Advice on dwarf Sudan and pearl millet

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Bigfoot

Bigfoot

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I'm planting both this year, and have never grown either. I'm putting the pearl millet where I fed rolls this winter, and on my sacrifice areas. I have them broken up, I guess I'll broad cast the pearl millet. The dwarf Sudan is going in a field I've pretty well lost to broomsedge. I had it grid sampled, and will lime and fertilize according to the soil test. I believe I'll burn it down with glyphosate, and notill drill it in.

I'll graze the pearl millet, and hay the dwarf Sudan. "Hope" to make 3 cuttings, and then turn the whole herd on it, and graze it extinction. I'll follow that with a forage oat, hopefully get it off next spring and plant dwarf Sudan again. I'm hoping 2 years of that with lime and fertilizer will beat my broomsedge back. If I like it, I'll rotate my way around the whole place.

I'm in too deep to turn back now. I'll take any advice I get at this point. Just waiting on enough heat to set the ball in motion.

Have been advised by the company I got the dwarf Sudan from to cut it with a bushhog, and not my drum mower. Said they thought it would cut it too low. Sound right????
 
SS cross or sudan grass? SS regrowth is sensitive to residual height. Have not grown sudan grass.

May need to top dress N for 3 good cuttings. Chemical N is pretty much gone after 30 days or the first bigger rain.

The big trend is for grazing complex full season mixes which contain all four plant classes - - cool season grasses, warm season grasses, legumes, forbs. More production, more soil regeneration, less weather risk. You can still have a majority of your mix as a warm season grass - - but blending in some kickers will make both your soil and your cows happy.

Search for Gabe Brown.
 
Stocker Steve said:
SS cross or sudan grass? SS regrowth is sensitive to residual height. Have not grown sudan grass.

May need to top dress N for 3 good cuttings. Chemical N is pretty much gone after 30 days or the first bigger rain.

The big trend is for grazing complex full season mixes which contain all four plant classes - - cool season grasses, warm season grasses, legumes, forbs. More production, more soil regeneration, less weather risk. You can still have a majority of your mix as a warm season grass - - but blending in some kickers will make both your soil and your cows happy.

Search for Gabe Brown.
Click to expand...

It's got the brown rib, so I guesssorghum
 
I know of a few people around here to mow there's with a disc mower. Wouldn't think a drum mower would mow much closer.
 
Problem with sedan is you almost have to have a mower with a roller. I put up several hundred bales last year with a jd moco, and I couldn't get it dry. Ended up having to wrap all of it.
As far as cutting it too low, I'm no help there. I've always mowed it 2-3" high, with a little rain seems to grow back fine
 
Lots of experience Sudan. Cows hate it. Lots of waste , stocks are to big. We plant it at 150 pounds an acre, didn't help any, finer stem and also a finer leaf. But it is perfect feed for 3rd trimester cows. We have Deere W260 and it doesn't dry in less than 1 week even in 100 degree New Mexico summers and flipped with a rake. I am gonna try pearl millet this year because due to more protein no other reason. I also get 3 cuts and let them out to graze.
 
I've tried both and firmly believe that the hybrid Sudan if far superior to millet. We plant it thick 85 to 100 per acre. And try to bale it young. We graze it also all summer and even as stockpile standing hay during the winter. Your plan of double cropping with oats is exactly what I've been doing for several years. After a few years I've got good loose fertile ground. Which we are planting permanent Bermuda and klien pasture on. And moving the SS /oat fields to newly cleared ground. Rinse and repeat
 
callmefence said:
I've tried both and firmly believe that the hybrid Sudan if far superior to millet. We plant it thick 85 to 100 per acre. And try to bale it young. We graze it also all summer and even as stockpile standing hay during the winter. Your plan of double cropping with oats is exactly what I've been doing for several years. After a few years I've got good loose fertile ground. Which we are planting permanent Bermuda and klien pasture on. And moving the SS /oat fields to newly cleared ground. Rinse and repeat
Click to expand...
What brand of seed did you use ? Been using Piper. Have you used Til leaf 3?
 
