Forage Crop Recommendations

Spring has brought no shortage of April showers this year, and more are in the forecast as I write this. At this point, there is a real possibility that little to no fieldwork will get done in April, which means activity could ramp up quickly once conditions dry out in May. That kind of compressed window often forces tough decisions and pushes growers to think more creatively about their cropping plans.

Over the past few years, alternative forage crops have gained popularity because they can produce impressive tonnage on limited acres and are relatively easy to manage. Pearl millet and sorghum sudan grass have become go-to options for late summer grazing or wet baling. We have also seen success interseeding pearl millet into overgrazed spring pastures to improve grazing opportunities later in the fall. One key advantage of pearl millet is that it does not carry the risk of prussic acid, so there is no need to remove cattle from those fields following a frost event.

Forage sorghum is another summer annual that has proven to be a strong option, especially on lower productivity acres where corn may struggle. In many cases, forage sorghum requires roughly two-thirds of the inputs needed for corn silage while still delivering comparable yields under those conditions. That makes it an attractive alternative when managing input costs without sacrificing too much production.

These crops are typically planted around June 1, once soil temperatures reach 65 degrees and are trending upward. While that may feel late, they are well suited for taking advantage of warm-season growing conditions and can still deliver strong results.

If you have questions or want to explore summer annual forage options in more detail, reach out to your local SFG agronomist to discuss what might work best for your operation.