• Topics: Agronomy  | Fall Forage  | Forage Grasses  |   | Forage Crops Management  | Blount, Ann R. Soffes  |  Barnett, Ron D  | Prine, Gordon M  |  Quesenberry, Kenneth H  | Newman, Yoana Cecilia  |  Vendramini, Joao Mauricio Buen 

2011 Cool-Season Forage Variety Recommendations for Florida¹

Introduction

Warm-season pasture grasses used in Florida become dormant in late fall and winter due to cooler temperatures and frosts, and many livestock producers may choose to establish cool season annual pasture species to supplement their forage production. These plants are usually higher in total digestible nutrients (TDN) and protein (CP) than summer perennial grasses. Planting and growing these forage crops can involve considerable expense and is somewhat risky because rainfall is often unpredictable during the fall establishment period. The species and varieties available for potential use vary in the distribution of production during the cooler months and in the type of soils where they are best adapted. This publication intends to provide the most up-to-date information on current adapted varieties of the cool-season forages. The recommendation of varieties is based on multi-location, multi-year cultivar evaluation experiments that may include trials in Georgia and other states.

Varieties on the recommended list in this publication were tested in recent multi-year and multi-location trials. This publication is updated annually with information on variety recommendations for forages that have been adequately tested under Florida growing conditions. Information containing the planting dates, seeding rates, and other considerations is included in Table 1. If you have questions about a particular variety, contact your local county agent for additional information.

Recommended Cultivars (Varieties)

Rye – Rye is the small grain most widely used for winter grazing. Rye is more cold tolerant than oats and generally produces more forage than either oats or wheat. If rye is planted very early in the season, there may be a decreased stand caused by various seedling diseases. Normally rye developed from northern states will produce little forage in late fall or early winter and will usually be severely damaged by leaf rust; therefore, plant only varieties recommended for the Southeastern U.S.

Recommended varieties: FL 401 (for early grazing or for use in blends), AGS 104, Wrens 96, Wrens Abruzzi, Bates, Oklon, Wintergrazer 70, and Early Graze

Oat – Oat is very palatable, but is susceptible to freeze injury. Oat may be planted and grazed earlier than rye. Horizon 201 and RAM LA 99016 are relatively new varieties that have improved crown rust resistance, winter hardiness, and good grain and forage production. In some years, some varieties, like NK-Coker 227, may be injured by Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus (BYDV).

Recommended varieties: Horizon 201, RAM LA 99016, Plot Spike LA 9339, and SS76-40

Wheat – Wheat is similar to oat in forage yield and palatability. Wheat is less susceptible to freeze injury than oat. Wheat should not be planted for grazing before October 15, and precaution to plant only Hessian-fly-resistant varieties for grazing should be taken.

Recommended varieties: SS8641, USG 3592, and Pioneer 26R61

Triticale – Triticale is a cross between wheat and rye. It is well adapted to the Southern U.S. and Peninsular Florida. Triticale has the forage quality of wheat and the excellent disease resistance of rye. Triticale does not respond well to close grazing and therefore is recommended for haylage or silage if grown alone. If used in grazing, consider blending with ryegrass to promote a longer growing season.

Recommended varieties: Trical 342, Trical 2700, and Monarch

Ryegrass – Ryegrass is a valuable winter and spring grazing crop for use on flatwoods soils or the heavier sandy loam soils in northwest Florida. Ryegrass may be seeded alone or with a small grain on a prepared seedbed or overseeded onto permanent grass pastures. Seeding ryegrass with a small grain crop lengthens the grazing season.

Early: Attain, Big Boss, Bulldog/Grazer, Diamond T, Flying A, Prine, Rio, TAMBO, Verdure, Earlyploid, and Nelson

Late: Attain, Big Boss, Jumbo, Prine, Rio, TAMTBO, Verdue, Ocala, Nelson, Earlyploid, Passeral Plus, and Marshall (susceptible to rust and gray leaf spot)

Season-long: Attain, Big Boss, Diamond T, Jumbo, Prine, Ocala, Passeral Plus, Rio, TAMTBO, Verdure, Nelson, Earlyploid, and Marshall (susceptible to rust and gray leaf spot)

These varieties were selected based on their recent three-year, multi-location performance.

Other ryegrass varieties, such as Florlina, Surrey II, Jackson, Big Daddy, Ed, TAM 90, Brigadier, Fantastic, Graze-N-Gro, King, and Beefbuilder III, have also performed well in regional trials. (Other new varieties may be suitable but have not been adequately evaluated in Florida.)

Tall Fescue – In general, fescue should not be planted in Florida. It does not persist as a perennial, and as a cool-season annual, small grains and ryegrass are more productive. A few producers have had limited success with Ga-5 when planted on low, wet, clay soils in northwestern Florida.

Recommended varieties: Max Q endophyte-friendly fescue where adapted

White Clover – White clover is usually a winter annual but may act as a perennial under optimum soil fertility and moisture conditions. It is adapted to moist soils throughout Florida. Production and persistence of white clover can be limited by nematodes and other pests.

Recommended varieties: Ocoee (developed in Florida), Osceola (developed in Florida), Louisiana S-1, Regalgraze, and Regal Ladino. Durana and Patriot are also well adapted but have a prostrate growth habit and lower initial forage yields, but persist well under grazing.

