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United States Department of Agriculture <br />4NKS <br />Jim Boyd, Rfsamm CauarvaW" jmboyQicmwd&9w <br />P. O. Boat 29 91M.= 4Z45- OFFICE <br />Nw ood, CO 81423 9703274247 -FAX <br />October 17, 2007 <br />To Whom it May Concern: <br />It is a common agricultural practice to "interseed" legumes into existing irrigated pastureland or <br />hayland to increase the production and protein content of the pasture or hay, and to improve the <br />nitrogen fertility of the soil. Interseeding means that the seed is applied to the existing field <br />using either a drill or by broadcast application, without any mechanical soil preparation <br />conducted prior to seeding. Interseeding of legumes usually occurs when the pastureland or <br />hayland is dominated by grasses, and the producer wants the benefits of a grass/legume mix <br />and/or more production. <br />Another advantage of the interseeding of legumes into existing grass pastures or hayland, is that <br />broadleaf herbicides can be used to control broadleaf weeds in the grass stands for a few years, <br />before interseeding the legumes, which are susceptible to the aforementioned herbicides. <br />It is less common to interseed grasses into existing pasture or hayland, unless the initial <br />germination and establishment is poor and fu*cr tillage operations are deemed unnecessary. <br />Seedbed preparation is expensive, and furthermore, it dries out the soil and brings new weed <br />seeds to the soil surface; so if the initial seeding is spotty and there is a lot of bare ground, then <br />an intetseedmg of grasses and/or legumes may be effective. Interseedmg grasses into a grass <br />stand tends to be less effective than interseeding legumes into a grass stand, but successes of the <br />former are not unheard of <br />If you have questions or would like to discuss this topic further please contact me. <br />Sincerely, <br />A t, evt�49, <br />Jim Boyd, NRCS Resource Conservationist <br />The Na4ad Ra mmm Corrarvstlon 8«vim v - 1 - M pwbwmWp WO do A wino Pa*b <br />to oorrww and susdM nd wW t mmm an p*aAs haft. M EWd Opporbx* PlovWm and En*ioW. <br />PR -06 May 2010 2.05.4(2)(e) - 20 <br />