Annual forages have been used as cover crops in cropland to provide cover to soil, reduce erosion and weed infestation, and enhance soil health. Mixed seedings of “Dixie” crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum L.) and “Apache” arrowleaf clover (Trifolium vesiculosum Savi), “Nelson” annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.), and a combination of clovers and ryegrass were drilled into “Coastal” bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon [L.] Pers.) plots. During the following two years, cattle grazed these cover crops to predetermined residual stubble heights each late April to early June to assess effects of mob-stocking on cover crop forage accumulation and sustainability. During active vegetative growth of cover crops (April-May), ryegrass had the greatest forage accumulation in Year 1; whereas, ryegrass-clover mix had the greatest forage accumulation in Year 2, which had greater rainfall than Year 1. During active vegetative growth of the cover crops, there was no effect of grazed stubble heights on forage mass accumulation; however, the season-long forage mass accumulation (April-September) was reduced (P < 0.02) due to the 10 - 15 cm stubble height. For both years, the season-long forage accumulation was greatest (P < 0.003) for the non-overseeded bermudagrass-only plots. The non-N-fertilized clover and clover-ryegrass cover crop plots had similar season-long forage accumulation to the ryegrass plots that were fertilized with 56 kg N/ha. Thus, indirect evidence indicates a potential contribution of legume-derived nitrogen to this loamy fine sand. All grazed stubble heights used in this research were based on USDA-NRCS cover crop management guidelines for humid environments and showed these grazing regimens to be sustainable on a cover crop system with bermudagrass.
References
[1]
USDA (2026) Cover Crops and Crop Rotation. https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/general-information/initiatives-and-highlighted-programs/peoples-garden/soil-health/cover-crops-and-crop-rotation
Rouquette, F.M. and Smith, G.R. (2010) Review: Effects of Biological Nitrogen Fixation and Nutrient Cycling on Stocking Strategies for Cow-Calf and Stocker Programs. The Professional Animal Scientist, 26, 131-141. https://doi.org/10.15232/s1080-7446(15)30572-6
[4]
Rouquette Jr., F.M. (2015) Grazing Systems Research and Impact of Stocking Strategies on Pasture-Animal Production Efficiencies. Crop Science, 55, 2513-2530. https://doi.org/10.2135/cropsci2015.01.0062
[5]
Stephens, F.L. and Marchant, W.H. (1958) The Influence of Irrigation, Rates of Nitrogen, and Interplanted Crops on Forage Production of Coastal Bermuda Grass. Circular New Series Georgia Agricultural Experiment Station: 15.
[6]
Swain, F.G., Decker, A.M. and Retzer, H.J. (1965) Sod‐Seeding of Annual Forages into ‘Midland’ Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon L.) Pastures. I. Species Evaluation. Agronomy Journal, 57, 596-598. https://doi.org/10.2134/agronj1965.00021962005700060024x
[7]
Sechler, D., Chapman, W.H., Robertson, W.K. and Thompson, L.G. (1966) Seeding Small Grain in Bermudagrass and Bahiagrass. Proceedings of the Soil and Crop Science Society of Florida, 26, 190-205.
[8]
Welch, L.F., Wilkinson, S.R. and Hillsman, G.A. (1967) Rye Seeded for Grain in Coastal Bermudagrass. Agronomy Journal, 59, 467-471. https://doi.org/10.2134/agronj1967.00021962005900050026x
[9]
Matocha, J.E. (1975) No-Till and Seedbed Production of Small Grains-Ryegrass Mixture for Forage in East Texas. Bulletin No. 1155, Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, Texas A&M University.
