Progress Report.:Series rvo. 
3 7
.. de ..November 1947
AG RI CULT URA1 !ME-NT -S TA TIO'N
of~, TheAlaam Pyehn. 
..AnSItute, .Auburn, Ala,
* * M. J. Funchess, Dird
v i ireclar"
MI LK PRODUCT ION f rovn -a- YEAR AROUND FEED. 46d FORAGE CROPPING SYSTEM
in the P I EDMONT andUPPERCOASTAL PLAIN AREAS*
i. Ci. GRIMES,_ A 11imalbandman
Dl 6. STURKIEAgronomist
A. H.QU INN, :Ass 1.stiM."AnimlIusbandmnan
$52.42 worth of milk.peracreper.
year! --- that is the average yearly
production in 1945 and 1946froman ex-
perimental cropping system on upland
soil at the Main Station, Auburn.
The experiment is-one of.a number
conducted by the Agricultural Experiment
Station in which adapted crops are com-
bined into systems, of-yeararound growing
of feed and forage 
for.meat and milk
production.
In the.experiment reported here, five
crops -are, used. e weec
and (2) they c an b e.fitted-. into 
a system.
to furnish-grazing and feed throughout.
a 12 -mo nth -period.
Two years' results -from this experi -
ment, how the crops are grown, and -how-1
the crops are used are given in thisg
report..
CROPS USED I n SYSTEM
The cropping system includes lespe-.
deza seric-ea, kudzu, oats,. manganese
bur clover, and grain sorghum.. The lat -
ter two crops are grown in rotation.
The experiment. involves a tot.al -of.13
acres of these .crops for-year around
feed and forage production for four good
grade Jersey. cows, or 31/4acres per- cow
The acreage. per cow of each of the cro-ps
is as follows:.
3/
Y/2
acre lespedeza sericea
acre kudzu
acre oats
acre mang-anese, bur clover.
foll11owed,.b y grain sorghum
No feed was, boug't. ;Thesystempro-
* Two-year-report,.1945 and 1946.
vided a.mpl1e. grazing and feed-. In fact,
it:produced 
a surplus 
of feed each 
year.
FEEDING and GRAZ11NG SCHEDULE
Theeeding and grazing schedule: 'used
k~racepe~'vd -eac.. o th
uring years is about as
to Feb.15 Grazed oats and fed
Kudz d grain sorghum stover when
needed:.
Fe. eb41 to Aril15-Graze manganese
bur over and;f ed grain sorghumstover,.
aiii~ifzt haywen needd
Apr il 1 to June 7' -- Grazed l'espedeza
sericea
June. 8 t June .18-r uu (kdzu
was:. not grazed in1946 cows remained
on sericea from Aprilto. November).
June :18- to Oct. 2 Crazed lespedeza
sericea.
Oc t. 2 t o Aov. '15.-- Grazed lespedeza
sericea and. kudzu.
USE, of CROPS
Oat.,1 The cows were grazed, on- oats
fIrom. the'. middle of November to the middle
of February. They were then transferred
to.,, a.manganese. bur clIover area*. In- Feb-
rtuary.the. oats-were tolp dressed with
20 pudsofntrate: of'.soda and were
l at er.:' cut f or hay and fed' to work .stock.
Mang 9an ese bur clover. The' cows were
grazed oin manganese -bur clover only 3 or
4,,hours. each. day. -This was enoughtime
f-or -t hle. cows to. get all.-of the ,green
:feed-desired-without serious 
damage to.
the.c clov.,er.. Grazing 
the manganese 
bur'
clIOver. was conti nued until. the, middle
W ~ k-L--~IPT~iu~i~h -~ Pv~-
,)f April, when the covs were removed 
in
order to allow the clover to make seed'.
The clover plants died down in May,
leaving a heavy seed crop on the ground.
The dead plants were removed with a hay
rake. The seed were collected in small
piles with rakes or yard brooms, and
sere hauled to the barn for storage,
Enough seed were left on the ground for
reseeding. (Harvested seed might be used
to expand the acreage of this crop.)
