{"id":344,"date":"2020-03-23T16:54:22","date_gmt":"2020-03-23T20:54:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/forageteam\/?p=344"},"modified":"2020-03-23T16:54:24","modified_gmt":"2020-03-23T20:54:24","slug":"keys-to-successful-establishment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/forageteam\/2020\/03\/keys-to-successful-establishment\/","title":{"rendered":"Keys to successful establishment"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Forage establishment can be frustrating but can be successful if you have a plan.\u00a0 Forage establishment techniques can vary depending upon forage species, location, soil type, pasture situation and intended use. Good establishment techniques are essential to getting good high yielding forage stands. Let\u2019s look at several reasons why producers can successfully establish forages. \u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Soil fertility\u2026\u00a0 <\/em><\/strong>The first step in accomplishing a successful stand is to take a soil sample.\u00a0Please take soil samples several months in advanced in order to raise soil pH if needed.\u00a0 The soil test will inform producers about P and K levels in the soil and give research-based fertility recommendations depending on forage crop.\u00a0 If you would like to get specific SOIL SAMPLE RECOMMENDATIONS <\/a>then ask your local county Extension agent. <\/li>
  2. What is the correct forage species to plant???\u00a0 <\/em><\/strong>The first step in determining which forage species to plant is to have an overall forage plan.\u00a0The producer needs to ask themselves questions such as if they want an annual or perennial forages in their production system.\u00a0 Does the producer have irrigation?\u00a0 Is the producer going to use the crop for hay production or graze?\u00a0 <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Information\non adapted forages for Georgia is available at  UGA Forages.<\/a>  A great source of\ninformation is the UGA Statewide Variety Testing program<\/a>. \nThis program evaluates alfalfa, summer and winter annual grass varieties\nand their performance in a various yield environments across the state.\nProducers can also get information on perennial forage varieties in the\nfollowing UGA publications. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Alfalfa\nManagement in Georgia<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The Management and Use of Bahiagrass <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Selecting a Forage Bermudagrass Variety<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    3. Seedbed Preparation…\u00a0 <\/em><\/strong>Good seedbed preparation is a key for successful forage establishment.\u00a0 If growers are establishing new pastures or hayfields then the soil needs to be level, firm, and free of clods and other debris.\u00a0 A firm seedbed helps with seed placement, especially with small seeded forages such as alfalfa and legumes.\u00a0 Producers need to have their final seedbed smooth and free of ridges and depressions, which could affect harvest equipment for years to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    4. Weed and Insect Control\u2026<\/em>\u00a0 <\/strong>County agents often receive weed control during forage establishment.\u00a0Weeds can be very competitive during establishment, thus they can compete for soil moisture and sunlight. In some cases, weed control measures need to start the year before, especially with perennial weeds such as common bermudagrass.\u00a0 In some situations, adequate weed suppression can be achieved by reducing or eliminating preplant nitrogen, and\/or frequent mowing. Scouting for insects during establishment is a must.\u00a0 There are several insecticides that be used for pest control.\u00a0 Information on forage weed management is in the UGA Pest Management Handbook or from local extension offices and in the link below.\u00a0 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    UGA Forages Weed and Insect Control <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    5. Seeding Rate.\u00a0 <\/em><\/strong>\u00a0Good seed quality is necessary for forage production.\u00a0 Producers need to purchase good quality seed because seeding rates are based off good germination rates, seedling vigor, and optimum conditions.\u00a0Optimum conditions rarely happen in Georgia. Increase seeding rates in less favorable conditions such as over seeding perennial forages or broadcasting seed during establishment. If you are looking for information on seeding rates, seed per pound, seeding depth, and seedling vigor for various forages then go to link below. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    General seeding\ninformation for forage grasses and legumes<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If producers are utilizing legumes in\ntheir forage programs please select the correct inoculate for that particular\nlegume.  The publication below is a great\nreference for forage legumes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Georgia Legume Species<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    6. What about sprigging forages??\u00a0 <\/em><\/strong>Hybrid bermudagrasses and perennial peanuts produce very few or no viable seed; as such they must be established from vegetative sprigs (stolons, rhizomes, or stems). A most important consideration for getting a good uniform forage stand with sprigs is obtaining high quality planting material. County agents often get questions about yield potential of both seeded and hybrid bermudagrass varieties.\u00a0 Hybrid bermudagrass varieties produce 20-50% more forage than seeded bermudagrasses.\u00a0 If you would like information on bermudagrass sprigging and who\u2019s available to establish it then the information is below.\u00a0 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    How is Bermudagrass established?<\/a>\u00a0 Who Can Sprig Bermudagrass?<\/a> <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    7. When Do I Plant My Forages?\u00a0 <\/em><\/strong>\u00a0Planting date is crucial in establishing and keeping good forage stands. Planting early within the recommended planting period can help because the weather might not always cooperate.\u00a0 Planting warm season species in the early spring can help avoid this problem.\u00a0Surface soil moisture in the early spring can be more favorable for seed germination during this time. Planting cool season species in early fall is advisable to give plants a chance to become established and not winter-kill if and when subsequent hard winter freezes occur.\u00a0 Soil temperatures can influence planting dates for forage growers.\u00a0 Growers can monitor soil temperatures on the UGA Weather Network.<\/a>\u00a0 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    8. The Correct Equipment.<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0 Forages establishment can be done with a variety of planters and planting techniques. Forages that require shallow seed placement (0-1\/2 inch) require planters with the capacity for precision seed placement. If you are considering a small seeded forage species, please think about using cultipacker-seeders and drills that have methods to control seed depth. Broadcasting small seeded species can be successful if there is a good mulch cover or if a cultipacker is used. Producers often ask about establishing forages by broadcasting the seed and then lightly incorporate the seed with disk.\u00a0 This method can be successful but could result in failure because of potential of burying the seed. If broadcasting is used, the seeding rate should be increased 15-25 percent to help compensate for seed placed too deep for emergence. For small seeded forage species, the cultipacker-seeder is generally superior to the drill for getting good stands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    What\nabout sprigging equipment? <\/em> Producers can plant bermudagrass sprigs by broadcasting\nsprigs and disking them into the surface soil layer, or by specialized\nsprigging machines.  If producers use\ncommercial sprigging machines, 40 to 70 bushels of sprigs\/a is usually\nrecommended. If producers broadcast sprigs then 70 to 90 bushels of sprigs\/a\nmay be required for good stands. Please keep in mind that a bushel usually\ncontains about 1000 sprigs while a cubic foot contains about 800 sprigs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Successful forage stands\ncan happen if producers take some time thinking about a plan.  If you have questions about forages, seeding\nrates, planting techniques or any other forage related topics please contact\nyour local county Extension agent. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Forage establishment can be frustrating but can be successful if you have a plan.\u00a0 Forage establishment techniques can vary depending upon forage species, location, soil type, pasture situation and intended use. Good establishment techniques are essential to getting good high yielding forage stands. Let\u2019s look at several reasons why producers can successfully establish forages. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":75,"featured_media":261,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[95,96,3,117],"tags":[98,99],"class_list":["post-344","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bermudagrass","category-establishment","category-grazing","category-pastures","tag-establishment","tag-sprigging"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/forageteam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/344","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/forageteam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/forageteam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/forageteam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/75"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/forageteam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=344"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/forageteam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/344\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":346,"href":"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/forageteam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/344\/revisions\/346"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/forageteam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/261"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/forageteam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=344"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/forageteam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=344"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/forageteam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=344"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}