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Sorghum-Sudan Hybrid SX-11, Piper Sudan Grass, and Alfalfa-Orchardgrass for Dairy Pastures

Department of Dairy Science, University of Illinois, Urbana

ABSTRACT

Sorghum-Sudan hybrid SX-11 was compared to alfalfa (one year) and Piper Sudan grass (two years) as a pasture crop for dairy cows when grazed continuously in a rotational system during the entire season. Three management systems for SX-11 were compared during the second year. The carrying capacity of the pastures was adjusted weekly. The least-squares means for production of daily milk per cow were 21.8, 21.4, and 21.9 kg in 1965 for cows grazing alfalfa (Treatment 1), SX-11 (Treatment 2), and Piper Sudan grass (Treatment 3), respectively. During 1966 the least-squares means for milk were 21.5, 22.0, 21.1, and 22.1 kg for cows grazing early-seeded Piper Sudan grass (Treatment 4), early seeded SX-11 (Treatment 5), SX-11 late-seeded (Treatment 6), and SX-11 early seeded, grazed after 15 days regrowth (Treatment 7), respectively. None of the treatment differences for milk was significant (P > 0.05). The seasonal totals of cow-weeks of grazing obtained per ha were 100.7, 132.2, 101.9, 73.9, 83.6, 60.7, and 81.0 for Treatments 1 through 7, respectively. Grazing each plot for five days instead of seven (15 vs. 21 days of regrowth) resulted in the forage containing a higher protein percentage (18.6 vs. 16.8% for first growth, 18.2 vs. 17.4% for regrowths) and slightly lower levels of ADF (32.2 vs. 33.0 for first growth, 30.8 vs. 31.1 for regrowths). Seeding SX-11 in late June and early July rather than May resulted in an 18% decrease in seasonal carrying capacity, but 29% more grazing during late July, August, and September.