Early summer is a key time for production of our warm-season perennial grasses such as bermudagrass and bahiagrass in the southeast U.S. But what about summer annuals? Do they fit in our system – and if so, which ones?
The short answer is: yes. Summer annuals can be used to grow a short-term forage crop with high yield potential and nutritional value for beef cattle. One of the summer annuals in our toolbox is crabgrass. Saying the word “crabgrass” can be an “ugly word” in some settings where it has traditionally been considered a weed, especially for our friends on the row crop production side. However, the benefits and uses of crabgrass as a forage make it a great candidate as an alternative summer forage crop for us to consider.
Crabgrass has a small seed and can establish quickly during the growing season with a seeding rate of 4 to 6 pounds per acre. Crabgrass can be grazed when the stand reaches 8 to 10 inches in height. Allow pastures a time for rest and regrowth once grazed to a 3- to 4-inch target height. Forage crabgrass has good nutritional value for grazing cattle with high digestibility. Our research team has conducted work with backgrounding fall-born beef calves from June through August on grazed crabgrass. Calves gained between 1 to 2 pounds per day on the study with up to 1% of their bodyweight per day in dried distillers grains on pasture.
Many producers plant crabgrass following cool-season annuals, such as small grains and ryegrass, as an early summer baleage crop on open land. Generally, producers can expect about two harvests per season for crabgrass. Crabgrass is harvested at the boot stage of growth to optimize both quality and yield.
One additional benefit of crabgrass is its reseeding ability. This means that letting the crop go to seed at the end of the season may help build up the forage seedbank and either reduce additional seed needed the following year – or in some cases eliminate the need for reseeding. Considering alternative forage crops can help complement your existing perennial grass forage base and enhance annual forage production in your operation.