[10]
Utley, P.R., Marchant, W.H. and McCormick, W.C. (1976) Evaluation of Annual Grass Forages in Prepared Seedbeds and Overseeded into Perennial Sods. Journal of Animal Science, 42, 16-20. https://doi.org/10.2527/jas1976.42116x
[11]
Leanne Dillard, S., Hancock, D.W., Harmon, D.D., Kimberly Mullenix, M., Beck, P.A. and Soder, K.J. (2018) Animal Performance and Environmental Efficiency of Cool-and Warm-Season Annual Grazing Systems. Journal of Animal Science, 96, 3491-3502. https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/sky025
[12]
Mullenix, M.K. and Rouquette, F.M. (2018) Review: Cool-Season Annual Grasses or Grass-Clover Management Options for Extending the Fall-Winter-Early Spring Grazing Season for Beef Cattle. The Professional Animal Scientist, 34, 231-239. https://doi.org/10.15232/pas.2017-01714
[13]
Evers, G.W., Smith, G.R. and Hoveland, C.S. (1997) Ecology and Production of Annual Ryegrass. In: Rouquette Jr., F.M. and Nelson, L.R., Eds., Ecology, Production, and Management of Lolium for Forage in the USA, CSSA, 29-43. https://doi.org/10.2135/cssaspecpub24.c3
[14]
Mackowiak, C.L., Dubeux, J.C.B., George, S., Wright, D.L., Blount, A.R. and Small, I. (2024) Tillage and Overseeding Pastures for Winter Forage Production in North Florida. EDIS, 2024, 1-5. https://doi.org/10.32473/edis-ag146-2024
[15]
Rouquette Jr., F.M. (2017) Invited Review: Management Strategies for Intensive, Sustainable Cow-Calf Production Systems in the Southeastern United States: Bermudagrass Pastures Overseeded with Cool-Season Annual Grasses and Legumes. The Professional Animal Scientist, 33, 297-309. https://doi.org/10.15232/pas.2016-01591
[16]
Ball, D.M., Hoveland, C.S. and Lacefield, G.D. (2015) Overseeding Annual Ryegrass on Warm Season Pastures. Alabama Cooperative Extension System, Auburn University.
[17]
NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service) (2020) Conservation Practice Standard: Pasture and Hay Planting (Code 512). USDA-NRCS.
[18]
NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service) (2020) Practice Overview: Pasture and Hay Planting (Code 512). USDA-NRCS.
[19]
NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service) (2012) Conservation Practice Standard Forage and Biomass Planting (Code 512), North Carolina. USDA-NRCS.
[20]
NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service) (2013) Conservation Practice Standard Forage and Biomass Planting (Code 512), Wisconsin. USDA-NRCS.
[21]
NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service) (2025) Enhancement E512B: Forage and Biomass Planting to Reduce Soil Erosion or Improve Water Quality. USDA-NRCS.
[22]
Soil and Plant Analysis Council Inc. (2000) Soil Analysis Handbook of Reference Methods. 1st Edition, CRC Press, 100-104. https://doi.org/10.1201/9780203739433
[23]
Mehlich, A. (1978) New Extractant for Soil Test Evaluation of Phosphorus, Potassium, Magnesium, Calcium, Sodium, Manganese and Zinc. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis, 9, 477-492. https://doi.org/10.1080/00103627809366824
[24]
Schofield, R.K. and Taylor, A.W. (1955) The Measurement of Soil pH. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 19, 164-167. https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj1955.03615995001900020013x
[25]
Rhoades, J.D. (1982) Soluble Salts. In: Page, A.L., Ed., Methods of Soil Analysis, American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, 167-179. https://doi.org/10.2134/agronmonogr9.2.2ed.c10
[26]
McGeehan, S.L. and Naylor, D.V. (1988) Automated Instrumental Analysis of Carbon and Nitrogen in Plant and Soil Samples. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis, 19, 493-505. https://doi.org/10.1080/00103628809367953
