Forage seeding rates

Doo-Hong Min, Michigan State University Extension - June 25, 2012

Forage seeding rate charts when seeded alone or in mixtures

Some farmers prefer fall seeding forage to summer seeding due to easier weed control, particularly for legume-grass mixtures. For example, seeding rate of alfalfa ranges 8 – 15 lb/acre so it would be better off to have higher seeding rate to make better establishment. Following are the forage seeding rates when seeded alone or in mixtures (Table 1), and adaptation characteristics of legumes and grasses (Table 2).

**Table 1. Forage Seeding Rates When Seeded Alone or in Mixtures.**
		Seeding Rate
Species	Seed/lb	Alone lb/acre	Mixture lb/acre
Legumes
Alfalfa	200,000	15 – 20	8 – 15
Birdsfoot trefoil	375,000	4 – 8	2 – 6
Red clover	275,000	8 – 10	2 – 6
White clover	700,000	3 – 5	1 – 2

Grasses
Orchardgrass	654,000	8 – 12	4 – 6
Reed canarygrass	533,000	8 – 12	4 – 6
Annual ryegrass	227,000	20 – 30	10 – 15
Perennial ryegrass	227,000	10 – 12	5 – 6
Tall fescue	230,000	12 – 14	6 – 12
Timothy	1,230,000	8 – 10	2 – 8

**Table 2. Soil pH and Tolerances of Drainage, Flooding, and Drought in Legumes and Grasses.**
Species	Optimum Soil pH	Poor drainage	Flooding	Drought
Legumes
Alfalfa	6.5 – 7.0	P	P	E
Birdsfoot trefoil	6.0 – 6.5	E	P	G
Red clover	5.8 – 6.5	G	P	G
White clover	5.8 – 6.5	E	P	P

Grasses
Orchardgrass	5.8 – 6.5	G	P	G
Reed canarygrass	5.8 – 6.5	E	E	E
Annual ryegrass	5.8 – 6.5	P	P	P
Perennial ryegrass	5.8 – 6.5	P	P	P
Tall fescue	5.8 – 6.5	E	E	E
Timothy	5.8 – 6.5	G	P

E: excellent, G: good, and P: poor

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