Grass species
Rye is a popular small grain for winter annual pastures. It is the earliest maturing and most cold-hardy small grain species. Seedlings are more drought and heat tolerant than wheat or oats. Rye has generally matured and is ready to till by mid to late April. This early maturity makes rye an excellent winter forage on cropland that will be planted to corn next spring.

Wheat is another popular small grain for winter forage production. Seed can be cheaper than rye, but this varies from year to year. Wheat is also a cold hardy species and is later maturing than rye; however, wheat produces less fall forage than rye or oats.

Oats are also an option for winter grazing. Oats are highly palatable, but are the least cold tolerant of the winter annuals. Stands can be thinned or lost in cold weather. Risk of forage losses from winter kill can be minimized by mixing oats with more cold hardy small grains like wheat or rye. Oats are similar to wheat in maturity.

Annual ryegrass is the latest maturing of the winter annual grasses and can be grazed until early June in some areas. This late spring production results in excellent overall forage yield, but can delay spring greenup. Ryegrass can be damaged in cold weather. Select an improved variety with good disease resistance.

Tall fescue is a perennial cool season forage. This species produces the majority of forage during fall and spring months. Unfortunately, a large proportion of existing tall fescue is infected with a toxic fungus which is invisible to the naked eye. This fungus allows the plant to persist under heavy grazing but severely decreases animal reproduction rate and gain. Removing the fungus improves animal performance but shortens tall fescue stand life.

Legumes
Crimson clover is a frequently utilized cool season annual legume. It has excellent seedling vigor and good tolerance of soil acidity, but does not grow well in poorly drained soils.

Arrowleaf clover is later maturing winter annual than crimson and produces the majority of its forage from mid to late spring. Like crimson clover, this species is best utilized in combination with warm season pastures. Acidic and poorly drained soils greatly decrease yields.

Red clover has excellent potential for decreasing fescue toxicosis and improving forage distribution. Red clover persists for one to two years in tall fescue, and produces excellent quality forage into June or even July in favorable years. Red clover also has better seedling vigor than white clover, so it establishes more rapidly and dependably. Red clover should be rotationally grazed for optimum persistence.

White clover is an excellent species for poorly drained soils or continuously grazed pastures. White clover can be notill drilled into tall fescue at ¼” to ½” depth or can be broadcast seeded into tall fescue in early spring.

Alfalfa is a forage crop that persists well. Small areas of alfalfa can be established for creep grazing or for wildlife food plots. Larger grazing areas can provide high quality forage for growing replacement heifers. Alfalfa requires good soil drainage, pH, P and K. Select a variety with a good disease resistence and grazing tolerance.

Establishing and managing cool season forages during fall months can decrease hay needs and improve overall forage quality and animal performance. Consider establishing one of the above forages on your farm to capitalize on these advantages.  FG

—Excerpts from University of Nebraska Crop Watch newsletter, August 2010