Drought conditions have affected most of Ohio this summer and fall, and we need to consider the long-term effects that this could have on forages.
Where I am at in Morgan County, in the southeastern part of the state, we are still classified as D4 exceptional drought status, and most farmers have been feeding hay and hauling water for a couple of months now.
Forages have taken the back seat for now, as we try to make sure livestock have feed and water. While getting livestock through the winter is the main goal right now, we need to start looking at what will need to be done with pastures and hayfields.
When we got rain in October from Hurricane Helene, our pastures and hayfields came out of dormancy and started to grow on my family’s farm. Hopefully, most of you took note as well if that rain brought your pastures and hayfields out of dormancy and had some sort of growth.
The reason that I hope you took note is to gauge what you need to do with them. You will also get an idea in early spring as well, providing we get the moisture that we need, on what growth will look like and quickly determine what is going to need to be done.
There are a couple of options when it comes to working on pasture and hayfield improvements that I am going to talk about.
Frost seeding
Frost seeding is a relatively simple option that can be used before spring starts. It is also cheaper and can be less time-consuming than other options. Frost seeding is the process of spreading seed on an already-established pasture or hayfield while the ground is still frozen.
There is a limited time frost seeding can be done, and the recommended time is between early February to mid-March — although in some of the past winters we have had, I would try to be earlier in this timeline than later. The constant freezing and thawing of the ground during this time is what helps frost seeding succeed. The seed will work its way to a shallow coverage to protect the seed through constant freezing and thawing.
The key to success is being able to see bare ground when you spread the seed so there can be good seed-to-soil contact; this gives the best chance of germination. If there is snow on the ground, it is recommended that you wait to seed, because when the snow melts it could carry the seed away.
When it comes to choosing a seed mixture to use for frost seeding, legumes work better as compared to grasses. Legume seeds tend to be a little heavier in weight as compared to grass seed, which may help them get down to the soil better than grass seed.
Interseeding
Interseeding is another option that can work with what you already have growing in your pasture; it works a lot better with grasses than frost seeding.
Interseeding can help improve pastures and hayfields without completely starting from scratch, as this method involves planting new forages directly into an existing pasture or hayfield to boost the stand’s quality and increase its diversity. Interseeding can help fill in those gaps in the existing stand that may be gone or not as strong. You could add some species that might be more drought tolerant as well.
Equipment and timing are key to minimizing competition with the existing stand and weeds, as maximizing seed-to-soil contact can reduce competition and reduce weed pressure from the existing stand.
There are two times of the year that interseeding is best done. Early spring or late summer is when the competition from the existing stand is lower and following a grazing or cutting helps reduce competition and creates more open soil for the new seed.
Monitor the new growth carefully in the first season to help it establish itself and avoid grazing too heavily while the new seedlings are getting established. This method will tend to cost more than frost seeding but is a good option if there is still a stand with which to work.
Complete renovation
A complete renovation of a pasture or hayfield is probably going to be the most expensive option, but in the long term could be the most cost-effective. In cases where the forage stand has been severely impacted, a full renovation might be necessary. This means clearing the field and reseeding it entirely, but this option may yield the highest quality forage in the long term if current pastures cannot recover sufficiently.
For fields severely impacted by drought or fields where the stand has diminished over time, it may be time to start fresh with a new seed mixture.
The best time for a complete renovation is usually late summer or early fall when soil moisture is generally higher. This gives you the time to prepare for what you want to do and gives you the option to plant an annual crop like sorghum-sudangrass to graze and or make haylage.
Begin by removing the old forage stand, either by tillage or using a non-selective herbicide, and then prepare a smooth, firm seedbed for planting. After that, reseed the area with a mix suited to the soil type and intended use.
Following the renovation, it’s essential to manage grazing carefully in the first year. Allow the new forage to establish fully before grazing or cutting, as it needs time to build strong root systems. Complete renovation can seem intensive, but in severely depleted fields, it often provides the best chance for a productive and resilient forage stand in future seasons.
