Maximizing Spring Green-Up on Pasture

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- [Nicole] Hi, I'm Nicole Santangelo, agromony educator from the northern plateau of Pennsylvania, with a passion for working in the crop-animal interface.

Today I will share with you my experiences and some research on maximizing spring green-up.

We will discuss three factors to improving green-up including soil fertility to improve current stands, management of available forages, and inclusion of supplemental forages.

Proper soil fertility is needed to ensure ideal growth of desired pasture plants.

Without a soil test, you may be missing yield and forage quality opportunities by under-fertilizing, or you may over-fertilize the pastures, wasting money, potentially causing issues for your livestock, and eating up profits.

Fertilize your ground according to your soil test recommendations, using your local university's guidelines.

On a Penn State soil report, the lime and fertilizer recommendations are found in the middle section of the report for the pasture species you provide.

If pastures are predominantly grass, consider an early application of nitrogen in the early spring.

Be particularly cautious of moisture removal and nutrient application if your early pastures are intended to be used for hay also.

Or save some money and frost seed clover or consider adding other legumes into your pasture.

Pastures with more than 30% legume will not need added nitrogen.

Fall grazing has shown minimal impact on spring regrowth due to the dormancy of pasture grasses.

However, many sugar reserves can be found in the bottom few inches of the plant.

So, to optimize regrowth, do not graze fall pastures tighter than three inches.

Summer pastures are not as forgiving.

Drought-stressed plants grazed low can be harmful to the plants' regrowth.

Likewise, pastures that are over-grazed in the spring and summer months are less likely to recover the following year.

In planning your pasture management, consider managing spring pastures for next year; summer forages are susceptible to damage during drought, plan supplemental forages accordingly; graze no lower than three inches stubble height; and in humid environments in particular, be cautious of trampling during the mud season.

Plan for shortfalls in cool season pasture production by utilizing winter grains, warm season species, and non-traditional forages.

A variety of species can be utilized to extend the grazing season, from invasives that may already be present on your farm to winter covers on adjacent crop fields and summer annuals, and other warm season species planted to offset the summer slump and maintain longevity of those easily overworked cool season pastures.

Penn State Extension has expert resources to help you evaluate your pasture quality, improve your grazing management, and grow supplemental forages.

More information about pasture management can be found in the Penn State Agronomy Guide, or visit the Penn State Crops and Soils website to find an expert who can help.