Improve Forage Quality by Adding Legumes to Pastures

By Blake Jackson

Adding diversity to a pasture can significantly enhance its productivity compared to growing tall fescue alone.

According to Carson Roberts, a state forage specialist with the University of Missouri Extension, diversity can also help mitigate the effects of fescue toxicity, improve forage nutritional value, increase weight gain, and promote better soil health.

One of the most effective ways to introduce diversity is by inter-seeding legumes into the pasture. Research at the MU Cornett Research Farm near Linneus has shown that pastures are more productive when legumes are included in the mix.

Maintaining legumes such as red clover in pastures not only improves forage quality and yield in the spring but also boosts quality and yield in stockpiled pastures, says Roberts.

While legumes are traditionally sown in April, the frost seeding method can also be highly successful. Frost seeding involves broadcasting seeds over snow- or frost-covered pastures, improving poor-quality pastures at a low cost.

As the ground freezes and thaws between winter and spring, the freeze-thaw cycles create soil surface movement that enhances seed-to-soil contact, making the method effective, explains Roberts.

The best time for frost seeding is when the soil is frozen and covered with snow. In southern Missouri, this can start as early as late January, while in northern Missouri, it typically occurs by late February.

However, there are common factors that can lead to stand failure. "Low pH, poor grazing management, herbicide residual, broadcasting into fluffy snow, broadcasting on muddy soil, or choosing the wrong legume species can result in failure," warns Roberts. Proper planning and management can help reduce these risks.

Legumes, unlike grass species, are more sensitive to soil acidity. For successful establishment, a pH of 6.0 or higher is ideal, though species like annual lespedeza can tolerate a pH as low as 5.0.

Overstocking or continuous grazing during the spring can harm frost-seeded pastures by grazing seedlings too closely.

However, failure to graze during April and May can also impede legume germination and growth due to competition from tall fescue.

For optimal results, broadcasting on frozen soil with a stable snow layer is recommended, as it prevents equipment compaction.

Legumes like annual lespedeza, red clover, and white clover are best suited for frost seeding, while other species like alfalfa and hairy vetch should be sown at different times of the year.

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