Lespedza sericea. The cows were trans-
ferred April 15 from the bur clover to
the lespedeza sericea. Heather conditions
in 1945 made it necessary to relieve the
sericea area. For 10 days in June, the
cows were pastured on the kudzu and then
returned to the sericea where they re-
mained until November 15. However, the
next year, it was not necessary to graze
the kudzu in June, because moisture con-
ditions were much more favorable.
In both years the sericea grazing
in the fall was supplemented with kudzu,
from October 2 to November 15.
It has been frequently pointed out by
some people that cattle do not like seri-
cea. While they evidently like some crops
better, no difficulty was experienced in
getting the cows to graze sericea. In
this experiment it was found that it was
important to start cattle on the sericea
early in the spring when the young shoots
were 3 to 4 inches high. The rate of
grazing is also important, 
in order to
prevent the plants from becoming coarse
and woody. One cow per acre appeared to
be about the best rate of stocking, though
at this rate it was 
necessary at times
to mow the sericea in 1946.
Kudzu. The kudzu was used for temporary
grazing and for hay. During dry periods
in the summer and just before and just
after frost, the kudzu was pastured in
order to lighten the grazing of the seri-
cea. When the kudzu was used as a temporary
grazing crop in the summer, it was cut
for hay just before frost, October 1 to
15; otherwise, it was cut in June. The
cured kudzu hay was fed in the winter
with grain sorghum.
Negari (high-gear) grain sorghum. When
the grain was mature in Septe ber, the
crop was cut with a corn binder. This
crop may also be cut with a mower or
combine. The crop was left in the field
to dry for 10 days to 2 weeks and was
then hauled to the feed lot and stacked
around a pole, with the heads turned in
to protect the grain from weather and
damage from birds. The stack was capped
with hay. Removal of the grain and stover
from the field was necessary, because
the same area would be in a volunteer
Scrop of bur clover.
The grain sorghum was fed from the
stack (grain and stalk) as dry grain and
stover. This and the kudzu hay were fed
to the animals during the fall, 
winter,
and spring.
The winter ration for the cows, be-
ginning November 15, was 20 pounds of
grain sorghum and stover and 20 pounds
of kudzu hay per head per day when weather
or soil conditions prevented grazing the
oats or manganese bur clover Less amounts
of these two dry feed were used daily
when a limited amount of grazing was
available. With an abundance of grazing
no dry feed was fed. In all, an average
of 1,700 pounds each of kudzu hay and
grain sorghum were used for each cow
during the winter period.
SUBSTiTUTE CROPS
Substitute crops that might be used
in this system are:
Yacre of alfalfa for 1 acre of kudzu.
1 acre of improved permanent pasture
for %/ acre of sericea.
2 
acre of reseeding crimson clover for
Y acre of manganese clover.
Y acre of Johnson grass hay or sudan
grass for Y
2 
acre of grain sorghum.
RESULTS and CONCLUSIONS
Four dairy cows received all of their
feed during the 2-year period from crops
grown on the 13 acres of land. In addition,
some surplus feed was grown on this land
and was used to feed workstock and other
animals. The surplus feed each of the
2 years included approximately 4 tons
of oat hay, 3 tons of kudzu hay, and
over 2 tons of grain sorghum stover.
(2)
The grain sorghum yielded 38 bushels
of grain per acre or 6,272 pounds of
stalk and grain combined.
The yield of kudzu hay was 3,300 pounds
per acre and the estimated yield of oat
hay was 1 ton per acre. Both of these
crops were grazed as well as harvested
f or hay.
It is noted that 3 acres of sericea
oasture furnished all of the feed eaten
Dy the four cows for a period of approxi-
mated 6 months each year.
The production record of the four
cows on this grazing and feeding schedule
(Figure 1) for the 2-year period January
1, 1945, to December 31, 1946, averaged
per year 5,242 pounds (605V
2 
gallons)
of milk per cow (Table 1). The price
of grade B milk during this period was
$3.25 per hundred pounds. Thus, on the
average each cow produced $170.38 worth
of milk per year.
The crops grown on. the 13 acres of land
used in the system yielded $681.52 worth
of milk. This did not include the value
of surplus feed. The out-of-pocket cost
was $l04 for ferilizer.
