Using canola as cover crop for forage

[flea beetle]

Anybody ever underseeded a pasture blend into a canola crop? I typically seed my hay blends into Oats and greenfeed them. But have decided to try seed some pasture and keep some animals on the home quarter. It is slotted for canola this year. I don't see why it won't work, but maybe I am missing something? Maybe it will be swathed too late in the year, and won't allow the grass enough time to grow and catch before freeze up?

[AlbertaFarmer5]

Anybody ever underseeded a pasture blend into a canola crop? I typically seed my hay blends into Oats and greenfeed them. But have decided to try seed some pasture and keep some animals on the home quarter. It is slotted for canola this year. I don't see why it won't work, but maybe I am missing something? Maybe it will be swathed too late in the year, and won't allow the grass enough time to grow and catch before freeze up?

I've been tempted to try it. It would have more time to establish in the spring before canopy, compared to cereals. Then, once the leaves start to fall off the canola, it will get sunlight again and should grow enough to survive the winter, if it rains, accepting that canola can suck all the moisture out leaving the seedlings stranded if it doesn't.

I realize you are asking about grasses, but I believe alfalfa seedlings are almost completely herbicide tolerant until the first true leaf.

[flea beetle]

I've been tempted to try it. It would have more time to establish in the spring before canopy, compared to cereals. Then, once the leaves start to fall off the canola, it will get sunlight again and should grow enough to survive the winter, if it rains, accepting that canola can suck all the moisture out leaving the seedlings stranded if it doesn't.

I realize you are asking about grasses, but I believe alfalfa seedlings are almost completely herbicide tolerant until the first true leaf.

Yes you are right. Will be an all grass blend. Will seed that field last of all the canola fields, and get a good pre-burn hopefully. Then no in crop chemical.

Maybe the swath will lay too long on the ground and choke out the grass underneath it? 2-3 weeks as opposed to a week with greenfeed?

[shtferbrains]

Used to seed Alfafa under Pursuit tolerant canola.
I'm sure the grass wouldn't fair to well.

[AlbertaFarmer5]

Yes you are right. Will be an all grass blend. Will seed that field last of all the canola fields, and get a good pre-burn hopefully. Then no in crop chemical.

Maybe the swath will lay too long on the ground and choke out the grass underneath it? 2-3 weeks as opposed to a week with greenfeed?

Do like jwab said, just straight cut it. I've been straight cutting crops underseeded to hay in recent years, with no chance of killing it out under the swath. Good protection from freezing too.

Do you have a need for, or market for the canola straw? Around here, there would be enough straw to smother the hay.

[shtferbrains]

How can you grow grass without legumes.

Buy nitrogen?

[flea beetle]

From the responses, maybe just safer to switch it to oats and greenfeed it?

As far as growing grass without legumes, I have never seeded pasture. Learning process here. Looking at getting bison, and was told they don't really like alfalfa in pasture. Was told to seed an all grass blend. Apparently they like alfalfa when baled, but not so much in direct pasture.

[flea beetle]

Do like jwab said, just straight cut it. I've been straight cutting crops underseeded to hay in recent years, with no chance of killing it out under the swath. Good protection from freezing too.

Do you have a need for, or market for the canola straw? Around here, there would be enough straw to smother the hay.

Guys weren't fussy which crop they baled this year. Maybe if it rains they won't want it next year. But I know a guy that most likely would take them for the right price. Says he uses at least 100 canola straw bales per year as a rule.

[AlbertaFarmer5]

From the responses, maybe just safer to switch it to oats and greenfeed it?

As far as growing grass without legumes, I have never seeded pasture. Learning process here. Looking at getting bison, and was told they don't really like alfalfa in pasture. Was told to seed an all grass blend. Apparently they like alfalfa when baled, but not so much in direct pasture.

I don't know much about feeding buffalo, but if they don't like alfalfa, that might be perfect, seed it anyways, they won't bloat on it if they don't eat it, ( I assume they have the same risk as cattle?), but it can still fix N for the rest of the stand( I know, that supposedly legumes don't fix N for other plants, but it sure seems that way in the real world). It will get stomped into the ground for cover.
Greenfeed would be my last choice, at least here, by the time it ever ( if ever) gets dry, it has killed out anything underneath it, every place it laid during the umpteen times it was raked between rains.

As usual, results may vary depending on location.

[TechAnalyst]

If you use a liberty link variety so you can straight cut it, go with your seeding plan to sneak through without an in crop chem application and either bale or harrow if the straw is too heavy I think you would be very pleased.

We had fantastic results with pure alfalfa under pursuit smart canola (sprayed). There is a very protective area under the podset that seems to protect the young but not choke it out. I can't see why a grass blend without spray wouldn't be as good or better.

The stubble catches snow and helps prevent winter kill. The only concern I would have is if you are going to graze it, you may need to do something to get rid of the stalks in the spring. Roll it (if you have rollers in your area) or swath it tight to the ground?

[TechAnalyst]

I would think that if you swathed in the spring to get rid of the stalks you would want to do it before much of any growth (to prevent a swath that might kill any grass)?

[flea beetle]

It appears I was fed wrong info. Sask Ag recommends 30% alfalfa and 70% grass blend for bison. Apparently they don't bloat from alfalfa.