TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION R. D. LEWIS, Director, College Station, Texas Jlelin 7.29 ficlafia I950 Rapid, Low-Cosi- Conversion From Rice To Improved Pasi-ures James B. Moncrief and Ralph M. Weihing Rice-Pasture Experiment Station, Beaumont, Texas LIBRARY K & M in cooperation with the UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE The TEXAS AGRICULTURAL AND MECHANICAL COLLEGE SYSTEM GIBB GILCHRIST, Chancellor [Blank Page in Original Bulletin] Digest The following conclusions are based on a 3-year study by the Rice-Pasture Experiment Station at Beaumont of Broadcast seeding of clovers and grasses, without seedbed preparation, in standing rice at last drainin-g about 10 days before harvest or in stubble after harvest. Satisfactory stands of adapted grasses and legumes were obtained under either condition. ' Clovers should be seeded between October 15 and December 15. Seeding earlier than Octover 15 resulted in poor stands in 2 of the 3 years. Earlier grazing can be had from October 15 seeding than from later seedings. Oats and common rye grass should be seeded from mid- September to December; Dallis grass from mid-September to November. The most satisfactory dates of seeding Kentucky 31 or Alta fescue were the same as for clovers. Phosphate fertilizer is needed to establish the clovers. From 150 to 200 pounds per acre of 0-45-0 or 300 to 500 pounds per acre of 0-20-0 are needed on most rice land. In some cases, lime and potash are required. Inoculation of clover seed with the recommended inoculum before plainting is essential. Fields with average to better than average drainage should be used. The drains and levee ditches should be opened after the rice harvest to provide a free flow of water from the fields. For summer and some winter grazing, the following is suggested: Pounds per acre Date to plant Mixture of clovers: Lou- Dallis grass igLouisiana white clover '-:*:'wj»w¢.» u.“ isiana white, Persian and hop (Louisiana red and alsike may be added) 3-5 Oct. 15 to Dec. 15 Sept. 15 to Nov. 15 or March to May For winter grazing, the following is suggested: Pounds per acre Date to plant (o r a mixture o f _ clovers) 3-5 Oct. 15 to Dec. 15 Kentucky 31 or Alta fescue 10 Oct. 15 to Dec. 15 For clovers alone, the following is suggested: pounds per . acre, 5-10; date to plant, Oct. 15 to Dec. 15. C 0 N T E N T S Digest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1947 Seedings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1948 Seedlings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1949 Seedings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Forage for Early Grazing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. i Seeding Large Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. Seeding of Large Fields by Farmers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Acknowledgments . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 V2B-1150-6H_ BULLETIN 729 OCTOBER 1950 Rapid. Low-Cosi- Conversion From Rice To Improved Pas-lures JAMES B. MONCRIEF and RALPH M. WEIHING* N THE RICE-PASTURE system of farming of the Gulf Coast area of Texas, rice is grown from one to three consecutive years. Then for the next two to several years these fields are grazed by beef cattle as unimproved rice-stubble pastures. The vegetation consists of volunteer grasses and other plants. These fields seldom have been converted to improved pastures, be- cause the methods used were thought too costly and often resulted in failure to establish the grasses and legumes planted. Yet, improved pastures following rice are several times more productive than unimproved rice-stubble pastures. Experiments were started by the Rice-Pasture Experiment Station at Beaumont in 1947 to determine methods for quick, low-cost conversion from rice to improved pastures the fall of rice harvest. Broadcast seeding of grasses and legumes in rice before harvest and in rice stubble after combining seemed practical, because it would eliminate the preparation of a seedbed; it would allow establishment of the grasses and le- gumes in the fall before spring growth of volunteer grasses and weeds; and the existing levees and drains could be cleaned to provide drainage for the pastures. Because time of planting frequently is a major factor in the establishment of species, the grasses and legumes were seeded from July through February. Seedings were made in 1947, 1948 and 1949 on Beaumont clay and Lake Charles clay loam soil types under two con- ditions. One was in rice after last draining and about 10 days before harvest; the other was in rice stubble after harvest. A few plots were also seeded in 1947 in water before draining the fields for harvest. There was no seedbed preparation. Drainage of excess water from rains was through cleaned levee ditches and drainage ditches used for the rice crop. In most in- stances, 500 pounds per acre of 4-12-4 fertilizer were broadcast at the time of seeding. In other instances, 100 to 200 pounds per acre of 0-45-0 were broadcast. Rates of seeding in pounds per acre were: sweetclover, 15; red clover, 10; white clover, 3; Persian clover, 3; subterranean clover, 15; Lappa clover, 5; *Respectively junior agronomist and agronomist, Bureau of Plant In- dustry, Soils and Agricultural Engineering, U. S. Department of Agricul- ture, stationed at the Rice-Pasture Experiment Station, Beaumont, Texas. 