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AGR-190

CHICORY:

An Alternative Livestock ForageDavid C. Ditsch and Brandon Sears, Department of Plant and Soil SciencesHistory

Chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) isan herbaceous perennial plant thathas historically been used in othercountries as a coee substitute, as aleay vegetable, and as pasture orageor over 300 years. Although chicoryoriginated in central Europe, breeding

or improved orage varieties has beenconducted in New Zealand or manyyears. In the United States, use o chic-ory as pasture orage is a relatively newconcept. Forage chicory is a potentiallyvaluable pasture component becauseit is a drought-tolerant, high- yieldingplant that can improve seasonal distri-bution o high-quality herbage.

Growth Habit and VarietiesForage chicory is a winter-dormant,

herbaceous plant that has a rosettegrowth habit and a large taproot thatallows or some tolerance to droughtconditions. Forage chicory varieties,which tend to have much larger leaves,can be conused with wild chicory(also Cichorium intybus L.) and looksvery similar to dandelion in the rosettegrowth stage. Spring growth o chicoryconsists o many leaves developing romthe crown o the plant, but as tempera-tures warm in early summer, ower

stems develop and may grow as tal l as 5to 6 eet. Te most common varieties oorage chicory available in Kentucky areGrasslands Puna, Brow yne, Six Point,and Oasis. Although originally devel-oped in New Zealand, Grasslands Punahas perormed well under Pennsylvaniaand Kentucky growing conditions.Several other varieties exist but are notavailable or use in the United States.

Forage chicory can provide excellentspring and summer orage or grazinglivestock in Kentucky. As with otherorage species, nutritive quality declinesas the plant matures and reaches thereproductive growth stage in late sum-mer.

Site Selection and EstablishmentForage chicory can grow well ina variety o soil types, i compactionis not a problem. Well-drained tomoderately well-drained soils withmoderate to high ertility will providesuitable conditions or optimal growth.Both spring (March 15 through May15) and early all (Aug. 15 throughSept. 15) seedings have been successulunder Kentucky growing conditions.Chicory should not be planted too late

in the all, because the shortened daylength and lower temperatures impedeestablishment. Weeds are a potentialproblem or establishment o chicory.Herbicide options are not availableto control problem weeds during theseedling stage or ater establishmento chicory as a orage crop. Mowing orgrazing at proper intervals will helpstimulate dense chicory regrowth, thussuppressing potential weed problems.

Tilled Seedbed EstablishmentForage chicory may be planted alone

or with legumes or grasses in a tilledseedbed.

A nely-textured and rm seedbedis required or successul establish-ment. Both drilling and broadcasting oseed are acceptable planting methodsand successul establishment can be ac-

complished with either. However, drill-ing is the preerred method as greateruniormity o depth can be achieved.Chicory seeds should be planted to adepth o 0.25 to 0.50 inch. I a broad-cast method o planting is used, soilshould be prepared by rototilling ordiscing existing sod and cultipacking,

beore and ater seeding, to ensureadequate seed to soil contact.

Existing Pasture EstablishmentForage chicory may also be planted

into existing pastures by broadcastingor drilling. I broadcasting is to be done,do so in late winter or early spring (Feb.15 through March 15) when the soilsurace reezes at night and thaws inthe day. Plantings later in spring canalso be accomplished by disturbing

existing sod (i.e., light discing) andbroadcast seeding. No-tillage methodso establishment may also be used;however, suppression o existing vegeta-tion is critical to successul establish-ment o chicory.

Seeding RatesIn establishing pure stands o

chicory, a seeding rate o 3 to 4 poundsper acre will be adequate. However,many actors, such as seeding method,

seed quality and seedbed condition,can necessitate adjustments in rate.When seeding chicory in a mixture it isoten a good idea to include a legume,because legumes have nitrogen-xingability rom which chicory will greatlybenet. Reer to able 1 or seedingrates when planting chicory in a mix-ture.

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FertilityPrior to establishment, a soil test

should be conducted to determine theertility status o the desired plantingarea. Forage chicory will grow best ata pH o approximately 7.0, althoughdiminished production may be real-

ized at pH levels as low as 5.5. In purestands, apply 35 pounds o nitrogenper acre at planting to promote goodestablishment. I you are planning toseed a legume with chicory, do not ap-ply nitrogen. Added nitrogen stimulateschicory growth, which will increasecompetition with any companionlegume.

