overseeding hay field in spring

For bermudagrass, Redfearn recommends patience. The best candidate for frost seeding is the “run out” field. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach field agronomist. Invest in a soil analysis before planting. Callan, P. 2010. See ISU Extension and Outreach publication Interseeding and No-Till Pasture Renovation for more suggested seeding rates and guidelines. Frost seeding is an economical method of improving pasture and hay fields by broadcasting the seed on frozen ground. Re: Overseeding a mostly grass hay field in Ky in reply to Reid1650, 02-20-2013 18:25:02 Orchardgrass and Timothy with Red Clover the first week or two of March, chain harrow if possable. Interseeding is normally done from mid-March through early May, when soil moisture and temperature are more suitable for rapid seedling establishment. A no-till drill can also be used but this will increase the number of trips across the field. Frost seeding forages into established pastures. Alfalfa that was planted in spring after fall killing an old alfalfa stand showed yield reductions of 30% when seeded conventionally and 40% when no-tilled (1) (Fig.1). pasture, crop aftermath, hay and grain produced for feed. forage in spring before the warm-season grasses become productive. Frost seeding can be an effective and inexpensive method to improve the quality and quantity of forage. White Clover- This is a low-growing short lived perennial. (800) 262-3804, Iowa State University However, be aware that rapid snow melt can cause the seed to be washed off the pasture. Legumes are the most successful for this system as they tend to be rounded, dense and most importantly, they -germinate at lower temperatures so will begin growth early in the spring. When frost seeding with a broadcast seeder, make sure to first determine the effective seeding width to avoid possible overlap of seed. Available at. Crop Sciences Department, Urbana, IL. In the Mountains, the fall … Photo credit: Jon Zirkle, Michigan State University Extension. Use only labeled herbicides for sod suppression, and follow label instructions. For more information, please contact your local Iowa State University Extension and Outreach field agronomist. Interseeding can be accomplished with relatively few field operations. Other legumes, such as white clover and birdsfoot trefoil, also can be frost seeded but with less success than red clover. Frost seeding clover with handheld broadcast seeder. Spring is the perfect time for pasture improvement. Spring is always a busy season on the ranch, so it's best to plan for where you're headed and what you need to get done. (Bonus points for finding lost shoes, fly masks and halters!) Although not always necessary, cattle (through tromping) or disking can improve soil-to-seed contact. Copyright © 2020 Iowa State University of Science and Technology. The principle of frost seeding is to broadcast forage seed in the early spring when the ground freezes at night and thaws during the day. In fact, planting should be delayed until about October 15 th in the Coastal Plain and Piedmont. Welcome to the public website of eOrganic, the Organic Agriculture Community of eXtension, Funding for eOrganic is provided by USDA NIFA and other grant programs including Western SARE, http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/news/dairy/2011/01-01/dp_2011-01-01_1.html, http://extension.cropsci.illinois.edu/handbook/pdfs/chapter06.pdf, https://fyi.extension.wisc.edu/forage/frost-seeding-of-forages/. It is important to realize that hay … A second application of 40 to 50 lbs. Undersander, D.J., M.D. The principle of frost seeding is to broadcast forage seed in the early spring when the ground freezes at night and thaws during the day. Grasses hav… To spread the establishment cost risk of frost seeding, it is generally better to seed at lower rates and repeat in successive years than to seed at higher rates in any one year. There are several benefits to adding legumes to pastures including higher quality forage as well as nitrogen to support grass growth. Legumes interseeded into grass sod should increase pasture yield, improve forage quality, and eliminate or minimize need for nitrogen fertilizer. Frost seeding involves spreading forage seed on existing pastures during the late winter or very early spring while the ground is still frozen. The best species to select depends on the goal one has for the field. Once the regrowth following hay harvest is 10-12 inches tall, grazing can begin. Interseeding research has been conducted in many parts of the U.S. and around the world. * March and early April are generally a good time to overseed as long as you have several days of thawing and freezing. Red clover can be hard to dry for hay bloat can be a problem when grazing if there is not enough grass present. Pasture and Hay for Horses’ 2002. Here are some spring jobs to think about. For example, if perennial weeds caused a significant reduction in the stand then the weeds must be controlled before reseeding. This has been an unusual end to the winter, so as soon as the snow melts, frost seeding can begin. Close grazing in the fall or spring, ahead of interseeding, will help to reduce sod competition. Wisconsin research showed the effects of autotoxicity to be greater in no-till fields than those moldboard plowed. A productive pasture is contingent upon a good plan, careful management, and clear goals. Available at: Rankin, M. 2011. Kill the old sod and reseed An alternative to improving the existing hay or pasture stands is to completely kill the existing sod and reseed. Balance your soil as needed with fertilizer and/or lime. Madison, WI. It is a good option for frost seeding, so in the next month, we can spread this seed on pastures or hay fields. Hay. ... An attempt to bring back an old hay field - Duration: 22:51. of N per acre should be applied in mid-winter to increase winter and spring forage production. ISU Extension and Outreach A number of drills are available that can be used in sod-seeding efforts. The more efficient seed placement provided by a no-till drill allows many of our more productive perennial forage grasses to also be successfully established by interseeding. 2150 Beardshear Hall University of Minnesota Extension bulletin. Overseeding legumes in pastures is a good way to reduce dependence on high-priced nitrogen (N) fertilizer and increase summer productivity and quality in pastures. If the no-till seeding is a hay field, harvest it for hay early to give the young plants an opportunity to compete with the established plants in the stand. Interseeding involves using a no-till drill to aid in the incorporation of a legume or a more productive grass into an existing pasture sod. In southern states, seeding should be timed with the available moisture in the area. As shown, in the figure below, average first cutting yields of grasses the spring after late summer seeding, when harvested at the boot stage, ranged from 1.5 t/a for some grasses down to less than 0.5 t/a on first cutting depending on when they were sown the previous fall. A 60% to 70% frost seeding establishment rate has been reported by many farmers (Undersander, 2006). fertilizer and lime recommendations for overseeding help spread clover into the unplanted areas of the Winter annual legumes are commonly grown in bermudagrass and bahiagrass pastures to provide By later cuttings the stands had recovered and all yielded well. Another option is to take a spring hay cutting before returning to full grazing. Of the grasses, perennial ryegrass and orchardgrass frost seed with the greatest success (Morrison, 2009); bromegrass has intermediate success; reed canary and timothy have the least success. Alfalfa does not frost seed well because its germination is variable at cool temperatures. The repeated freezing and thawing will cause some of the seed to fall into soil cracks and germinate. Birdsfoot trefoil is less successful due to slow establishment. Lone Spruce farm 3,729 views. The main advantage to frost seeding is the ability to establish desirable species into an undisturbed sod at a low per acre cost. Frost seeding is the easiest method to add new forage legumes or grasses to pastures, and is likely the least expensive method, as well. 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