OVERSEEDING MATUA BROMEGRASS into BERMUDAGRASS

Richard E. Lichtenwalner

Department of Animal Science
Vernon G. James Center
North Carolina State University

WHY ?

Although the practice of overseeding bermudagrass, particularly with Abruzzi Rye, has been practiced for many years, the rationale for trying matua was based on three fundamental reasons:

1. Economics:

In the past decade the price of Abruzzi rye has more than doubled. In order to establish a sufficient stand for grazing, a minimum of three bushels of rye per acre should be seeded. The cost of three bushels of rye has, at times, exceeded the cost of twenty-five pounds of matua seed. Every year the matua persists further reduces the cost of establishment of a winter/spring forage.

2. Timing:

In three out of the past five years, the seeding of rye, or other small grains over bermudagrass, has not resulted in substantial winter grazing. These three years were marked by late summers or fall temperatures which were warm enough to keep the bermudagrass in an active growing condition. When overseeded at the normal time (October), the growing bermudagrass reduced the stand of the winter grass or significantly impaired its growth. In 1995 and 1996, when it finally turned cold enough to send the bermudagrass into dormancy, it was also cold enough to slow down growth of the rye. In these two years, there was little winter grazing available.

Matua offers two advantages in the timing aspect. Firstly, once established, the seed is already there and will germinate when nature dictates. Secondly, while matua and rye grow somewhat similarly in the cold months of December and January, the matua plant stays in a vegetative state into May whereas rye makes a seedhead in March and is then essentially done for the year.

3. Quality:

The nutritive value of matua exceeds that of rye. This is important not only to the stocker operator who needs calves to gain in excess of 1.5 lbs per day, but also to the cow-calf operator who wants to maintain good body condition in the cows. The quality (and quantity) of bermudagrass decreases as it gets later in the season and so cattle go into the winter on a downhill nutritional plane. Having a forage in November and early December is a blessing to cattlemen.

ESTABLISHMENT

Matua over Bermuda or Bermuda over Matua

In the fall of 1987, approximately 4 acres of bermudagrass were overseeded with matua. At the same time, a pure stand of matua was established on an adjacent block of approximately three acres. Both stands flourished. After grazing the pure stand of matua in May of 1988, common bermudagrass was seeded into the pure matua block. Although the matua persisted, the bermudagrass never satisfactorily established itself (only about 1/3 cover) in the pure matua block. Weeds and other grasses invaded this block and it was reseeded in 1990. The plot where matua was overseeded in the bermudagrass resulted in excellent stands of both grasses until the wet winter/spring of 1996-97.

Overseeding Matua into Bermudagrass:

1. Timing:

Matua seedlings are not strong competitors and will not survive if the bermudagrass is still in an active growing state. Seeding by the calendar and historical data as to when a killing frost will occur has resulted in several establishment failures. Therefore, it is recommended that the overseeding of matua into bermudagrass be done after a killing frost. Grazing days during the first fall will be limited or completely eliminated. However, there will be a complete stand to graze later that year.

2. Seeding:

Successful stands have been established by both broadcasting and conventional drilling. The problems encountered with broadcasting are environmental, such as heavy rains, dry periods, etc., which result in a reduction in stand. The major problem associated with drilling is seeding at too deep a level. It is not necessary to use a sod-seeding drill if the bermuda has been closely grazed. Mowing before seeding produces a heavy thatch in spots which grain drills do not readily penetrate. Excellent stands have been established when seeding with a regular grain drill after a rain has softened the ground.

Seeding rate is somewhat dependant upon the grazing demands of the first year. Since matua is a prolific seed producer, the stand the second year will naturally be thicker than the first year stand. If there is not a strong demand for grazing the first year, drilling 25 lbs per acre has produced good stands. Drilling rates of 35 lbs per acre have produced much thicker first year stands and more grazing. There were no visible differences in the second year stands between the two first year seeding rates. Broadcast rates have been 35 to 40 lbs per acre.

It is imperative that the plant be allowed to mature and make a seedhead at some time during the year. The matua plant is not a long-lived plant like fescue. Most matua plants live, at maximum, two years; therefore, unless one is willing to purchase new seed every year, the plants need to be managed to allow seed production. If animals are allowed to graze the stand continuously, the plant will stay in the vegetative state. However, it only takes another two to three weeks beyond the normal grazing interval to get the plant to the mature seedhead stage. The timing of the natural seedhead production coincides with the time of good bermudagrass growth. As the matua seedhead matures, more sunlight filters through the canopy resulting in more bermuda growth. When the mature matua is grazed (or hayed), there is a solid stand of bermudagrass which is also grazed. In the matua blocks that were allowed to make a seedhead in May, some matua came back in June. This extended period of seedhead production provides more flexibility in grazing vs seedhead production. By July, the bermudagrass completely dominated the blocks to the extent that there was no matua seed production for the remainder of the year.

