Producers looking to keep their stands well-maintained may want to look at other methods such as introducing legumes in order to keep those fit.
Range Management Extension Specialist with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture Lynnae Ylinja talks about some of the benefits those can have for crops.
"Legumes are a really important component in perennial stands because they improve the quality of the feed and they also help meet fertility requirements of a stand because they fix nitrogen. But the decline in dying out of legumes over time and perennial stands is a really common challenge for producers and reestablishing a legume back into a stand can be quite difficult to do, and I think that many producers have maybe tried this with little success."
As a stand declines, producers can look at the option of adding legumes back in, but Ylinja says it's not a silver bullet.
"There are other methods of rejuvenation that could be a better fit, but sometimes it's a good option if we're talking about adding a legume back in. A couple things to keep in mind are that if a stand still has greater than 50 per cent legume component, it's usually not economical to add a legume back in and then if we're talking about an old alfalfa stand autotoxicity can be an issue. In that case, maybe rotating to a different legume other than alfalfa or another rejuvenation option would be a better option."
Reintroducing those legumes can be tough for producers and Ylinja says there are plenty of factors to consider.
"There is nothing really that can guarantee success because the establishment of forage varies so much depending on the conditions of the year and factors like the moisture, location, temperature, soil type and seed quality, and also as producers know something that works in one year is not guaranteed to work in another year, even if it's in the same location."
The three biggest factors to get that successfully implemented are:
- Suppress the competition from the existing stand. This gives the established legume the chance to compete for light, water and nutrients. Suppressing the competition from the existing stand is often done with a heavy grazing event or a light herbicide application. It is important that heavy grazing is used in appropriate conditions and is not done while the soil is wet because this can lead to soil compaction.
- Maximize the seed to soil contact. Drilling in seed when possible is generally the most recommended method of seeding because it helps ensure the seed has good contact with the soil. Good seed to soil contact ensures that young seedlings are protected from the sun and temperature fluctuations while also having access to soil moisture, needed for germination. Other methods to improve seed to soil contact include using harrows after broadcasting or trampling the stand with livestock.
- Moisture is essential. Forages can be difficult to get going at the best of times, but without moisture, there is a low chance of success. Seeding forages late in the fall (frost or dormant seeding) or early spring is usually the best for taking advantage of existing moisture. Alternately, timing seeding with upcoming rain is an option. These factors vary greatly depending on the year and location.
People can find out more information on rejuvenating old hay stands or pastures with legumes, by calling the Agriculture Knowledge Centre at 1-866-457-2377 or visiting the Saskatchewan.ca website