Red Clover – Red clover behaves as a winter annual under Florida conditions and usually does not reseed itself. It does not tolerate poorly drained soils. Red clover provides long-season forage production in north Florida.

Recommended varieties: Barduro (mid-dormant) and Southern Belle (non-dormant). Southern Belle was developed in Florida and is a non-dormant red clover and offers earlier forage production and greater total-season forage yields than more dormant varieties. Barduro is a new UF red clover cultivar that is a mid-dormant type.

Alfalfa – Alfalfa is usually grown as a winter short-term perennial in Florida. Alfalfa is used for haylage, green chopping, or hay. Alfalfa requires good management and high soil fertility. It is not tolerant of flooding or soils with high water tables. Alfalfa is not widely cultivated in Florida because of the cost of production and management requirements.

Recommended varieties: Bulldog 805 and Amerigraze 702

Crimson Clover – This clover is a reseeding annual adapted to fertile well-drained soils. It has a relatively short grazing season. Crimson clover may be grown in combination with ryegrass or a small grain crop.

Recommended varieties: Dixie and AU-Robin

Arrowleaf Clover – Arrowleaf clover is an annual similar to crimson clover in soil adaptation, management, and fertility requirements. It is mainly grown on heavier soils in northwestern Florida. Arrowleaf clover makes more growth in late spring than crimson clover.

Recommended varieties: Yuchi and Apache (for north Florida). Apache has improved virus resistance compared to Yuchi.

Lupine – Lupine is an annual plant adapted to well-drained soils in northern and western Florida. It is an excellent cover crop. In recent years, seed supply has been low, and forage production has been limited by diseases and insects. Only sweet lupine varieties are suitable for forage.

Recommended varieties: Tifblue. Tifwhite and Frost are also recommended; however, commercial seed production of these lupine varieties has been limited and seed is currently unavailable.

Sweetclover – Sweetclover grows on slightly drier soils than white clover. It will not tolerate flooding. Sweetclover has an earlier but shorter grazing season than white clover. Sweetclover should be reseeded each year.

Recommended varieties: None at present. New varieties should be commercially available shortly.

Austrian Winter Peas – (Common). This annual legume is best suited to well-drained soils with high clay content.

Recommended varieties: Common

Vetch – Vetch grows best on well-drained, fertile, loamy soils. Although it is well adapted, it is not a highly productive forage in Florida.

Recommended varieties: Hairy, Americus, AU-Early Cover, Cahaba White, and Nova II. Commercial seed production of most vetch varieties will be limited in 2011.

Ball Clover – Ball clover grows on a wide range of soil types. Although it is well adapted, it is not considered to be a highly productive forage in Florida.

Recommended varieties: Segrest and common. Pre-inoculated seed is available in 2011.

Berseem Clover – Berseem clover has low bloat potential and is well adapted to many soil types in Florida, including more alkaline and wet soils. Care should be given to the management of berseem clover when grazed. It is advisable to graze at about 10 inches and leave a 3-4 inch stubble height.

Recommended varieties: Bigbee and CW 9092

Medic – Medics are small-seeded legumes that grow on a wide range of soil types and have good drought tolerance. Although they are well adapted, they are not considered to be highly productive forages; however, they have been grown successfully in north and central Florida.

Recommended varieties: Armadillo burr and Devine little burr. Pre-inoculated seed is available in 2011.

Remember the following:

• Planting cool-season forages on a clean-tilled seedbed will result in earlier and more total forage production compared to overseeding on a grass sod. If overseeding on bahiagrass, the sod should be disked to 30 percent disturbance. For overseeding on bermudagrass, a pasture drill or no-till drill can be used alone. Excess warm-season forage should always be removed as hay or by grazing before planting the cool-season forage.

• Success of winter pastures depends on adequate rainfall. This is especially true when overseeding.

• In central and south peninsular Florida, sod seeding (overseeding) of cool-season annuals into an established grass sod often fails due to insufficient soil moisture and warm-season grass competition and is generally not recommended unless irrigation is available or rainfall is adequate.

• Look for opportunities to plant on a clean-till seedbed, such as following vegetables or a row crop, after lifting sod, or in a pasture renovation program where the sod is plowed or turned under.

• In south central Florida, small grains and ryegrass have been successfully grown on flatwoods in a pasture renovation program. If the sod is turned with a moldboard plow (late October-early November), the soil harrowed, planted, and packed the same day, there will usually be enough moisture conserved to establish the new planting. If equipment and labor does not allow for such a rapid progression of work, it may be best to turn the sod, then disk in early- to mid-October, and wait for adequate rainfall before planting.

• Winter legumes are more dependable on the heavier clay soils of northwestern Florida or on sandy soils that are underlain by a clay layer compared to deep upland sands or sandy flatwoods. However, white clover and ryegrass overseeded can also be grown successfully on flatwoods soils in northeast Florida and south central Florida where the soil remains moist throughout the growing season.

• Remember to add the correct inoculant (nitrogen-fixing bacteria) to the legume seed before planting. Coated (already pre-inoculated) seed is sometimes available, but seed coatings with bacteria have a limited shelf life and may be costly when compared to purchasing raw seed and inoculant separately and mixing just prior to planting.

Tables

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension service.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Millie Ferrer-Chancy, Interim Dean.

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