A four- or five-cow dairy unit with a
cropping system such as this should prove
profitable on many family-sized farms.
Such a unit should be regarded not as a
substitute for cotton, but as a supplement
to cotton. The average farm family could
produce just about as much cotton 
and
corn as usual and at the same time operate
this unit. In such a case the cotton
should be planted on the better lands
and the feed and grazing crops grown on
the less productive acres.
ADVANTAGES of this SYSTEM
Important among a number of advan-
tapes are:
(1) The cows do much of the harvesting,
thus saving labor.
(2) The system provides grazing and
roughage for the cows 12 months
of the year.
(3) The system reduces erosion to a
minimum, because most of the land
is protected by crops much of the
year.
(4) Three of the five 
crops are le-
"iimes, which imnrop soil fertility.
HOW to GROW CROPS USED in SYSTEM
t.0"st : r6 resu-its'are obtained from
oats sown in early September on a well
prepared seedbed. From 3 to 4 bushels of
seed per acre is the recommended seeding
rate. About 500 pounds per acre of a
4-10-7 fertilizer should be worked into
the seedbed before 
planting. As soon 
as
FIGURE I. ANNUAL GRAZING AND FEEDING SCHEDULE BY MONTHS
CROPS GRAZED MONTHS
OR FED JAN. FEB. 
MAR. APRIL MAY JUNE J JULY 
AUG. SEPT. OCT. NOV. 
DEC.
LESPEDEZA SERICEAi 1 ... .*...*.. 1
OATS GRAZED i. .l t . ....
MANGANESE BUR
CLOVER GRAZED
KUDZU GRAZED
KUDZU HAY FED ..... . .
1700 LB. PER HEAD E
HEGARI STOVER FED....... ---
1700 LB. PER HEAD .()
.. ....... .. ..............
.............
A fou- orfiveco........ ........ rpare
crop ing ystm s--------- ------ -
see pe
TABLE I. MONTHLY PRODUCTION RECORDS OF COWS ON FEED 
AND FORAGE CROPPING SYSTEM, VAIN STATION, 195 - 1946
Cow
NOW YEA POUNDS OF MILK 
PRODUCED MONTHLY ANNAL 
Two
JAN. FEB. MAR. APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUG. SEPT. OCT. Nov. DEC. AV.
1891 1945 Dry Dry 373.0 818.0 809.0 657.0 645.0 585.0 
504.0 412.0 313.0 228.0 5,344
1895,386
1946 Dry 307.5 862.7 802.9 643.0 616.0 602.1 557.1 
401.6 241.2 222.4 171.6 5,428
2 1945 33.0 Dry 454.0 652.0 670.0 
640.0 571.0 552.0 512.0 431.0 423.0 349.0 
5,287
124 5,609
1946 384.3 375.1 476.5 452.5 54.1 Dry 261.1 893.0 852.1 
650.5 662.2 870.0 5,931
3 1945 596.0 680.0 705.0 540.0 515.0 480.0 510.0 443.0 
363.0 80.0 Dry 167.0 5,079
285,3
1946 658.7 607.3 625.6 586.0 497.7 527.9 523.7 521.1 417.4 283.6 286.5 
51.4 5,587 3
47 1945 Dry Dry Dry Dry 424.0 578.0 696.0 748.0 740.0 500.0 403.0 345.0 4,434
1946 358.3 356.9 236.8 600.3 446.3 470.8 487.6 501.9 407.9 326.9 
321.1 335.3 4,850
MONTHLY
TOTALS.1945 629.0 680.0 1532.0 2010.0 2418.0 2355.0 2422.0 2328.0 2119.0 
1423.0 1139.0 1089.0 20,144
MONTHLY
TOTALS 19461401.3 1646.8 2201.6 2441.7 1641.1 1614.7 1874.5 2473.1 2079.0 1502.2 1492.2 
1428.3 21,796
...... 3.Cow
1/ cow 189: DRY AT START OF EXPERIMENT; FRESHENED MARCH
10, 1945: DRY DECEMBER 25. 1945 AND FRESHENED
FEBRUARY 12, 1946: DRY DECEMBER 27, 1946.
