By Blake Jackson
Tall fescue remains the cornerstone of many grazing systems in Missouri, and for good reason, said Caleb O’Neal, University of Missouri Extension field specialist in plant science. The grass is resilient, productive, and well-suited to the region’s climate. “However, even the best cool-season forages share a predictable weakness: the summer slump,” O’Neal notes.
During hot, dry months, tall fescue growth slows, forage quality drops, toxicity rises, and overall availability can be limited. Annual lespedeza offers a low-input solution to bridge this summer slump while boosting pasture performance and soil health.
Annual lespedeza, a warm-season legume, complements cool-season grasses like tall fescue. Its main growth occurs in June, when fescue slows or after the first hay cutting. It provides high-quality forage through July and August, a period when fescue pastures often struggle.
“Although annual lespedeza is not typically considered a high-yielding forage, its forage quality is among the highest,” O’Neal said, noting that protein content and digestibility often rival alfalfa.
This legume is easy to establish and grows well on soils with pH as low as 5.0 and marginal fertility. It is ideal for hill ground, thin soils, and rented pastures where fertilizer may be limited. As a nitrogen-fixing plant, it improves soil fertility without significant costs.
Annual lespedeza can be frost-seeded in late winter or broadcast in early spring, with seed-to-soil contact being essential. Allowing plants to reseed by resting pastures until the first frost ensures sustainability.
Most seeds come as Kobe or Korean varieties. “Selection should be based on management goals and site conditions,” O’Neal said. Kobe is suited for low-input pastures and persistence, while Korean is better for rotational grazing or hay production.
“Annual lespedeza is not a single solution for overcoming the summer slump, but it is a proven and practical tool that fits well into many grazing and hay systems,” O’Neal said. Properly integrated, it enhances summer forage, animal performance, and soil health at minimal cost.
Photo Credit: gettyimages-jacqueline-nix
Categories: Missouri, Livestock, Beef Cattle, Dairy Cattle