Evaluation of Annual Grass Forages in Prepared Seedbeds and Overseeded into Perennial Sods

Abstract

Four adjoining 8-acre (3.24 ha) plots were each divided into 2-acre (.81 ha) subplots and planted to either Pensacola bahiagrass, Coastal bermudagrass, Coastcross-1 bermudagrass or left fallow to be planted in summer and winter annual grasses. Ryegrass or oats were overseeded into perennial sods and into prepared seedbeds for winter grazing. Gahi millet or a sorghum × sudan hybrid was seeded into the prepared seedbeds and compared with the three perennial grasses for summer grazing. During the winter phase (December to April), steers which grazed either oats or ryegrass in prepared seedbeds gained 2.30 lb (1.05 kg) per day and produced total live weight gains of 453 lb/acre (504 kg/ha) compared with 2.47 lb (1.12 kg) per day and 222 lb/acre (253 kg/ha) for similar steers on sod-seeded pastures. During the summer phase (April to October), steers which grazed Gahi millet gained 2.13 lb (.97 kg) per day and produced total live weight gains of 467 lb/acre (525 kg/ha) compared with 1.95 lb (.89 kg) per day and 334 lb/acre (376 kg/ha) for the sorghum × sudan summer annual. In contrast, average daily gains and total live weight gains per acre (hectare) for the perennial sods were: Pensacola bahiagrass, 1.26 lb (.57 kg) and 441 lb (493 kg); Coastal bermudagrass 1.41 lb (.64 kg) and 494 lb (553 kg); Coastcross-1 bermudagrass 1.58 lb (.72 kg) and 531 lb (598 kg).