6 BULLETIN 729, TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION Figure 1. Typical vegetation following rice. This area was in rice.‘ in 1949. The photograph was taken May 29, 1950. 5 crimson clover, 10; alsike clover, 3; Dallis grass, 8; tall fescu 15; common rye grass, 10; Harding grass, 5; rescue grass, 50; Bermuda grass, 3; and oats, 100. 1947 Seedings The following legumes and grasses were seeded in 1947: Hubam sweetclover, Evergreen sweetclover, Madrid sweetcloverj Louisiana red clover, Louisiana white clover, Ladino clover, Perj sian clover, Tallarook subterranean clover, Dixie crimson clover‘ Bermuda grass, Dallis grass and Alta fescue. They were broad‘ cast on the following dates: July 1O in rice before draining Aug. 12 in rice after last draining Aug. 28 in rice before draining Sept. 5 in rice after last draining Sept. 20 in stubble after harvest Oct. 1 in stubble after harvest Oct. 15 in rice after last draining Nov. 21 in stubble after harvest Dec. 23 in stubble after harvest. Good stands of legumes were obtained from seedings mad October 15 and November 21. Fair stands were obtained December 23 seedings. Stands were poor when seedings we. made between July 10 and October 1. Stands of Alta fescu and Dallis grass were satisfactory from seedings made Octob a 15 and November 21. l RAPID, LOW-COST CONVERSION FROM RICE TO IMPROVED PASTURES 7 There were good stands of Louisiana white, Persian, Louisiana ed, Tallarook subterranean and Dixie crimson clovers, and of lta fescue in the Winter of 1948-49. On May 13, 1949, nearly .years after the seeding of October 15, 1947, the following ields of hay in pounds per acre were obtained: Louisiana hite, 1,600; Persian, 3,120; and Dixie crimson, 1,520. 1948 Seedings The following legumes and grasses were broadcast seeded be- ween September 16 and December 3, 1948: Evergreen sweet- lover, Louisiana white clover, Louisiana red clover, Ladino “lover, Persian clover, Tallarook subterranean clover, Dixie Rrimson clover, alsike clover, Lappa clover, Dallis grass, Harding ass, Alta fescue, Texas rescue 46 grass, common rye grass ‘ind Ranger oats. Good stands of legumes were obtained from dings between October 22 and December 3. Stands from the rctober 5 seeding were fair, but stands from earlier seedings ere so poor that yields were not taken. Yields of the clovers pounds of hay per acre taken May 13 to 18, 1949, are reported i! Table 1. The best date to seed was October 22, but satis- tory stands were obtained through December 3 for Louisiana ff, Louisiana white, Ladino, Persian, alsike and Lappa clovers. pjuisiana white, Persian, Louisiana red and Lappa clovers con- istently gave the best stands. Stands of Evergreen sweetclover 51 the 1948 experiments were unsatisfactory. Oats (right) and common rye grass (left) broadcast Sep- tember 27, 1948 in rice drained that day. Photographed De- cember 10, 1948. The oats were 12 inches tall, the rye grass about 9 inches tall. Both were ready for grazing. BULLETIN 729, TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION ommm 33 83 2W3 comm 8? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . dmawd owmm 3mm owwm omHm owom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . évmwz omw oomH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . owvm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ASHES EEO omom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . omww omvm ow: QwErEE $2.8m . . . . . . . dwwnwbwpnsw Eoobwzwm. $5 3% $3 owwm 85 3S o» o» . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . fiasm . . . . . . . . . . MOOQ hOOQ . . . . ., . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .O§:vN1.s 05m 3mm 2mm omwm ommm 8E ooh. ooH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33? “.5225 3E ommm 8mm owmm comm 2a . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 msfifisoA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . QQQaW gQwhwhmwkwm m dQQ 2 .>oZ m .>oZ mm .30 m .30 om flaw m: ism m dmQ E936 |m .30 wfinnspw E wfimnspw E was mo? E mwwpo>< mwcmwwow mo www$>< wusmwwow .3 mwm~o>< $2 E Eawwww mopafl mfifi E wowoow E25? 50C £33 £72 ENE 6.8a Hon mwnsoa E awake» Ti A Qzwe fllygwm-Erirurggqay wflwr, L.