# What would you plant



## goldenpennyelk (Sep 28, 2009)

I am about to break up some pasture land (old soil bank contract grasses) and am wondering what to plant back. I will be grazing Elk back on these pastures and will cut and bale surplus growth to be fed or sold. Alfalfa is often used in my part of ND but I would like to blend with something. What are the advantages to green oat hay? Is there a market for oat hay and who would be the typical client base for this?

Thanks in advance for all advice.


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## UpNorth (Jun 15, 2009)

If you look through some of the posts earlier this summer there been some guys in Iowa and other parts selling oat hay. The market ranges from dairymen to horse folk and a few others.

If you wanted to plant a mix I would consider endophyte-free tall fescue or some late maturing orchardgrass as they both yield well and work well in mixes with alfalfa. The oats are good cover crop to consider, but if you have reliable moisture and cool temperatures in the spring I would also consider some Italian ryegrass instead as it has higher quality than the oat would.

What part of ND are you located?

Also have you been able to get a soil sample yet?


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## goldenpennyelk (Sep 28, 2009)

Sorry for the late reply, I have not had time to check in here for a bit.

I am not familiar with Italian Ryegrass, would this be planted as an annual much like oates would be? When is it best to harvest?

I am near Devils Lake, greatest Walleye fishing in state of ND.


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## UpNorth (Jun 15, 2009)

Thought my reply before had showed up, but it hasn't.

The Italian ryegrass is definitely an annual in your part of the state. Just so long as you harvest it prior to it heading out (by the boot stage) you should be fine and it'll winter kill. Since your feeding it to elk you'd be fine if it got a little later, but it you try to sell it to a dairyman than you definitely want to harvest it before the seed head emerges and its quality will decline rapidly.

You would just seed it with the alfalfa and it should out compete early season weeds.

I hope you caught more walleye than I caught bass this last summer.


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