Forecast rain provides incentive for cool-season plantings
For ranchers trying to sort out the best cool-season grasses or grains to grow, Kubesch said the Cooperative Extension Service has several publications to guide decision-making.
By Mary Hightower
U of A System Division of Agriculture
Oct. 22, 2025
Fast facts:
- UADA has a variety of publications to guide cool-season forage decisions
- Planting choices driven by climate, grazing needs
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LITTLE ROCK — Another forecast for a rainy weekend means another opportunity for ranchers to speed-plant some cool-season forages, said Jonathan Kubesch, extension forage specialist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
The National Weather Service was forecasting at least an inch of rain across all of Arkansas this weekend, with the potential for some areas of between 2-4 inches.
When it comes to what to plant, the “No. 1 choice is always going to be annual ryegrass,” he said. “It’s the gateway annual to consider because it is one of the easiest winter annuals to plant. It’s what I went with — based on my needs and what I’m looking for in repeated grazing come spring.”
Kubesch said there are plenty of options for Arkansas forage beyond ryegrass, including
winter wheat, winter oats, spring oats and cereal rye.
“Cereal rye is really good if you're expecting it to be nice, cold, and wet,” he said.
“A lot of folks are looking at winter wheat as a grazing option. A rye or a wheat
paired with ryegrass is a really good mixture for a lot of the state.”
“In South Arkansas, we do have the option of doing winter oats,” Kubesch said. “Coker is a variety that’s mentioned a lot and it’s what’s available.”
However, when it comes to spring oats, Kubesch said growers should proceed with caution.
As for spring oats, “we do not want to plant this fall. It's not going pull through winter,” he said. “And I would really hesitate to put oat into the mix, if you’re trying to grow it anywhere north of central Arkansas.”
However, “in South Arkansas, winter oats are good,” he said. “We had them pull through great at Hope, even with some exciting cold turns last winter.”
Cool-season forages are versatile too, Kubesch said.
“All the cool-seasons are easier to put up as baleage and silage, but can be put up as dry hay too,” he said. “Better yet, graze 'em!”
When it comes to developing a warm-season grazing system, the Cooperative Extension Service recommends:
- Leave 50 percent of the farm in regular grazing or hay feeding areas from August to October
- Stockpile 25 percent of warm-season perennials for fall grazing in October and November.
- Plant 25 percent in winter annuals for winter and spring grazing from February to April
For ranchers trying to sort out the best cool-season grasses or grains to grow, Kubesch said the Cooperative Extension Service has several publications to guide decision-making:
- FSA3063 — Using Cool-Season Annual Grasses for Hay and Silage
- FSA3064 — Using Cool-Season Annual Grasses for Grazing Livestock
- FSA3151 — Planting Oats for Forage
- FSA2139 — General Traits of Forage Grasses Grown in Arkansas
Find a full listing of forage management guides online.
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu/. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on three campuses.
Pursuant to 7 CFR § 15.3, the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services (including employment) without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, sexual preference, pregnancy or any other legally protected status, and is an equal opportunity institution.
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Media contact: Mary Hightower
mhightower@uada.edu