Whether it is the possibility of drought or loss of pasture because of wildfire, some producers are considering using irrigated annual forages to bolster their grazing or hay supplies.

For spring or cool-season annual forages, we are in the planting period of late March to early April. Soil temperatures this year are currently well above the recommended 42-45 degree range. Oats is probably the most common cool-season annual forage planted in Nebraska. However, spring triticale or spring barley are two other small grain options that have been found to perform similarly to oats in terms of forage yield and quality.  

Also similar is the number of days until ready to begin grazing or hay; so, the different species could be mixed if desired. One could look at seed cost of the different species before making a decision. With the early spring planting date of the cool-season annuals, grazing can typically begin around the third or fourth week of May and last into early July. Haying usually take place around the third week of June.

Following the cool-season forage, a warm-season annual such as sudangrass, sorghum-sudan hybrids, forage sorghum (which we often call cane or sorgo), foxtail millet, or pearl millet could be planted. Systems can also be put together where different acres of cool- and warm-season annuals are planted to create the continuous availability of grazable forage from late spring though fall.

Remember to consider the herbicides that may have been used on a field the previous year. Some herbicides may have long residuals that could hinder establishment even into this spring.  

By Jerry Volesky

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