Tips & Tricks
Cool Season Perennial Grass Selection for the Southeast
Adaptation to climate and soil type are not the only considerations when it comes to selecting a cool-season perennial. Farm constraints, management style, and long term goals should all be part of the decision. Take a minute to evaluate where your forage system is now and where you want it to be. From there, you can work towards selecting the…
Reclaiming land: Successional Planting for Perennial Pasture Success
Reclaiming land to put into production is a multistep process. You have a valuable resource at your fingertips, but you have to be able to harness its potential and manage it to your advantage. If the land was forest or meadow for many years, it’s likely to be rich in organic matter and both above and below-ground biodiversity. The most likely…
Reports of Sugarcane Aphid in South Georgia
Small pockets of the sugarcane aphid have been reported in South Georgia. They are expected to move north as the season progresses. Be prepared to reduce losses. In 2013, this aphid made the jump from feasting on sugarcane alone to forage sorghum, sudangrass, and sorghum sudan. They feed on the leaves, sucking the sugars from the plant, and leave…
Nailing Down Nitrogen
Fertilization is one of the many pieces of the forage productivity puzzle. Nutrients that the soil is lacking will manifest in the crop as discoloration, lack of vigor, and yield reduction. The nutrient that is limiting productivity more often than not is nitrogen. The rate, frequency, and method of nitrogen application can all impact the quality…