Understanding Current Markets

As we sit atop the highest cattle market ever experienced and record low inventories to keep driving the price of feeder cattle, many producers, especially those with row crop and livestock enterprises, are understandably feeling pressure from production costs. When margins are tight, it can be worth re-evaluating how land resources are used. One option worth considering is planting summer annual forages in place of traditional row crops.

In eastern and central Nebraska, it is common to see cropland fields with perimeter barbed wire fences. These acres were once pasture and were converted to row crop production, likely during recent corn market booms. Now the pendulum has swung toward strong cattle prices and tighter margins in grain production.  Converting some acres back to forage production, especially where fencing already exists or can be added at relatively low cost, could offer an opportunity to improve whole farm profitability.

Corn and soybean production carries substantial upfront input costs, including seed, fertilizer, herbicides, fuel, and machinery ownership. While expenses vary by operation and year, seed, fertilizer, pesticides, and machinery costs for corn and soybean generally run around ~$350/acre. Summer annual forages such as sorghum–sudangrass, sudangrass, forage sorghum, and pearl millet typically have lower seed costs, significantly lower nitrogen needs than corn, and lower machinery costs, totaling ~$100/acre. In many cases, total establishment costs are a fraction of full season‑ row crop inputs.

From an income perspective, summer annuals can be evaluated based on animal days per acre or value of hay/silage. Well managed summer annual pastures regularly produce 300 animal grazing days per acre, depending on precipitation, fertility, and management. When valued against the cost of alternative feed resources or perennial pasture, these forages can be competitive with row crops on a net return basis. Especially when paired with current cattle markets.

Numerous grazing trials have shown that summer annual forages can support average daily gains of 1.5 to 2.5 lb per head per day. When establishment and management costs are spread across the total pounds of gain produced, cost of gain on grazed summer annuals, depending on yield, stocking rate, and input level, is commonly competitive with, and often lower cost than, many alternative growing systems. As a result, summer annuals can be a useful tool for managing feeder cattle during the summer months.

Considerations

Summer annual forages grow rapidly, are relatively drought tolerant once established, and respond well to available moisture and nitrogen fertilizer. Planting these forages should take place in late May through June, or once soil temperatures reach 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Peak growth typically occurs from mid-July through August. Growth will then slow as the length of days decrease in fall and will stop following a killing frost. 

The yield and quality of summer annual forages are affected by plant species, soil type, moisture availability, soil fertility, and harvest/grazing management (Table 1). Proper stocking density and rotational grazing are critical to maintaining forage quality and regrowth. 

Prussic acid risk is highest following frost, when plants are drought stressed, or before forages are 24 inches tall. Nitrate accumulation is most likely under heavy nitrogen fertilization combined with drought stress or cloudy conditions. Timely forage testing and grazing management can greatly reduce both risks.

Weed pressure is rarely a major issue when summer annuals are planted into a well-prepared seedbed, as their rapid canopy development suppresses many annual weeds. However, problem weeds may still require control in some fields. Herbicide options are crop specific and label dependent, and restrictions vary by product and rotation. For the most current recommendations, see the 2026 Guide for Weed, Disease, and Insect Management in Nebraska, or work with your local Extension Educator.  Always read and follow label directions.

With strong cattle markets and rising row crop input costs, summer annual forages offer producers a flexible option for converting select acres into profitable grazing or forage systems. When matched with the right fields and management approach, annual forages can play an important role in improving feed availability, lowering cost of gain, and enhancing whole farm profitability.