‘ yo. ab‘? ,“,,<,,\ RAPID, LOW-COST CONVERSION FROM RICE TO IMPROVED PASTURES 9 __Figure 3. A mixture of Dallis grass and clovers. Photographed May 29, 1950. The Dallis grass was broadcast September 29, 1949 in rice at last draining. The ‘clover was broadcast in the stubble in November 1949. Twelve-inch rice stubble is ob- scured by grass and clover. ' ‘ ‘ The plots were mowed March 13 and May 16, 1950. Yields are shown in Table 2. Legumes returned in the fall and winter of 1949-50 in plots which had stands in the spring of 1949. a By March 13, there was an average of 1,100 pounds of hay lper acre. An additional 620 pounds were produced between March 13 and May 16. Sufficient seed was produced in the ‘ spring of 1950 to insure volunteering in the fall of 1950. Table 2. Dry forage in pounds per acre of clovers seeded in rice stubble in 1948 Harvested Harvested 1950 May 13-18 Total for Clovers 1949 March 13 May 16 2 years Louisiana red . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2740 1040 800 4580 1 Louisiana white . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2760 1180 280 4220 Ladino . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2580 820 1060 4460 Persian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 60 1400 560 4720 l Tallarook subterranean . . . . . . . 2020 1300 240 3560 » Dixie crimson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 860 1160 540 2560 Alsike . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2260 1040 1080 4380 Lappa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3360 840 340 4540 10 BULLETIN 729, TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION Figure 4. A mixture of Alta fescue and Louisiana White clover. Photo- graphed May 29, 1950. The Alta fescue and clovers were j broadcast December 3, 1948 in rice stubble. Seed yields of some of the best clover plots are reported in- Table 3. These plots were seeded December 3, 1948 and hare}? vested late in May 1949. Oats and common rye grass seeded from September 16 December 3 produced good stands. The early-seeded oats an, rye grass Were ready for grazing by early December. Alta fescue had good stands from seedings between October 20 an December 3. Poor results were obtained with Harding and Texa rescue 46 grasses. Dallis grass, seeded October 20, produce. \ a satisfactory stand. i Table. 3. Seed yields, May 1949, in pounds per acre, of clovers seeded " rice stubble December 3, 1948 * 4: Clovers Pounds of clel‘ ' seed per acre Louisiana red . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129 Louisiana White . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Persian. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Dixie crimson. . . . .' . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Lappa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301 RAPID, LOW-COST CONVERSION FROM RICE TO IMPROVED PASTURES 11 1949 Seedings The following grasses and legumes were seeded in 1949: Dallis grass, Alta fescue, Harding grass, Texas rescue 46 grass, common rye grass, Camellia oats, Evergreen sweetclover, Lou- isiana red clover, Louisiana white clover, Persian clover, Talla- rook subterranean clover, Dixie crimson clover, alsike clover and Lappa clover. The dates of seeding were the 1st and 15th of each month from September through December and the 1st of each month from January to March. The best stands of clovers were obtained from seedings made September 29 through December 16, or 2 Weeks earlier than in 1947 and 1948. There Was a fair stand from the January 3 seeding, but from the February 1 and March 1 seedings, the plots were too poor to harvest by May 16, 1950. Yields shown in Table 4, were highest from seedings in October. Considering the 3 years, the best time to seed clovers Was between October 15 and December 15. Dallis grass had satisfactory stands from seedings September 15 to November 15; Alta fescue from seedings October 15 to December 15; and common rye grass from seedings Sep- tember 15 to December 15. Water from heavy rains early in October caused poor stands in early-seeded oats, but seedings from October 15 to December 1 had good stands. Stands of Texas rescue 46 grass and of Harding grass were not satisfactory. Figure 5. Louisiana red clover broadcast October 14, 1949 in rice at last draining. Photographed May 29, 1950. The scale is in inches. i m l\ l T .A 1. s T N E M I R E P. x E L A R U T L U C I R G A S A x E T 9, 2 7 N I T E L L U B 12 3mm . . . . . . . $2 3i $5 25m OER 2E owwm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . RQQRA 8w . . . . . . . . 3a omm 3m Q3 omfi 82 o? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9%? 32 . . . . . . . . 2: $2 $2 oww 82 £2 2a . . . . . . . . . . . dowfiiu 25G 8mm 2: ofl: 8S 8S 2am 3.5 REM 8S . . zcmwcwfiwpnsw Rofisze 33 8N as: 8w 82 8% $3 8S 82 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . e329“ 2W2 2E 2N2 8m 82 qxa $8 8% 2E . . . . . . . . . .35? fifinsoq $5 a: 83 2.2. 