Eastern Gamagrass

[bandit80]

Curious if anyone has had much experience with Eastern Gamagrass.

Back in 2003, by family rented a farm that had about 30 acres of EG planted in small patches and around the edges of row crop fields. We have hayed it every year and have been pleased with the results. Tonnage is good, and quality seems to be pretty good, as long as you cut it prior to heading out. This was planted with a 30" row planter, so mowing and baling is a bumpy ride as it grows in clumps. The regrowth comes back very rapidly, and I think it would be ideal for grazing. Would like to try and get some of this established in our pastures to compliment our cool season grasses. I have done quite a bit of research on the internet, and it seems getting the grass established is the hardest thing to do. Also, I read you shouldn't graze the first year it is planted, so you lose all production out of those acres for a year. Therefore, I would have to establish it a little at a time over a period of years.

Curious if anyone has any "hands on" experience establishing and grazing EG.

 

[dun]

A local dairy grasses his dry cows on it and really likkes it. He used to hay it but his back, kidneys and other internal organs can;t take the beating of driving over the field with the roughness it creates. His is strictly a monoculture, don;t know how well it would mix but would probably have the same managment issues that any other mixture of WSG and CSG have.

 

[bandit80]

A local dairy grasses his dry cows on it and really likkes it. He used to hay it but his back, kidneys and other internal organs can;t take the beating of driving over the field with the roughness it creates. His is strictly a monoculture, don;t know how well it would mix but would probably have the same managment issues that any other mixture of WSG and CSG have.

My thoughts exactly. Beats the you know what out of you driving across it. I would probably "kill" any existing grass and try to get the EG established. I do not like having warm and cool season grasses mixed together. It just isn't ideal.

 

[dun]

A local dairy grasses his dry cows on it and really likkes it. He used to hay it but his back, kidneys and other internal organs can;t take the beating of driving over the field with the roughness it creates. His is strictly a monoculture, don;t know how well it would mix but would probably have the same managment issues that any other mixture of WSG and CSG have.

My thoughts exactly. Beats the you know what out of you driving across it. I would probably "kill" any existing grass and try to get the EG established. I do not like having warm and cool season grasses mixed together. It just isn't ideal.

I tried walking across the field ONCE. Talk about an ankle turner.

 

[bandit80]

I tried walking across the field ONCE. Talk about an ankle turner.

My dad said it best. Haying that field will give anyone hemorrhoids. :lol2: :lol2:

 

[jsramer]

I have a small patch of it that is now 4 years old. No-tilled it with a 30" corn planter into a field that had previously had soybeans in it. That worked well for me, got a hay cutting the first year. Started grazing year 2, turned cows in about every 3 weeks for about 4 days at a time then removed them. Year 3 the stand was much stronger and was grazing the same number of cows for about 5 days every 3 weeks. Year 1 had problem with broadleaf weeds and sprayed with 2-4D to control, nothing but fertilization and yearly burning in the spring since. I have noticed in some of the thinner spots that some fescue is coming in now, not sure how this is going to affect the field, I will continue to monitor and see. I have been told by some that have it to wait till year 5 to make your true assesment on it, but I'm liking it more each year and I'm already considering putting some more in.

Jeff

 

[bandit80]

I have a small patch of it that is now 4 years old. No-tilled it with a 30" corn planter into a field that had previously had soybeans in it. That worked well for me, got a hay cutting the first year. Started grazing year 2, turned cows in about every 3 weeks for about 4 days at a time then removed them. Year 3 the stand was much stronger and was grazing the same number of cows for about 5 days every 3 weeks. Year 1 had problem with broadleaf weeds and sprayed with 2-4D to control, nothing but fertilization and yearly burning in the spring since. I have noticed in some of the thinner spots that some fescue is coming in now, not sure how this is going to affect the field, I will continue to monitor and see. I have been told by some that have it to wait till year 5 to make your true assesment on it, but I'm liking it more each year and I'm already considering putting some more in.

Jeff

Curious about stocking rates. How many acres do you have, and how many cows graze those acres for the 5 day period?

I have also read some site that say you can drill the seed on narrower row spacing, even down to 7.5". Any comment on that?

Appreciate your on hands input. Thank.

 

[dun]

I have also read some site that say you can drill the seed on narrower row spacing, even down to 7.5". Any comment on that?

Appreciate your on hands input. Thank.

That's about the width the local dairy guy did. He modified his old JD-VanBrunt to drop the seed.

 

[jsramer]

I have a small patch of it that is now 4 years old. No-tilled it with a 30" corn planter into a field that had previously had soybeans in it. That worked well for me, got a hay cutting the first year. Started grazing year 2, turned cows in about every 3 weeks for about 4 days at a time then removed them. Year 3 the stand was much stronger and was grazing the same number of cows for about 5 days every 3 weeks. Year 1 had problem with broadleaf weeds and sprayed with 2-4D to control, nothing but fertilization and yearly burning in the spring since. I have noticed in some of the thinner spots that some fescue is coming in now, not sure how this is going to affect the field, I will continue to monitor and see. I have been told by some that have it to wait till year 5 to make your true assesment on it, but I'm liking it more each year and I'm already considering putting some more in.

Jeff

Curious about stocking rates. How many acres do you have, and how many cows graze those acres for the 5 day period?

I have also read some site that say you can drill the seed on narrower row spacing, even down to 7.5". Any comment on that?

Appreciate your on hands input. Thank.

I have 6 acres of it and I have grazed 24 head on it for those five days. Typically let it get to about 20" in height before grazing and will only graze down to about 10" then remove. I have been hitting it with 50# of N first of May, then again about the middle of June, P&K in the fall per soil test. Went through a couple of dry years and the stuff still did fairly well.
I dont have any experence with drilling, I would use stratified seed though no matter how you plant it. I have read somewhere that one plant per 5 square feet is a good stand. Mine is thicker than that in most areas, about 10 -12" apart on 30". If I can find the link on the source I used for guidance I will get it to you.

 

[jsramer]

http://extension.missouri.edu/explore/a ... g04671.htm
Here is the link that I use for guidance on gama grass. Hope it helps.

Jeff

 

[bandit80]

http://extension.missouri.edu/explore/agguides/crops/g04671.htm
Here is the link that I use for guidance on gama grass. Hope it helps.

Jeff

Many thanks. :cboy: