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L161— 0-1096

ROMEGRASS

nd Bromegrass Mixtures

•*

CULTURE

AND

UTILIZATION

University of Illinois Agricultural Experiment Station

476

BULLETIN No. 496

[June,

TABLE 1. — FORAGE YIELDS WHEN BROMEGRASS WAS SEEDED ALONE AND WHEN

SEEDED WITH ALFALFA, ALHAMBRA EXPERIMENT FIELD, 1941 AND 1942

(Pounds per acre, oven-dry basis)

Cutting date	Bromegrass	Bromegrass- alfalfa	Cutting date	Bromegrass	Bromegrass- alfalfa
1941 May 22	408	2 292	1942 May 9	570	1 166
July 10	471	1 654	July 30	1 062	2 554
	176	198	October IS	. . 922	1 714
October 17		1 187
December 4 ...	292	133
Total	1 347	5 464	Total	2 554	5 434

A good supply of available nitrogen is required for the best growth of bromegrass. Seedings made on soils low in nitrogen have frequently failed. The nitrogen needed may be secured from legumes, manure, or fertilizers.

An illustration of how the total forage yield is increased by grow- ing a legume with bromegrass has been shown on the Alhambra experi- ment field in southwestern Illinois (Table 1). Two four-acre fields were seeded in 1939, one with bromegrass alone and the other with a mixture of bromegrass and alfalfa. Bromegrass made a good stand on both fields, but where it was seeded alone the plants were small and unthrifty. Where alfalfa was added, the bromegrass plants were large and productive.

Bromegrass Is Long -Lived

When sowed on fertile soil and managed well, bromegrass is long- lived. Evidence of this was obtained on pastures of the Illinois Station

TABLE 2. — PERSISTENCE OF BROMEGRASS IN A MIXED SEEDING (Mixture was seeded at Urbana in April, 1933, and area used continuously as a pasture after May, 1934)

Sampling date

Bromegrass

(40 percent in seeding)

Kentucky bluegrass (27 percent in seeding)

Red top White clover

(20 percent (13 percent in seeding) in seeding)

Percentage of each kind of plant surviving

July 8, 1936. . .	89 8	8 7	1 36
April 19, 1938	60 2	38 5	' 1 00
April 19. 1939	65 3	32 9	1 .80
August 21. 1939	57.1	42.9	Trace
October 16, 1940	50 0	49 0	Trace
November 3, 1941...	52.8	46.6	Trace

1943] BROMEGRASS AND BROMEGRASS MIXTURES 477

at Urbana over a period of six years. One field, seeded in 1933 with a mixture containing 40 percent bromegrass, 27 percent Kentucky blue- grass, 20 percent redtop, and 13 percent white clover, was used con- tinuously as a pasture since 1934. In November, 1941, it contained 52.8 percent bromegrass and 46.6 percent Kentucky bluegrass (Table 2). The proportion of bromegrass was slightly larger than in 1940, probably because of seasonal variation, but it had remained fairly con- stant since 1938.

GROWING PRACTICES

Seedbed Preparation

Bromegrass and an alfalfa-bromegrass mixture require a good firm, clean seedbed. Bromegrass is slow in getting started, and the seedlings do not compete well with weeds or other grass already established. Spring-seeded bromegrass does not begin to produce underground stems (rhizomes) until late in the fall.

The same fertilizer and lime applications that are needed when alfalfa is seeded alone should be used when alfalfa is seeded with bromegrass. A nitrogenous fertilizer is not required, since the alfalfa provides ample nitrogen. When bromegrass is seeded alone, it requires fertile soil containing a good supply of organic matter.

The best way to prepare the seedbed is to go over the field with a corrugated roller after plowing and harrowing. The shallow furrows made by the roller are excellent for holding broadcasted seed.

Time and Rate of Seeding

When bromegrass is seeded with alfalfa, time of seeding is de- termined by the local practice with respect to alfalfa. Fall plantings, preferably before September 1, are favored in southern Illinois. A successful stand of the mixture, however, was obtained on the Alham- bra field in southwestern Illinois by sowing the bromegrass in the fall and the alfalfa early the following spring. Both fall and spring seedings of the mixture have done well in central Illinois, but fall seedings have been exceptionally free of annual weeds, which frequently infest spring plantings. In northern Illinois the brome-alfalfa mixture should be spring-seeded.

When bromegrass is used alone, early fall seedings are best. This is true in all parts of the state. After the plants are up, they seem to be hardy enough to withstand low temperatures.

The best seeding rate depends on the way the crop is to be used.

