Optigraze is a blend of cool-season grasses and brassicas that have been developed as a season-long grazing cover crop. If planted in the spring, Optigraze can provide grazing throughout the summer and well into the fall season.

The forage oats in the mix provide the first initial flush of growth for the first grazing pass of the season. The other species in the blend will begin to take over once the oats have been grazed off. Winfred Brassica, Hunter Brassica, and Graza Radish are hybrid brassica species that have been developed for forage production. Each of these species will remain vegetative throughout the growing season and their leaves will continue to regrow the following grazing as long as conditions allow. The Italian Ryegrass in the mix is also bred to remain vegetative and provides persistent regrowth under grazing conditions. After the oats have been grazed off and growth of the brassicas slows, the Italian Ryegrass will keep producing until temperatures get too cold for further regrowth.

Overall forage quality of Optigraze is very high in terms of both crude protein and digestibility. Animal performance and average daily gains reflect this rich grazing diet. Optigraze is most productive on fertile soil with adequate moisture. Optigraze is less productive in dry conditions and is usually substituted for a similar mix containing more drought-tolerant species if the moisture outlook is very poor.

This mix meets the NRCS standard cover crop requirements for CSP and EQIP Programs in South Dakota and Minnesota.

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