Smooth Bromegrass is the predominant species in most of our forage systems. It’s been shown to fit our growing season well and fertility management has allowed us to push production, particularly in some of our deeper soils.
But it’s not perfect. Fertility needs have increased. It likes moisture, and season of use must be understood so we can best manage it for the current season and beyond. We can’t do much yet this season about some of brome’s needs, but an understanding of season of use can still be valuable.
This graphic (source: 2001 Kansas Grazingland Management handbook) shows how ‘spring loaded’ brome production is. With almost 70 percent of the forage’s production coming through May, it’s easy to see why spring moisture is so important. Temperature can be an issue as well with with the potential for us to see variations in production if those temperatures trend above normal through the early part of the growing season, forcing brome to push quickly through growth stages towards reproduction.
This graph also underscores the importance of grazing management heading into mid-late summer – when production (temperature/moisture dependent…) is next to nothing. In many cases, the grass stays ahead of grazing early in the summer, but that becomes a much greater issue as we proceed through the season. A careful observation of grass production and grazing conditions, will be important as we proceed through the growing season.
