Amber Friedrichsen, Managing Editor, Hay and Forage Grower
(Previously published in Hay & Forage Grower: December 3, 2024)
(Image Source: Eastern Alliance for Production Kathadins)
Reflecting on another drought year may put a fire under some farmers’ seats to be more proactive about forage availability next season. Adding warm-season grasses into hay and grazing systems might be one answer to cushion short forage supplies, as long as the right species are seeded in the right places.
According to Dirk Philipp with the University of Arkansas, much of the current pastureland in his state was originally prairie or forest. Even though the forage base in Arkansas has largely shifted to bermudagrass, dallisgrass, and bahiagrass, there are opportunities to replicate the drought resistance that naturally existed in these systems presettlement by seeding annual and native grasses.
“Prairie and forest restoration may not be a part of your business plan, but with careful pasture planning, you can enhance the overall water-use efficiency on your farm by slowing runoff, retaining rainwater, and changing the microclimate in certain parts of your property,” the associate forage professor writes in a recent issue of Dairy E-News.
Find the right fit
Seeding warm-season annuals, like crabgrass, or establishing native warm-season grasses can boost drought resiliency in perennial stands, which can consequently benefit animal health and performance during a dry summer. However, Philip points out that different plant species can vary widely in dry matter yield and forage quality throughout the growing season, which will warrant changes in harvesting and grazing schedules.
Species-specific growing conditions and soil preferences are other factors to consider to optimize pasture improvements. The key is to determine what forages will grow best in certain areas of your farm.
“When you look around your pastures, you will notice that depending on the landscape position, specific grasses dominate in some areas and not in others,” Philipp explains. “This is mostly the result of the different underlying hydrology.”
In other words, wetter areas can support quite different plant species than drier portions of a field. If pastures are perceived to be homogenous, Philipp purports opportunities to buffer drought damage can be missed. He says native grasses truly shine in areas that fall on either extreme of the wet-dry spectrum.
Eastern gamagrass and switchgrass, for example, grow best in wet depressions and marshy areas, including near creeks and on wet bottom land. Both of these forages are highly competitive and can be grazed or harvested for hay. Big bluestem and indiangrass, on the other hand, are better suited to drier soil.
Planting tree lines along riparian buffers is another tool to mitigate drought damage and aid pasture recovery while providing animals shade. Philipp encourages farmers to establish silvopasture by spacing trees in a field or thinning existing stands so forage can be seeded between rows and periodically grazed.
Overall, he says two goals for using annual and native warm-season grasses are to keep soil covered as much as possible and to secure grazing acres that will be available during drought. With that said, it may be more economical to simply work with what you have in some cases. Do your research and assess each scenario before investing in the resources needed to change your forage base.