A fall seeding of bromegrass-alfalfa the following July. This 17-acre field is being allowed to recover after having been grazed in the spring by 90 head of beef cattle, most of which were mature. The field was pastured again in the fall.

When wanted mainly for seed, bromegrass planted alone should be sowed at the rate of about 12 to 18 pounds an acre; when it is to be used for hay or pasture, 15 to 20 pounds is the best rate. Alfalfa and bromegrass in a mixture should be seeded in a ratio of 2 parts alfalfa to 3 parts bromegrass. Six pounds of alfalfa and 9 pounds of brome- grass or 8 pounds of alfalfa and 12 pounds of bromegrass an acre have proved satisfactory under Illinois conditions for either pasture, hay, or seed.

Methods of Seeding

Bromegrass is hard to seed with a grain drill because the seed is light-weight even tho it is large. Usually the seed is broadcast by hand. If this is done on a quiet day, a uniform stand can be obtained. An- other method is to mix oats or cracked corn with brome seed in the proportion of 15 pounds of brome to 1 bushel of oats or cracked corn, setting the drill to seed 2 bushels. Care should be taken not to drill too deep. To adapt a small windmill or hand-type seeder to bromegrass, it is necessary to add an agitator to the rotating element. A fourth method, used where the grass is part of a mixture, is to seed thru an endgate seeder.

When bromegrass and alfalfa are seeded together, it is best to broadcast the brome on a well -prepared seedbed; then follow with a drill, seeding the alfalfa from the grass-seeder attachment. The drill covers the brome seed uniformly.

1943] BROMEGRASS AND BROMEGRASS MIXTURES 479

When bromegrass is sowed alone or when alfalfa is not seeded with a drill, it is necessary to cover the brome seed or it will be carried away by a heavy wind or rain. A cross rolling with the corrugated roller will cover the seed, or a harrow can be used.

Care After Seeding

Either bromegrass or a bromegrass -alfalfa mixture should be per- mitted to become well established before being pastured. Spring seed- ings should not be grazed the same season. Fall seedings can be pas- tured lightly the next year. When a nurse crop is used, it should be pastured off or, preferably, cut for hay in late May or early June.

Where spring seedings of bromegrass are made without a nurse crop, the weeds can be cut without injuring the grass if the mower is set for high cutting. When the brome is fall-seeded, little mowing is ordinarily required to control weeds during the following year.

Good Pasture Management Important

It is best to pasture a mixture of bromegrass and alfalfa in such a way that considerable top growth remains during most of the season. The grass and alfalfa do not lose much of their palatability even if they are not grazed early in the spring. Naturally there is a period following flowering in which both plants become slightly less palatable, but this is of no consequence. They stay green and are much more palatable than other pasturage during the summer.

If the mixture is grazed closely, the crowns of the alfalfa will be destroyed and this plant killed off. Pasturing no shorter than 4 or 5 inches allows the stand to remain in good condition.

Experimental pastures at Urbana, which were seeded in 1933 with 40 percent bromegrass and a mixture of Kentucky bluegrass, redtop, and white clover, have been so managed that a good top growth still remains. As already stated, these pastures have been used since 1934 and still contain over 50 percent of bromegrass. Pure stands of brome- grass, however, become "sodbound," in time. Since this condition is not found in mixtures with alfalfa, it is assumed that the nitrogen fur- nished by the alfalfa plants prevents it.

On plots at Urbana, which were seeded in 1939 and pastured con- tinuously by 10 to 15 sheep an acre during the seasons of 1940 and 1941, no change in the percentage of alfalfa and bromegrass was evi- dent. Where the pasture was stocked with fewer sheep, there has been a noticeable decline in the percentage of alfalfa.

480 BULLETIN No. 496

Bromegrass for Hay

Altho bromegrass and a bromegrass- alfalfa mixture are used mainly for pasture, both make excellent hay. They should be cut when the alfalfa is at the proper stage. Following a short recovery period, the field can again be pastured. A second cutting of hay will consist chiefly of alfalfa. Yields will vary, but 2 to 3 tons of air-dry hay per acre of an alfalfa-bromegrass mixture is not uncommon. The hay is leafy and compares very favorably with other high-quality hays.

Seed Production

With the increased plantings of bromegrass there has been a greater demand for seed. When grown for seed, bromegrass can be sowed either alone or with alfalfa and the aftermath used as hay or pasture. The seed heads of the bromegrass grow above the alfalfa and can easily be harvested with a small combine set high. Pure stands can be cut with either the combine or the binder. Bundles of bromegrass are handled by the grain separator in much the same manner as those of small grain except that fewer concave teeth are used and the air blast is usually shut off completely and the seed run onto a tarpaulin spread under the machine. The seed must, of course, be cleaned since con- siderable stem and leaf material comes thru with it.

