use to verify that the crop can still be used for animal feed.

Adding an annual grass such as oats, spring triticale, or sudangrass could be a good option to lower the protein content for some classes of livestock and improve the mechanical handling of this crop.

Option 9: Teff

Teff is a warm-season grass that can be used for hay, silage, or pasture. The first crop should be ready in 40 to 50 days. It may produce up to 2 to 2.5 tons per acre of dry matter in multiple cuttings and can tolerate both drought-stressed and waterlogged soils.

Cornell research showed that when teff was harvested at the proper time and sufficient N was applied, crude protein was between 15 and 16% of dry matter and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) 48-hr digestibility averaged about 60%. It should be planted as soon as possible because it dies at the first frost.

Option 10: Millets These summer annuals can be used as hay, silage, green chop, and pasture. There are varietal differences between the pearl, foxtail, proso and Japanese types. Because of evidence that Pearl Millet may cause butterfat depression in lactating dairy cows. Millet forages are better suited for beef, sheep or dairy heifer feed.

Option 11: Brassicas
Turnip, swede, rape, kale, and other brassica species and hybrids are highly productive annual crops that can be grazed 80 to 150 days after seeding. When planted by early August they can extend the grazing season in November and December. They are highly digestible and crude protein levels are high, varying from 15 to 25 percent in the herbage and 8 to 15 percent in the roots depending on the level of nitrogen fertilization and weather conditions. These species contain high moisture content, so they should be used for grazing only. Brassicas have very low fiber and high energy and should be treated more like a concentrate than as forage in diets.

References: More detailed information on many of these options including seeding rates are available in these publications:

• Supplemental Forage Options for Late Summer to Early Autumn Planting:https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2015-22/supplemental-forage-options-late-summer-early-autumn-planting
• Feeding Low Forage Diets to Dairy Cows:https://dairy.osu.edu/sites/dairy/files/imce/DIBS/DIBS33-16_Feeding_Low_Forage_Diets_to_Dairy_Cows.pdf
• Fall-grown Oat Forages: https://fyi.extension.wisc.edu/forage/fall-grown-oat-forages-cultivars-planting-dates-and-expected-yields/
• How Late can you Plant Corn for Silage?https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/how_late_can_you_plant_corn_for_silage
• Forage and Bedding Shortage Issues: https://dairy.osu.edu/newsletter/buckeye-dairy-news
• Soybeans for Hay or Silage https://fyi.extension.wisc.edu/forage/soybeans-for-hay-or-silage/ 
• Teff as an Emergency Forage:http://nmsp.cals.cornell.edu/publications/factsheets/factsheet24.pdf 
• Millets Forage Management:https://www.extension.iastate.edu/sites/www.extension.iastate.edu/files/iowa/MilletFS55.pdf
• Growing and Managing Forage Cover Crops http://mccc.msu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/OH_2015_Using-Cover-Crops-as-Forage-051815.pdf 
• Brassicas: http://www.forages.psu.edu/topics/species_variety_trials/species/brassica/char_adapt.html
• Emergency Forages for Planting Early to Mid-Summer: https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2019-14/emergency-forages-planting-early-mid-summer

Definitions

• BMR: Brown midrib – Brown midrib (BMR), a genetic mutation in several grassy species, reduces lignin content in the total plant parts. Lignin is mostly indigestible but also plays an important role in plant rigidity. The brown midrib trait has been incorporated into forage sorghum, sudangrass, and corn.
• DM: Dry Matter – feedstuff sample remaining after the water is removed; 100 minus moisture % = DM %.
• NDF: Neutral detergent fiber – a percentage of cell walls or other plants structural material present; includes cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin; only partially digested by cattle; greater NDF values are associated with less dry matter intake.
• NDFd: Neutral detergent fiber digestibility (NDFd) is a measure used to improve the predicted energy value of forages. The digestibility of NDF can be measured by either In vitro or In situ methodology. Incubation times vary, although 24, 30, or 48 hours are typical times used by commercial labs. Using the amount of NDF present at the beginning of the incubation and the amount of NDF remaining at the end of the incubation, NDF digestibility is calculated (often this is called NDFd). NDFd values will vary across laboratories, as there will be differences in either rumen fluid (In vitro) or rumen environment (In situ). For this reason, it is important to compare forage reports from a single lab.