SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension state forage specialist Harley Naumann will discuss how sunn hemp can complement tall fescue in rotational grazing systems at the 41st annual Southwest Missouri Spring Forage Conference, Feb. 25 in Springfield.

Originally grown as a fiber crop, this legume grows as tall as 6 feet and produces a large cluster of nutritious leaves from a single stem. Sunn hemp grows as an annual in Missouri.

Versatile and effective, sunn hemp can be grown alone, with other summer cover crop forages in a mix or inter-seeded to dilute toxicity of endophyte-infected Kentucky 31 tall fescue stands, says Naumann.

It tolerates dry conditions and low-fertility soils. Sunn hemp also produces and fixes significant amounts of nitrogen – as much as 40 pounds of usable nitrogen per acre per year, according to Naumann’s research. Unlike some other popular legumes, sunn hemp does not cause bloat in cattle.

Sunn hemp provides a lot of bang for the buck, with high nutritional value and additional carrying capacity in pounds of live animals per acre, he says. It offers 20%-25% crude protein and is 90% digestible. In Naumann’s research projects, it increased cattle gain per acre by 17%

Sunn hemp complements cool-season tall fescue by providing shade during the hottest part of the summer. Its bushy forage towers over fescue to protect and preserve it. Cattle benefit from both the grass below and the higher-quality legume leaves above, says Naumann.

For more information on using sunn hemp in a grazing system, contact your local MU Extension agronomy specialist.

The Southwest Missouri Spring Forage Conference planning committee includes representatives from MU Extension, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Southwest Missouri Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Missouri Department of Conservation, Missouri State University, USDA Farm Service Agency and Missouri Forage and Grassland Council.

The event will be held at the Oasis Convention Center in Springfield. Find details and registration at https://www.springforageconference.com.

Photo

https://extension.missouri.edu/sites/default/files/legacy_media/wysiwyg/News/photos/20240507-sunn-hemp-1.jpg
Cows grazing sunn hemp at MU Greenley Research Farm in northeastern Missouri. Photo by Harley Naumann.