Yields of seed from experimental plots at Urbana over a period of three years have varied from 250 to 400 pounds an acre. One grower in southern Illinois has obtained as much as 700 pounds an acre.

Where the crop is being grown for seed, special effort should be made to keep down weeds. In Illinois, soft chess (Bromus mollus), an annual weed -like form of bromegrass, and curled dock are most often found in the seed. Since soft -chess seed is difficult to separate, the plants should be destroyed before harvest. It is better to cut out curled dock, but most of the dock seed can be removed by a cleaning machine.

Alfalfa Best Legume for Brome Mixture

Mixtures of bromegrass and alfalfa have provided very good pas- ture for cattle and sheep at the Illinois Station and elsewhere. The Michigan Station demonstrated striking possibilities for this mixture in that state.1 The Nebraska Station reports similar experience, par- ticularly when the bromegrass was seeded with alfalfa or sweet clover.1 Agronomists at the Wisconsin Station have confirmed these findings.

'Michigan Agr. Exp. Sta. Cir. Bui. 189. 1939. 'Nebraska Agr. Exp. Sta. Cir. 68. 1941.

1943]

BROMEGRASS AND BROMEGRASS MIXTURES

481

Bromegrass can be grown wherever alfalfa can be successfully pro- duced. One grower in south -central Illinois has reported outstanding results on relatively poor soil by using limestone and sweet clover before seeding a mixture of alfalfa and bromegrass. In 1941 he harvested 350 pounds of brome seed and li/i tons of high-quality hay per acre. In addition, the aftermath furnished excellent pasture for about two months.

Sweet clover is frequently used with bromegrass. This mixture has a high carrying capacity, but the brome is apt to be overgrazed because it is more palatable than the clover. Also sweet clover must be reseeded every other year. Alfalfa and bromegrass, however, are equally pala- table and therefore grazed equally. Red clover is too short-lived to use with bromegrass; hence it fits better in a short pasture rotation. For two- or three -year rotations red clover and Ladino clover (Trifolium re pens L.) seeded with bromegrass deserve more extensive use, accord- ing to some preliminary tests at this Station.

EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS

Effect of Rainfall on Yields of Bromegrass

Altho bromegrass is drouth -resistant and heat-resistant, it grows very slowly during dry, hot weather, such as is common in Illinois dur- ing the summer months. The livestock grazing on it then are maintained mostly by the growth carried over from spring and early summer. With the return of cool weather in the late summer or early fall, bromegrass sends out new shoots but the growth is not so heavy as in the spring.

Some idea of the effect of rainfall on bromegrass yields on a 5-acre pasture during 1935-1940 is shown in Table 3. Weekly rainfall

TABLE 3. — BROMEGRASS YIELDS IN Six DIFFERENT SEASONS, SHOWING EFFECT OF

RAINFALL, URBANA, 1935-1940 (Bromegrass was seeded alone on a 5-acre tract: yields are on oven-dry basis)

Grazing season

Rainfall April 1 Forage per to October 31 acre

1935...	inches 25.51	Ib. 10 400
1936 . .	... ... 21 62	4 710
1937	25 . 89	7 066
1938	28.17	8 943
1939	23 72	4 796
1940...	19.69	5 127

482 BULLETIN No. 496 [June,

and the amounts of forage taken from this same pasture at different times during the season are indicated in Tables 4 and 5.

In 1935 and 1938 rainfall was ample and well distributed thruout most of the growing season and yields were high. On the other hand, 1936 was abnormally dry and hot and this is reflected in low yields. The season of 1939 was marked by a dry period during the spring and again in late summer, which reduced forage yields and retarded plant recovery during the fall. Both the amount of rainfall and its distri- bution affect forage yields.

In most years a large part of the growth on this pasture took place before August 1. Forage consumed after this date was for the most part the excess produced during the early period of rapid growth. That there was little growth in the fall is shown by the samples cut late in 1937, 1938, and 1940.

Consumption in the different seasons varied somewhat, sheep being used in some seasons and beef cattle in others. During 1937 and 1939, when sheep were pastured, not all available forage was eaten.

