BULLETIN 388 MARCH 1969 7 SERALA SERICEA ... COASTAL BERMUDA GOAR TALL FESCUE ... ... .4,.) .4, BEEF COWS AND CALVES IN ALABAMA'S PIEDMONT 2' 44 4 4. .4' 'a. ~ 4 .4 ~' 4. "4 44 'I ., Y '. l 4 4;' 4*\. 4 - 44x;> f A .4. t A -* 1 s~' Agricultural Experiment Station/Auburn University E. V. Smith, Director Auburn, Alabama CONTENTS Page DESCRIPTION OF THE EXPERIMENT-4 Pasture Management 4 4 Management of Grazing Animals RESULTS AND DISCUSSION .5 Grazing Season Cow-Calf Grazing DaysAverage Daily Gain of Calves C alf G ain per A cre -----------------------Slaughter Grade and Market Value of Calves Cow Performance Pasture Stands -12 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 5 7 9 ------10 11 11 13 FIRST PRINTING 4M, MARCH 1969 Serala Sericea, Coastal Bermuda, Goar Tall Fescue Grazing for Beef Cows and Calves inAlabama's Piedmont C. S. HOVELAND, Professor of Agronomy and Soils W. B. ANTHONY and R. R. HARRIS, Professor and Associate Professor of Animal Science E. L. MAYTON and H. E. BURGESS, Superintendent and Assistant Superintendent, Piedmont Substation PASTURE is essential for success in a beef cow and calf operation. This is an especially critical need in Alabama's Piedmont area, with its about 2.5 million acres of droughty and eroded clay soils, hilly topography, and higher elevation that limit the adaptation of some pasture species. Forage species that have been used in the Piedmont area are bermudagrass, sericea, and tall fescue. Common sericea lespedeza was once widely used but it was discarded because of its coarse stems that reduced palatability and nutritive value. Coastal bermudagrass has given good yields of hay in the Piedmont', and acreage has increased steadily. However, common bermuda encroachment under grazing conditions and the cost of nitrogen fertilizer make it less desirable. Tall fescue is grown widely for cool season grazing. Goar, a new variety in the Southeast, makes more winter production than Kentucky 31 tall fescue 2. Renewed interest in sericea has come about because of development of a new fine-stemmed sericea, named Serala, by Dr. E. D. Donnelly at the Auburn University Agricultural Experiment Station, that was released in 1962.. Animal performance data on the Serala variety was needed to determine its value as a grazing crop, and such research was begun in 1964 by the Agricultural Experiment Station. 1 HOVELAND, C. S. 1960. Bermudagrass for Forage in Alabama. Auburn Univ. (Ala.) Agr. Exp. Sta. Bull. 328. 2 HOVELAND, C. S. 1967. Goar Tall Fescue. Auburn Univ. (Ala.) Agr. Exp. Sta. Leaf. 75. ' DONNELLY, E. D. 1963. Serala Sericea---A New Sericea Variety. Auburn Univ. (Ala.) Agr. Exp. Sta. Leaf. 70. ECONOMICAL 4 ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION DESCRIPTION OF THE EXPERIMENT Performance of beef cows and calves was compared under several grazing systems at the Piedmont Substation, Camp Hill, Alabama, over a 4-year period from 1964 to 1968. Four grazing systems were used: (1) Serala sericea overseeded in the autumn with rye; (2) Coastal bermuda with 100 pounds of N per acre; (3) Coastal bermuda with 150 pounds of N per acre, hay to be made from surplus forage; and (4) Goar tall fescue with 100 pounds of N per acre. Pasture Management Each paddock was 13/4 acres in size. There were three replications of each forage species, making a total of 12 paddocks. Soils in the pasture area were mostly Lloyd clay loam with lesser areas of Louisa clay loam and Cecil sandy loam. Coastal bermuda and Serala sericea were established previous to 1965 when grazing was begun. Goar tall fescue was planted in the fall of 1964. Wren's Abruzzi rye was seeded in the sericea paddocks at the rate of 1 to 11/2 bushels per acre in October of 1965, 1966, and 1967. Lime and mineral fertilizer were applied according to soil test. Coastal bermuda paddocks receiving 100 pounds of N per acre annually had applications in