38 2am 3a 88 82 . . . . . . . . . . . 63 “HERBS 22 2a 3mm oww s: 2: 82 ezfi 3e . . . . . . . . . QQwBw nmwgmpok/H m duh. 3 dwQ H doQ 2 .82 H .>oZ 3 .30 mm Raw 2 Rama d>< mmmomnw .556 22am? 5 o3» cH . $2 E wmawwm mafia 32 E wowoom muoizo EOMM 6mg .3 $2 6.8m “on @953 E $23 mufi é Baum. RAPID, LOW-COST CONVERSION FROM RICE TO IMPROVED PASTURES 13 Forage for Early Grazing Legumes seeded in 1948 had good return growth in the Winter nd spring of 1949-50. Most of them had produced 1,000 pounds if hay per acre by March 13, 1950, Table 5. Those seeded ctober 14, 1949 also had sufficient forage for grazing by ’arch 7, 1950. At that time there were nearly 1,000 pounds f hay per acre. A mixture of Alta fescue and Louisiana White lover seeded December 3, 1948, produced 2,060 pounds of hay “er acre by March 13, 1950, while Alta fescue, without clover, roduced only 280 pounds. A mixture of Alta fescue and clovers ppears promising as pasture for winter grazing. Seeding Large Fields An airplane seeding of clovers and Dallis grass at the Rice- asture Experiment Station in mid-October 1948 on 35 acres ‘f Lake Charles clay loam in rice at last draining, 10 days efore combining, resulted in satisfactory stands. Three pounds if a mixture of Louisiana White, Persian and hop clovers and '8 pounds of low-germinating Dallis grass Were seeded per acre. y his field was fertilized by airplane with 100 pounds per acre ff 0-45-15 in December 1948. Clover growth in the Winter of 3949-50, undoubtedly, Would have been better had twice as f: uch phosphate been applied. g} Several good stands of clovers were obtained in the fall of 949 from broadcasting in stubble after combining of the rice. his was true for 4.5 acres which were seeded at 6 pounds er acre of mixed clover October 29 and broadcast fertilized ith 100 pounds per acre of 0-45-0. Thirty-two acres were proadcast seeded on November 29 and 30 to clovers and grasses. A able 5. Dry forage in pounds per acre, March 1950, of clovers and of ~ lta fescue seeded in stubble December 3, 1948 and in rice October 14, 1949 Seeded Seeded l Dec. 3, 1948; Oct. 14, 1949; i Species harvested harvested ; Average March 13, 1950 March 7, 1950 g vergreen sweetclover . . . . . . 0 620 ; . . . . uisiana red clover . . . . . . . . 1040 880 i 960 é uisiana white clover . . . . . . 1180 .» 940 1060 ersian clover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1400 2 820 p 1110 . allarook subterranean clover 1300 ' 1360 ; 1330 ixie crimson clover . . . . . . . . 1160 760 E 960 7i ppa clover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 840 1660 1 125 ta fescue without clover. . . 280 _ . . . . ‘g Alta fescue with Louisiana - g white clover . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2060 14 BULLETIN 729, TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION Satisfactory stands resulted from Persian, Louisiana white, hop, ball and Lappa clovers and from common rye grass, Kentucky 31 fescue and Camellia oats. This field received 500 pounds per acre of 8-20-10 fertilizer in 1947, 135 pounds per acre of 16-20-0 in 1949 and 250 pounds per acre of 10-10-0 in the spring of 1950. Another 10 acres seeded November 29 and fertilized with 500 pounds per acre of 4-12-4, produced excellent growth. Rate of seeding was 6 pounds of mixed clover per acre. Seeding of Large Fields by Farmers A farmer in Jefferson county broadcast a mixture of Lou- isiana red, Louisiana White, hop, alsike and Persian clovers in 40 acres of rice stubble after combining by airplane at 10 pounds per acre on November 10, 1947. He also seeded in adjoining areas, at the same time, about 10 acres of Alta fescue and 10 acres of common rye grass. All fields were fertilized by airplane with 500 pounds per acre of 4-12-4 fer- tilizer. There Were satisfactory stands of the clovers and grasses by the spring of 1948. The clovers and Alta fescue were still furnishing pasture in the Winter and spring of 19-49-50. In November 1949, another Jefferson county farmer broad- cast seeded 170 acres by airplane in stubble a mixture of Lou- isiana White, Persian and hop clovers at the rate of 5 pounds per acre. This field was fertilized by airplane with 100 pounds per acre of 0-45-0 fertilizer. A satisfactory stand of clovers was obtained and grazing started in late April. Dallis grass was broadcast by airplane at the rate of 5 pounds per acre on March 22. Dallis grass seedlings were seen June 1. Acknowledgments These investigations at the Rice-Pasture Experiment Sta- tion at Beaumont are carried on cooperatively by the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station; the Division of Forage Crops and Diseases and the Division of Cereal Crops and Diseases, Bureau of Plant Industry, Soils and Agricultural Engineering, U. S. Department of Agriculture; and the Texas Rice Improve- ment Association.