Page 31 - MWC 2-23-2023s

CHOOSING The Midwest Cattleman · February 23, 2023 · P31
continued from page 23 slightly higher seeding rates nation and growth. Coated move the seed down into the

job of weed control but tend for frost seeding than for con- seed, when available, can soil and then keeping the
to eat from the top down and ventional seeding. White clo- solve a lot of problems includ- grass growth under control
don’t take out the weeds quite vers can be seeded at 1-1.5 ing seed size, the inoculants, during early spring to give
as early as sheep do. Grazing lbs. per acre, remembering and it can even help the pH the seedlings plenty of sun
a small ruminant with cattle that it is a much smaller for the seedling. Coated seed and a fighting chance to sur-
can also work quite well as seed than red clover and will should be used the same year vive.
long as you don’t crowd them be around longer. Red clover that it is purchased, mainly Remember, it’s not about
up too much. I occasionally should be seeded at 6-8 lbs. due to the inoculant – it has maximizing a grazing event,
run them together as a flerd. per acre, birdsfoot trefoil at a slightly shorter storage life. but maximizing a grazing
How much you used your 5 lbs. per acre and common I think the main points season! Keep on grazing!
stockpiled forage in the win- lespedeza with hulled seed at for a successful frost seeding
ter can also impact where 10 lbs. per acre. of legumes are grazing the
you start in the spring. The All legumes should be in- pasture down before seeding
bitter cold period we had a oculated with the appropri- to lower the amount of lit-
few weeks back changed my ate inoculants (rhizobia) for ter and spring competition,
plans due to lack of a suffi- that species to make sure seeding during freezing and
cient windbreak and later proper bacteria, good germi- thawing conditions to help
wet soil conditions. Because
of that, I still have a little
stockpiled forage left that WHY ARE WE STILL HERE AFTER MORE THAN 25 YEARS?
could be utilized. If we don’t
get back there, we’ll just hit
that area first in the spring.
It is also the time frame
for frost-seeding clover onto
fields that need it. If you
paid attention during the
last season, you should know
what fields are lacking suffi-
cient legume. I like to see at
least 30% of the stand being
legumes. Legumes, such as
clover, increase the quality of
a pasture and can also fix ni-
trogen to help the grass com-
ponent of the pasture. When
fertilizer is expensive, you
want as much natural nitro-
gen produced as possible.
Red and white clover both
are fairly easy to frost-seed
this time of year and gener-
ally that is the least expen-
sive way to enhance legumes
in the pasture. It is basical-
ly the process of broadcast-

ing the legume seed onto MAKE SURE YOU ARE
the soil’s surface during the
winter dormant months and IN OUR SPECIAL
allowing the freezing and
thawing of the soil to help BRANGUS
move the seed into the soil.
It is best to plan if you de- FEATURE
cide to frost-seed. You may
have wanted to graze the
6TH
pasture down a little shorter MARCH 9TH
than normal to reduce compe-
tition and help that seed find
its way to the soil easier. If
the field is being stockpiled,
you can either wait until
after it is grazed or broadcast
it just prior to grazing and
let the seed be “hoofed” in. If
there is too much cover then
it makes it hard for the seed
to reach the soil and makes it PHONE: 417-644-2993 - EMAIL: CATTLEMAN@CUTTINGEDGEUS.COM
less likely to thrive.
I usually recommend