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FORAGE & GRAZINGLANDS

Interseeding Novel Cool-Season Annual Legumes to Improve Bermudagrass Paddocks

USDA-ARS, Grazinglands Research Lab., 7207 W. Cheyenne St., El Reno, OK 73036

^* Corresponding author (srinivas.rao{at}ars.usda.gov)

Interseeding nontraditional, cool-season legumes into bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] paddocks was evaluated as an approach to increasing the quality and duration of forage production and replacing a portion of the N fertilizer required in the southern Great Plains. We compared the effects of interseeding either grass pea (Lathyrus sativa L. ‘AC-Greenfix’) or lentil (Lens culinaris Med. ‘Indianhead’) with N fertilizer rates of 0, 45, or 90 kg ha^–1 N. All plots received 60 kg P₂0₅ ha^–1 in early March. The legume and fertilizer treatments were imposed in mid-March during 2001, 2002, and 2003. Forage samples were clipped from 0.25 m^–2 quadrats on five sampling dates between 1 May and 15 July each year. Yield, N concentration, species composition, and in vitro digestible dry matter (IVDDM) were determined. Year, sampling date, and treatment showed significant (P < 0.05) effects, as did the two-way interactions between all three factors. Total end-of-season standing dry matter of bermudagrass and grass pea was 5550 ± 423 (SEM) kg ha^–1, which was similar to biomass production with 45 kg ha^–1 N (5305 ± 570 kg ha^–1) and less than that produced with 90 kg ha^–1 N (7785 ± 725 kg ha^–1). Forage N and IVDDM concentrations for the grass pea treatment were 34 and 6% higher than for bermudagrass, but N and IVDDM concentrations of the forage mixture were intermediate between the higher N rates. Although additional studies are needed to optimize management for the interseeded legumes, we conclude that this practice can improve the quality and duration of bermudagrass forage production in this region.

Abbreviations: DAS, days after seeding • IVDDM, in vitro digestible dry matter

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