Last issue I discussed bermudagrass growth characteristics, environmental preferences and establishment techniques. Because it's June, and bermudagrass should be experiencing rapid growth let's discuss post-emergent bermudagrass management. Much of the following article is taken from a new (scheduled for release later this year) university guide sheet, authored by Dr. Rob Kallenbach, Missouri state extension forage specialist.

Bermudagrass, a warm-season perennial, must be managed differently than common, cool-season perennial grasses such as tall fescue, smooth bromegrass and orchardgrass. Under lower Midwest conditions, bermudagrass breaks dormancy in late April and slows growth appreciably by mid-September. However, it produces large amounts of forage during its short growing season. Regardless of intended use, bermudagrass should be managed for the best combination of yield, forage quality and stand persistence. Therefore, you may need to sacrifice some yield in favor of quality and/or stand persistence.

During the establishment year, 30 to 50 pounds of nitrogen (N) should be applied when bermudagrass runners have reached three to six inches in length. Thirty to 50 pounds more of N per acre can be applied 30 days later if soil moisture is available.

Studies in southwest Missouri have shown that bermudagrass hay yields increase linearly as fertilizer rates increase from zero to 300 pounds N per acre per year. Not only yield but protein content is optimized as N management intensifies. Bermudagrass should receive N fertilization after each cutting (do not apply all N at once). Bermudagrass hay removes 40 to 50 pounds of N per ton of dry matter produced. Therefore, the in-season N rate after a two-ton cutting would be 80 to 100 pounds per acre.

Like N, phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) fertilizers need to be applied after each bermudagrass haying. These applications are required because bermudagrass is a "luxury" nutrient consumer. This means the plant takes up more nutrients than it needs. As hay is harvested, this "nonessential" nutrient uptake and removal occurs, thus jeopardizing later crop nutrition.

If a soil test is not available, apply fertilizer based on realistic yield goals at an N-P-K ratio of 4-1-3, using N crop removal for the base calculation. Sulfur, magnesium, boron and zinc are often required for high-yielding, high-quality bermudagrass production. Use soil-test recommendations and consult local specialists when deciding which nutrients to include in your bermudagrass nutrition program.

For the best combination of quality and quantity, the University of Missouri recommends cutting hay every 21 to 28 days starting in the spring when bermudagrass height reaches eight inches. It is also recommended that bermudagrass not be hayed after Sept. 1. This fall rest period will lengthen stand life and total hay yield. Any plant growth after the last cutting should be left alone until mid-February when it should be clipped or burned. Waiting for residue removal will "open up" the bermudagrass stand and improve cool-season species weed control.

Bermudagrass is suited for both continuous and rotational grazing systems. Fifty pounds of N should be applied to bermudagrass pasture every 21 to 28 days throughout the grazing season. Under grazing, P and K should cycle well, if animals do not redeposit them into a concentrated area. Pasture N, P and K applications need to be based on stocking rates. One cow per day (1,000 pounds of animal per acre per day) removes 0.6 pounds of N, 0.07 pounds of P and 0.2 pounds of K. So, if you have a stocking rate of 180 cow days per year on bermudagrass pasture, then the system would require 108 pounds of N, 12.6 pounds of P and 36 pounds of K per acre per year. These are removal rates. The P and K rates may need to be adjusted higher if soil-test levels are less than optimum.

Bermudagrass quality decreases after growth exceeds eight inches. Therefore, optimum bermudagrass pasture should be kept between four and six inches tall. If your bermudagrass pasture carrying-capacity pressure is not high enough to maintain this height, then the pasture should be clipped or cut for hay. Under lower Midwest conditions, the growth rate of bermudagrass varies throughout the growing season. Generally, growth is highest in May to June and lowest in July to August due to available moisture conditions during those time periods. You should adjust grazing intensity accordingly. Similar to the haying season, bermudagrass pasture for our region should begin in May and continue through early September.

There has been great interest in bermudagrass production this year. Reasons for this interest include large-scale marketing programs, several mild winters in succession, cattle producers experiencing good times and the creation of nutrient-management plans that require high nutrient removal crops as a receptacle for animal and industrial waste products. Regardless of your reason for interest in bermudagrass, requires increased management compared to most perennial forage grasses produced in our region.