Forage Utilized in Pastures at the Eastern Research Station: 
A Subjective Evaluation

Forage Legumes

• Alfalfa, a perennial, has been used sparingly in the pastures because of low pH shallow soils. When it was overseeded in tall fescue, its establishment was fair to good and its persistence was much better than expected. Individual plants lived longer than 5 years.   In a complementary study, alfalfa was planted in an adjacent area for a comparison of grazing and haying. With both haying and rotational grazing the stand was good for almost 5 years.

• Annual lespedeza was interseeded into certain pastures. Lespedeza provided good forage the year of planting and apparently produced adequate seed for reestablishment; however, it never produced high yields after the first year. Throughout the summer annual lespedeza plants can be found where competition from other forages permits. Annual lespedeza has become well established in certain other pastures on the station where soil are too shallow for good grass stands to persist. In these places cattle graze the legumes very short during late July through September.

• Arrowleaf clover, an annual, has been a reliable species for this purpose. In the beginning, it was assumed that the rotational stocking would encourage arrowleaf clover to encroach into all the pastures. This did not occur. In fact arrowleaf clover began to disappear from pastures during the second or third year after planting. By planting a couple of pounds each year arrowleaf clover is the best late-season (July-August) annual clover.

• Birdsfoot trefoil, a perennial, was planted once in strips in tall fescue and was not impressive. It's production begins late and has never been as productive as other species. A few plants are still to be found in, but overall it does not seem to have much to offer this pasture system.

• Crimson clover, an annual, was planted in bermudagrass and white clover once and was reasonable successful the first spring. It was hopped that crimson clover would provide early season forage before the other components and not compete with the others. It did not reseed well and does not occupy an important part of the forage.

• Hairy vetch, an annual, was interseeded into one pasture in fall 1999. I has made impressive growth this spring. There may be a risk that the vetch will suppress the bermudagrass and legumes. In a few years we will know if it will become a reseeding component of the pastures.

• Hop clover, an annual, is sometimes a small but important component of the pastures where other forages are not highly competitive. It was not planted intentionally. Certain years it is important and certain years it is difficult to find hop clover. Our experiences indicate if hop clover is present, producers should try to encourage it, but planting it may not be economically feasible.

• Red clover, a perennial, has been a reliable part of several pastures. This grazing system allows it to produce adequate seed to reestablish a few new plants each year. One time approximately 40 pounds of seed per acre was measured in a pasture without special treatments. Red clover is one of the easiest forage legumes to establish and manage in mixed pastures in this area. In the central and western part of the state, red clover begins very nicely but does not persist during dry summers.

• Rose clover, an annual, was planted in one pasture and reseeded to a small extent. Its production has not been high. Rose clover may have a significant role in a multi-species pasture, providing medium early forage and reliable seed production.

• Subterranean clover, an annual, has been an important component of one pasture for 10 years without replanting. One year it did not reestablish in the fall. Sub clover can be grazed very short or can withstand shading from other plants. During the mid spring its yield is adequate and seed production has been reliable.

• White clover, a perennial, is the most useful clover in this study. It has persisted well and encroached into other pastures. With bermudagrass it makes good hay and can be grazed as stockpiled forage. In the drier central and western parts of the state white clover suffers short stand life during dry summers, probably due to its shallow root system. White clover reproduces by stolons as well as seeds. Individual plants live one to three years.

Forage Grasses

• Annual ryegrass, has been tried in this system in a effort to increase the early season forage production, but it has not become a major component of the pastures. Annual ryegrass is a cool-season species that is very competitive.

• Bermudagrass, both common and the improved variety Hardie, has been the most important forage grass in this pasture system. It has, over time, covered areas that were originally bare. The success of this grass is due to several factors, improving the fertility of the soil, not overstocking for extended periods, the toughness and resilient of the species. Bermudagrass, especially with a clover component, can be stockpiled for use during the winter instead of feeding hay. Bermudagrass is a warm-season perennial grass normally established by sprigs. 

• Endophyte-free tall fescue (Kentucky 31) was the original grass planting in one of the pastures. Infected seed was purchased but it was not used the first fall. It was stored in a barn over the next year and then planted, losing the endophyte during storage. Endophyte-infected tall fescue has encroached from roadsides and naturally infected plants from various sources. Both the planted and naturally encroaching type have been excellent forages, especially during spring and fall. Stockpiling fescue grown after September 1 is a good way to reduce the amount of hay feeding. Tall fescue is a cool-season perennial grass adapted to much of eastern Oklahoma.

• Crabgrass, a warm-season annual, was not intentionally planted in any of these pastures but is present in every pasture to some extent. It will fill in nearly every spot not occupied by other species and provide excellent forage for mid and late summer.

• 'Plains' old world bluestem, a warm-season perennial bunch grass, was planted in two pastures in the early 1980's and provides good forage. It has worked well in this system with several other forages including, all the other grasses listed and most of the clovers as well as alfalfa.

• Rye, a cool-season annual cereal, was overseeded in some pastures to improve the early season forage production. This is a good species for many pasture systems, but it does not normally reestablish itself.

Several other cool-season perennial grass species have been in tests at the Eastern Research Station. None was as resilient as tall fescue, but several produced high yields the first and second year after establishment in monoculture.

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