Horse Pasture Grass Seeds: Overview, Characteristics, And 12 Types of Horse Pasture Grass Seeds.
Overview
Horses are non-ruminant animals with simple stomach systems but can chew their cod like any other ruminant animal. Forage grasses are good sources of feed for horses because of their ability to supply fiber, energy, and proteins.
These grasses are specifically cultivated by the farmers to provide forages for horses. When the grasses are fully matured they produce seeds which the farmers need to harvest for further cultivation.
Horse pasture grass seeds therefore refer to the seeds of pasture grass species cultivated and harvested for future purposes.
The Horse pasture grass seeds are an integral part of the general pasture which is used in establishing and maintaining a productive and healthy pasture for horses. Horse pasture grass seeds should be selected based on nutrition factors, climate factors, and the ability to withstand trampling.
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Characteristics of Good Horse Pasture Grass Seeds
The following are the characteristics of a good Horse pasture grass seeds
1. A good Horse pasture grass seeds should be able to grow vigorously
2. A good Horse pasture grass seeds should be able to withstand trampling
3. A good Horse pasture grass seeds should have high nutritious value
4. A good Horse pasture grass seeds should be able to withstand high climatic conditions ( i.e. drought resistant)
5. A good Horse pasture grass seed should be resistant to pest and disease attacks.
6. A good Horse pasture grass seeds should be able to possess a high leaf-to-stem ratio
Factors to be considered in the Choice of a Good Horse Pasture Grass Seeds.
When establishing a horse pasture, the horse farmer should consider the following in choosing good horse pasture grass seeds.
Climatic Factors
When establishing Horse pasture grass seeds, the horse farmers should consider the climate factors. Climate factors such as temperature, rainfall, relative humidity, pressure, and wind have various degrees of influence on horse pasture grasses.
Good horse pasture grass seeds should be able to tolerate high and low temperatures as well as the ability to grow and reproduce under high temperatures. The horse pasture grass seed selected for the horse pasture must be able to tolerate or survive in the cool season and warm season, the pasture should be stocked with a variety of grasses that survive both in the rainy season and dry season.
The farmers should also consider the climatic zone, some grasses can survive in some climatic zones while others cannot survive, therefore the farmers should be able to select grasses that thrive best in their zone.
Soil Type
This is another factor to consider in the choice of good horse pasture grass seeds. When establishing a good pasture grass, the farmers should consider the nature of the soil before selecting a horse pasture seed, the nature of the soil has a high influence on the survival and production of healthy grasses.
Sandy soil should not be considered as a choice of land for the establishment of horse pasture seeds. The farmers should choose land that is rich in organic manure. Sandy-loamy soil is considered best for the establishment of horse pasture seed.
A flat land should be considered in the establishment of horse pasture seed. The farmers should avoid sloppy and undulating topography as they speed up the rate of water runoff.
Nutritional Considerations
Good horse pasture grass seeds should be highly nutritious, the farmers should ensure that the pasture land is stocked with a good mixture of leguminous folders and seeds of horse pasture grasses. Leguminous folders and pasture grasses should be in good proportion.
The farmers should be able to monitor the quality and the quantity of forage in the horse pasture land to ensure that horses have feed all the time. Whenever there are shortage of forages in the pasture land the farmers should supply hay and concentrate as required by the animals.
The presence of legume folders and horse pasture grasses provides a balanced diet to the animals.
Types of Horse Pasture Grass Seeds
Horse like other ruminant animals feeds on varieties of grasses for growth and reproduction. Therefore good pasture horse seeds are required to establish a diverse and healthy pasture that meets the nutritional needs of the horse.
