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Winter Annual Legumes |
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Due to more dependable rainfall distribution in the cool months, there is a great potential for cultivating winter pastures in the Cross Timbers. Since native perennial grasses and annual legumes are not very productive or have been grazed out, our program has focused on naturalized legumes and introduced (exotic) grasses. By naturalized we mean that they originated from another continent, have been in the region for many decades, are widespread and maintain their own stands by self-reseeding. Note that annual medics (relatives to the perennial alfalfa that does not do well in our area due to susceptibility to cotton root-rot) are erroneously called clovers. Some of the most common naturalized, winter legumes include: |
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Other winter annual legumes that are not naturalized or may have
problems self-reseeding but may, nevertheless, be of interest, include:
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Studies we have already conducted on these winter legumes are listed below. Send us an email if you want copies of hardcopy articles; if they are electronic articles, click on the title for a link.
- Interrante, S.M., J.P. Muir, R.E. Rossiere, and R.L. Rhykerd. Effects of shade and rhizobium on herbage of black and button medics. Texas J. Natural Resources (submitted).
- Muir, J.P., W.R. Ocumpaugh and T.J. Butler. 2005. Forage and seed production of annual Medicago and Trifolium species in north-central Texas as affected by harvest height. Agronomy Journal 97:118-124. Or its online version:
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Muir, J.P., W.R. Ocumpaugh, and T.J. Butler. 2003. Medics and clovers for the Cross Timbers. Forage Research in Texas.
- Butler, T.J. and J.P. Muir. 2004. Selecting cool season forage legumes in Texas based on forage yield of reseeded stands. p. 295-299. In Proc. American Forage and Grassland Council, Vol. 13. Roanoke, VA, June 12-16, 2004. AFGC, Georgetown, TX.
- Muir, J.P., W.R. Ocumpaugh, and J.C. Read. 2003. Spring forage yield and nutritive value if Texas Black accessions. Agronomy Journal 95:908-912. Or its online version:
- Muir, J.P., W.R. Ocumpaugh, and J.C. Read. 2003. Black medics from Texas. Forage Research in Texas.
- Muir, J.P., W.D. Pitman and D.F. Coombs. 2001. Seeding rate and phosphorus fertilization effects on ‘Armadillo’ burr medic establishment. Agronomy Journal 93:1269-1275.
- Muir, J.P. 2000. Agronomic characteristics of naturalized cool season legumes. Forage Research in Texas.
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Muir, J.P. and R. Reed. 1999. Medic forage and seed yield at Stephenville as affected by initiation date of monthly harvests. Forage Research in Texas.
Meat goats grazing on these legumes mixed with winter grasses have produced very well compared to those on annual grass-only pastures. They can out-gain goats on range by up to 300%!! Ask for the following articles:
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Muir, J.P. 2003. Dynamics of goat herbivory on cultivated winter annual forages of Texas. Proc. VI International Symposium on the Nutrition of Herbivores. 19-24 Oct. 2003, Merida, Mexico. On CD.
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Muir, J., and R. Reed. 2003. Do your goats need cultivated pastures? Ranch & Rural Living. March:39-40.
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Ag Programs » Forages in the Cross Timbers