Grassland Evaluation Contest Study Guide	Fifth Edition: October 2005
Grassland Evaluation Contest Rules - District & State
What is the average growth stage of the dominant forage type? Vegetative - leafy growth, few stems, few to no seed heads Boot or bud - stem elongated, top of stem swollen Heading or bloom - seed heads or flowers emerged-green color extends into seed head or seedpod Mature - seed hard, ready to harvest, yellowing below seed head into stem Dormant - cool season grasses-Dec. 16 . March 1; warm season grasses-Nov. 1 . May 1 The growth stage of the forage is very important in pasture management. As the forage matures the nutritional value and acceptability to grazing animals decline rapidly. Forages should be grazed before they reach maturity since nutritive quality is highest when the forage is vegetative and growing. This stage also corresponds with low plant fiber and high digestibility. Fiber levels increase as the plants mature decreasing digestibility of the forage. Plants go through specific developmental stages as they mature. For grasses these stages are vegetative, boot, heading or bloom and mature seed. Most cool season grasses produce seed only in the spring. Regrowth of cool-season grasses in summer and fall after the seed stems have been removed by grazing or hay harvest is vegetative and leafy with few to no seed heads. Warm season grasses can produce seed more than once per year. Legumes go through similar stages of development as the grasses. These stages for legumes are vegetative, bud, bloom, mature seed. Unlike most grasses, legumes except for annual lespedeza, can flower and produce seed several times during the growing season. Return to Grassland Evaluation Contest Study Guide