Nitrates and Prussic Acid in Annual Forages

Matt Metzger, Forage + Cover Crop Specialist of Millborn Seeds, discussions nutritional concerns in annual forages and ways to manage those concerns. When grazing anything with sorghum or sudangrass, there is a concern of prussic acid around the first hard frost. Matt covers ways to minimize the concerns for successful grazing after the first frost of the year.

[@wallyyuriy8912]

First time growing cover crop. Mostly surghum which is now froze still standing . Had a light frost sept 22. Killing frost Oct 6. I plan to graze this Dec

[@eduardofigueroa8160]

How many times you cut a year

[@allaneccles1429]

Once the plant is dead and dry can it be grazed over winter?

[@lukestrawwalker]

Yes once you give it a week to outgas the Prussic acid. If it has high nitrates, then you should test it and determine the best course of action... might require baling it and mixing it with non-high nitrate forage to dilute the nitrates to safe levels for the animals eating it.

[@mountcarmel3523]

Through which natural process doe prussic acid leave the dead grass?

[@lukestrawwalker]

It outgases from the plants or cut forage... but it takes a few days, week to be safe