University of Illinois Dudley Smith Farm Clover

ProjectEd Ballard

University of Illinois, RetiredExtension Animal Systems

Educator

Welcome to Dudley Smith FarmChristian County, Illinois

Purpose of Study to Evaluation Clover Frost Seed Into Cool Season Grasses vs. no Clover

• Cool Season Grass Paddocks were established in August, 2002.

• Study to show important of nitrogen provide by clover vs. commercial nitrogen.

Dry lot

Continuous Corn (Control) C3

row crop(3, 48 acres each)

cool season pasture(Group # 4, 2.5 ac. paddocks)

continuous corn (control)(2, 5 ac. each)

dry lot/corral area(5.5 acres)

700 N

22

00

E

Dudley Smith FarmPlot 2012

Acreage per experimental unit

A3 B7 M11

A2 B6

A17 B19 M21M15 B23

Treatment Codes

A- AMPAC mixB- Barenbrug mixM-MaxQ mixRG – Row crops grazedC – Conventional Crop

Continuous Corn(Control) C1

A4 B8 M12 A18 B20M16 A24M22

A1 B5 M9 B13

M10 A14

Continuous Corn (Control) C2

cool season pasture(Group # 3 2.5 ac. Paddocks)

Cool season pasture Group # 2 -2.5 acres PaddocksCool season pasture Group # 1 -2.5 acres Paddocks

Ampac Paddocks

• Quartet Perennial Ryegrass7.5 lbs

• Due Festuolium 7.5 lbs• Tekapo Orchardgrass 15 lbs• Starfire Red Clover 4 lbs*• Kopu White Clover 2 lbs*

• * Clover were seed in March, 2003

Barenbrug Paddocks

• Baradan Orchardgrass 11.25 lbs

• Barcel Tall Fescue 14.75 lbs• Alice White Clover 2 lbs*• Freedom Red Clover 5 lbs*

• Clover Seed March 2003

Pennington Paddocks

• Max Q Tall Fescue 20 lbs• Patriot White Clover 3 lbs*

• White Clover Seeded March, 2003

Frost Seeding of Clover

• For the Ampac and Barenbrug Paddocks

• 5 lbs Red Clove and 2 lbs White Clover frost seed in March each year.

• For Pennington Paddocks 2 lbs White Clover frost seeded in March each year.

Percent Clover in Stand

• When study begin in spring of 2008 the stands consisted of 60 percent cool season grasses and 40 percent clovers by dry matter content in all paddocks. Half of paddocks continue to receive clovers frost seeded annually and one half of paddocks received no clovers for 4 years from 2008 to 2011.

Crude Protein % Average for 2008 thru 2011, U of I Dudley Smith

Farm

0

5

10

15

20

25

2008 2009 2010 2011

Ampac-CL

Ampac-No Cl

Barenbrug-CL

Barenbrug-No CL

Max Q-CL

Max Q-No CL

% TDN Average for 2008 thru 2011, U of I Dudley Smith Farm

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

2008 2009 2010 2011

Ampac-Cl

Ampac-No Cl

Barenbrug-Cl

Barenbrug-No Cl

Max Q-Cl

Max-Q-No Cl

% RFV Average for 2008, 2009 , 2010 & 2011

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

2008 2009 2010 2011

Ampac-Cl

Ampac-No Cl

Barenbrug-Cl

Barenbrug-No Cl

Max-Q-Cl

Max-Q-No Cl

Value and Amount of Nitrogen Fixed

by Various Legumes

Crop N fixedLbs/a/yr

N Value

$ AT

$0.55/lb

$0.65/lb

$0.75/lb

AlfalfaRed CloverWhite Clover

150-25075-20075-150

83-13841-11026-83

97-16249-13049-97

112-18756-15056-112

Vetch, Lespedezaetc

50-150 28-83 33-97 37-112Source: Marvin Hall, Pennsylvania State University

Advantages of Mixtures of Cool Season Grasses and Clovers

• Legumes provide nitrogen for grasses• Legumes improve forage quality and

reduce the potential for nitrate poisoning• The fibrous root system of grass helps in

stabilizing slopes and reducing erosion• The stand life of forages is lengthended• Grasses reduce bloat potential when

included with legumes

Clovers are generally higher in the following nutrients than grasses

• Crude Protein• TDN• Calcium• Magnesium• Clovers maintain much higher levels

of magnesium than grasses on wet soils in spring, reducing potential for cattle losses from tetany.

