Annual forages can serve an important role in a forage program. Quite often they fill a need; this might be increased summer, fall, or winter feed production. Annuals are often used because there is a gap in the crop rotation or as a temporary crop while waiting for lime to adequately adjust the pH before a more permanent forage is sown. Winter annuals, such as rye grain, won’t be discussed here.
The traditional annual ryegrass growing area of the U.S.A is the Southeast. Southeast farmers have largely used annual ryegrass as an annual forage for over-wintering livestock. Annual ryegrass is greatly overlooked in other areas as a method to rapidly produce high yielding, high quality feed. It may be grazed or cut for silage. Producing dry hay is difficult due to high moisture content. Annual ryegrass, in southern areas, is capable of producing feed for a period of 200 days.
There are two primary types of annual ryegrass, Italian and Westerwold. The Westerwolds are true annuals that will produce a large amount of feed in one season and then die. Italian types, either diploid or tetraploid, will express biennial behavior if weather allows them to survive from one year to the next. Westerwolds are often used when a lot of feed is needed in a short period of time. They will head out so intensive management is required to maintain feed quality. The Italian types will not tend to head out if they are spring seeded after the risk of frost. This offers an advantage when top feed quality is needed. The Italian ryegrasses may also over-winter and produce good early season production even in northern areas. European bred Italian varieties, Bardelta and Barmultra, are recommended for cold winter areas. Green Spirit, a diploid/tetraploid Italian mix is proving extremely popular. It has proved to be highly beneficial when used to “thicken” existing perennial pastures, to include alfalfa stands, by annual overseed of 15-20 lbs/acre.
Annual ryegrass has traditionally been seeded at rates of 15 - 20 lbs. per acre. Seeding rates of 35 - 40 lbs. per acre are much more productive for intensive management and grazing. Like perennial ryegrass, annual ryegrass likes moisture and relatively cool weather to produce high yields. The Italian tetraploid varieties respond very well to high levels of nitrogen when used as a weapon of combatting high levels of soil nitrogen accumulation, such as can exist in corn plantings, where they have has been shown to continue to increase in yield even when exposed to more than 300 lbs. per acre of nitrogen. Local Cooperative Extension or consultant recommendations should be followed to avoid nitrogen losses or excess nitrate levels in the plant.
In rapid growth periods, annual ryegrass may be harvested or grazed 6 weeks after planting. In slower growth periods it may be 2 months before the first harvest. As with most grasses, annual ryegrass allowed to get tall loses feed quality. Due to its aggressive growth pattern, annual ryegrass may be allowed to reach 8 - 10 inches in height before harvesting. However, it will rapidly reach one foot in height and rapidly start losing feed value. The rapid growth habit often requires very close management.For valuable information on planting in corn to reduce nitrogen accumulation (Relay Cropping) visit: http://www.farmwest.com/index.cfm?method=library.showBook&librarybookid=13
Suggested Barenbrug Italian Annual Varieties:
D= Bardelta
T= Barextra, Barmultra
D/T blend “Green Spirit”
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