LINCOLN, Neb. — Cool-season annuals like cereal rye, triticale, barley and oats, as well as perennial forages like brome, timothy and various wheatgrass species are quickly maturing with recent warm temperatures and the return of precipitation. Are you prepared?
As grasses mature, quality declines. This means harvesting at the right time can be the difference between feed that meets nutrient requirements later in the year or one that needs additional supplementation. As our cool-season species rapidly grow, check on them often and be ready to pull the trigger for harvest based on stage of maturity. A close eye on the weather forecast for dry weather to wilt for silage or dry down a hay crop is also important.
Grazed forages also can benefit from utilization prior to maturity by keeping the plant in a vegetative state longer, again maintaining higher quality. If pastures begin to get ahead of us, flash grazing where animals move rapidly through pastures can slow down growth and keep plants in a vegetative state longer. The goal is to quickly set the plant back a bit without too much stress, so grazing should only take 50% or less of the available forage before moving on.
Managing rapidly maturing cool-season grasses requires continual observation and quick responses to current conditions. In doing so, we ensure this forage will be utilized in the best possible way.
— Ben Beckman, Extension Educator, University of Nebraska-Lincoln