Indiana CropMAPForage Grasses and LegumesPrepared by Dr. Keith Johnson, Professor of Agronomy and Forage Crops, Purdue University, © 1998. This is a list of forages that are either currently grown, are recommended alternate crops, are experimental crops, or are not recommended for Indiana.
Purdue University's Forage Information Web Site
Traditional Forage Grasses |
Traditional Forage Grasses | |
Kentucky bluegrass | Common in the entire state. Not recommended for new seedings as it is drought intolerant and low yielding. |
Orchardgrass | Adapted statewide. Select varieties with leaf disease resistance. |
Redtop | Adapted statewide, but not recommended for livestock purposes because of poor palatability. |
Reed canarygrass | Adapted statewide. Only low-alkaloid varieties should be used. Excellent choice on poorly drained areas. |
Perennial ryegrass | Restrict use to soils not prone to being droughty. |
Smooth bromegrass | Most successful in northern IN. Palatable grass but adapted to fewer than 3cuttings in a year. |
Sorghum x sudangrass | Summer annual that is adapted statewide. Best used for grazing or haying. |
Sudangrass | Summer annual that is adapted statewide. Best used for grazing purposes. |
Tall fescue | Adapted statewide. Only low-endophyte varieties should be utilized. |
Timothy | Adapted statewide. Later to mature than other traditional cool-season grasses. Low production after spring growth. |
Traditional Forage Legumes | |
Alfalfa | Best adapted to soils that are well drained and have a pH greater than 6.7. |
Alsike clover | Should only be used on soils that are poorly drained. Horses should not be fed alsike clover as it can cause poisoning. |
Annual lespedeza | Adapted statewide with most assurance of developing a seed crop for longevity beyond one year in very southern IN. |
Birdsfoot trefoil | Best adapted to northern IN, although it has been used successfully in southern IN. Subject to foliar diseases in a high humidity environment. |
Crownvetch | Adapted statewide. Best used for soil conservation purposes and not as feed for livestock. |
Ladino clover | Adapted statewide with greater success on soils less prone to drought. Should be used for pasture only in combination with forage grasses. |
Red clover | Adapted statewide. Excellent pasture renovation legume and short term hay rotation crop. |
Sericea lespedeza | Better adapted to soils with acid subsoils in southern IN. Its inferior forage quality as compared to more commonly used legumes (eg alfalfa and red clover) limits its utility. |
Sweetclover | Adapted to soils greater than pH 6.7. Best used as a soil improvement crop. |
White Dutch clover | Adapted statewide with greater success on soils less prone to drought. Not recommended for use because of poor yield potential. |
Recommended Forage Grasses | |
Big bluestem | Adapted statewide on soils that are at least moderately well drained. Complements cool-season grass-legume pastures in a rotational stocking system. |
Caucasian bluestem | Not native to the USA as are big and little bluestems. Inferior forage quality as compared to other viable options when used by livestock. Possible consideration as a warm-season grass for erosion control purposes. |
Indiangrass | Adapted statewide on soils that are at least moderately well drained. Complements cool-season grass-legume pastures in a rotational stocking system. In general, later to mature than big bluestem. |
Little bluestem | Adapted statewide on soils that are at least moderately well drained. Lower yield potential as compared to tall-growing perennial warm-season grasses suggests that it best be used for wildlife purposes. |
Pearl millet | Adapted statewide. A summer annual that has no prussic acid potential. Best used as pasture. |
Side-oats grama | Adapted statewide on soils that are at least moderately well drained. Lower yield potential as compared to tall growing perennial warm-season grasses suggests that it best be used for wildlife purposes. |
Switchgrass | Adapted statewide. Able to grow on wetter sites than big bluestem or switchgrass. In general, earlier to mature than big bluestem and indiangrass. |
Triticale | A man-made cross between wheat and rye. Adapted to soils capable of producing wheat or rye. Similar uses as other small grains used for forage purposes. |
Recommended Forage Legumes | |
Hairy vetch | A winter-annual legume that has uses as a cover crop and an organic source of nitrogen. Best utility is in southern IN because of longer growing season. |
Field peas | Used in combination with spring oats or spring triticale as a companion crop with perennial forage crop seeding. High cost warrants careful evaluation of cost:benefit ratio. |
Recommended Forbs | |
Forage turnips | Adapted statewide. Excellent doublecrop to consider that has very high-energy value. |
Experimental Forage Grasses | |
Annual ryegrass | Adapted to soils that are at least moderately well drained. Not as winterhardy as winter wheat, but has worked well as a potential cover crop and early spring pasture. |
Eastern gamagrass | Adapted statewide. Originally found in areas subject to flooding and wetter environments. A very high quality perennial grass that is best used for pasture. |
Meadow bromegrass | Has performed well in a producer's forage evaluation plots in Ripley County, IN. Appears to have potential in a rotational stocking program. |
Experimental Forage Legumes | |
Kura clover | Has good persistence once established as it is rhizomatous, but its vigor during establishment is a weakness. |
Not Recommended Forage Grasses | |
Johnsongrass | Once considered a warm-season perennial grass forage, its aggressive growth habit caused it to be classified as a prohibited noxious weed. |
Quackgrass | Once considered a cool-season perennial grass forage, its aggressive growth habit caused it to be classified as a prohibited noxious weed. |
Not Recommended Forage Legumes | |
Kudzu | Its aggressive nature in the southeastern USA suggests that it should not be utilized as a forage. |
The Forage listing was compiled and written by Dr. Keith Johnson, Professor of Agronomy and Forage Crops, Purdue University, © 1998. Questions related to these crops should be addressed to Keith Johnson at johnsonk@purdue.edu
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