Sorghum Sudan Mixes ?

[Stocker Steve]

I may have some sorghum sudan that I can not graze. Is there any problem chopping 7.5" SS rows with a 30" corn head?

Have you seem any results from planting some crimson clover in with the SS ?

 

[Lucky_P]

steve,
Don't know that crimson clover will be a good choice for you...I've planted it a couple of times, here in southern KY - worked OK one winter, but winter-killed the next time. Would seem like MN might be even worse for it... back home in AL, it's essentially a winter annual/biennial...it grows like a weed and comes back year after year along the roadsides/medians... but that ain't the frigid northland...

Saw some stuff years ago about folks planting black medic as an undercrop/groundcover with corn...for weed suppression, Nitrogen-fixing, and grazing.

 

[sim.-ang.king]

Sudan will kill clover, actually it's really good at killing any broad leaf.
As for chopping with a 30" head I don't know, but I'm betting some of the sudan will get cut off high as it gets pulled over into the row. Do you know anyone that you could barrow a forage pickup head off of?

 

[AllForage]

Sudan will kill clover, actually it's really good at killing any broad leaf.
As for chopping with a 30" head I don't know, but I'm betting some of the sudan will get cut off high as it gets pulled over into the row. Do you know anyone that you could barrow a forage pickup head off of?

Thought the same, cut it then use a forage head.

I planted Crimson a few years ago and was not impressed with it so far north here. I don't think it will compete with SS either. Had a hard enough time in with triticale.

 

[Stocker Steve]

Not much overwinters here. A lot of the thistle even died last year. I was looking for an annual legume that at would tolerate SS shade ?

What would work well to cut and windrow 8' tall SS before chopping it up with a forage head?

 

[AllForage]

I was thinking the older JD self propelled with the draper head. I think that's what it was called. Maybe a a disbine at slow speed?


I'm starting to think supplementing with grain ( protein or energy) is money ahead instead of trying interseed especially with annuals.

 

[Stocker Steve]

Nebraska did a study on supplementing with byproduct vs. fertilizing pasture a couple years ago. Byproduct was a better buy when you included the fertility value. They did not include OM in their calculation. Annuals can really $$$ up when building OM and producing 5 tons of forage.

Annuals can be a fit for:
1) higher output per acre if you need to optimize a land base for a high value product
2) summer and/or winter forage to fill holes if you can not purchase cheap hay
3) emergency forage if you have issues
4) accelerating OM increase