Forage Soil Charts

These charts have been reproduced by permission from Michigan State University. Source: adapted from Miller (1984).

Forage crops classified according to soil pH sensitivity
Very sensitive to acidity Optimum pH 6.5-7.0	Slight tolerance to acidity Optimum pH 6.0-6.5	Moderate tol. to acidity Optimum pH 5.5-6.0
Alfalfa	Corn	Alsike clover
Barley	Crimson Clover	Bahiagrass
Smooth bromegrass	Dalligrass	Bermudagrass
Sweet clover	Kentucky bluegrass	Birdsfoot trefoil
	Ladino clover	Lespedeza
	Orchardgrass	Meadow Fescue
	Red clover	Oats
	Rye grass	Pearl millet
	Timothy	Redtop
	Wheat	Reed canarygrass
		Rye
		Soybeans
		Sudangrass
		Tall fescue
		Vetch

Tolerance to soil limitations for several hay and silage forage species
Crop	Seedling Vigor	Droughty	Wet	Low pH (below 6.0)
Alfalfa	Moderate	High	Low	Low
Birdsfoot trefoil	Low	Moderate	High	High
Red Clover	High	Low	Moderate	Moderate
Sericea lespedeza	Low	High	Low	High
White Clover	Moderate	Low	High	Moderate

Bahiagrass	Low	High	Low	High
Bermudagrass	Moderate	High	Moderate	Moderate
Orchardgrass	High	Moderate	Moderate	Moderate
Perennial ryegrass	High	Low	Moderate	Moderate
Reed Canarygrass	Low	High	High	High
Smooth bromegrass	High	High	Moderate	Moderate
Tall Fescue	High	Moderate	Moderate	High
Timothy	Moderate	Low	Low	Moderate