# Millet Hay ?



## mncattle (Jul 23, 2010)

Since most of my alfalfa fields winter killed this year I decided to plant a field of Japanese Millet. For you guys that have planted before what kind of cutting height did you cut it at? I am anticipating 2 cuttings for sure. Also did it take longer than a few days to dry down? It will be cut with a mower conditioner. What kind of yeild did you get? It is kind of an experiment for me as all I have ever grown for forage is alfalfa or grass. It is a 70 acre field so I would like to get it right for the first cutting.

Thanks


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## Texasmark (Dec 20, 2011)

I don't know about Japanese. I planted Pearl Millet just for a data point. I did all the right things last year but about the time the plant got to a couple of feet, nice and leafy, the seed pod shot up and that was the end of growth till I cut it and it repeated. The seed stem is tick and fiberous and required crimping which you have.

I had seed left over and planted again this year. Results are dismal. I'm through with the fooling around. Next year it's back to sorghum sudan "Haygrazer" that everyone else plants around here.

On digestibility and animal preference, they loved it. Course they love HG too as it's sweet. Oh and seed is up to $125/50# this year from 40 YBFL.

HTH,

Mark


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## mncattle (Jul 23, 2010)

Thanks Mark for the reply. When you cut the pearl millet what height did you cut it?


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## Don Pine (Feb 2, 2012)

mncattle,

I asked about Jap Millet earlier this year, and got no replies. I don't think there's a lot of folks on the board that have experience with it. However, I drilled a field this past Saturday, so I guess I'll find out.

I've raised Pearl Millet for several years. I really like it, but it can go from perfect to too mature in a matter of days. I'm hoping that Jap Millet will have a little larger window of opportunity.

Cut PM at 30 to 36 inch height with a moco, followed with a tedder a day later. It will bale here with about 3 days of good drying weather.

There have been several discussions here about PM (search the archives). Let us know how it goes for you if you try the Jap millet.


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## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

I have a few acres planted as a cover crop for alfalfa. Planted may 15. I think millet is finally coming up. I read it likes warmer ground and as you know we have not seen that yet. I will update when it gets close to time to cut.


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## prairie (Jun 20, 2008)

Thought i would pass along this press release by Bruce Anderson, Extension Forage Specialist, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. So many people want to plant summer annuals to early, then lay the blame on the species, variety or seed when it was actually a management problem.

The dates listed are for Nebraska. I am located in NE Nebraska, and most years it is the last week of May before we should plant, and many times like this year, after June 1st, and maybe even later for foxtail or pearl millets. I think teff is more cold tolerant than he is giving it credit for, and can possibly be planted at the earlier planting dates he is referring to for sudangrass.

*DON'T PLANT SUMMER ANNUALS TOO EARLY*

Once corn, beans, and other crops are all planted, it's natural to be anxious to plant your summer annual forage grasses. But don't rush. Too early is bad for these crops.

Summer annual forage crops - like sudangrass, millets, cane, teff, and sorghum-sudan hybrids - are hot weather crops. And when I say hot weather, that means not only that they grow best in hot weather, it also means they can be injured or even permanently stunted by cool weather.

So, even though you might finish other planting and it seems like summer is already here, don't plant summer annuals too early.

Always wait to plant summer annual forage grasses - any summer annual forage grass - until soil temperature will remain permanently above 60 degrees. And soil should be at least 65 to 70 degrees for the millets and teff. Late May at the earliest, early June in many cases.

Not only that, air temperature also must remain warm, even at night. If either soil or air temperature gets too cold some summer annual grasses can be stunted permanently, no matter how nice the growing conditions are later on.

True sudangrass might tolerate cool temperatures best of all the summer grasses. I don't know the exact limits, but if soil stays above 55 degrees and air temperature gets no lower than 40, I think sudangrass eventually will recover from the cold stress. On the other hand, millets and some forage sorghums may never snap out of the stress caused by a 45, maybe even a 50 degree night.

So don't rush to plant summer annual grasses. Even if they don't get stunted, the few days you gain for earlier grazing is pretty small compared to the risk of losing much of their growth potential.

Bruce Anderson

Extension Forage Specialist

University of Nebraska-Lincoln

402-472-6237


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## mncattle (Jul 23, 2010)

Thanks for the info guys. I did get 70 acres planted on the 3rd of June the soils I think should be warm enough and it is finally going to be around 80 degrees this week and get things growing.


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## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

Live and learn.


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## Texasmark (Dec 20, 2011)

mncattle said:


> Thanks Mark for the reply. When you cut the pearl millet what height did you cut it?


Well sir, that's the rest of the problem. When I was shopping for what seed to plant a couple of years ago, with my wish list of performance spcs. I saw pictures of the stuff 8' tall; course that was well matured but still 8'. Okaye I ought to be able to do something with a plant like that.

I did all the right things thinking I was going to get some good results. Discounting the fact that I mixed it with Bahia, referring to the individual plant, about 2 1/2' is all I got with the seed pod fully extended (matured plant). As I said somewhere else on this forum with pictures of last year's first cutting, as the pods were starting to emerge from the plant, the height was more like 2'.

I replanted this year with it as I already had a crop's worth of seed. I drilled it 100% this time and the germination rate is still sub standard and we had a late spring, meaning I didn't get to plant (65F soil temp) till 1st part of May, nice rains and all, and proper fert. Checked it a couple of days ago (June 10) and the first emerging seedlings were only at 16", here we are 45 days later and some are just emerging.

Conversely, the Johnson grass that is coming up free choice, from rhizomes and seeds is well over 4' and I had a bare, properly prepared field when I planted in May.

So sir, my limited involvement with the plant is way less than stellar. I'm through with it.

Mark


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## Texasmark (Dec 20, 2011)

Texasmark said:


> Well sir, that's the rest of the problem. When I was shopping for what seed to plant a couple of years ago, with my wish list of performance spcs. I saw pictures of the stuff 8' tall; course that was well matured but still 8'. Okaye I ought to be able to do something with a plant like that.
> 
> I did all the right things thinking I was going to get some good results. Discounting the fact that I mixed it with Bahia, referring to the individual plant, about 2 1/2' is all I got with the seed pod fully extended (matured plant). As I said somewhere else on this forum with pictures of last year's first cutting, as the pods were starting to emerge from the plant, the height was more like 2'.
> 
> ...


The picture of last year's dismal 1st cutting is over in the Cattle Discussion section under the title Summer Grazing.


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## Don Pine (Feb 2, 2012)

Went down last evening to check the Jap Millet I drilled on Sat (6/08). Pretty little green ribbons across the field. Emergence seems to be as fast as Pearl Millet.


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