MANAGEMENT OF ANNUAL LESPEDEZA FOR SEED OR HERBAGE

Annual lespedezas are warm-season forage legumes used for reseeding pa sture, hay, or seed production. The two annual lespedeza species used most in the USA are commonly referred to as striate [Kummerowia striat a (Thunb.) Schindler] and korean [K. stipulacea (Maxim.) Makino] lespe deza. The objective of this study was to evaluate herbage removal and regrowth to determine effective managements of annual lespedeza for op timum seed or herbage production, or both. 'Marion' (K. striatal and ' Summit' (K. stipulacea) lespedezas were harvested biweekly between mid -June to mid-October in 1987 and 1988. Regrowth herbage was harvested from each plot in mid-October. Seed was threshed from regrowth herbage . Yield of herbage, regrowth herbage, and seed were compared. Summit y ielded more herbage al each harvest, but Marion yielded more regrowth and seed. Harvest of herbage reduced subsequent regrowth and seed yiel d. Producers seeking to maximize seed yields should avoid management p ractices that remove herbage after mid-June as seed yields will be red uced. Producers managing their annual lespedeza as a reseeding forage crop could reduce seed yields below levels required to regenerate stan ds if Summit or Marion were harvested after early- or late-September, respectively. Producers intending to harvest herbage and seed can achi eve this from the same production site, but yields will be significant ly less than stands managed for a single purpose.