Key Technical Points for Forage Grass Cultivation and Field Management Methods

Forage grass is mainly used for raising livestock and poultry. It has very strong growth capacity and can be harvested multiple times a year. Forage grass is rich in nutrients and is an important source of feed for livestock and poultry. So what are the techniques for forage grass cultivation?

1. Seed selection

The selection of forage grass seeds should follow the principle of adapting to local conditions. The main varieties suitable for livestock and poultry breeding in the region should be selected to ensure the basic needs of livestock and poultry breeding. It is necessary to consider whether the selected seeds are adapted to the local climate conditions, soil conditions, and fertilizer and water conditions. If the differences are too great, it will cause poor growth of forage grass, reduced yield, and may even lead to planting failure. Strict control must be exercised over the individual seed quality to ensure that the selected forage grass seeds are plump and have high purity. At the same time, the condition of the forage grass seeds themselves must meet the corresponding cultivation requirements. In order to improve the germination rate of the seeds, before sowing, seeds with a high dormancy rate and poor purity should be treated by methods such as mechanical treatment, warm water soaking, chemical reagent treatment, sunning treatment, and heat treatment to break the seed dormancy period and remove impurities from the seeds. At the same time, seed coating technology should be combined to achieve the purpose of improving the emergence rate.

2. Sowing time and techniques

The sowing time should be selected according to factors such as the local climate conditions, soil moisture, characteristics of the forage grass variety, and the method of use. Temperature is the first factor. As long as the soil temperature rises to the minimum temperature required for seed germination and the soil moisture is good, sowing can be carried out. When planting perennial forage grass varieties, the problem of overwintering of forage grass in cold regions should also be considered. Sowing depth mainly refers to the thickness of the covering soil. The specific thickness should be determined according to the type of forage grass and its germination ability. It should not be too deep, so as to avoid the seed cotyledons being unable to emerge from the soil and suffocating. Usually, small-seeded varieties should be covered with 1-2 cm of soil, and medium-seeded varieties should not exceed 4 cm. In addition, sowing depth should also take soil quality into consideration: light soil should be slightly deeper, and clay soil should be slightly shallower. The sowing rate should follow the principles of appropriate sowing and reasonable close planting. The sowing rate is related to factors such as seed specificity, sowing method, and sowing period. Usually, the sowing rate for large seeds is greater than that for small seeds; the sowing rate for grassland used for grass harvest is greater than that for seed-harvest grassland; the amount of seed used for broadcast sowing is greater than that for drilling, and drilling is greater than that for hole sowing. Under adverse conditions such as poor seed quality, soil conditions, and climate conditions, the sowing rate should be increased.

3. Field management

1. Breaking soil crusting. The formation of a crust layer on the soil surface is roughly due to the following reasons: first, after sowing forage grass, heavy rain occurs, followed by continuous sunny days, causing a large amount of water evaporation from the soil surface and forming a crust layer; second, the sowing area is low-lying, and continuous sunny days cause water evaporation from the soil surface and form a crust layer; third, the soil is moist at the time of sowing, and after sowing the humidity balance of the soil surface is disrupted, forming a crust layer after water evaporation from the soil surface; fourth, irrigation is carried out after sowing, and then continuous sunny days cause a large amount of water evaporation from the soil surface and form a crust layer. These situations are basically all caused by water evaporation from the soil surface without timely replenishment, forming a crust layer. To break the crust layer, short-toothed harrow tools can be selected for light harrowing, combined with small amounts of clear water irrigation, to break the crust and help forage grass seedlings emerge and survive.

2. Weed control. Before sowing, land preparation must be fine and thorough. A tractor with a short-toothed harrow or a cultivator harrow, or manual hoeing, should be used for intertillage to thoroughly remove weeds, debris, and residual plants from the previous year's pests and diseases in the field, reducing sources of disease and cutting off transmission routes. Intertillage and weeding are best carried out during the period from emergence to canopy closure.

3. Field irrigation. The irrigation water for forage grass, like ordinary farmland irrigation water, must meet national irrigation water standards. Clean and usable water sources must be selected for sprinkler irrigation. The irrigation frequency is determined according to soil moisture content. When the moisture content is higher than 80%, not only is irrigation unnecessary, but ditches should also be opened in time for drainage to prevent root rot; when the moisture content is lower than 50%, timely irrigation is needed.

4. Prevention and control of pests and diseases. The prevention and control of forage grass pests and diseases should adhere to the principle of “prevention first, comprehensive control.” Through investigation of overwintering conditions of insect eggs and quarantine of diseased forage grass plants, selecting and breeding suitable forage grass varieties is the first choice for disease and pest resistance in forage grass. Then, through soil disinfection and reasonable crop rotation, once large-scale pests and diseases occur, they must be dealt with quickly, using entirely low-toxicity, low-residue green control methods such as biological agents, plant-derived pesticides, physical control, and ecological management.

Forage grass is generally planted over large areas, so suitable varieties must be selected. If they are not adapted to the local climate, forage grass growth will often be relatively sparse, which will also affect the development of the livestock industry.