May and July. Other Coastal pastures got 150 pounds of N, with applications in May, late June, and late July. The latter paddocks were cross-fenced to confine animals to half the area in mid-summer so that hay could be made from surplus grass. Tall fescue was not grazed during the summer months. The grass was rotary mowed to a height of 6 inches in early September to remove unpalatable older growth and weeds. Fifty pounds per acre of nitrogen was applied in September and again in February each year. Rye planted on the sericea paddocks received 50 pounds of N per acre each fall. Ungrazed rye was rotary mowed in the spring when headed to permit better sericea growth. Management of Grazing Animals Grade Hereford cows bred to Shorthorn bulls initially and later to Angus bulls were used in the experiment. Calves were born from October through December and remained with the cows until weaned in late August or early September. SERALA SERICEA, COASTAL, and FESCUE GRAZING 5 Each 13/4-acre paddock was stocked with a cow-calf unit whenever grazing was available. Additional cow-calf units were added during peak periods of pasture growth. Weighing was done at 28-day intervals. No supplements were fed to animals while on pasture. When no grazing was available in mid-winter, animals were removed from the paddocks and fed Coastal bermuda hay and cottonseed meal or a cottonseed meal-urea mixture. During drought periods in summer, cattle were grazed on Coastal pasture not in the experimental area. After calves were weaned in August, cows continued to graze the Coastal bermuda and sericea paddocks for an additional 4 to 8 weeks. Water, salt, and shelters for shade were available at all times. An attempt was made to maintain at least one cow-calf unit per paddock throughout the growing season. Addition or removal of animals was made according to the amount of forage available. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Grazing Season Rainfall during May and June varied greatly from year to year, Table 1. Low rainfall during this period delayed growth and reduced the productive season of Coastal bermuda. Serala sericea began growth in late March or early April, from 4 to 8 weeks earlier than Coastal bermuda. When night temperatures are below 60°F there is little growth of Coastal bermuda. At the test location, average daily minimum 0 temperatures were 39 °F in March, 49 0 F in April, and 56'F in May. The low night temperatures, together with May and June droughts, explain why Coastal bermuda often makes little growth TABLE 1. RAINFALL DURING SPRING AND SUMMER AT PIEDMONT SUBSTATION OVER THE 4-YEAR PERIOD, 1965-68 Month 1965 In. March.... 7.47 April 2.35 May 0.24 June ..... 6.31 July...... 5.62 August... 4.13 TOTAL -. I r I. LIIII Il 26.12 1\11 1966 In. 6.09 3.18 4.40 1.68 4.29 5.59 25.23 Monthly rainfall 1967 In. 1968 In. Average In. 5.08 3.46 3.18 3.83 5.56 4.32 25.43 -.... -.... 2.59 4.19 1.22 7.10 5.37 2.72 6.43 0.91 6.56 5.76 2.95 4.59 25.12IIIII\IVV 25.27 CL1 \I\ I~11 ~ 6 ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION A11 Piiri)\I() I Si iIA II IOS. 1965- 68 Coasxta be~xrmlili xNith 15) lb. N Coasitail ilirmllld xx th 100 lIh. A scIIIa seieeca .\pi. \pr. D' Silpt. 12 Sept. 12 Sept. 12 Bri d-sede on~li se i ia Apr . Dec. 5 (2 yiais) 5' 12 Jan. (6 (2 xxirx) ,Lir. 14 'lix 20 b~efore jtmie in the Alabama Piedmont area. I leaX ier and1 In)Ve (lepellnlalle rainfall inll 11 resulltedl in surplus forage on pastures g~etting high fertilization rates. Thie av erage dlates onl whic ga/in begian andl (ended indiIltli cate that goodi spring g~rowth wXas made 01n the C oastal lhern ii (a paddlcS, Tab le 2. I Iowxvxcr, grazin g (tiring .April and \Iax conisistedl maii)IX of little barleit iii j)m 11.Sillull ) and other c wX eed grasses, which Xoliirteered in the lerlnndairrass sod. Serala serieea forage wXas av ailab~le for grrazing byl)mid-April. It is likely that OX erseedliig XXith rve elaX ed sprin g growXtih of C the serieea, but this practice extendled the [grazing season bX a month in Dece~mber an d another mon)lthl in \MIarch or earl \ April. 