Wednesday, November 7, 2007
271-16

Forage Potential of Temperate Legumes with Perennial Grasses in the Southern Plains.

John A. Guretzky, Twain Butler, and Matt Mattox. The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation Inc., 2510 Sam Noble Parkway, Ardmore, OK 73401

Our objectives were to evaluate forage yields of temperature legumes in the southern Plains. Thirty-one strains of legumes were broadcast seeded within a stand of eastern gamagrass on 25 Sep 2006 at Burneyville, OK and drilled with ‘Flecha' tall fescue on 2 Oct 2006 at Vashti, TX. Legume forage yields were measured between the gamagrass rows on 19 Apr 2007 and with tall fescue on 23 Mar 2007. Forage yields between the gamagrass rows ranged from 2488 to 3484 kg DM ha-1 for button medic strains, 3188 kg DM ha-1 for ‘Devine' little burr medic, 1547 kg DM ha-1 for ‘Euckert' burr medic, 2179 to 3040 kg DM ha-1 for Tifton burr medic strains, and 0 to 1681 kg DM ha-1 for rigid medic strains. Forage yields averaged 1856 and 471 kg DM ha-1 for ‘Overton R18' rose clover and ‘Dixie' crimson clover, respectively, but less than 40 kg DM ha-1 for all other clovers. Yield of ‘AU early cover' hairy vetch was 1789 kg DM ha-1 at Burneyville. At Vashti, forage yields ranged from 3530 to 4128 kg DM ha-1 for hairy vetch and averaged 3035 kg DM ha-1 for Austrian winter pea. Forage yields among annual medics and clovers ranged from 482 to 1681 kg DM ha-1 and 979 to 2120 kg DM ha-1, respectively. Annual medics appeared to be better than clovers to improve stands of eastern gamagrass at Burneyville. Hairy vetch also looked promising. A soil pH of 8.3 may have limited success of clovers within the gamagrass. Hairy vetch, Austrian winter pea, and Dixie crimson clover appeared most promising with Flecha tall fescue. Further research on forage yields and quality of the mixtures will improve understanding of the fit of tall fescue and eastern gamagrass pastures within beef cattle production systems of the southern Plains.