Making hay off a mature matua stand has not resulted in a sufficient amount of seed "shake-out" to re-establish a complete stand. There will be matua present in the field where the matua was fed but only a half a stand in the field where the hay was made. Clipping the tops of the mature plants with a bush-hog has resulted in sufficient seed drop to continue the stand the following year. Ruminants will spread the seed via the manure so if there is a field where another grass is not wanted, animals being fed mature matua hay should be denied access to that field.

GRAZING :

Matua is not only a high input grass as far as fertilizer needs are concerned, it is also a high input grass when it comes to grazing management. The facilities and management should be such that cattle can be readily moved from paddock to paddock whenever conditions dictate. Two management principles for matua are:

1. graze matua when 12 inches tall, unless

a) seedhead production is desired

b) damage from a fungus has occurred to the plant in which close grazing is used to remove damaged plants and initiate re-growth.

2. do not graze plant down to ground

a) leaving a 3 inch residue results in faster re-growth

b) grazing the plant down to ground does not eliminate the stand (as, for example, with millet or orchardgrass), it just takes longer to reach the re-grazing state.

Matua is ready for re-grazing in approximately 14-18 days. At re-seeding time, grazing is delayed for an additional two weeks to allow seedhead maturation. When the seeds can be dislodged from the seedhead, the cattle can be turned into the pasture. Whatever the stocking rate, the cattle will take about twice as long (because cattle are grazing more dry matter from matua as well as the on-coming bermuda) this time to graze the stand. This allows the the plants in other paddocks time to mature. When grazing the mature stand of matua, cattle can be allowed to graze the stand more closely because bermudagrass will be the dominant grass thereafter.

In addition to fall grazing, matua will respond to some warm days in January and provide forage to graze. Since it will turn cold again, graze this production (to the 3 inch height) if it isn't too wet or muddy.

FERTILIZATION:

1. Start-up Fertilizer:

The application of fertilizer at seeding time is influenced by the nitrogen uptake by the bermudagrass. Generally, there are sufficient soil nutrients to establish the stand and start-up fertilizer is not necessary. However, there have been instances where no mid-summer application of nitrogen was made to the bermudagrass and the matua seedlings "stalled" at about the 3 inch height. Application of 40 to 60 units of nitrogen at a month after seeding (seedlings at about the 6 inch height) will keep the plant growing. This application, however, is dependant upon the season of the year and the grazing plans. If the seeding was done early in the year (October), fertilization in early November will feed plant re-growth after grazing in November and December. Contrastingly, if it is mid-December before the plant is at the 6 inch height, fertilization should be delayed until February or whenever grazing will start.

2. Fertilization during the grazing season:

Under a controlled grazing system, matua is grazed approximately twice a month. This grazing commences about February and lasts until the plant is allowed to make a seedhead in May or June. The application of a heavy (250 lbs. N) one-dose of fertilizer in February has resulted in reduced seed production as compared to split applications of a similar amount. The 250 units of N is a figure arrived at after several years. Initially, a level of 100 units of N was applied and it was evident that the crop was being starved. In subsequent years, 150 units and then 200 units were tried and proved inadequate before the 250 unit level was tried. Higher levels may result in more growth but may not be economically justifiable. Additionally, these results were derived from heavy soils and lighter soils may require more nutrients.

The timing of this nitrogen application has been as early as conditions will allow which has usually been late February or early March. The second application is then made in late April or early May. The plant makes a seedhead in May or June and bermudagrass then becomes the dominant grass.

In summer, the bermudagrass may receive one or two doses of nitrogen depending on when the matua was allowed to make a seedhead. Those blocks in which the matua matured in May will receive two doses whereas those blocks that matured in June receive only one dose.

After frost, the matua comes up as a "green carpet" through the bermuda. This growth is largely from seeds dropped in late Spring and not from surviving plants. Growth of this crop will be sluggish unless it is fertilized. The amount of fertilization is dependant upon the weather. Early frosts (October) allow for approximately 60 days of grazing which demands about 100 units of N. In years when the frost is late (November) about 50 units of N will carry the crop until early Spring when the cycle is repeated.

1. ESTABLISHING STAND:

The major problem encountered in establishing a stand is competition from other plants or weeds. One of the advantages of overseeding into bermudagrass is that bermuda does a good job of eliminating other grasses. Seeding a combination of fescue and matua resulted in a fescue stand. The plant is simply not a strong competitor.

2. Drowning:

The wet winter of 1996 took out a lot of grass species and matua was no exception. Pastures that were seeded that fall, as well as older, established pastures were lost that winter. The winter of 1997 was only partially better. Stands that survived were on the better drained soils as compared to heavy soils.

3. Mildew:

A number of producers have encountered mildew growth on matua at various times of the year. If allowed to go unchecked, stands have suffered as the mildew destroys the plant before seed production. Grazing mildew infested matua has not, to this point, caused any problems to ruminants and the re-growth is not affected.

FIELD DATA:

Date Created 3/12/99.
Last revised on 3/17/99.

Published by North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service

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