By Christopher LeMaster, Clemson Extension Livestock Agent and Dr. Liliane Silva, Clemson Extension Forage Specialist
Following a dry fall and winter, much of our region is now classified in Extreme Drought (D3). For a cool-season grass like tall fescue, which relies on spring moisture for the bulk of its annual forage production, this rainfall deficit is a primary concern for the upcoming hay season. Additionally, producers are managing this drought alongside a 50% increase in fertilizer and fuel costs. When input prices are high and projected yields are low due to weather-related challenges, management strategies must be adjusted to focus on efficiency and stand persistence.
Harvesting and Clipping Strategies
In a dry spring, there is rarely a single “correct” answer for when to harvest. Instead, there are some considerations to be made:
- Early Harvesting: Many producers have elected to harvest the fescue crop now, even where production is low. This effort aims to capture the nutritional quality of the forage before it becomes overly mature. Recent high temperatures have pushed much of our cool-season grass into the reproductive stage (making seedheads), which naturally decreases hay quality due to an increase in lignified material.
- Mowing and Clipping Hayfields: Another strategy is clipping these fields to put the plant back into a vegetative stage. This “resets” the plant in hopes of allowing for some regrowth before the high heat of summer. While this helps recycle nutrients and potentially build organic matter due to the deposition of the clipped forage, be mindful of the volume of material left behind. Depending on current growth, heavy residue laying over the cut plants could shade the crown and hinder regrowth once we start getting rain.
Both management strategies rely heavily on timely rainfall this spring and on properly managed, healthy hayfields.
Cutting Height and Management Strategies
In an attempt to cope with the impacts of drought and high off-farm input costs, it will be crucial to consider the following:
- Cutting Height: Setting your mower height correctly is essential to allow the plants to maintain proper residual leaf area. This will help the plants maintain adequate energy reserves over time. If you are harvesting the crop, it is important not to cut below 4 inches (recommended stubble height for fescue). However, if you are clipping the pastures to reset the growth, set your mower to a height that removes only the stems and maybe just a little bit of the leaves. The leaves are the “plant factory,” producing energy to support plant recovery and growth time after time when the plants are defoliated.
- Herbicide Applications: Many producers have elected to postpone herbicide applications because of the lack of rainfall and the decreased effectiveness during a drought. Given current prices, waiting for better growing conditions may be the most cost-effective choice. It is important to consider weed infestation levels, weed species, and the types of herbicides to be used and address these on a case-by-case basis, as needed. For further information, consult your local Extension agent.
The Economic Reality
The production cost increases significantly as off-farm input prices rise and crop yields are reduced due to weather-related conditions. It is essential to have a sharp pencil when calculating your actual cost of production per bale and determining how to price your hay this year. Unfortunately, local hay prices must reflect the sharp increases in fertilizer and fuel costs, as well as the lower-than-average yields we are seeing across the region. As you work through these numbers, please feel free to reach out to your local agent for assistance in evaluating your specific situation.
While there is no clear-cut solution for every farm, the goal remains the same: capture as much quality as possible while ensuring the fescue stand survives the summer and persists over time. To achieve persistence, it is essential to apply effective management strategies that support the health and strength of the stand over time, therefore, contributing to resilient stands that can withstand challenging weather conditions. Focusing on optimizing the resilience of the perennial stands requires proper management throughout the entire season, year after year and oftentimes adjustments during challenges each year so that they remain productive once the weather pattern shifts.