Average daily gain and gains per acreof steers grazing tall fescue and tall

fescue-clovers pastures.Gains Gains

Pastures Average Daily Gain

Steer Acre

Tall Fescue-Ladino Clover

1.53 307 582

Tall Fescue-+ 150 lb n/a

1.06 203 374

Source: Hoveland, C.S., et.al. 1981. Bulletin 530. Auburn University

Effect of Interseeding on Pasture Yield(Year after Seeding)

Species Yield Tons/Acre

Alone With Red Clover

Control 0.72 -

Red Clover 1.45 -

Bromegrass 0.89 1.48

Bluegrass 1.06 1.77

Orchardgrass 1.04 1.40

Timothy 1.14 1.74

Perennial Ryegra 1.05 1.37Source: Cosgrove, 1995 University of Wisconsin

Dry Matter Yields of Fescue-Clover vsFescue-Nitrogen-Lexington, Ky, 1978,

2 yr Average

Treatment Yield, lb.ac

Fescue-Red Clover

6 lb seed/ac

11,100

Fescue + Nitrogen

0 lb/ac

90 lb/ac

180 lb/ac

3,900

6,700

9,900

Source: Taylor, T.H. , et.al. University of Kentucky

Clover percentage, dry matter and crude protein yields of 2nd year

orchardgrass-red clover mixture

Total Dry Matter

(lbs/acre)

Clover, % Crude Protein (lbs/acre)

Grass Clover Total

11,783 57 721 1,348 2,069

Source: Templeton, W.C. 1975. University of Kentucky

Georgia CLOVER VS NITROGEN

Pasture Average Daily

Gain (lb/day)

Gain per acre

(lbs)

Toxic tall fescue

+ N

0.60 187

Toxic tall fescue

+ Durana

1.79 296

Toxic tall fescue

+ Regal

0.89 136

Source: John Andrae, White Clover Establishment and Management GuideUniversity of Georgia

Average daily gain and gains per acreof steers grazing tall fescue and tall

fescue-clovers pastures.

Gains Gains

Pastures Average Daily Gain

Steer Acre

Tall Fescue-

Ladino Clover1.53 307 582

Tall Fescue-+ 150 lb n/a

1.06 203 374

Source: Hoveland, C.S., et.al. 1981. Bulletin 530. Auburn University

Animal Performance on grass vs. legume-grass mixtures

Species Length of Trail/yrs

Gain/ Head

Animal Class

State

Tall Fescue

Tall Fescue-Red & Ladino Clover

3 0.12

0.74

Cows Indiana

Tall Fescue

Tall Fescue-Red & Ladino Clover

3 1.30

1.80

Calves Indiana

Orchardgrass

Orchardgrass-Ladino Clover

10 1.07

1.28

Steers Virginia

Table 4. Conception Rates on Grass vs. Grass-Legume Pastures

Species Conception Rate % State

Tall Fescue Tall Fescue+Legume

75 89

IL

Tall Fescue Tall Fescue+Clover

72 92

IN

Beef Steer performance as affected by clover on pastures of endophyte-free

tall fescue (E) and other grasses

State Grass Clover ADG-LB Gain/acre

GA E-tall fes Ladino 2.31 356

GA E-tall fes 150 lbs N 1.93 383

WA E-tall fes Ladino + 100lbs N

2.07 918

WA E-tall fes. 200 lbs N 1.74 642

MI Orchard Ladino 1.83 291

MI Orchard 50 lbs N 1.52 246

WA Orchard Ladino & 100 lbs N

2.40 951

WA Orchard 200 lbs N 1.74 531

Frost Seeding

• Frost seeding legumes and grasses is increasingly being used by producers as a means to improve pasture yields or change forage species composition within the pasture.

Keys to successful frost seedings

• 1. Seed to soil contact• 2. Reduce plant competition with

new seedlings• 3. Species selection and seeding

rates• 4. Seeding time

Frost seeding pitfalls

– 1. Seed planted into sod too tall.– 2. Legumes seeds not inoculated.– 3. Competition by taller grass.– 4. Poor soil fertility.

Fescue and Red Clover

Summary: Benefits of Clovers

• 1. Improved Quality• 2. Nitrogen Fixation• 3. Higher Yields• 4. Extend Summer Growth

Summary # 2: Cost of Clovers vs Commercial

Fertilizers• The Cost for frost seeding clovers has

ranged from$20 to $30 per year.

• The cost for commercial nitrogen applied at 100 lbs. actual nitrogen per acre would range from $55 to $75 plus application cost per year.