This time of year, when the sun is bearing down and our perennial pastures begin to show signs of fatigue, more and more cattle producers are looking for ways to maintain both forage quality and animal performance. One of the tools that gets attention is the use of summer annual forages—fast-growing, high-yielding crops like sorghums, Sudan grass, millet, and even some legumes.
While no one is suggesting that we eliminate the Bahiagrass or Bermudagrass pasture systems used by nearly every stockman in the region, there are some definite advantages to incorporating some high-quality annual grazing options. Summer annual forages can be a part of the total forage program of many livestock producers. They are used to provide a plentiful supply of high-quality forage for grazing in mid-summer when perennial grasses are often relatively low in yield and/or quality.
Because summer annuals must be established each year, their production costs are usually higher than warm-season perennial pastures. Summer annuals can provide the quantity of forage at a time when it often cannot be supplied any other way. They therefore can serve as a useful part of the total forage program. But if our cattlemen take a hard look at the quality and quantity of grass these crops can provide, it could very well be profitable.
Summer annuals can be used to supplement permanent pastures and enable better management of perennial pastures. Since cost is involved in the production of summer annuals, forage alternatives must be considered in relation to costs, returns, and type of livestock enterprise involved. Potential quality of forage provided by summer annuals is usually most profitable when used by producing high quality or high gaining livestock.
Terms such as grass tillers and ratoon crops become a part of our language. Potential problems such as prussic acid and nitrate poisoning are also issues to address.
The options are plenty and our local producers will need to learn a new skillset to manage them correctly. Some popular summer forage options include sorghums, forage sorghum, sudangrass, millet, and some legumes. Options like Crabgrass, Dallisgrass, and (gasp!) Johnsongrass really sound like weeds but may also become a viable crop to grow.
Sorghums for forage can be grouped into two general categories based on frequency of harvest and use. These are: 1) those harvested frequently as grazing, green-chopping, hay or haylage (Sudan hybrids, Sudan varieties, Sudan-johnsongrass types) and 2) those that are harvested only once or twice during the season for silage, green-chop and sometimes hay and bundle feed (forage and grain sorghum varieties and hybrids).
Sudangrass was first introduced and grown in Texas in 1909. It soon became an important pasture plant. After the original introduction, several improved varieties were developed and have been used widely. Then came the development and introduction of the Sudan-johnsongrass types which are classified as weak perennial.
Forage sorghum varieties were first introduced and grown in Texas in 1857. Many hybrids have since been developed, introduced and widely used. More recently, forage sorghum hybrids have been developed and are in use. These hybrids have resulted largely from grain sorghum x forage sorghum crosses.
Pearl millet (also cattail millet) is grown to some extent to furnish forage for the same purposes as the Sudan varieties and hybrids. Yields are usually lower than the Sudan hybrids except under certain sandy, acid soil conditions in East Texas, and in other areas where iron chlorosis is a severe problem. Pearl millet is equal in quality to Sudan and the Sudan hybrids and is leafier.
Several warm-season annual legumes are used to some extent for forage production. Legume forage is of excellent quality if harvested at the proper time with leaves retained. However, the yield is usually quite low when compared to summer annual grasses. The most important annual legumes are cowpeas and soybeans grown primarily for grazing and hay.
And yes—crabgrass, Dallisgrass, and even Johnsongrass (gasp!) may have a role to play. When managed correctly, some of these often-scorned species can actually provide decent forage during the dog days of summer.
To be clear, no single forage will fit every operation. Success comes down to matching your land, soil, labor, and livestock goals with the right option—or mix of options. Summer annuals are not a silver bullet, but in the right situations, they can be a valuable piece of the grazing puzzle.
In closing, summer annual forages aren’t new, but they should get a second look for good reason. They offer a way to stretch our grazing season, reduce stress on perennial pastures, and improve cattle performance during the hottest months of the year. If you’re planning your forage strategy for next summer—or even looking for a quick fix for worn-out paddocks—summer annuals may be worth a test plot or two.
As always, if you’d like help evaluating forage options or figuring out which one best fits your operation, reach out to your local County Extension Office. A tremendous online resource is foragefax.tamu.edu. Be sure to sign up for the weekly updates.
