Low Input Overseeding: Page 6 of 8

by R.L. Dalrymple

Lowest Cost, Low Input by Managing for Volunteer
Among the lowest-input overseeding is planned, volunteer ryegrass, 'Stocker' or 'Matua' bromegrass, and naturalized "cheatgrasses." This type of production comes after initial seedings. These volunteer grasses develop properly grazeable early production later than cereal rye, especially if banded starter fertilizer is used at planting. The same low-cost syndrome is evident in managed volunteer crabgrass, signalgrass, and other volunteering warm-season annuals.

Overseeding in Other Grass Residues
Much of this publication is about overseedings in bermudagrass, bahiagrass, and other perennial sods because they can tolerate the grassland farming procedure, associated competition, and extra grazing impact. Overseeding winter forages into residue of crabgrass, broadleaf signalgrass, sudangrass, and other warm-season annual residue is also excellent and produces better winter pasture than overseeding in permanent grass sods. In the latter, the winter pasture develops relatively quickly and there is no need to preserve the life of the summer forage because it is dead or soon will be.

Many other perennial summer forages can be used in low-input overseedings and include tall native prairie grass, weeping lovegrass (figure 11), and Old World bluestems. Be extremely cautious, however, when overseeding in the perennial bunchgrass pastures mentioned because they are easily thinned by the procedure, the added competition, the grazing technique, or added spring trample damage.