The common types of horse pasture grass seeds that can be used to establish pasture are:
S/No Common Name Botanical Name
1 Kentucky Bluegrass Poa pratensis
2 Meadow Fescue Festuca spp
3 Bermuda grass Cynodon dactylon
4 Timothy grass Phyleum pretense
5 Orchanrd grass Dactylis glomerata
6 Ryegrass Lolium spp
7 blue panicgrass Panicum coloratum
8 Reed canary grass Phalaris arundinacea
9 Smoot brome grass Bromus inermis
Legume Horse Pasture Seeds
S/NO Common name Botanical Name
1 Alfalfa Medicago sativa
2 Birdsfoot trefoil Lotus corniculatus
3 Clover Trifolium spp
Methods of Propagation of Horse Pasture Grass Seeds
S/No Common name Botanical name Methods of Propagation
1 Kentucky Bluegrass Poa pratensis Seed, sod, or plugs
2 Meadow Fescue Festuca spp Seed
3 Bermuda grass Cynodon dactylon Seed, strips and plugs
4 Timothy grass Phyleum pretense Seeds
5 Orchard grass Dactylis glomerata Stem, root and leaves
6 Ryegrass Lolium spp Seed
7 blue panicgrass Panicum coloratum Seed, stem cutting
8 Reed canary grass Phalaris arundinacea rhizome
9 Smoot brome grass Bromus inermis Seed and rhizome
Methods of Propagation of Horse legume Pasture Seeds
S/No Common Name Botanical Name Methods of Propagation
1 Alfalfa Medicago sativa Shoots and roots
2 Birdsfoot trefoil Lotus corniculatus Seeds
3 Clover Trifolium spp Seeds
Methods of Horse Pasture Grasses Seeds Management System.
For a good Horse Pasture grass seeds to grow vigorously and healthy they need to be well cared for. The farmers should implement good horse pasture grass seed management practices. Some of these management practices adopted in Horse Pasture Grasses are:
Rotational Grazing
This is a horse pasture grass seeds management system where a piece of land is divided into several units called paddocks. Horses are therefore made to graze on each paddock on a rotational basis.
This involves a well-planned system of horse management and should be sticky adhere to avoid overgrazing. The system is arranged in such a way that the previously grazed paddock has been regenerated before returning the animals.
Reseeding
Due to continuous and consistent grazing of the horse pasture grasses, seeds of grass and legumes need to be planted in a portion of land that has been depleted.
Reseeding is a method of improving the quality of the pasture with improved seeds of legumes and grasses. The pasture land is allowed to be reseeded for good growth of the sown grass and legume species.
Controlled Stocking
This involves stocking the right number of horses in the pasture land, that is within the farm carrying capacity. The pasture land should be stocked appropriately so that the number of animals does not exceed the space available.
When this occurs it is referred to as overgrazing. Overgrazing should be avoided in other to reduce the depletion of the grasses on the field. The grazing should start when forage is at 25 – 30 cm high and stop at 8 – 10 cm.
Overstocking should be discouraged to prevent diseases, pests, and parasite infestation. Overstocking may lead to soil degradation or erosion.
Watering /Irrigation
Horse pasture grass seeds need to be watered continually for growth and productivity. Watering in horse pastures helps grasses and seeds to regenerate easily.
During the dry season, due to inadequate rainfall, the pasture suffers from heat pressure which most of the time leads to poor forage for horses. But watering of horse pasture grass makes pasture succulents for the horse.
Fertilizer Application
Due to the continuous grazing of horse pasture grasses, there is bound to be a reduction in the growth of the pasture grasses. The farmers need to apply fertilizer at an interval to increase the growth of the grasses.
Although the pasture is already filled with organic manure from the cattle dung, it is advisable to apply inorganic manure in combination with organic manure to ensure adequate growth of the forage.
Pest and Disease Control
Horse pasture grasses are easily attacked by pests and diseases which reduce their quality and quantity. The farmer needs to fumigate the pasture regularly to control the activities of pests on the pasture land.
Most times the pasture serves as a primary host for pest and disease attacks, therefore the farmers need to continue inspecting the pasture for the outbreak of pests and diseases and continue to fumigate when necessary.
Horse Pasture Grasses Establishment
Perennial horse pasture grasses are cultivated on flat land with rich organic matter, the small-seeded horse pasture grasses are grown as pasture for the grazing horses.
Different types of horse pasture grasses have been grown over the years for the survival of horses. Horse Pasture grass seeds are very small and require extreme care in sowing. The first few months of establishment of horse pasture seeds are very important for a new pasture. Horse pasture grass seeds can be propagated either by vegetative (Asexual propagation) as well as by seed (sexual propagation).
When to Sow Horse Pasture Grass Seeds
The time of the establishment of horse pasture grass seeds is very important for their survival and growth. If it is cultivated at the wrong time and season, it will lead to a wastage of resources therefore planting at the right time ensures longevity and productivity.
The best time for cultivating horse pasture seeds varies greatly from one geographical area to another and farming system. Sowing should not be done during the dry season or summer period to avoid draught.
Sowing should start at the onset of the rainy season to provide time for grasses to develop roots and establish properly before the dry season or winter. Heavy rain is not beneficial for horse pasture grasses.