TABLE 4. — WEEKLY RAINFALL AT URBANA DURING THE

GRAZING SEASONS 1935-1940

(Inches)

1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940

April 1-8...	1.10	1.56	2.34	2.92	.70	.82
April 9-15	80	.06	.61		2.90	1.04
April 16-23	23	.25	1.49	.14	1.72	1.27
April 24-30	74	2.30	.96	.36	.07	.83
May 1-8...	. 3.60	1.42	1.36	.40	.26	1.50
May 9-15	1.58	.46	.01	.64	.06	.55
May 16-23	1.01	1.00	1.22	3.08	.56	1.31
May 24-31	74	1.06		.85	.31	1.17
June 1-8	.31	.26	3.13	.64	.47	1.43
June 9-15	13	.09	.82	1.60	3.61	1.40
June 16-23	2.39	.01	.60		1.19	.63
June 24-30	81	.11	.88	3.43	.90	1.58
July 1-8. .	1.72		.10	1.36	.99
July 9-15	84	.43	1.59	.10		.80
July 16-23	64	.10		2.46	.74	.02
July 24-31	92	.82	.74	2.53		.13
August 1-8	1.30	.56	.19	1.77	1.43	.29
August 9-15	80	1.58	.44	.11	1.06	.33
August 16-23	20	.48	.17	1.55	3.89	.52
August 24-31	06	.92		.85		1.66
September 1-8	1.11	.77		.05	.04
September 9-15	1.11	1.38	3.12	.24		.48
September 16-23	01	.07		.59	.11
September 24-30	1.71	3.61	2.22		.17
October 1-8. .	.04	.48	.82		.93	.99
October 9-15	44	.86	.33	.71	1.16	.42
October 16-23	37	.99	2.77	1.79
October 24-31	80	1.16			.45	.52
Total	. 25.51	21.62	25.89	28.17	23.72	19.69

1943]

BROMEGRASS AND BROMEGRASS MIXTURES

483

TABLE 5. — GRAZING TEST WITH BROMEGRASS SEEDED ALONE

URBANA, 1935-1940»

(Forage is on oven-dry basis; sheep and beef cattle were pastured on this 5-acre plot)

Period	Yields per acreb	Extent of pasturing	Animal gainsb
Total	Con- sumed	Residual	Days on pas- ture	Animal unit days0 per acre	Number of livestock	Total	Per acre	Per acre per day
1935 May 6-23	Ib. 4 290 2 900 1 584 1 327 299 10 400 3 877 -468 844 457 4 710 4 312 914 1 717 184 133 -194 7 066 3 055 828 2 186 2 143 425	Ib. 985 2 275 1 665 2 788 2 196 9 909 302 1 428 1 433 1 233 4 396 1 976 596 1 645 0 0 1 355 5 572 1 171 1 851 1 843 1 614 1 222	Ib. 3 304 3 929 3 848 2 387 490	18 28 28 42 24 140 28 28 29 27 112 34 22 28 0 0 18 102 28 28 28 28 28 12 16 14 182 26 30 28 28 42 19 173 26 26 28 14 28 42 28 192	14.4 22.4 22.4 33.6 19.2 112.0 28.0 28.0 29.0 27.0 112.0 68.0 44.0 56.0 42^6 210.0 24.0 24.0 36.0 36.0 36.0 15.3 17.0 14.8 203.1 26.0 30.0 28.0 28.0 50.4 22.8 183.2 19.5 33.8 29.8 11.2 14.8 22.4 14.8 148.3	8 steers 8 steers 8 steers 8 steers 8 steers	Ib. 663 560 90 240 30 1 583 860 310 0 170 1 340	Ib. 133 112 18 48 6 317 172 62 0 34 268	Ib. 7.37 4.00 .64 1.14 .25 6.14 2.21 0 1.26
May 24- June 20.. June21-July 18.. July 19-Aug. 29.. Aug. 30-Sept. 23.. Total
1936 May 26-June 22.. June 23-July 20.. July 21-Aug. 18.. Aug. 19-Sept. 15.. Total	3 575 1 679 1 090 314	10 heifers 10 heifers 10 heifers 10 heifers
1937 May 6-June 7 June 8-June 30. .. July 1-July 28. .. July 28-Aug. 15.. Aug. 16-Oct. 29.. Oct. 30-Nov. 17.. Total	2 335 2 651 2 72j 2 499 2 007 458	39 ewes 42 lambs 39 ewes 42 lambs 39 ewes 42 lambs 0 0 30 calves
722 365	144 73	7.91 2.11