[27]
Schulte, E.E. and Hopkins, B.G. (1996) Estimation of Soil Organic Matter by Weight Loss-on-Ignition. In: Magdoff, F.R., Tabatabai, M.A. and Hanlon Jr., E.A., Eds., SoilOrganic Matter: Analysis and Interpretation, American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, 21-31. https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaspecpub46.c3
[28]
Storer, D.A. (1984) A Simple High Sample Volume Ashing Procedure for Determination of Soil Organic Matter. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis, 15, 759-772. https://doi.org/10.1080/00103628409367515
[29]
Keeney, D.R. and Nelson, D.W. (1982) Nitrogen—Inorganic Forms. In: Page, A.L., Ed., Methods of Soil Analysis: Part 2 Chemical and Microbiological Properties, American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, 643-698. https://doi.org/10.2134/agronmonogr9.2.2ed.c33
[30]
Kachurina, O.M., Zhang, H., Raun, W.R. and Krenzer, E.G. (2000) Simultaneous Determination of Soil Aluminum, Ammonium‐ and Nitrate‐Nitrogen Using 1 M Potassium Chloride Extraction. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis, 31, 893-903. https://doi.org/10.1080/00103620009370485
[31]
Rouquette Jr., F.M., van Santen, E. and Smith, G.R. (2018) Long‐Term Forage and Cow-Calf Relationships for Bermudagrass Overseeded with Arrowleaf Clover or Annual Ryegrass Managed at Different Stocking Rates. Crop Science, 58, 1426-1439. https://doi.org/10.2135/cropsci2017.12.0736
Dairy One Forage Lab (2025) Feed Composition Library. Dairy One, Inc.
[34]
Roth, L.D., Rouquette Jr., F.M. and Ellis, W.C. (1990) Effects of Herbage Allowance on Herbage and Dietary Attributes of Coastal Bermudagrass. Journal of Animal Science, 68, 193-205.
[35]
SAS Institute Inc. (2023) SAS/STAT？ 15.3 User’s Guide. SAS Institute Inc.
[36]
Evers, G. (2012) Effect of Autumn Sod Treatments on Overseeded Annual Ryegrass Production and Coastal Bermudagrass Recovery. Crop Science, 52, 1430-1436. https://doi.org/10.2135/cropsci2011.09.0484
[37]
Holt, E.C. and Lancaster, J.A. (1968) Yield and Stand Survival of ‘Coastal’ Bermudagrass as Influenced by Management Practices1. Agronomy Journal, 60, 7-11. https://doi.org/10.2134/agronj1968.00021962006000010003x
[38]
Schomberg, H.H., Fisher, D.S., Reeves, D.W., Endale, D.M., Raper, R.L., Jayaratne, K.S.U., et al. (2014) Grazing Winter Rye Cover Crop in a Cotton No‐Till System: Yield and Economics. Agronomy Journal, 106, 1041-1050. https://doi.org/10.2134/agronj13.0434
[39]
Mubvumba, P., DeLaune, P.B. and Hons, F.M. (2021) Soil Water Dynamics under a Warm-Season Cover Crop Mixture in Continuous Wheat. Soil and Tillage Research, 206, Article 104823. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2020.104823
[40]
Franzluebbers, A. and Stuedemann, J. (2008) Soil Physical Responses to Cattle Grazing Cover Crops under Conventional and No Tillage in the Southern Piedmont Usa. Soil and Tillage Research, 100, 141-153. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2008.05.011
[41]
Tobin, C., Singh, S., Kumar, S., Wang, T. and Sexton, P. (2020) Demonstrating Short-Term Impacts of Grazing and Cover Crops on Soil Health and Economic Benefits in an Integrated Crop-Livestock System in South Dakota. Open Journal of Soil Science, 10, 109-136. https://doi.org/10.4236/ojss.2020.103006
[42]
Wang, Y., Duan, W., Tu, C., Washburn, S., Cheng, L. and Hu, S. (2014) Soil Carbon, Nitrogen and Microbial Dynamics of Pasturelands: Impacts of Grazing Intensity and Planting Systems. Pedosphere, 24, 408-416. https://doi.org/10.1016/s1002-0160(14)60027-8
