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Title: Case Study: Effects of interseeding date of cool-season annual grasses and pre-plant glyphosate application onto a warm-season sod on forage production, forage quality, performance of stocker cattle, and net-return

Author
item BECK, P - University Of Arkansas
item STEWART, C - University Of Arkansas
item PHILLIPS, J - Morehead State University
item Gunter, Stacey
item WATKINS, K - University Of Arkansas

Submitted to: Professional Animal Scientist
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/29/2011
Publication Date: 7/20/2011
Citation: Beck, P.A., Stewart, C.B., Phillips, J.M., Gunter, S.A., Watkins, K.B. 2011. Case Study: Effects of interseeding date of cool-season annual grasses and preplant glyphosate application onto a warm-season grass sod on forage production, forage nutritive value, performance of stocker cattle, and net return. Professional Animal Scientist. 27:375-384.

Interpretive Summary: The application of glyphosate before planting and planting date on the performance of growing beef calves grazing interseeded cool-season annual pastures was evaluated in southwest Arkansas. Twenty pastures of primarily bermudagrass and crabgrass were planted to soft-red winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L, cv Roane, 120 lb/acre) and annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam., cv Marshall, 20 lb/acre) in mid-September or mid-October using a no-till drill and with or without an application of 1.5 lb of glyphosate/acre at planting. Daily gain of calves grazing pastures planted in September were 0.6 lb greater (P = 0.03) from April to May than the average daily gain of calves grazing pastures planted in October. Pastures receiving glyphosate application had greater (P = 0.05) overall average daily gains. Grazing days/acre, body weight gain/acre, and net return/acre were 50, 146, and $112 greater (P < 0.01), respectively, for pastures planted in September with glyphosate application compared to planting in September without glyphosate application or planting in October with or without glyphosate. Earlier planting along with spraying the warm-season grasses with glyphosate before interseeding can increase carrying capacity, animal body weight gains, and net-returns to the producer.

Technical Abstract: This research was conducted to determine the impact of a pre-plant application of glyphosate and planting date on the performance of growing beef calves grazing interseeded cool-season annual pastures. Twenty 0.81-ha bermudagrass/crabgrass pastures were planted to soft-red winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L, cv Roane, 134 kg/ha) and annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam., cv Marshall, 22 kg/ha) in mid-September or mid-October of 2005 using a no-till drill, with or without an application of 0.77 kg glyphosate [N-(phosphonomethyl) glycine]/ha of glyphosate/ha (1.17 L /ha, Roundup Original Max, Monsanto Ag Products, St. Louis, MO) at planting in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. Stocking was managed using the put-and-take method. Tester calves (2 heifers and 1 steer; BW = 273 +/- 5.4 kg) were used to measure performance and additional calves were added as necessary to equalize forage allowance among pastures. Daily gain of calves grazing pastures planted in September were 0.28 kg greater (P = 0.03) from April to May than the ADG of calves grazing pastures planted in October. Pastures receiving glyphosate application had greater (P = 0.05) overall ADG and ADG from mid-February to mid-March. Grazing-d/ha, BW gain/ha, and net return/ha were 109 grazing-d/ha, 163 kg/ha, and $249/ha greater (P < 0.01), respectively, for pastures planted in September with glyphosate application compared to planting in September without glyphosate application or planting in October with or without glyphosate. Earlier planting along with reduced competition by spraying warm-season grasses before interseeding can increase carrying capacity, animal BW gains, and net- returns of interseeded cool-season annual pastures.