Advice on dwarf Sudan and pearl millet

[True Grit Farms]

I like the idea of rotary mowing pearl millet for hay. Seems like maybe you could get it to dry down in a few days. Pearl millet cut with a disc mower won't hardly dry and the stalks were hard on my tedder.

 

[Richnm]

The SS Piper yielded 120 bales an acre 70 pound bales and grew back very aggressive. They didn't eat stalks as well so I sprayed a little molasses on the stalks and they cleaned it up. I got 4 cuttings

 

[Richnm]

I tried honeygraze on 50 acres a bmr last year. It didn't grow back . All my land is flood irrigated so it wasn't a drought issue.

 

[Bigfoot]

The SS Piper yielded 120 bales an acre 70 pound bales and grew back very aggressive. They didn't eat stalks as well so I sprayed a little molasses on the stalks and they cleaned it up. I got 4 cuttings

I could be happy with that.

 

[Bigfoot]

Planted most of the dwarf sudan yesterday. Ran out of seed, with 3 acres left to go. Pearl millet won't be in til Tuesday. Hope this stuff comes up. Getting expensive.

 

[Bigfoot]

It's all planted, and got a great stand. Never seen anything grow like the dwarf ss.

 

[Allenw]

planted into warm, moist soil ss will jump out of the ground.

Maybe it will dry up enough to plant some day here. If every thing had went like normal I would be looking at taking a first cutting of pearl millet soon.

 

[Bigfoot]

planted into warm, moist soil ss will jump out of the ground.

Maybe it will dry up enough to plant some day here. If every thing had went like normal I would be looking at taking a first cutting of pearl millet soon.

How close do you cut yours?

 

[Allenw]

I usually cut 4 to 6 inches or so going to cut higher this year and see if it recovers faster. I think staying on top of it and cutting earlier might help some too.

 

[SimAngHerf]

It's all planted, and got a great stand. Never seen anything grow like the dwarf ss.

How did your pearl millet and SS turn out? I have used millet for a cover crop to help clean up a field and been astonished by how fast it will germinate and get to 30". Plan to do about 45 acres in baleage this coming summer.

 

[Bigfoot]

It's all planted, and got a great stand. Never seen anything grow like the dwarf ss.

How did your pearl millet and SS turn out? I have used millet for a cover crop to help clean up a field and been astonished by how fast it will germinate and get to 30". Plan to do about 45 acres in baleage this coming summer.

Mixed reviews, but I will do more next year. I grazed the millet, so I never will know its actual production was.

My already established fescue made about 7800 of hay to the acre..The SS made about 5000, I sometimes forget that I grazed it for two weeks. It really pulled me through a slump there. The SS was planted on the poorest soil on the farm though.

It was succesful in that only broomsedge was growing on this field. I made several rolls of hay, and got 2 weeks of grazing where once there was nothing.

The roundup, SS, and fertilizer seem too have beat the broomsadge back. If it stays gone a few years, I will be very happy.

I probably will do another field this year, and plant straight Sudan. I'll graze it.

Fed the first of the rolls not too long ago. There was literally zero waste. Some of the stems had gotten pretty big. They ate em same as the leaves. I was happy to see that. I have fed over mature Johnson grass before, and there was half left behind from just the stems.

just calculating seed, fertilizer, and chemical I had more in it per roll, than I would have liked to have seen. Of course if I had made a 3rd cutting that would have brought the price down.

 

[SimAngHerf]

Did you harvest it with disc cutter or moco? I haven't been around any baled SS so I'm concerned how the taller stalks will bale.

 

[Bigfoot]

Did you harvest it with disc cutter or moco? I haven't been around any baled SS so I'm concerned how the taller stalks will bale.

I don't have a MOCO.

At the urging of many (not here BTW), I made the first cut with a bushhog. Everybodies theory was that my drum mower would mow it too close and kill it. Also general belief was the bushhog would chop it smaller and it would dry faster. I made the first cut with a bushhog. Tractor squashed some down, and didn't cut it. I also thought it killed some.

Made second cut with a drum mower. It got it all of course, but I thought it killed an equal amount as the bushhog.

I saw no difference in dry time, but I'm certain the drum mower does thin the stand. My guess is, that a disc mower would do a better job. A drum mower just mows a little closer than a disc.

I have cut johnson grass when it got too tall many times with a bushhog. This stuff is tender compared to JG.

 

[Allenw]

I didn't get anything done right this year my pearl millet was mature when I cut it and I didn't have enough fertilizer on it. I've been feeding some and it seems to be adequate for cow hay, they do leave the stems but they are a hard stem. The smaller stems should be easier to drill back into then sudex. I'm considering trying some mixed with sudex for a better overall yeild then just by itself.