LU CAEHS Research Seminar

"Establishment and Productivity of Alternative Forage Species on Less-Productive Missouri Farmland"

Non-prime land accounts for approximately 50% of Missouri’s active farmland and about 69% of the state’s total land area. Much of Missouri’s non-prime farmland is located across the rolling landscapes of Central and Southern Missouri. These lands are often characterized by shallow or rocky soils and are commonly used for timber production, pasture and livestock forage.

This study evaluated the establishment and productivity of alternative cool-season and warm-season forage species under two pasture establishment scenarios: interseeding into an existing tall fescue pasture and planting into a newly tilled pasture. Three alternative perennial forages (birdsfoot trefoil, Kernza and switchgrass) were planted in 2025, while the annual forage species sorghum sudangrass and triticale were planted during 2025–2026.

First-year results showed that annual forage crops produced the greatest forage yield (~7,545 kg ha-¹), while perennial forage yields ranged from 695 to 2,634 kg ha-¹. The newly established tilled pasture generally resulted in better establishment of perennial forages and greater forage yield; however, weed biomass accounted for 62–82% of total biomass in the newly established system. In contrast, tall fescue accounted for 19–69% of total biomass in the existing pasture system.

Overall, the first-year results suggest that annual forage crops can provide additional forage during the establishment period of perennial species in both newly established tilled pastures and existing tall fescue pastures transitioning toward alternative forage systems. These findings can help guide the selection of alternative forage crops for Missouri forage systems and provide an initial basis for developing complementary forage strategies to extend seasonal forage availability on less-productive farmland.

About the presenter:

Chandan Shilpakar is an Assistant Professor of Forage Science at Lincoln University of Missouri. His research focuses on forage crop establishment, pasture management and soil–plant–livestock interactions within forage production systems. He earned his Ph.D. in Plant Sciences with a specialization in forage agronomy from the University of Wyoming. His current work emphasizes applied forage research for Missouri production systems, with particular interest in improving forage productivity on less-productive farmland, extending seasonal forage availability and developing practical pasture management strategies for forage-livestock systems.