2 530 3 617 448 285 91 195 30 5 25 28 1 107 171 196 184 169	506 723 90 57 18 39 6 1 5 6 222 34 39 37 34	36.14 3.20 2.03 .65 1.39 .21 .08 .31 .40 1.31 1.31 1.31 1.21
1938 Apr. 14-May 11.. May 12-June 8... June 9-July 6. ... July 7-Aug. 3. ... Aug. 4- Aug. 30... Sept. 1-Sept. 12. .	986 1 885 852 1 194 2 649	30 sheep 30 sheep 45 sheep 45 sheep 45 sheep 45 sheep 37 sheep 37 sheep
Sept. 13-Sept. 28 Sept. 29-Oct. 13.. Total	355 - 49 8 943 1 955 426 526 139 1 249 501 4 796 1 612 2 608 - 37 202 405 435 - 98 5 127	583 390 8 674 461 583 149 543 1 577 -200 3 113 842 1 959 176 373 748 766 29 4 893	698 258
1939 May 1-May 26. . . May 27-June 26.. June27-July 24.. July 25-Aug. 21.. Aug. 22-Oct. 2... Oct. 3-Oct. 21.... Total	1 494 1 337 1 714 1 310 982 1 683 770 1 419 1 206 75 190 58 199	5 steers 5 steers 5 steers 5 steers 42 sheep 42 sheep

720 254 731 110 50 20 380 -110 1 435	144 51 146 22 10 4 76 -22 331	2.54 5.74 .78 .72 .14 1.81 -.78
1940 April 24-May 19.. May 20-June 14.. June 15-July 12.. Julyl3-July26... July 27-Aug. 23.. Aug. 24-Oct. 4. . . Oct. 5-Nov. 1 Total	6 steers 10 steers 8 steers 6 steers 4 steers 4 steers 4 steers

•The field was seeded in 1933. It was pastured in 1934, but no data were obtained then. ''Negative results ( — ) were due to the method of random sampling used. cAn animal unit day equals one day's grazing for either one mature cow, one 1,000-pound steer or heifer, seven mature sheep, or ten lambs.

484

BULLETIN No. 496

[June,

Bromegrass as a Permanent Pasture

High forage yields and good gains were made by both cattle and sheep on the 5-acre experimental pasture during 1935-1940 (Table 5). In fact, few pasture forages are capable of producing such consistent gains for such a long time. Beef cattle were the chief grazing animals in 1935, 1936, 1939, and 1940. Sheep were used mainly in 1937 and 1938.

Annual production of forage during the six -year period was excep- tionally high and was not exceeded by any other experimental pasture at Urbana during the same six -year period. Production fluctuated, however, according to the amount of rainfall, varying from 4,710 pounds in 1936, a year of abnormal heat and drouth, to 10,400 pounds in 1935, when rainfall was ample and well distributed.

Animal gains were good in all seasons, but they were exceptionally high in 1935 and 1937. During the fall of 1937 thirty Texas calves gained as much as 506 pounds an acre on this pasture in 18 days. Total acre gains during the grazing season ranged from 144 pounds made by beef cattle in 1939 to 723 pounds made by sheep and beef cattle in 1937.

Bromegrass nearing maturity. This is a portion of the 5-acre experimental bromegrass pasture (Table 5) when it was in its fifth year and was being grazed by 45 sheep. (Picture was taken June 13, 1938.)

1943}

BROMEGRASS AND BROMEGRASS MIXTURES

485

No matter whether sheep or beef cattle were used as experimental animals, few differences occurred in any season in the amount of forage needed to produce a given amount of gain. Sheep are more selective than cattle, but when the pasture is short, the sheep eat what- ever growth is available.

Bromegrass and Other Grasses and Grass Mixtures Compared

The quantity of forage produced by a bromegrass- alfalfa mixture is about the same as that obtained from alfalfa seeded alone. Manage- ment is an important factor in maintaining continuous yields from the mixed pasture, particularly where the ratio of alfalfa is low. Where this is the case, the alfalfa tends to die out rather quickly because the livestock graze it closely and on good soil the root system of brome- grass offers it strong competition.

In the spring of 1936 a bromegrass and an orchard -grass mixture were each seeded on 10 acres at Urbana. Both mixtures contained alfalfa, red clover, timothy, redtop, and Kentucky bluegrass. The bromegrass and alfalfa were sowed in the ratio of about 2 to 1. Hay was cut in 1937. Hereford steers and heifers were pastured on both fields in 1938, 1939, and 1940. In both 1939 and 1940 the weather was dry during July, August, and September.