2/ cow 124: DRY JANUARY 9 AND FRESHENED MARCH 6. 1945;
DRY MAY 7, AND FRESHENED JULY 10, 1946.
4/ Cow
285: DRY OCTOBER 7, AND FRESHENED DECEMBER 12,
1945: DRY DECEMBER 6. 1946.
147: DRY AT START OF EXPERIMENT (HEIFER WITH
FIRST CALF) FRESHENED APRIL 20. 1945: DRY
MARCH 21 AND FRESHENED MARCH 24, 1946.
the oats are up to a good stand, they are
top-dressed with 125 pounds of nitrate
of soda or 60 or 70 pounds of ammonium
nitrate applied' broadcast. If the oats
are to be cut for hay or grain, the ani-
mals should be removed about the middle
of February and the oats should be top-
dressed again with 250 pounds per acre
of nitrate of soda or 125 pounds of am-
monium nitrate.
Manganese bur clover. Preparation of
a good seedbed is the first step toward
success with bur clover. This is begun
in July by turning the land. Fertilizer
and lime are worked into the soil in Aug-
ust at the per-acre rate of 400 pounds
of superphosphate, 100 pounds of muriate
of potash, and 1 ton of ground limestone.
If available, manure should also be used
at the rate of 4 to 5 tons per acre. The
crop is seeded by broadcasting at the
rate of 100 pounds per acre of seed in
the bur. No covering is necessary.
Bur clover matures seed in late May
or early June and dies down. 
If seed are
desired, the dead vines are raked off and
the seed are swept up with yard brooms.
UTsually enough seed are left on the gro-
und to reseed the crop. The lhnd iS then
broken for planti'ng sorghum or other sum-
mer crop. After the sorghum is harvested
in the fall, the volunteer bur clover is
fertilized at the rate of 400 pounds of
superphosphate and 100 pounds of muriate
of potash per acre.
Lespedeza sericea. Success with seri-
cea begins with getting a good stand.
Common causes of failure to get and to
keep a stand are: (1) planting on a poor
seedbed and (2) competition from weeds.
Seedbed preparation must start sever-
al weeks ahead of seeding. The land to
be seeded to lespedeza should be broken
in February or early March and harrowed
one or more times to firm the soil and
kill weeds. The fertilizer is worked into
the soil during the harrowing operations
at the rate of about 400 pounds of su-
perphosphate and 100 pounds of muriate
of potash per acre. The best method of
seeding is to roll the soil with a cor-
rugated roller just before seeding and
then broadcast the seed without cover-
ing them. If a corrugated roller is not
available, the next best method is to
harrow the field just before seeding
with a spike-toothed harrow and ther
plant without covering the seed.
About 30 to 40 pounds of scarified
seed per acre is the recommended rate
of seeding. Time of seeding is usually
about April 1, though later seedings of-
ten result in good stands.
The crop should be allowed to become
well established before it is grazed.
For this reason, grazing is not recom-
mended until the second year. After the
crop is established, annual applications
of 400 pounds of superphosphate 
and 100
pounds of muriate of potash 
per acre are
made in early March.
Kudzu. The land is turned in February
or March and kudzu crowns are set in rows
5 to 6 feet apart in the row. The re-
commended rate of fertilizer the first
aer is -400 pound's 6f superphosphate
and 100 pounds of muriate of potash per
acre, which is applied in the soil be-
fore the plants are set. Thereafter, the
same amounts per acre of superphosphate
and muriate of' potash a're broadcast an-
nually. The kudzu is cultivated the first
year in order to keep down weeds.
Hegari (hi-gear) grain sorghum. Fol-
lowing the harvesting of manganese bur
clover seed, the ground is disked with
a disk harrow. Pows are laid off 3 to
5 feet apart, and the Hegari (high-gear)
is planted in mid-June at the rate of
6 to 8 pounds per acre. No fertilizer
is used, since the sorghum crop follows
bur clover that 
has received liberal
applications of phosphate and potash,
and since the bur clover furnishes an
abundance of nitrogen in the soil.
(5)