MARIANNA, Fla. — Legumes are important plants for forage production in Florida. They can supply highly nutritious feed for grazing animals, and when properly inoculated, they supply nitrogen for their own growth, as well as providing nitrogen for other plants growing with or following them. Inoculation is the process of applying Rhizobium bacteria to legume seed to form a symbiotic relationship with the plant.
These bacteria are capable of fixing atmospheric nitrogen (N) into forms usable by plants. The association between the host plant and the symbiotic bacteria is mutually beneficial in that the plant furnishes the necessary energy, and the bacteria uses this energy to fix atmospheric N that can be used by the host plant. With a few exceptions, the plants with which the symbiotic N-fixing bacteria associate belong to the legume family.
The concept of a forage legume conference was developed to educate livestock producers on practical ways to integrate these unique plants into grass-based grazing systems. The 2021 Forage Legume Conference will be held virtually. There will be six 30-minute webinars provided via Zoom every Thursday night from April 1 through May 6. Each session will include a 20-minute presentation followed by a 10-minute question and answer period. The sessions will begin at 6:30 PM CT / 7:30 PM ET.
Register today to learn how to reduce N fertilizer inputs and increase livestock gains at the same time! This is possible by Integrating forage legumes into your grazing operation!
Registration
These sessions are provided with no charge for participation by the UF/IFAS Panhandle Ag Extension Team. Register through Eventbrite to receive the login information for participating in this series through the following link:
âhttps://virtual-legume-conference.eventbrite.com
–Jose Dubeux, UF/IFAS