4 , - .~ . ~ ,. . . YID +! 4 - FIG. 1. Serala sericea was grazed well in July, unlike common sericeo that becomes tall, woody, and unpalatable, in mid-summer to late summer. SERALA SERICEA, COASTAL, and FESCUE GRAZING FIG. 2. This Coastal bermuda received 100 pounds of nitrogen per acre. August 1 968 photo shows heavy infestation of horse nettle after 4 years. The Serala serieea xwas grazed well through the summer and did not dexvelop the tall stemmy growth often seen in common serieea p~astu~res, Figure 1. Coastal bermuda in midsummer had large amounlh~ts uf rejected stolonis in the pasture, Figure 2. Coar tall fescue was grazed from mid-N oxember to earlx javiuarv and again from mid- March to late \Iax, Figure 3. Fescue grazing could haxve been started in late Fiebruarx if more acreage per animal had been av ailable. Exven so, little grow~th of fescue occurred (luring December and January. Autumn droughts limited the amount of surplus forage that could be saxe f21 winter grazing. or Cow-Calf Grazing Days The number of cow-calf daxys of grazing and stocking rate p,,] acre xxere low on all forage species in the experimernt, Tables 3 and 4. Soil moisture conditions in spring~ xxere largely responsible for the low carryimg capacity at this location, Oxver the 4-xyear period, Serala sericea fiurnished more cow-calf day s per acre than Coastal bermda fertilized wvith 160) pounids of N pe r acre. In- 8 ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION FIG. 3. Late November grazing on plot of Gar toll fescue is shown here. creasing the n1itrogfen rate to 150) ounds p)ermitted1 an increase in the Coastal stockingr rate, but resulltedl in about the same num- lber of cow-calf (laxs per acre as from Serala sericca. Rye cov erseeded on sericea add~edl another 34 cow-calf dax s, and~ at a higher stocking rate than for serieea alone or lherlllllagrass wxih 100 pounds of N. -Nevxertheless, the small 1nmber of adlditional cow (lays ob~tainedl lb overseeding ry e hardly justifies the expense of this practice. Goar tall fescue gave only 8:3 cow-calf (lax 1 er acre per Yecar, p Table :3. Stocking rate wxas the same as for Scrala serieea. '1 h(droughtyx upland site xwas not ideal tor tall fescue, andl higher TAliLE :3. Cowx-C xiir UNiIT DAYS ' PEB ACRE (N (ii ZEA ./ SU3SiTIO\. 19i65-68 IOAE (IAL Il P11 PIDMONT F Hiic1965 Cow-calf unit gring 1966 1967 No. 1(68 144 144 4:3 \A. 115 67 91 :30 iNo. 148 114 166 .32 88 dixs pei acire 1968 AvcIXagU Ano. 88 88b 1(02 Vo. 130) 10:3 126 Coasital liermudali with 130 lb. N Coasital 1 ,rnmida wi 10016. N Scrala serjii Ry sod-sxeeded on serieea Goair tall fesce wxith 101(l. A 115 40 84 .34 8:3 SERALA SERICEA, COASTAL, and FESCUE TABLE 4. STOCKING GRAZING 9 RATE OF Cow-CALF UNITS ON GRAZED FORAGES AT THE PIEDMONT SUBSTATION, 1965-68 Forage Daily stocking rate, cow-calf units/acre 1965 No. 1966 No. 1.19 0.70 0.72 0.87 1.02 1967 No. 0.93 0.71 1.19 1.43 0.96 1968 No. 0.63 0.63 0.72 0.71 0.66 Average No. 0.99 0.75 0.89 1.00 0.89 Coastal bermuda with 150 lb. N __ 1.20 Coastal bermuda with 100 lb. N __ 0.97 Serala sericea - .... ............... Rye sod-seeded on sericea ....... 