In areas area with severe winters and snow, the farmers can prepare seedbeds in autumn, and sowns seeds when the spring thaw is expected.
Seedbed Preparation – Rainfed Crops
The land for horse pasture seeds can be plough and harrowed to receive seed. The land should be prepared harrowed in such a manner that it is prepared into too fine tilth, too fine tilth may lead to washing ways of the seeds or seeds being deeply buried by runoff water.
Ploughing should be done well in advance of sowing, if possible. In the rocky area, it is very important to remove the stone from the field which might hinder mowing and proper development of horse pasture grasses.
The seedbed should be very clear, and the stone, under the bench tress and log of woods, should be removed to give the seeds adequate chances of a quick establishment.
Sowing
Horse pasture grass seeds are expensive because of the difficulty in harvesting and storing them, so care must be taken in the handling of pasture crops for sowing. The farmers should ensure proper adjustment of mechanical implements before sowing in other to avoid wastage.
Hores pasture grass seeds can be sowed either in a drill or by broadcasting. In drill, the horse pasture grass seeds can cultivated at a depth of 1-4cm. if the farmer is using hand broadcasting, he should ensure that the seeds and the field are marked pegs to indicate the area that is been covered by the seed.
Weeding
Weeding should be done regularly to remove undesirable grasses from the pasture. Weeds are usually very serious during the first stage of development so the farmers should ensure continued inspection of the land to remove weeds from the pasture, because of the ability to compete with pasture seeds for air, water, and space.
Pre-emergence herbicide is considered very important in the pasture field because when seeds have developed it becomes very difficult to control weeds. In monocot horse pasture grasses, selective herbicides can be used to kill broad-leaved weeds, from the field, but in a situation where the field is mixed and blended with leguminous crops the use of herbicide is not possible.
Horse Legume Grasses Establishment and Seed Treatment
Horse Legumes grasses are grown for their high-quality fodder and their ability to enrich the soil with high-quality nitrogen.
Leguminous horse pasture crops such as Alfalfa (Medicago sativa ), Birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus ), and (white Trifolium spp ) are good sources of nitrogen to the soil.
The same step in the establishment of horse pasture grass is also followed in the establishment of horse legume grasses, such as Land preparation, seedbed preparation, and sowing.
Horse Legume seed treatment
Horse Legume seed unlike horse pasture grass usually requires treatment before planting to improve the rate of germination and to ensure proper colonization of root-nodule Bacteria.
Horse Pasture legumes often have usually have seed without impermeable seed coats which do not absorb water which make germination very difficult and the seed can remain in the soil for quite several time without germination. To avoid this, the seed of horse legume grasses needs to scarify before planting.
What is Horse Pasture Seed Scarification?
This is the process of intentionally soaking the legume seeds in water to allow the entry of water into the seed through either an impermeable testa or pod, thus increasing the rate of germination.
Horse Legume seeds are usually very hard after harvesting depending on the species and the influence of the weather. Scarification of horse legume seeds can be done mechanically, by Acid scarification, and Hot water scarification.
Horse legume Seed Inoculation
Horse legume Seed Inoculation should be properly inoculated to ensure proper colonization by rhizobium bacteria to ensure rapid and effective nodulation in the field.
The farmers should be able to use peat-based powders inoculants during inoculation. he should protect the inoculant from high temperatures, direct sunlight, and bactericidal materials. Seed inoculation is not as difficult as people perceive it to be, but care must be taken to avoid careless errors.
Procedure
The horse farmers should mix the inoculant powder with an aqueous solution of a sticker of about 15% gum Arabic.
The peat powder should be mixed into the sticker quickly before use, the seed should be heaped on a clean concrete floor or smooth surface, and the inoculant on and mixed carefully with a shovel, hand trowel, or cement mixer machine, the farmer should apply liquid of his choice to the seed without excess moisture.
The treated seeds should be spread on the floor or dry surface after treatment to speed up the drying process, and the farmer can plant as soon as the seed is dry.
In conclusion
Horse pasture grass seeds can be cultivated both in the rainy season and dry season under irrigation practice. The seeds selected should be such that it is palatable, resistant to trampling, and have a high leaf-to-stem ratio. The horse pasture should mixed and blended with legumes to provide nutrients to the grazing animals.
When sourcing good horse pasture grass seeds, it is good to consider the soil type, climatic requirements, and nutritional status of the seeds.