In 1940 the percentage of alfalfa remaining in the bromegrass mixture was negligible. Close grazing during the dry periods was appar- ently the principal factor in eliminating it. The forage yields and animal gains from the bromegrass mixture, however, were higher than from the orchard -grass mixture (Table 6). Yields of both grasses were in- fluenced by seasonal rainfall. The 1938 production of 8,383 pounds of

TABLE 6. — GRAZING TESTS WITH BROMEGRASS AND ORCHARD-GRASS MIXTURES,

URBANA, 1938-1940 (Forage is given on oven-dry basis ; sheep and beef cattle were pastured)

Grazing season	Forage yields per acre	Forage consumed per acre	Animal gains per acre
Bromegrass ^ra^	Bromegrass mixture	mixture	Bromegrass mixture	mixture
1938	Ib. 8 383 4 598 4 386 5 789	Ib. 5 582 3 284 2 243 3 703	Ib. 8 328 4 394 . 4 364 5 695	Ib. 5 489 3 277 2 209 3 658	Ib. 342 216 220 259	Ib. 245 169 180 198
1939
1940
Average

486 BULLETIN No. 496 [June,

TABLE 7. — GRAZING TESTS WITH KENTUCKY BLUEGRASS AND BROMEGRASS SEEDED ALONE, URBANA, 1935-1940

(Forage is given on oven-dry basis; sheep and beef cattle were pastured)

Grazing season Yield per Days Animal gains

acre pastured per acre

Kentucky bluegrass

1935	Ib. 3 779	109	Ib. 84
1936	1 572	84	170
1937	3 578	94	269»
1938	3 761	202	160
1939	2 285	180	137
1940	3 116	188	162
	3 030	143	164

Bromegrass

1935 10400 140 317

1936 4710 112 268

1937 7066 101 723*

1938 8943 182 222

1939 4796 162 144

1940 5127 188 331

Average 6840 148 334

'Includes gains made by western calves placed on pasture in November.

forage an acre from the bromegrass mixture and 5,582 pounds from the orchard-grass mixture was about 80 percent higher than the yields in the drier seasons of 1939 and 1940.

On the experimental plot at Urbana bromegrass yielded more pas- ture forage and supported larger animal gains than Kentucky bluegrass when each was seeded alone (Table 7). Kentucky bluegrass has many good points, however, which will continue to make it one of our better grasses for pastures and general purposes. It is persistent and aggres- sive, forming strong, uniform turf, and it furnishes good palatable forage during the early part of the season. Since the experimental pasture is of average fertility, yields of Kentucky bluegrass obtained on it are comparable to those ordinarily secured from Illinois pastures.

Comparison of Alfalfa, Bromegrass, and Orchard -Grass Pastures for Sheep

During 1939-1941 a series of small pastures were tested for forage yields, animal gains, and number of days of pasture they supplied for sheep. In the fall of 1937 and the spring of 1938 one of these pasture plots had been seeded to each of the following: alfalfa, alfalfa -brome- grass, bromegrass, orchard -grass -alfalfa, and orchard grass. Good

1943} BROMEGRASS AND BROMEGRASS MIXTURES 487

stands were obtained on all plots. In 1939 the plots were fenced and then stocked with yearling ewes at the rate of 10 to the acre. During each grazing season animal weights and forage yields were taken at monthly intervals. The animals were taken off the plots whenever the pasture became too short but they were replaced as soon as forage was available for them. In 1940 an infestation of soft chess made it necessary to clip the bromegrass plot, which drastically reduced both its yield and carrying capacity not only in that season but also in the following year.

The average annual yields of forage on the alfalfa and the alfalfa- bromegrass pastures were about the same (Table 8). The alfalfa- orchard-grass mixture produced about 1,300 pounds less forage per acre than the alfalfa and alfalfa -bromegrass mixture. The most strik- ing difference in yield in this group of plots was between those con- taining alfalfa, either alone or in mixture, and the plots seeded only to bromegrass or to orchard grass. The average annual yield of alfalfa was 8,680 pounds an acre when seeded alone, 8,527 pounds seeded with bromegrass, and 7,300 pounds seeded with orchard grass ; whereas the average annual yield of bromegrass seeded alone was 4,315 pounds

TABLE 8. — GRAZING TESTS WITH ALFALFA, BROMEGRASS, AND ORCHARD GRASS

SEEDED ALONE AND IN MIXTURES, URBANA, 1939-1941 (Forage is given on oven-dry basis; sheep were pastured)

