Selecting the appropriate forage for hay, pasture, and/or conservation use is an important decision facing producers. There is a wide range of grasses and legumes available, and each species has its own particular plant and seed characteristics, making it more or less suitable for a producer's purpose. Thus, this decision is as critical as selecting the best variety within a forage species itself and should be given equal attention.

Many factors have to be taken into account when making a forage selection. One of the foremost is the necessity of matching forage species to the characteristics of the soil to be sown, characteristics such as drainage, fertility, and pH. County soil survey books describe the limitations of a particular soil for agricultural production, and this information is helpful, especially with land the producer has not previously farmed. Crop use and managerial capability are also among the factors that will influence the final decision.

2  Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. General Guide for Crop Nutrient and Limestone Recommendations in Iowa. This publication provides phosphorus (P), potassium (K), zinc (Zn), and lime recommendations based on soil testing for the major agronomic crops grown in Iowa.

The purpose of this publication is to simplify the process of forage selection for the producer by collecting all of the relevant information and presenting it in one place and in convenient form. The relative advantages of pure stands and mixtures are discussed, as well as the processes of selecting the right grasses, legumes, and mixtures. A particularly helpful feature is a series of tables enabling the producer to quickly and accurately assess various forage species' potential suitability and usefulness. Simple instructions for using these tables are also included.

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Pure Stands or Mixtures

One of the first decisions that should be made before selecting the forage crop to be sown is whether a pure stand of one forage or a mixture of two or more forages is desired.

A pure grass stand or a pure legume stand can be advantageous over a grass-legume mixture for the following reasons:

1. Eases the management associated with trying to keep all species in a mixture competitive.
2. Increases the number of herbicides that can be used for weed control. Weed control options are more limited with a grass-legume mixture.
3. Improves forage quality. A pure legume stand is usually higher in forage quality than a pure grass stand or a grass-legume mixture.

A mixture of a grass and a legume can be advantageous over a pure grass or legume stand for the following reasons:

1. Eliminates the need for nitrogen fertilizer on pure grass stands because the legume in the mixture will provide nitrogen for grass growth.
2. Lengthens the life of the pasture or hayland because the grass will remain after the legume stand is reduced. If desired, a legume can be reintroduced by pasture renovation (see Purdue Extension publication ID-167, 'Maximizing the Value of Pasture for Horses,')
3. Reduces the problem of legumes 'heaving.' This is the process in which legumes are raised from the soil surface by freeze-thaw action in the late winter and early spring, resulting in plant damage. The grasses hold the legume plants in place better than a pure legume stand can hold itself.
4. Reduces soil erosion on steep slopes. Grasses have a more massive root system and are better for soil conservation purposes than pure legume stands.
5. Improves livestock performance. A grass-legume mixture can improve animal gain and cattle breeding performance over a pure grass stand, especially when the grass is endophytic-fungus infected tall fescue. The mixture can also reduce animal performance problems associated with grass tetany and fescue toxicosis (see Purdue Extension publication AY-258, 'Minimizing Tall Fescue Toxicity').

Generally, there is no advantage with a 'shotgun mixture,' a mixture of many grasses and legumes. These mixtures, usually prepackaged, do not give the producer the opportunity to match the specific grasses and legumes to the soil types on his farm. In time, two or three predominant forage species survive because of soil type, cutting management, and/or the fertilization program. This small number of forage species in the established stand is far less than the six or more forage species that were in the 'shotgun mixture.'