Forage Crops

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Forage Crops
Spotlight on Species
Warm-Season Grasses

Big blue stem (Andropogon gerardi)

	Native, tall, warm-season perennial grass
	Best adapted to the tall-grass prairie of the central plains
	One of the more palatable C4 grasses
	Highest quality is obtainable when harvested before seed heads emerge
	Grazing can be used on this grass as long as it is notovergrazed

Eastern gamagras (Tripsacum dactyloides)

	Native, warm-season, perennial grass found in tall-grass prairie
	Less drought resistant than most other native grass species, prefers wet areas
	Has a very dense root system, spreads with rhizomes
	Reasonably palatable

Blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis)

	Native, warm-season, perennial grass found in the plains
	More drought resistance than most other native grass species
	Has a very dense root system
	Very palatable grass and remains nutritious into the winter months

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum)

	Native, tall growing, sod-forming warm-season, perennial grass
	Is less desirable than other warm-season grasses for grazing or hay
	Spreads by rhizomes which will cause a circle with a dead zone in the middle
	Must be burnt-off each spring if not harvested for hay
	Primarily used for hay and pasture mixtures and erosion control
	For best quality, switchgrass should be harvested prior to jointing
	Best adapted to moist fertile soils but has some tolerance to drought

These warm-season grasses have been used in Midwetern states for grazing purpose, but most use has been with soil conservation and wildlife refuse areas.

Additional warm season grasses that are not used in the Midwest are: Buffalograss, Lovegrass, Carpetgrass, Centipedgrass, Pangolagrass, Rhodesgrass, Bahiagrass, Dallisgrass and Johnsongrass