Alfalfa- Alfalfa- Orchard

Grazing season Alfalfa bromegrass Bromegrass orchard-grass

mixture mixture

Forage yield per acre

1939	Ib. 8 802	Ib. 9 135	Ib. 6 444	Ib. 9 142	Ib. 4 990
1940	6 108	6 177	2 194	4 797	2 593
1941	11 130	10 270	4 306	7 961	2 194
Average	. . 8 680	8 527	4 315	7 300	3 259

Gains per acre made by sheep

1939...	Ib. 420	Ib. 311	Ib. 194	Ib. 302	Ib. 145
1940	310	330	130	202	162
1941	225	128	117	128	77
Average	318	256	147	211	128

Sheep pasture days per acre

1939 1 300 1 400 1 400 1 400 1 400

1940 1570 1330 705 1265 880

1941 1 820 2 120 1 500 1 820 620

Average 1 563 1617 1 202 1 495 967

488 BULLETIN No. 496 [June,

an acre and that of orchard grass alone, 3,259 pounds. The much higher yields obtained when alfalfa was seeded with bromegrass and orchard grass show the advantage of using a legume in a grass mixture. Alfalfa seeded alone produced a large amount of forage, indicating the ability of this plant to yield high ; but at the end of the 1941 graz- ing season the percentage of alfalfa in the stand had declined and it was being replaced by Kentucky bluegrass.

Gains made by sheep on this group of plots followed a pattern similar to that for forage yields. The highest gains were made on the plots containing alfalfa. Alfalfa seeded alone supported an annual gain of 318 pounds an acre; the alfalfa-bromegrass mixture, 256 pounds; and the alfalfa-orchard-grass mixture, 211 pounds. Bromegrass seeded alone supported annual gains of 147 pounds an acre; and orchard grass alone, 128 pounds. These figures again reflect the advantage of using a legume with grass in pasture mixtures. The larger gains made by the sheep on the plots with alfalfa were possible not only because of the larger yields of forage on these plots, but also because the alfalfa increased the nutritive value of the forage.

The total number of pasture days per acre supplied by each kind of forage was in general consistent with the forage yields and animal gains.

Chemical Composition of Different Pasture Forages

The chemical composition of a forage crop, as expressed in terms of protein, calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium, is generally con- sidered to be closely related to its palatability. Many forages like Ken- tucky bluegrass are nutritious and palatable only during the spring and late fall. Other forages like alfalfa and bromegrass are palatable and have a high feeding value during the greater part of the season. Tim- othy also has a relatively high feeding value and is palatable, but it is not comparable to bromegrass.

Alfalfa and bromegrass, either of which has many desirable quali- ties when seeded alone, make a very good combination from the stand- point of feed value as well as ability for growth. Undoubtedly the alfalfa, by adding nitrogen to the soil, enables the bromegrass to pro- duce more nutritious and palatable forage. By lessening the danger for cattle and sheep to bloat, as sometimes happens when they graze on legumes alone, bromegrass has done much to bring about the use of alfalfa as a pasture.

Chemical analysis revealed two outstanding facts about alfalfa, the bromegrass -alfalfa mixture, bromegrass, the orchard -grass -alfalfa

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TABLE 9. — CHEMICAL CONTENT OF FORAGE FROM ALFALFA, BROMEGRASS, AND ORCHARD GRASS SEEDED ALONE AND IN MIXTURES, URBANA, 1940

Sampling date

Protein

Calcium Phosphorus Magnesium

Alfalfa alone

Percl. perct.

