Row Width Effects on Pasture Yields of Irrigated Sudangrass and Hybrid Cultivars

establishinc an annual irrigated pasture costs about the same as one based on perennial species. Therefore, every management opportunity should be taken to obtain maximum economical yields from the annual type, commensurate with the feed quality desired. One factor often overlooked by annual summer pasture operators that can favorably influence yield, is row spacing. It has been demonstrated many times that sudangrass stands are more productive when drilled than when broadcast. From experiments conducted under nonirrigated conditions in Illinois, it was determined that there was no significant difference in dry matter production of Piper sudangrass from row widths of 4, 8, and 16 inches. These trials were not harvested in the vegetative stage of growth as pasture but in the early bloom stage, nearing maturity.