0.92 0.91 Goar tall fescue with 100 lb. N ... carrying capacity could be expected on bottomland or soil with better moisture relations. Stocking rate was similar on all forages, Table 4. Heavier stocking would have been possible for 4 to 6 weeks in mid-summer on Coastal bermuda getting 150 pounds of N. However, this is not a practical method on most farms, so the surplus growth was harvested as hay. Average Daily Gain of Calves Daily gain differed considerably from year to year and also as the season progressed, Table 5. Calves averaged 1.57 pounds per day gain on Serala sericea. Calf daily gain on Coastal bermuda fertilized with 100 pounds of N was 1.78 - slightly higher than on Serala sericea - but averaged only 1.48 pounds per day on Coastal bermuda getting 150 pounds of N per acre. The reason for this difference between Coastal treatments may be the higher stocking rate at the high nitrogen treatment. Also, animal confinement to half the paddock in mid-summer to permit haymaking allowed less selectivity of forage. Daily gain was 2.44 pounds on rye during 1966 and 1968, but only 0.77 pound in 1967, Table 5. Overstocking may have caused the extremely low daily gain in 1967, Table 4. TABLE 5. AVERAGE DAILY GAIN OF BEEF CALVES ON GRAZED FORAGES AT THE PIEDMONT SUBSTATION, 1965-68 Forage Coastal bermuda with 150 lb. N .. Coastal bermuda with 100 lb. N Serala sericea Rye sod-seeded on sericea Goar tall fescue with 100 lb. N---- 1965 Lb. 1.66 2.03 1.25 1.28 Daily gain per rcalf 1966 1967 1968 Lb. Lb. Lb. 1.33 0.96 1.96 1.78 1.25 2.05 1.53 1.50 2.00 2.38 0.77 2.50 1.62 0.86 2.22 Average Lb. 1.48 1.78 1.57 1.88 1.50 10 ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION Calves on tall fescue averaged 1.5 pounds daily gain over the 4-year period. However, the 1967 gain of 0.86 pound is a sharp contrast to the 2.22 pounds obtained in 1968. Although gains differed greatly from year to year, calf daily gains remained the same throughout the winter and spring season of a particular year. In contrast to tall fescue, where daily gains remained the same throughout winter and spring, daily gains on Coastal bermuda and sericea declined during the summer. Both species showed a similar decline. Average daily gain on Serala sericea was 2.4 pounds in May, 1.5 pounds in July, and 0.6 pound in August. It is pointed out that the high daily gain in spring on the bermudagrass pastures was made on little barley and other grassy weeds. Serala sericea at this time was generally free of weeds. Calf Gain per Acre Annual calf gain per acre was similar on Serala sericea and Coastal bermuda, regardless of N rates on Coastal bermuda, Table 6. These species averaged 181 pounds per acre gain over the 4-year period. A severe spring drought and cool temperatures probably account for the low 1968 gain on Coastal. Serala sericea made considerable growth in April when soil moisture conditions were more favorable, furnishing reserve forage for later grazing. Although the additional nitrogen on the bermudagrass did not increase calf gain per acre, surplus forage was harvested for hay. Hay yields from this treatment varied from 1 to 3/ tons per acre and averaged 2 tons over the 4-year period (1 ton in 1965, 31/2 in 1966, 11/4 in 1967, and 21/4 tons per acre in 1968). Crude protein content of the hay varied from 9.4 per cent in 1965 to 15.2 per cent in 1966. This suggests that Coastal bermuda is better utilized for hay than for grazing in the Piedmont. Results from overseeding rye on sericea were disappointing, TABLE 6. BEEF CALF GAIN PER ACRE ON GRAZED SUBSTATION, 1965-68 FORAGES AT THE PIEDMONT Per acre calf gain Forage Coastal bermuda with 150 lb. N__ Coastal bermuda with 100 lb. N_. Serala sericea Rye sod-seeded on sericea........ Goar tall fescue with 100 lb. N-.. 1965 Lb. 238 248 236 67 1966 Lb. 176 125 122 69 200 1967 Lb. 198 195 180 -7 92 1968 Lb. 130 152 170 88 171 Average Lb. 185 180 178 50 133 .. SERALA SERICEA, COASTAL, and FESCUE GRAZING 11 Table 6. In 1967 the calves lost weight, and in the other 2 years averaged 78 pounds per acre gain. However, when the gain on rye is added to the gain on Serala sericea, this becomes the most productive program. However, it is doubtful if the additional gain would pay the cost of nitrogen and overseeding the rye. Tall fescue averaged 133 pounds per acre calf gain, Table 6. Total gain the establishment year was low, but low gains were also made in 1967, when there was a severe