May 3 24.44 1.28

June 17 23.13 1.22

July 6 22.00 1.12

August 13 18.31 1.16

September 19 17.19 .681

October 10 17.38 .940

Average 20.41 1.067

Bromegrass-alfalfa mixture

May 3... 17.94 .841

June 17 23.56 1.05

July 6 14.63 .559

August 13 14.13 .778

September 19 20.56 1.39

October 10 16.25 .844

Average 17.85 .910

Bromegrass alone

May 3... 16.88 .341

June 17 11.56 .272

September 19 11.69 .793

October 10 12.69 .736

Average 13.21 .536

Orchard-grass-alfalfa mixture

May 3... 18.69 .949

June 17 14.80 .494

July 6 13.19 .949

August 13 13.52 .832

September 19 19.00 1.12

October 10 17.50 .681

Average 16.12 .837

Orchard grass alone

May 3... 16.81 .423

June 1 8.56 .194

July 6 6.81 .346

September 19 10.19 .552

October 10 13.69 .624

Average 11.21 .430

perct. .376 .441 .335 .260 .209 .297 .319

perct. .210 .321 .303 .273 .271 .635 .335

.360 .508 .342 .266 .237 .256 .328

.155 .326 .242 .261 .324 .387 .283

.353 .190 .245 .275 .266

.116 .147 .294 .276 .208

.351 .444 .332 .258 .236 .280 .317

.206 .312 .304 .340 .372 .346 .313

.368 .371 .301 .351 .183 .315

.174 .147 .257 .306 .327 .242

mixture, and orchard grass. First, the protein content of the alfalfa and of the alfalfa -and -grass mixtures was much higher than that of the grasses alone (Table 9). Second, the calcium content of the alfalfa and the alfalfa- grass mixtures was very high. The percentage of mag- nesium was also higher when alfalfa was present, but the difference was not so pronounced. The bromegrass showed a higher protein content than the orchard grass, the seasonal average for the bromegrass being

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13.21 percent and that for the orchard grass 11.21 percent. No signifi- cant difference in phosphorus content was evident between the different pasture forages.

The protein content of a forage is a fair indication of its palata- bility, and palatability and animal gains are closely related. Protein content is generally highest during the early part of the grazing period, when the forage is most succulent. Consumption is also high during this time, showing that palatability, amount of forage consumed, and animal gains are closely related to the protein content. Since both alfalfa and bromegrass remain green and succulent for a longer time than orchard grass, they provide for a larger nutritive intake. This was brought out in the experiment with sheep on the different pasture plots (TableS).

Strains of Bromegrass

Bromegrass is normally a cross-pollinated plant, with the result that many strains have evolved. In regions where it has been grown for

Improving bromegrass thru breeding. Individual strains of brome are covered with sacks to keep them from crossing. Selections are then made from the best plant types and these are crossed to produce better strains.

many years, distinct types are found that are larger, leafier, or pro- duce more seed than others. A Canadian strain known as Parkland has been selected for its habit of growing in bunches, which is considered an advantage when used in mixtures.

Illinois plant breeders have tested a number of strains over a period of years, and these experiments are being continued. Altho no conclusions can be drawn as yet, there is some indication that southern

1943] BROMEGRASS AND BROMEGRASS MIXTI-KKS 491

strains of seed, particularly from Kansas and Nebraska, are best adapted to southern Illinois and they have been found to thrive in northern areas also. Seed from Montana, Minnesota, and Canada is especially adapted to northern and north -central Illinois but not to the southern part of the state.

Summary and Conclusions

Yields and general performance of smooth bromegrass have been studied during a period of ten years by the Illinois Station. Tests were made at Urbana in eastern Illinois, at Alhambra in southwestern Illi- nois, and at Dixon Springs in the extreme southern part of the state. Field observations were also made on a number of farms in central Illinois.

These tests and observations show that bromegrass is outstanding in hardiness, resistance to drouth and heat, palatability, and nutritious- ness. It also yields well and has a high degree of persistency as a pasture plant.

The excellent qualities of bromegrass are enhanced by seeding it in a mixture with alfalfa; but seeded either alone or in a mixture it produces good gains on cattle and sheep.

Bromegrass requires fertile soil and yields best where it is seeded with a legume or where barnyard manure is plowed down previous to seeding. On soils of relatively low fertility it has not been productive.

The pasture season can be lengthened as much as four to six weeks by using a mixture consisting mainly of bromegrass. Good management will carry a good growth thru the entire season from May to mid- October.

Yields of forage from bromegrass have been consistently high ; and chemical analyses, as well as animal gains, show that it is nutritious. A mixture of bromegrass and alfalfa nearly equals alfalfa in protein and mineral content.

Tests comparing bromegrass, Kentucky bluegrass, and orchard grass show that bromegrass produces the most forage, makes possible the largest livestock gains, and provides for the longest period of grazing, doing away with some of the need for supplementary pastures or summer feeding.

BROMEGRASS is bound to become an impor- tant forage crop in Illinois. It is a nutritious, hardy, long-lived perennial, and makes an excellent pas- ture when seeded with alfalfa.

Brome is not difficult to grow. Any soil that will give good yields of alfalfa is suitable. A firm, clean seedbed is the first requirement. Seed is sowed in late August or early in the spring. Because it is lightweight it is usually broadcast by hand, then covered by a light harrowing or rolling. If sowed with a drill, it is mixed with oats or cracked corn. When seeded with alfalfa, the bromegrass is generally broadcast and the alfalfa drilled on top of it.

Until a stand is well established it should not be pastured. Once it has a start, it is not hard to maintain. For best results the stand should be kept grazed down to a height of 4 to 6 inches and a good top growth left on the field most of the season. Under good management a good growth of brome can be counted on for the entire season.

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