Ater establishment, nitrogenshould be applied at 100 to 150 poundsper acre in split applications i chicory

is grown without a legume. Apply 50pounds o nitrogen per acre in thespring when chicory starts to greenup, in early summer, and again in earlyall. Chicory studies in Kentucky haveshown yield responses when nitrogenwas applied at rates o up to approxi-mately 180 pounds o nitrogen per acre.I chicory is planted with a legume,restrict annual nitrogen applications toprevent reduction in nitrogen xationby the legume and to reduce competi-

tion. Increases in applied nitrogen willpromote bolting (stem elongation).Because chicory stems are less digest-ible than leaves, a producer must weighdesirability o yield increases romnitrogen applications against the abilityto graze at sufcient rates to reducebolting.

ManagementIn order to achieve maximum lie

(ve to seven years) o the chicory

stand, proper grazing managementmust be considered. Spring-seededchicory may be grazed ater approxi-mately 90 days depending on growingconditions, but care must be taken toprevent overgrazing. A stubble height o

Table 1. Seeding rates or chicory alone or in mixtures.

Seeding rates (lb/ac)

Seeding mixture

Chicory Legume Grass

Chicory alone 4 to 5

Chicory in a mixture with:

Red clover 4 to 5 6 to 8

White clover 4 to 5 3 to 4

Red clover and orchardgrass 2 to 3 3 to 4 4 to 6

White clover and orchardgrass 2 to 3 1 to 2 4 to 6Red clover and tall escue 2 to 3 3 to 4 8 to 10

White clover and tall escue 2 to 3 1 to 2 8 to 10

*Adapted rom Penn State publication Agronomy Facts Publication No. 45, ForageChicory

Educational programs o Kentucky Cooperative Extension serve all people regardless o race, color, age, sex, religion, disability, or national origin. Issued in urtherance o CooperativeExtension work, Acts o May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department o Agriculture, M. Scott Smith, Director o Cooperative Extension Service, University oKentucky College o Agriculture, Lexington, and Kentucky State University, Frankort. Copyright 2007 or materials developed by University o Kentucky Cooperative Extension.This publication may be reproduced in portions or its entirety or educational or nonproft purposes only. Permitted users shall give credit to the author(s) and include this copyrightnotice. Publications are also available on the World Wide Web at www.ca.uky.edu.

Issued 3-2007

1.5 to 2 inches must remain ater graz-ing or optimal productivity. Rotationalgrazing management is the ideal way tooptimize orage chicory persistence andquality. Generally, 25 to 30 days o restbetween grazing events is recommend-

ed. Care must also be taken to preventovergrazing and excessive hoo trafc,because exposed taproots are suscep-tible to reezing and rost-heaving. U.S.Department o Agriculture researchersin Pennsylvania have recorded Grass-lands Puna yields o more than 3 tonsper acre during the establishment year.Similarly, one Kentucky study reporteddry matter yields o approximately 3.5tons per acre.

Feed QualityEstablished orage chicory stands

have quality and quantity potentialssimilar to many other Kentucky oragecrops. Depending on plant maturity,protein levels may range rom 10 to 32percent, and digestibility o chicoryleaves is generally between 90 and95 percent. Not surprisingly, thesedigestibility and mineral content valuesare greater than those o alala. NewZealand studies have reported animalgains o 0.6 pound per day or lambsand 2 pounds per day or Friesianbulls. Chicory contains relatively highlevels o minerals (potassium, calcium,magnesium, sulur, zinc, and sodium)which are essential or proper animalnutrition.

Chicory also contains sesquiter-pene lactones and small quantities ocondensed tannins. Limited researchindicates that these compounds maycontribute to gastrointestinal parasitecontrol in small ruminants (e.g., goats

and sheep). Tese compounds may alsohave a negative aect on palatabilityand digestibility.

SummaryForage chicory is a deep-rooted pe-

rennial plant which is drought tolerantand grows well on ertile, well-drainedsoils. Grasslands Puna, most com-monly used in Kentucky, has produceddry matter yields o approximately 3.5tons per acre in Kentucky. A rotational

grazing management system avorsorage chicory quantity, quality, andpersistence. Bolting must be kept to aminimum or optimal orage produc-tion and quality. Forage chicory maybe useul as a companion orage withcool-season grasses or legumes and isa high-yielding plant that may improveseasonal distribution o high-qualityherbage.

NOTE:Te inormation included in severalsections o this publication was obtained romPenn State Agronomy Facts Publication No. 45titledForage Chicory, written by Marvin Halland Gerald Jung.