Mark Trumm, a Wisconsin farmer asked: Was thinking of putting annual rye grass in a field that we usually have corn but floods out every year. It would be a field that we would graze beef cow/calves or yearlings on. Any advice on annual rye grass would be greatly appreciated.
Here’s what I answered…but am seeking more input from others in the Midwest with more experience with annual ryegrass as year-round pasture.
I’d like to encourage you to look at the Annual Ryegrass website or contact Dan Towery at dan@agconservationsolutions.com. He’s familiar with use of Annual Ryegrass for cover crops as well as forage in the Midwest. Dale Mutch is another cover crop expert, at Michigan State University.
It sounds like you’ll plan to keep it in pasture from now on? And it sounds like you’ll be ripping the soil before planting? Annual ryegrass is notable among cover crops in its deep rooting. It’ll break up hard pan and allow you to quit tilling there altogether. It tolerates wet planting conditions but it’s a cool season grass. Thus, pasturing your cattle on it all summer - it might be too much stress for the plant.
Often, farmers plant annual ryegrass after harvest and let it continue to grow all winter and spring, until just before planting corn and soybeans.
Tags: Annual ryegrass, Dan Towery, deep rooting, forage, No-Till, No-Till corn and soybean
Leave a Reply