Reestablishing Chicory into Multi-Species Perennial Pastures

Chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) has the potential to provide abundant, high quality forage during periods of drought, but poor persistence limits its usefulness in permanent pasture. This experiment compared the effectiveness of three seeding methods to reestablish chicory into a grazed multi-species pasture where it had previously provided a major proportion of total forage yield. Seedling methods included: frost-seeding in February; no-till seeding in late March; and broadcast seeding followed by hoof incorporation of the seed in May. The three methods did not differ from each other, and all resulted in adequate seedling emergence. However, survival was poor with mortality rates of 77 to 84% by early October of the seeding year. It is likely that greater seeding rates and more vigorous suppression of existing vegetation will be necessary to successfully reestablish chicory into existing cool-season pastures.