Planting Summer Annuals

Amy Timmerman, Extension Educator Author

06/05/2025 Added

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Summer annuals are typically warm-season grasses planted in western Nebraska around June 1st to provide grazing or harvested as feed for beef cattle.

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[00:00:00.680]This week's Extension Ag Update is from Amy Timmerman,
[00:00:03.680]Croping and Water Educator covering Holt, Boyd,
[00:00:07.240]Brown, Rock, Kepa Paha, and Cherry counties.
[00:00:10.820]Now is the time to plant summer annuals, especially due to welcome rains.
[00:00:15.213]Summer annuals are typically warm-season grasses
[00:00:17.953]planted in western Nebraska around June 1
[00:00:20.733]to provide grazing or harvested as feed for beef cattle.
[00:00:24.993]Warm-season species such as sudangrass, sorghum-sudangrass, teff,
[00:00:30.573]pearl millet, foxtail millet and forage sorghum (also named cane,
[00:00:35.992]sorgo or “feed sorghum”) can complement cool-season plants.
[00:00:40.720]Cool-season forages peak their production in May and early June
[00:00:44.080]when temperatures start to rise, while summer annuals
[00:00:48.187]peak their production in July and August.
[00:00:50.727]So how do producers know which species among the seven types to plant?
[00:00:55.587]The answer depends upon their intended usage.
[00:00:59.107]For example, if producers desire to extend their pastures due to drought,
[00:01:03.107]then sudangrass or pearl millet might be a good choice.
[00:01:07.007]Both grow rapidly and have high leaf to stem ratios,
[00:01:11.007]along with less fall grazing risk for prussic acid poisoning.
[00:01:15.931]If producers are wanting more hay or green chop production,
[00:01:20.811]then sorghum-sudan hybrids or pearl millets might
[00:01:24.411]provide good yields when cut two or three times.
[00:01:27.852]On sandy soils, foxtail millet might be better for summer hay production,
[00:01:32.892]since it dries fast and does not regrow after cutting
[00:01:35.852]to preserve moisture for subsequent crops.
[00:01:39.060]Conversely, Japanese millet can tolerate
[00:01:42.340]wet soils and be cut for hay or grazing.
[00:01:45.720]Cane hay has traditionally been grown for high tonnage,
[00:01:48.540]but it usually has lower feed value and
[00:01:52.452]dries slower than hybrid sorghums and millets.
[00:01:55.073]Teff provides excellent quality as a soft, leafy forage - especially appealing
[00:01:59.833]for horses - but is lower tonnage compared to other summer annuals.
[00:02:04.913]Nebraska Extension on-ranch forage research launched
[00:02:08.553]in 2024 near Arthur, Mullen, Hyannis, Thedford and Valentine
[00:02:15.673]is comparing irrigated summer annuals such as forage corn,
[00:02:20.120]Group 5 forage soybeans, hybrid sweet sorghums,
[00:02:23.420]silage mixes, hybrid pearl millet and brown mid-rib forages.
[00:02:29.160]More information will be shared during UNL at field
[00:02:33.091]location tours during the first week of August.
[00:02:37.440]Also, a cover crop demonstration plot has been established
[00:02:40.311]at the Middle Niobrara NRD under their one-span pivot.
[00:02:44.160]There is 6 different cover crops and blends planted
[00:02:46.760]for grazing or hay potentials including brown top millet
[00:02:50.600]with red-ripper cowpeas, pearl millet, pearl millet
[00:02:54.300]with mung beans, and teff for example.
[00:02:57.200]Field days at this demonstration site will be held on July 17
[00:03:00.852]from 10:00am to noon and September 3 time to be determined.
[00:03:07.247]Another great opportunity to discuss annual forages and
[00:03:10.132]cover crops will be held at Ranch Expo held June 18 at Bassett.
[00:03:14.960]A Resilient Soil Health and Water Producer panel will be held.
[00:03:19.340]At 11:00am, the panel will be focusing on Farming Management and Practices,
[00:03:24.080]and then at 1:00pm, the focus will be on Grazing Management and Practices.
[00:03:28.562]Question regarding the producer panel
[00:03:30.880]please reach out to the Middle Niobrara NRD.
[00:03:34.078]If you have any additional questions about planting summer annuals,
[00:03:38.980]please reach out to your local extension educator
[00:03:42.160]who can assist with those questions.
[00:03:44.980]This has been Amy Timmerman with Nebraska Extension.

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Planting Summer Annuals

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