Forage Crops
Forage crops make up more than 70% of the ration for ruminants and are the basis of the dairy, bovine and ovine economy. The great majority of the production is consumed on the farm. It is thus essential to maximize the potential of forage seeding.
The many varieties offered to the agricultural producer depend on the desired objective, the soil type on the farm, the method of preserving the forage and the work habits. For all these reasons, it is preferable to talk to your advisor or your Agrocentre advisor in order to make a well-informed decision.
The Agrocentre network is backed up by the expertise of its suppliers who do their research here in Québec in order to deliver products that are adapted to our climate. The objective: to answer the specific needs of our combined programs.
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3 factors that influence the choice of forage crops:
- a superior quality of feed for the animal
- good crop yield
- excellent winter survival
Agronomic Tricks
The first step for guaranteed yields
The correct choice of crop is the primary concern in order to ensure good forage. Purchasing certified seeds is the first step towards a good result. Certification guarantees the purity of the genetic variety, conformity of germination and controls the infestation of undesirable species. There is a 30% increase in yield from certified red clover seed in comparison to that obtained from common seeds. Important variations between common seed lots has also been reported.
* Adapted from Michaud et Belzile, 1983
Destroy or Preserve the fields after the winter?
Winter survival can be difficult. One of the methods used to evaluate the situation is to count the number of plants per square meter. It is important to consider the state of health of the base of the plants. Be ready to replant if the sample area contains less than 40 plants/m2 (4 plants/pi2).
Alfalfa is considered to be dead if:
- after pulling on the old stem, the roots break or the plant is easy to pull out.
- the roots smell rotten and are flaccid and break easily
- the base is soft and breaks between the fingers. The buds are brown and no green shoots appear after a warm period.
It can be more advantageous to fertilize with nitrogen in an alfalfa-grass mixture rather than to re-seed if the population of grasses is dense and the growth is good in the field.
In a young prairie where the alfalfa is 70% of the mix, a severe destruction reduces the population and the yield. In a well-established alfalfa field, a population between 50 and 60 plants/m2 is necessary for a good yield.
Forage Plant Comparison
The recipe for a good forage crop: situate it adequately, in good conditions and know the strengths and weaknesses of each species.
Legumes
| Crop | Alfalfa | Red Clover | Ladino Clover | Tre-foil |
| Adaption | All regions | All regions | All regions | All regions |
| Drainage | Excellent Does not adjust to excess of water |
Good Does not adjust well to drought |
Good to excellent | Poor to excellent Can tolerate a certain amount of flooding |
| Tolerance to acidity | Weak | Good | Good | Very good |
| PH requirement | 6.8 to 7 | 6.0 to 6.5 | 6.0 to 6.5 | 5.5 to 6.5 |
| Longevity | 4 to 5 years | short (2 years) | Seed persistence Natural and by stolens |
Persistence by Long rotation |
| Yield Potential | excellent to good | very good | good to very good | good |
| Speed of Establishment |
Rapid | rapid and easy to establish | average to rapid | Slow |
| Tolerance to competition | Average at first to very strong afterwards | Very strong and aggressive | Very good aggressive enough | Weak never grow with a competing strain |
| Drought resistance | Very resistant in well-drained soil | weak (85% of the roots are less than 20 cm) | weak (superficial roots) | very resistant |
Grass seeds (part 1)
| Crop | Millet | Brome | Dactyl | Fescue |
| Adaptation | All regions | All regions | All regions | All regions |
| Drainage | Good to excellent Does well in moderately well-drained soil |
Very good Very poor tolerance to an excess of water |
Very good | Mediocre to very good resistance to temporary flooding |
| PH Requirement | 6.0 to 6.5 | 6.0 to 6.5 | 6.0 to 6.5 | 5.5 to 7.0 |
| Hardiness | Excellent | Average to good | Average | Very good |
| Speed of establishment | Moderately slow to easy enought | slow and difficult to seed | Rapid ans easy | Slow |
| Tolerance to competition | Good | Good | Strong for legumes | Good |
| Regrowth | Slow and weak in summer | Average | Rapid | Good in summer, excellent in fall |
| Drought resistance | Weak | Good to very good | Very good | Very good |
| Quality of forage | Good taste, protein and digestibility inferior to Brome. | Keeps its quality with age | Protein and taste decrease with maturity | Slightly inferior to other grasses. Combines well with pasture. Quality and taste lessen quickly after heading. |
Grass seeds (partie 2)
| Crop | Reed canary grass | Ray-Grass | Sorghum |
| Adaptation | All regions | All regions | All regions |
| Égouttement requis | Mediocre to very good Plant in badly drained soil subject to flooding |
Good to excellent | Very weak tolerance to excess of water |
| PH Requirement | 5.5 to 7.0 | 5.5 to 7.0 | 5.5 to 7.0 |
| Hardiness | Very Goog | N/A | N/A |
| Speed of establishment | Slow | Rapid and easy | Rapid |
| Tolerance to competition | Good | Strong Normally established in a pure stand |
Strong Normally established in a pure stand |
| Regrowth | Average Little fall growth |
Rapid | Rapid |
| Drought resistance | Very good | Good | Very good Adapted to hot dry conditions |
| Quality of forage | Protein and taste decrease with maturity | Good taste | Comparable to other grains. Can have a high rate of prussic at the early stage of its growth and during a cold spell or frost. |
Sensitivity to freeze
| Grasses | Sensitivity level | Legumes | Sensivity level |
| Millet, Reed canary grass, Brome | Little sensitivity | Tre-foil, red clover and alsike | Little sensitivity |
| Dactyl | Sensitive | Alfalfa, clover Ladino | Sensitive |
