Iowa beef center to host forage field day

By Andi Anderson

The Iowa Beef Center (IBC) and Kirkwood Community College are partnering to host a Forage Field Day to present findings from an ongoing research project.

This event will take place on September 12 at the Tippie Beef Center, located at Kirkwood College in Cedar Rapids, from 1-3 p.m. The research focuses on improving pasture productivity by interseeding Sudangrass into poorly growing perennial pastures.

Beth Reynolds, program specialist at the Iowa Beef Center, shared insights about the event, stating, “This field day will feature plots where Sudangrass was interseeded into calving paddocks this spring. It’s the second year of our three-year project, and we are excited to share the results so far.”

Interseeding Sudangrass helps increase the available forage while capturing valuable nutrients that could otherwise run off in areas with bare ground.

Even during the 2023 drought, Sudangrass showed some growth, and this season has seen even greater forage production. In addition to boosting forage, the field day will include discussions on weed control strategies, particularly focusing on Canada thistle in overgrazed areas.

The research is funded by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship’s State Soil Conservation and Water Quality Committee. The goal is to demonstrate the feasibility of interseeding summer annuals like Sudangrass into existing pastures and the impact it has on perennial grass stands.

During the event, attendees will see the research plots and learn how the interseeding process has been managed without fertilizer inputs. Forage and soil samples are collected throughout the year to monitor growth and soil health, helping farmers improve their pasture management strategies.

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