Annual forage benefits
Annual forages provide many benefits including reducing erosion , improving soil , competing with weeds , enhancing nutrient and moisture availability and helping control pests .
A growing number of producers are looking at the longterm contributions of annual forages to their whole farm system . They are re-working their cropping systems to better fit annual forage growth patterns , rather than squeezing annual forages into their existing system .
The economic and ecological benefits of annual forages , which can vary by location and season can include :
• Reduce fertilizer costs
• Reduce the need for herbicides and other pesticides
• Improve yields by enhancing soil health
• Prevent soil erosion
• Conserve soil moisture
• Protect water quality
• Option for grazing , swath grazing , silage or greenfeed
Evaluate the impact of annual forages as you would any other crop , balancing costs against returns in all forms . Don ’ t limit your calculations to the target benefit as annual forages often have several benefits .
Many annual forages offer harvest possibilities as forage , or grazing that work well in systems with multiple crops and livestock .
Due to their potential for rapid growth after rainfall or irrigation , especially following a prolonged dry period it is important to monitor the nitrate or prussic acid levels in your annual forages before grazing or feeding . Nitrates can accumulate in plant leaves and in very high concentrations may cause livestock death .
This problem is largely caused by high soil nitrate levels being quickly taken up with rapid growth . Testing is the only way to determine the nitrate level in your feed .
Selecting annual forages
To find suitable annual forages , consider the following :
• Primary goals for production
• Identify the best time and place for annual forages in your system
• Test a few options
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