Never planted SS. Have planted a lot of Tift Leaf 3 Pearl Millet. Awesome grazing. Unless you have a MoCo or a roller as mentioned I would second cutting with a bush hog. May waste some, but if it's thick and you have a good rake it'll do fine. We've done it with millet but not SS. It's the only way you would ever get it dry enough to get it baled here. My personal preference would be baleage. But I'm not set up for it and neither is anyone close to me.
 
Richnm said:
callmefence said:
I've tried both and firmly believe that the hybrid Sudan if far superior to millet. We plant it thick 85 to 100 per acre. And try to bale it young. We graze it also all summer and even as stockpile standing hay during the winter. Your plan of double cropping with oats is exactly what I've been doing for several years. After a few years I've got good loose fertile ground. Which we are planting permanent Bermuda and klien pasture on. And moving the SS /oat fields to newly cleared ground. Rinse and repeat
Click to expand...
What brand of seed did you use ? Been using Piper. Have you used Til leaf 3?
[/quote

Never used tif leaf
I use.
Pretty much what is readily available locally. My millet comes from brownie seed.
SS my favorite is tridan. I've got over 50 acres of it in the ground.
Going to do about 5 acres in millet this year, and another 5 in a gotcha plus delayed maturity SS. Recommend by Texasmark.

If I'm not mistake Piper is a pure Sudan ??
Click to expand...
 
callmefence said:
I've tried both and firmly believe that the hybrid Sudan if far superior to millet. We plant it thick 85 to 100 per acre. And try to bale it young. We graze it also all summer and even as stockpile standing hay during the winter.
Click to expand...

SS outyields millet here, but it turns into bamboo cane if you let it grow. How young do you bale it?

What happens if you seed it at less than 85#/acre?

SS or corn stands for winter grazing, but our utilization is low. Perhaps 20 to 30%.

Do you no till oats into the SS stubble, or do some prep work before seeding the second annual crop?
 
Stocker Steve said:
callmefence said:
I've tried both and firmly believe that the hybrid Sudan if far superior to millet. We plant it thick 85 to 100 per acre. And try to bale it young. We graze it also all summer and even as stockpile standing hay during the winter.
Click to expand...

SS outyields millet here, but it turns into bamboo cane if you let it grow. How young do you bale it?

What happens if you seed it at less than 85#/acre?

SS or corn stands for winter grazing, but our utilization is low. Perhaps 20 to 30%.

Do you no till oats into the SS stubble, or do some prep work before seeding the second annual crop?
Click to expand...

Boot to first seed heads appearing

Thicker stems and less yield....
Sidenote...for grazing only a more modest planting rate may be better. Thicker stalks hold up to trampling better. I'm still on the fence, but there may be something to that.

Maybe idk. This is not a regular program. Just surplus being used up.

Yes and hell yes.
I prefer to disc in the SS and drill oats. But depending on time I might notill and some fields may get oats slung out and just plowed in.
 
I was sure hoping that the dwarf sudan with the brown rib gene (I'm not even sure what that means), would pose less problems with the stem. Same number of leaves in half the height.
 
Higher tonnage (std) vs. higher relative food value & higher seed cost (brown rib).
Beef cows don't need brown rib RFV, but they may clean up the brown rib stalks better?
I think grazing the std SS sooner, and then inter seeding seeding a fall mix, would be a good approach that can regenerate soil.
 
I planted Pearl Millet once! I usually plant SS but not the dwarf variety...I like Gotcha Plus.
 
I've turned my whole herd in on the field where the dwarf sorghum sudan is going. Just trying to get as much of what grass is there eaten up, before I plant/spray (I know I'd get a better kill with more leaf). Still not sure about the advice I recieved to cut it with a bushhog? The guy says the drum mower will cut it too low, and I'll be happier with the stems busted up, as opposed to just laid over intact. There is enough broom sedge on this field, I'd like to get it off, but it's also to thin to get to burn. I guess I'll just roll it up dead with the first cutting, and let the cows sort through it. Have given some thought to cutting raking and hopefully burning the windrows. Still open to any advice. I have put up my share of sudex, but never this stuff.
 
could always try have the field with the hog and half with the drum. it would be better to bust those stems up one way or another.
 

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