AGR-229: Warm Season Annual Grasses in Kentucky

Jimmy Henning, Tom Keene, Ray Smith, Chris Teutsch | Mar. 5, 2018 (New)

In Kentucky, cool-season grasses produce ample forage in the spring and fall, but high temperatures and short-term drought stress often limits growth during the summer months. Warm-season annual grasses can fill this gap with relatively high quality forage when properly managed. The purpose of this publication is to provide an overview of the various summer annuals for Kentucky.

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AGR-233: Foxtail Millet

Jimmy Henning, Tom Keene, Ray Smith, Chris Teutsch | Feb. 19, 2018 (New)

Foxtail millet (German millet) is a fine-stemmed summer annual used mainly for emergency hay or pasture for cattle. It is the lowest yielding of the summer annual grasses since it will not regrow after cutting. It can also be used as a smoother crop when transitioning to other perennial forage crops. Foxtail millet is also commonly used for wildlife plantings to produce food and cover for doves, quail, and other birds.

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AGR-230: Forage Sorghum

Jimmy Henning, Tom Keene, Ray Smith, Chris Teutsch | Feb. 19, 2018 (New)

Forage sorghum is the tallest of the summer annuals, reaching 6 to 15 feet in height and is best harvested as silage. Taller varieties produce high forage yield but can lodge, making them difficult to harvest mechanically. Some varieties have been developed that are shorter with increased resistance to lodging. Forage sorghums, like corn, are harvested once per season by direct chopping. While forage sorghum yields are similar to corn, they are lower in energy. The primary advantage of utilizing sorghum for silage production is its greater drought tolerance.

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AGR-234: Sudangrass and Sorghum-sudangrass Hybrids

Jimmy Henning, Tom Keene, Ray Smith, Chris Teutsch | Feb. 19, 2018 (New)

Sorghum-sudangrass hybrids are developed by crossing sorghum with true sudangrass. The result is an annual grass that resembles sudangrass, but has coarser stems, taller growth habit, and higher yields. Like sudangrass, hybrids will regrow after grazing if growth is not limited by environmental factors. The coarse stems are difficult to cure as dry hay, therefore these grasses are best utilized for grazing, chopped silage and baleage.

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AGR-231: Pearl Millet

Jimmy Henning, Tom Keene, Ray Smith, Chris Teutsch | Feb. 19, 2018 (New)

The primary benefits of pearl millet are that it does not contain prussic acid and is not susceptible to the sugarcane aphid. Dwarf varieties are available, which are leafier and better suited for grazing.