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Miscellaneous

Forbs

Description
Forbs are a crop that has some valuable advantages for your livestock. They are known for their exceptionally high energy levels, and also have high protein levels at 20-23%.  Forbs are a very mineral-rich grazing herb. Two forbs that are a very good fit for pasture grazing are chicory and plantain.  Chicory can be a little harder to manage due to its tendency of going to seed in the summer. Also, to be the most productive, it needs more rest periods. Plantain fits very well into grazing mixes and has excellent regrowth as well as very high digestibility.

Management
Forbs need to be managed properly. Chicory is not very  persistent if it does not get a 25-day rest period between grazings. It can be used in a wide range of soil types and can be planted as a monoculture. Plantain is not recommended for use as a monoculture, but works very well with brassicas for pasture. It is ready to be grazed when the leaf tears before the plant is pulled out. Yield data shows over 6 tons of dry matter for well managed plantain.

Establishment
Establishment into a firm seedbed is imperative. The monoculture seeding rate is 5 to 8 lbs. per acre and 1 to 2 lbs. per acre in mixes. Forbs respond well to fertilizers, especially nitrogen.

  • A deep taproot makes it drought tolerant.
  • Chicory has excellent summer production and winter hardiness.
  • It is very high in mineral content, protein, and digestibility but low in fiber.
  • This is a high biomass producer with tall, leafy growth.
  • Sunflowers work well as part of a cover crop mix to add diversity; nice taproot to break up soil.
  • Plantain adapts well to drier regions, less fertile soils, lower pH, and heavy clay soils.
  • It provides consistent dry matter production in all seasons.
  • Hemp is a warm-season legume and a high biomass producer.
  • It suppresses weeds and nematodes and can be grazed in the early stages of growth.
  • Canarygrass has medium to late relative maturity with excellent persistence.
  • This grass goes from high to low quality faster than most other species, requires close management to get high-quality.