Establishing a productive forage stand takes planning, and some of the most important work happens well before the seed goes in the ground.
If you’re planning to establish alfalfa, grasses or a forage blend next spring, use the fall to get your field ready. Controlling perennial weeds, preparing the seedbed, addressing soil fertility and developing a cover crop plan now will give your forage seedlings the best opportunity to establish quickly and evenly next year.
Here are four things to do this fall.
1. Control Perennial Weeds Before Establishment
Start with a clean field.
Perennial weeds such as quackgrass, dandelion, thistle and foxtail barley are difficult to control once a forage stand is established. Apply a heavy glyphosate burndown in late summer or fall ahead of spring seeding to control existing perennial weeds. If a fall application isn’t possible, complete the burndown in spring before you seed. Be mindful of re-cropping restrictions on broadleaf tank mires that could prevent forage seedlings from establishing the following year.
Don’t stop your weed control plan there. If you’re establishing a grass or grass/alfalfa blend, plan for an in-crop herbicide application to control annual weeds during the establishment year. In-crop options are available, including bromoxynil products that are safe on certain alfalfa/grass blends.
Always follow product labels and confirm the herbicide is registered for the forage species in your blend.
2. Prepare the Field a Year Ahead
A firm, uniform seedbed is essential for forage establishment. Small forage seeds need consistent, shallow placement, and achieving that starts with proper field preparation.
Fields intended for forage establishment should be in annual crop production for at least one year before planting forage seed to insure proper seed establishment compilations.
Avoid breaking an existing hay or pasture stand and immediately seeding it back to forage. Sod clumps and excess organic matter make it difficult to achieve the soil firmness and shallow seeding depth required for successful establishment. Perennial weeds such as quackgrass and dandelion also tend to return quickly.
If you’re replacing an existing alfalfa stand with new alfalfa, keep the field out of alfalfa production for a full calendar year. Established alfalfa releases compounds into the soil that inhibit the germination and development of new alfalfa seedlings, known as autotoxins.
Use an annual crop during that year to allow the autotoxic compounds to dissipate while giving yourself an opportunity to control weeds and prepare the field for the next forage stand.
3. Soil Test This Fall
If you don’t have a recent soil test for the field, test it this fall.
Phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) are important for successful forage establishment and should be addressed before the forage is seeded. Because P and K have limited mobility in the soil, incorporate or band the required nutrients before establishment to put fertility where developing plants can access it.
This is particularly important with perennial forages because there are limited opportunities to incorporate these nutrients once the stand is established.
Any required nitrogen (N) or sulphur (S) can be surface applied after the forage is established. Apply these nutrients in spring to reduce the risk of environmental losses.
Testing in the fall gives you the information and time needed to correct fertility before next year’s forage crop goes in the ground.
4. Plan Your Cover Crop Carefully
Your cover crop plan can make or break forage establishment.
A heavy cereal cover crop grown for greenfeed or silage will compete with young forage seedlings for sunlight, moisture and nutrients. The result is a thinner forage stand that can take an additional year to fully establish — or, in severe cases, cause establishment failure.
A cover crop that becomes heavy enough to lodge is even more damaging. Lodged cereals can smother the forage seedlings underneath, leaving weedy, bare areas that need to be reseeded.
Keep cereal cover crops to no more than 3/4 bushel per acre, or approximately 30 lb./acre. This reduces competition and gives forage seedlings the opportunity to establish quickly and potentially produce usable forage during the establishment year.
Seed placement is equally important. Do not seed the forage seed in the same furrow as the cereal cover crop. Forage seedlings need to establish between the cereal rows to escape excessive competition from the cereal plants.
Broadcasting the forage and cereal seed together is one way to separate the forage seed from the cereal rows while completing the job in a single pass.
Consider Annual Ryegrass as Your Cover Crop
Another option is to use annual ryegrass instead of a cereal cover crop.
Annual ryegrass can be blended directly with your forage seed and seeded in the same pass. At only 2 lb./acre, it requires significantly less seed than a cereal cover crop and adds less than $5/acre in seed cost.
Annual ryegrass is also compatible with in-crop herbicide options that can be used on other forage grasses, simplifying weed management during establishment.
It won’t provide the same volume of feed as a heavy cereal cover crop — and that’s the point. The goal during the establishment year should be to prioritize the long-term forage stand rather than maximize first-year cover crop yield.
Annual ryegrass still provides additional high-quality feed that can be baled, silaged or grazed while allowing the perennial forage underneath to establish.
Set Up Next Year’s Stand This Fall
Successful forage establishment doesn’t start on seeding day. It starts with the decisions you make the year before.
Control perennial weeds before they become a problem in the new stand. Make sure the field has been out of perennial forage production long enough to create a firm, uniform seedbed. Soil test and address phosphorus and potassium requirements before seeding. And if you’re using a cover crop, keep the seeding rate low and minimize competition with the forage seedlings.
Taking care of these steps this fall will put you in a much better position to establish a thick, productive forage stand next spring — and one that can continue producing for years to come.
FAQs
When should I start preparing a field for forage establishment?
Start preparing the field the year before you plan to seed. Fall is the ideal time to control perennial weeds, soil test, address phosphorus and potassium requirements, and make plans for your seedbed and cover crop.
Can I seed forage immediately after breaking an old hay or pasture stand?
No. Fields should be in annual crop production for at least one year before being seeded back to forage. This helps control perennial weeds and creates the firm, uniform seedbed needed for shallow forage seed placement. If you’re reseeding alfalfa after alfalfa, a full calendar year out of alfalfa is also required to reduce the effects of autotoxicity.
What weeds should I control before establishing a forage stand?
Focus on perennial weeds such as quackgrass, dandelion, thistle and foxtail barley. A heavy glyphosate burndown in late summer or fall before spring seeding is recommended. If you can’t complete the application in fall, control these weeds before seeding in the spring.
How much cereal should I seed as a cover crop with forage?
Keep cereal cover crops to no more than 3/4 bushel per acre, or approximately 30 lb./acre. Heavier cover crops create too much competition for young forage seedlings and can result in a thin stand or establishment failure.
Can annual ryegrass be used as a cover crop when establishing forage?
Yes. Annual ryegrass is an excellent option because it can be blended directly with the forage seed and seeded in the same pass. At approximately 2 lb./acre, it provides additional high-quality feed while creating less competition for developing perennial forage seedlings than a heavy cereal cover crop.
