More forage money is made or lost at seeding than any other time of the year.
That’s because seeding decisions affect performance for the lifetime of the crop, says Surya Acharya, a forage breeding researcher at Agriculture Canada’s research centre in Lethbridge, Alta.
Farmers are often frustrated by their lack of success in establishing forage, Acharya said, but the following six frequently neglected but easy to follow “golden rules of forage establishment” can ensure better forage stands and productivity:
Choose the right crop for best yield
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There is more choice in forage crop varieties than ever and the best way to get the best yield is to pick the right species and variety for its intended purpose and local conditions.
For maximum hay production, pick a species with good yield even if it has a shorter life span.
For the best economic return, choose varieties that will yield well for three to four years.
For a long-term stand, select for good winter hardiness and disease resistance.
It is important that species under irrigation have high levels of disease resistance. For example, most alfalfas do not have resistance to verticilium wilt that is prevalent in southern Alberta.
Look for grazing tolerance when planting pasture. Plants with tolerance to grazing are different from those best for hay production.
Alfalfa, for example, is not grazing tolerant because animals’ hooves damage the plant crowns. When in doubt, get advice and variety comparisons from independent forage sources.
Prepare the seed
Some forage seed requires preparation through scarification or inoculation before planting.
Forage crops such as alfalfa or cicer milkvetch have hard seeds with waxy layers that do not absorb water well.
“To ensure successful establishment, they have to be scarified,” Acharya said.
“Otherwise, they can sit in the soil for three years without germinating because the seed coat is so hard.”
Scarification may cost more, but it is well worth it, he said.
“Even if producers have to pay up to 10 to 20 percent more, they should go with scarified seed.”
Legumes fix their own nitrogen, but to be effective, legume seeds should be inoculated with nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
Treated seed will establish better and produce healthier plants.
Some seed companies sell inoculated as well as raw seed. Inoculation is a simple process and inoculants for raw seed are widely available, usually from seed companies, and are relatively economical.
Seed early
“Research has very clearly demonstrated that the earlier you seed in spring, the better the stand,” Acharya said.
“Seeding cereal crops first and forage last is not economically viable. If forage is seeded early, you can potentially get three tonnes of alfalfa (dry matter) in the very first year. No wheat or barley crop can compensate for that.”
Seed pure forage stands
Do not plant cereal or canola as a companion or “nurse” crop. Research shows companion crops vigorously compete with forage crops for nutrients, water and sunlight.
“Even after four or five years, the effect of the companion crop shows up in reduced yield,” he said. “The increased forage brings in more income by far, than that from the companion crop.”
Seed shallow
For best results, plant forage seeds at a depth of half an inch.
“Most of these forages have very small seeds,” Acharya said. “There’s not much energy in those seeds to poke through deep profiles of soil.”
On irrigated land, irrigate the seedbed three to four days before seeding. On dryland, direct-seed or harrow the field, then cover and pack the seed well.
Mow the crop for weed control
Mow the forage crop when the seedlings are about 25-30 centimetres high. This reduces competition from annual weeds and helps the forage crop to stool out and quickly cover the ground.
Herbicides should be unnecessary if weeds are mowed.
