Annual forages are a good way to fill in the gaps in forage production on perennial pastures. If you have tillable acres, annual forages can fit into your grazing plan. In times of drought, you can make use of these versatile forages to make up for lost production in your native or seeded pastures.
Annual forages can be broken down into cool and warm season species. Depending on growing conditions, soil types, and objectives, either category of forage may be acceptable in your grazing or forage production program.
Crops that will do better in cool growing conditions include oats, barley, wheat, rye, triticale, and other small grains. They can be used for grazing or hay production. Almost all of these forages will accumulate nitrate under stress conditions, so caution should be exercised if you have drought stressed small grains.
Warm season annual forages include pearl and foxtail millets, sudan grass, sorghum sudan hybrids, and corn. Prussic acid poisoning can be a problem with sudan grass and some sorghum sudan hybrids. Some of these forages are better suited for mechanical harvesting (e.g. corn silage) as opposed to grazing.
Check with your local extension office or agronomy center for recommendations on which annual forages are best suited for your area, soil type, and growing conditions. Finding the ideal annual for your production system can complement existing forage resources, fill in the gaps in forage production, and improve productivity in your grazing operation.
