KSU and Auburn Team Up for Forage Research in Alabama

By Blake Jackson

When Kentucky’s summer heat turns bluegrass brown, Kentucky State University (KSU) heads south in search of greener pastures. Recently, a KSU research team travelled to Headland, Alabama, to collaborate with Auburn University’s Wiregrass Research and Extension Center. Together, they cut and baled summer annual hay, hauling the fresh harvest back to Kentucky for future research and feeding.

The hay is now stored at KSU’s Harold R. Benson Research and Demonstration Farm, where it will be used in an applied feeding study and to supplement the university’s livestock herds. The project focuses on how conserved summer annual forages can serve as high-quality feed for cattle, especially during the winter months when fescue growth declines and feed costs rise.

The forages used in the study include Mojo crabgrass, Tifleaf 3 hybrid pearl millet, and Sweet Six BMR sorghum-sudangrass from Caudill Seed, along with a new variety called SP4409 PF prussic acid-free sorghum-sudangrass from S&W Seed.

Early field observations suggest the forages offer strong yield potential and good quality for late-gestation cattle diets, with full analysis to come later in the study.

Farmers across the Southeast are familiar with the “summer slump,” when cool-season grasses stop growing and animal performance drops. “Warm-season annuals can bridge that gap,” said Dr. Abbigail Hines, assistant professor of animal science. “We’re focused on solutions that are productive, farm-ready, and safe.”

This work, based in Hines’ Livestock x Forage Nutrition Research Lab, forms part of a larger initiative titled “Enhancing Marginalized Ruminant Production Systems through Annual Cover Crop Forages in the Southeastern U.S.” in partnership with Auburn University, S&W Seed, and Caudill Seed.

Because sorghum-based crops can develop toxins after drought or stress, careful management is critical. Routine forage testing and proper grazing timing help ensure safety, while new options like prussic acid-free sorghum-sudangrass reduce risk and improve feed reliability.

The project’s success depended on teamwork. William Rogers managed logistics and hauling, Michael Wilson prepared fields and coordinated grazing, and Deborah Lancaster evaluated hay for equine use.

Student researchers Jacob Wells, Rosemary Ewetade, Ibukunoluwa Salako, and Elizabeth Workman assisted faculty throughout. Auburn’s Dr. W. Brandon Smith and the Wiregrass Center staff supported with planning, harvesting, and load-out, ensuring the collaboration ran smoothly from start to finish.

Photo Credit: gettyimages-fertnig-e