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    Dec2001 Ten Reasons

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    Ayodele
    Legumes provide numerous benefits when added to pastures including lowering nitrogen costs by fixing nitrogen from the atmosphere, improving forage quality by being higher in protein and minerals, and extending the grazing season by filling gaps when grasses are less productive. Studies show that grass-legume mixtures increase total forage yield over straight grass pastures and provide environmental and economic advantages such as reducing risks from disease or weather, improving soil health, decreasing animal toxicities, and increasing farm profits through higher animal performance. In summary, adding legumes to pastures has agronomic, environmental and economic benefits.

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    Dec2001 Ten Reasons

    Uploaded by

    Ayodele
    17 views1 page
    Legumes provide numerous benefits when added to pastures including lowering nitrogen costs by fixing nitrogen from the atmosphere, improving forage quality by being higher in protein and minerals, and extending the grazing season by filling gaps when grasses are less productive. Studies show that grass-legume mixtures increase total forage yield over straight grass pastures and provide environmental and economic advantages such as reducing risks from disease or weather, improving soil health, decreasing animal toxicities, and increasing farm profits through higher animal performance. In summary, adding legumes to pastures has agronomic, environmental and economic benefits.

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    Legumes provide numerous benefits when added to pastures including lowering nitrogen costs by fixing nitrogen from the atmosphere, improving forage quality by being higher in protein and minerals, and extending the grazing season by filling gaps when grasses are less productive. Studies show that grass-legume mixtures increase total forage yield over straight grass pastures and provide environmental and economic advantages such as reducing risks from disease or weather, improving soil health, decreasing animal toxicities, and increasing farm profits through higher animal performance. In summary, adding legumes to pastures has agronomic, environmental and economic benefits.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    17 views1 page

    Dec2001 Ten Reasons

    Uploaded by

    Ayodele
    Legumes provide numerous benefits when added to pastures including lowering nitrogen costs by fixing nitrogen from the atmosphere, improving forage quality by being higher in protein and minerals, and extending the grazing season by filling gaps when grasses are less productive. Studies show that grass-legume mixtures increase total forage yield over straight grass pastures and provide environmental and economic advantages such as reducing risks from disease or weather, improving soil health, decreasing animal toxicities, and increasing farm profits through higher animal performance. In summary, adding legumes to pastures has agronomic, environmental and economic benefits.

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    of 1

    Ten Reasons to Add Legumes to Your Pastures

    1. Lower Nitrogen Costs: Legumes have the ability to obtain nitrogen from the
    atmosphere and fix it in nodules on the roots. The amount of nitrogen fixed varies
    depending on species, stand density, soil fertility, weather, and the amount of leaf
    surface on the legumes. The range is 60 to 200 pounds per acre per year.
    2. Improved Forage Quality: Forage quality of legumes is generally higher than that
    of most grasses at the same stage of maturity. Legumes are generally higher in
    crude protein, digestibility and mineral content and are digested quicker than most
    grasses.
    3. Better Growth Distribution: The addition of legumes to grass pastures often
    extends the grazing season and fills voids in grass monocultures. Some legumes
    can furnish quality grazing during the summer months, when cool-season pastures
    are less productive.
    4. Increase Forage Yield: The total yield from grass/legume mixtures is usually
    increased over straight grass pastures. Studies at the University of Kentucky have
    shown that red clover grown with tall fescue pastures produces more total yield
    than tall fescue fertilized with 180 pounds of N per acre.
    5. Reduced Risk: Mixtures of grasses and legumes constitute a lower risk than a
    pure stand of either. Mixed stands are less susceptible to devastation from
    disease, insects, and adverse weather.
    6. Added Benefits: Legumes can improve soil tilth by creating deep root channels,
    which also improves soil drainage and the amount of air that is in the soil.
    7. Reduced Animal Toxicities: Growing legumes with tall fescue is the number one
    strategy used to combat endophyte problems associated with tall fescue. Grass
    tetany problems can also be greatly reduced with legumes in the diet.
    8. Environmental Acceptance: Because of the legume plant's ability to "fix" nitrogen
    through Rhizobium bacteria, legumes provide a natural, slow-release nitrogen.
    Because of their flowering habit, legumes furnish pollen and nectar for
    honeybees.
    9. Aesthetic: legumes provide color and diversity to grass meadows and pastures.
    10. Increased Profit Potential: More milk production, higher weaning weights, higher
    average daily gains, and higher reproductive efficiency are common, when
    legumes make up a significant portion of the forage mix.

    Legumes are agronomically sound, environmentally friendly, and economically


    advantageous.

    Adapted from article in: Management Intensive Grazing in the Ozarks, Edited by Mark
    Kennedy

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