Recommended seeding rates of forage species when seeded alone or in mixtures
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Edward B. Rayburn, Ph. D.
West Virginia University
Extension Forage Agronomist
February 1994

Species Seed/lb Seed/sqft/lb/a Seeding Rate
      Alone lb/a Mixture lb/a
Legumes
Alfalfa 200,000 5 15-20 8-15
Alsike clover 680,000 16 6-8 2-4
Birdsfoot trefoil 375,000 9 4-8 2-6
Lespedeza, Korean 240,000 6 15-25 8-10
Lespedeza, Sericea 335,000 8 15-20 8-10
Red clover 275,000 6 8-10 2-6
White clover 700,000 16 3-5 1-2
Grasses
Bermudagrass 1,800,000 41 6-10 3-5
Bluegrass, Kentucky 2,200,000 50 4-6 2-3
Bromegrass, smooth 136,000 3 8-14 4-10
Orchardgrass 654,000 15 8-12 4-6
Red top 5,100,000 117 3-5 1-3
Reed Canarygrass 533,000 12 12-14 6-8
Ryegrass, annual 227,000 5 20-30 10-15
Ryegrass, perennial 227,000 5 10-12 5-6
Tall fescue 230,000 5 12-14 6-12
Timothy 1,230,000 28 8-10 2-8

 

Characteristics of Common West Virginia Forage Species
Forage species Growing
point		 Aftermath
reproductive
growth		 Est.
vigor		 Plant
type		 Management
adaptation		 Optimum
Soil pH		 Tolerance
to poor
drainage		 Tolerance
to
flooding		 Tolerance
to
drought
          hay grazing        
            rota. cont.        
Legumes
Alfalfa elevated yes med bunch E E P 6.5-7.0 P P E
Alsike clover elevated yes med bunch P G P 5.8-6.5 E P P
Birdsfoot trefoil elevated yes low bunch E G G 6.0-6.5 E P G
Lespedeza, Korean elevated yes med bunch G G G 5.8-6.5 G P G
Lespedeza, Sericea elevated yes low bunch P G G 5.8-6.5 G P G
Red clover elevated yes high bunch G G P 5.8-6.5 G P G
White clover ground yes low bunch P E G 5.8-6.5 E P P
 

Grasses
Bermudagrass elevated yes med sod G G G 5.8-6.5 P P G
Bluegrass, Kentucky ground no low sod P E E 5.8-6.5 G G P
Brommegrass, Smooth elevated joints med sod E G P 5.8-6.5 G P E
Orchardgrass ground no med bunch E E G 5.8-6.5 G P G
Ryegrass, Perennial ground yes high bunch G G P 5.8-6.5 P P P
Ryegrass, Annual ground yes high bunch P G P 5.8-6.5 P P P
Reed canarygrass elevated joints low sod E G P 5.8-6.5 E E E
Tall Fescue, E+ ground no med bunch G G G 5.6-6.5 E E E
Tall Fescue, E- ground no med bunch E E P 5.8-6.5 E E G
Timothy elevated joints med bunch E G P 5.8-6.5 G P P
E+ - endophyte infected rota. - rotational E - excellent
E- - endophyte free cont. - continuous G - good
P - poor

Programs and activities offered by the West Virginia Cooperative Extension Service are available to all persons without regard to race, color, sex, handicap, religion, age or national origin. Cooperative Extension Work in Agriculture and Home Economics, West Virginia University and the United States Department of Agriculture, Cooperating. Rachel B. Tompkins, Director, Morgantown, West Virginia. Published in Furtherance of Acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914.