April drought. In the better rainfall years of 1966 and 1968, total gains were equal or superior to those on Coastal bermuda ahd Serala sericea. Direct comparisons between forage species were difficult, especially since tall fescue production came during the cool season when calves were smaller. It is apparent that when moisture conditions are suitable, Goar tall fescue can extend the grazing season 3 to 4 months beyond that of warm season species. Thus, tall fescue can be a useful part of a grazing system with warm season forage species. Slaughter Grade and Market Value of Calves For 3 years the calves from the experimental pastures were graded for slaughter finish at end of the grazing season. Calves that grazed fescue were later placed on Coastal bermuda. The data in Table 7 indicate no important differences among the swards in grade or market value of calves. However, there was 13 grade range in average grade between years. TABLE 7. SLAUGHTER GRADE AND MARKET VALUE OF BEEF CALVES ON GRAZED FORAGE AT THE PIEDMONT SUBSTATION, 1965-68 Forage 1965 Grade Value 1966 Grade Value 1967 Grade Value Coastal bermuda with 150 lb. N Coastal bermuda with 100 lb. N Serala sericea Goar tall fescue' SCalves fescue. GoodGoodGoodGood- $111.62 Std.+ 108.57 Std.+ 106.04 Std.+ 105.65 Std.+ $115.96 116.80 115.01 115.26 Good Good Good Good $121.14 128.72 123.11 128.11 were grazed on Coastal bermuda after they were removed from tall Cow Performance Weight changes by beef cows during the grazing season are common and not of great importance unless severe losses occur. 12 TABLE 8. ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION COW GAIN PER ACRE ON GRAZED FORAGES AT PIEDMONT SUBSTATION, 1965-68 Per acre cow gain 1968 1967 Lb. Lb. 87 149 103 109 27 88 -35 44 80 73 1965 Lb. Coastal bermuda with 150 lb. N_____ Coastal bermuda with 100 lb. N____ Serala sericeaRye sod-seeded on sericea... Goar tall fescue 205 224 95 .____ 55 1966 Lb. 137 135 48 148 -24 Average Lb. 144 143 64 52 46 In this experiment, cows maintained their weight on all forages except rye in 1967 and tall fescue in 1966, Table 8. Cows on the two Coastal bermuda treatments gained more weight than those on Serala sericea. However, most of this gain was in April and May when cows were grazing little barley and other weedy grasses. In most years, cows lost weight during August when grazing both Coastal bermuda and Serala sericea. It is desirable for summer gains to be greater than those recorded in this experiment if cows are to be subjected to a scarcity of winter feed. Pasture Stands Some changes had occurred in the species composition of certain pastures by the end of the 4-year experimental grazing period. Tall fescue stands remained relatively constant with only a small invasion of common bermuda on the driest sites. Serala sericea had also been invaded by bermudagrass where original stands had been thin. Coastal bermuda from a 1955 planting that was fertilized with 100 pounds of N per acre annually became increasingly infested with common bermudagrass each year. Common bermuda covered 30 to 70 per cent of the area in these paddocks. Common bermuda invasion was less in the more recently planted Coastal bermuda receiving 150 pounds of N. This may account for the reduced number of cow-calf days per year on pastures getting the lower rate of nitrogen. Horse nettle (Solanum carolinense) produced large amounts of seed and increased rapidly each year in Coastal bermuda under both nitrogen levels. This serious weed pest was not grazed by cattle, Figure 2. Results of this experiment suggest that common bermuda can be expected to invade and dominate Coastal bermuda in the Piedmont when continuously grazed. This problem does not occur SERALA SERICEA, COASTAL, and FESCUE GRAZING 13 to such an extent on sandy soils. When Coastal bermuda is managed for hay, shading reduces the invasion by common bermuda. Common bermuda encroachment is likely to be a problem with Serala sericea where a continuous grazing program is practiced. This would not be a serious problem on farms having a fixed number of animals. In this case a surplus of sericea will generally accumulate in mid-summer, and dense shading by the sericea will likely limit common bermuda competition. Higher rates of nitrogen on Coastal bermuda can be expected to delay common bermuda invasion. