I really can’t complain about the temperatures so far this year even though I know the next few days are expected to be a bit warmer. While some crops would probably prefer slightly warmer conditions, the slightly milder temperatures are better for forage crops under droughty conditions. I’m thankful things are not worse than they are. Thankfully, as I finish writing this, several areas are getting needed rain!
I’ve been asked how I would compare this year to past droughts or droughty periods. I really don’t have a good comparison for this year. I think we are seeing conditions unlike any that I’ve ever seen. The droughts of 1988 and 2012 are always good reference points for me. For the most part, both started out somewhat normal and then became drier and drier due to the lack of sufficient rain for long periods of time. Both were also aggravated by high temperatures that just added fuel to the fire.
This year started out a little earlier than normal with somewhat wet conditions. Early lush green growth was struck not once, but with multiple hard freezes at a very tender and damaging phase. This stressed out the forage plants, reduced energy transfer to the roots and regrowth and encouraged self-preservation in the form of early seed production. The addition of a little nitrogen in a few cases seemed to help promote more growth, but for the most part, production was certainly adversely impacted up to the normal June peak growth point on a typical cool-season grass growth curve.
This has not only impacted hay yields but also pasture production. By mid to late June, depending on where you are, we are or should be approaching about two-thirds of our production for the year. That is one reason I often talk about forage production and assessment of animal numbers during this time frame. If you don’t have enough grass in mid-June for the livestock present, then you can be sure to note that you will probably be short in July and August, if not for the whole season.
This can work for some producers, especially ones that have ample acres of hay fields usually not assessable for grazing, where they can lean on for forage for winter use. If this balance is too out of whack, then you may find yourself feeding hay a lot earlier and perhaps even during the summer – that very well could be the case for several this year with both hay and pasture production lower than normal. Grazing is still more efficient than harvesting and feeding forage.
Because of the early, stressful conditions and dry circumstances, longer recovery is needed for forages after both forage harvest and grazing before it can be utilized again. Normally we would be in the 30-to-45-day recovery time frame now, but I’m seeing sixty plus days being more realistic. Forages have had double stressors this season, which is a bit unusual, so we don’t want to stress them anymore than we have to the rest of the season. The livestock certainly don’t understand this, they are just doing what they are supposed to do – graze.
Forage growth slump periods can usually be managed around. Maintain soil cover and good stop grazing heights to keep that solar panel working and retaining as much moisture as possible and reducing evaporation. Don’t overgraze it – grazing the snot out of it isn’t going to help anything. If you are that low in forages to graze, then you probably need to look seriously at animal numbers and/or move animals to a dry lot and feed them to let the pastures recover.
Overgrazing during a slump period, especially stressed-out plants during a drought, can really thin forage stand, increasing weed pressures down the road or the need to totally reseed the stand. If you hay it, promote growth and let it fully express itself prior to grazing. If forage is really thin, check fertility and provide a lot longer rest. Stop grazing cool-season forages when the shortest forages are down to about four inches – that means that the average height is actually probably about six inches.
If the cool-season forages were not stunted from the early freezes and droughty conditions, then they would absolutely love the temperatures we’ve been having more so than most years. If soil cover is maintained and there is at least the ideal stop grazing heights being kept, I’ve not seen any soils with a soil temperature much above 78 degrees at two inches of depth. That is a great soil temperature for the forages and for soil life.
Source: usda.gov
Photo Credit: gettyimages-jessicahyde
Categories: Indiana, Crops, Hay & Forage