Broadleaves provide additional forage options and can also provide some outstanding soil health benefits. Mostly annuals, these will be easy to manage and are typically easy to establish.
Impact Forage Collards.
Impact forage collards are a hybrid brassica selected for superior forage quality, high forage/biomass production, grazing and winter survival. With an ability to thrive in conditions below zero for several days without snow cover, it is one of the most winter hardy brassicas available. On the other extreme, once Impact’s large taproot penetrates deep into the soil profile, it can still be productive during the hot, dry summers. Impact can tolerate close grazing pressure due to the growing point being near the soil surface which also allows for fast regrowth after grazing.
Turnips
Forage Turnips
Features a leafy, upright growth habit and tankard shaped bulb. Ideal leaf to bulb Ratio (60%-40%), good leaf retention and early maturity (60-90 days) make these an excellent choice for summer or fall forage production.
Purple Top
Common bulb type turnip. Used primarily late summer-early fall for autumn grazing.
Rape
Rape is a cool-season annual plant similar to turnip and rutabaga. Produces large, flat leaves that grow between 12 to 20 inches long, and 8 to 15 inches wide. Grows to a height of 2 to 4 feet.
Eco-Till Radish
Eco-Till Radish is a Daikon type forage radish variety specifically developed for fall/winter cover crop applications. These radishes offer impressive benefits to the soil and the environment including the reduction of soil compaction, improved nutrient recycling, increased organic matter, enhancement of soil tilth and suppression of weeds, to name a few. FSG
Chicory
Primarily used for grazing applications due to high moisture
content, Chicory will accumulate minerals naturally. A natural wormer, chicory leaves are higher in nutritional and mineral content than alfalfa or other cool-season grasses. A deep taproot provides access to moisture during drought conditions providing a great supplement to the traditional “summer slump” of other cool-season forage species.
Peas
Peas can be put into 3 categories. The first are known as Spring Field Peas, normally planted in early spring with oats or barley when temperatures are on the rise, although when
planted in the fall will grow faster than winter peas and thus produce more forage for fall harvest.
The second are Cowpeas which are a summer planted pea usually planted with a summer annual.
Third are Winter Field Peas which, with a winter grain, provide additional tonnage and crude protein in the harvested forage the next spring. All Peas are excellent nitrogen fixers, establish quickly, and are an excellent source of high protein forage.