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS Grazing studies with beef cows and calves were conducted over a 4-year period at the Piedmont Substation on Coastal bermudagrass with 100 pounds of nitrogen per acre, Coastal bermuda with 150 pounds of N, Serala sericea, rye sod-seeded on sericea, and Goar tall fescue. (1) Calf gain was similar on Coastal bermuda and Serala sericea, averaging 180 pounds per acre annually. Increasing the nitrogen level on Coastal bermuda from 100 to 150 pounds did not increase calf gain per acre, but furnished 2 tons of hay in addition to grazing. (2) Serala sericea furnished 126 cow-calf grazing days per acre per year, as compared with 103 days for Coastal bermuda getting 100 pounds of N per acre. The application of 150 pounds of N to Coastal bermuda resulted in 130 cow-calf grazing days per year. (3) Average daily gain of calves and stocking rate of cow-calf units were similar on Serala sericea and Coastal bermuda. Daily gain of calves declined on both forages in July and August. (4) Most of the grazing in April and May on Coastal bermuda came from volunteer weedy grasses. (5) Coastal bermuda is probably better utilized for hay than grazing in the Piedmont. (6) Rye sod-seeded on sericea furnished less than 2 months of additional grazing but resulted in only a low calf gain per acre. (7) Goar tall fescue produced 133 pounds per acre calf gain and only 83 cow-calf grazing days per acre annually. 14 ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION (8) Pasture effects on calf slaughter grade and market value were small and not of practical importance. (9) Since Serala sericea did not require nitrogen fertilizer to provide a grazing season equal in length to Coastal bermudagrass, it furnished pasture at lower cost. (10) Results of this experiment suggest that an economical beef cow-calf forage system in the Piedmont can be based on Serala sericea and tall fescue grazing with supplemental feeding of Coastal bermuda hay in mid-winter. AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION SYSTEM OF ALABAMA'S LAND-GRANT UNIVERSITY NWith an agricultural research uIit in every 0 major soil area, Auburn U iviersity serves the iceds of field crop, livestock, forestry, and horticuiltural producers in Q (D 0 100 each region in AlaIama. Every citizen of tle State has a stake in this research program, since any a dvantage fom ie\v and more 5 0 ® 0 s ecoiomical -xavs of 0 e prodiucinig and handling farmi products directly b~elefits the consuming publlic. 20 Research Unit Identification * 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. Main Agricultural Experiment Station, Auburn. Sand Mountain Substation, Crossville North Alabama Horticulture Substation, Cullman. Upper Coastal Plain Substation, Winfield. Forestry Unit, Fayette County. Thorsby Foundation Seed Stocks Farm, Thorsby Chilton Area Horticulture Substation, Clanton. Forestry Unit, Coosa County. Piedmont Substation, Camp Hill. Plant Breeding Unit, Tallasee. Forestry Unit, Autauga County. Prattville Experiment Field, Prattville. Black Belt Substation, Marion Junction. Tuskegee Experiment Field, Tuskegee. Lower Coastal Plain Substation, Camden Forestry Unit, Barbour County. Monroeville Experiment Field, Monroeville. Wiregrass Substation, Headland. Brewton Experiment Field, Brewton. Ornamental Horticulture Field Station, Spring Hill. Gulf Coast Substation, Fairhope. 1. Tennessee Volley Substation, Belle Mina.