Can Grazing Winter Small Grain Forage Work for You?
Dr. Lisa Surber -
Montana Sheep Institute,
Dr. Dennis Cash -
MSU Extension Forage Specialist, &
Alison Todd -
Research Associate, Dept. of Animal and Range Sci.
In Montana, cereal forages have become an increasingly important crop. Cereal hay is harvested on over 500,000 acres in the region. One explanation for the popularity of cereal forages may be their use as an emergency hay crop in times of drought. Additionally, small grains are used in crop rotations to renovate alfalfa stands. This methodology is an effective way to reduce costs associated with weed and disease control. Cereal forages are easier to grow when compared to alfalfa in terms of seed drills, herbicides, and risk and require similar harvesting techniques as legumes. Proper harvesting can maximize feed value. Small grains harvested as hay are a significant source of winter forage for livestock producers in Montana. These forages are widely adapted, and they can be an inexpensive and readily available feed source.
Winter cereals such as winter wheat or winter triticale can add flexibility to livestock operations by providing supplemental or emergency pasture. These crops can provide sufficient growth throughout the growing season to provide pasture well into the summer. Additionally, producers can add pastures quickly if needed. In some areas of Montana, winter cereals have an advantage over spring cereal crops. Winter crops can protect the soil from both wind and water erosion. Winter cereals generally show higher yields than spring cereals. Winter cereals in a dryland production stetting may produce <1.0 to 3.5 Ton/Acre while spring cereals in dryland production systems produce 0.5 to 3.0 Ton/Acre on average. In irrigated production systems the difference in production levels between winter and spring cereals is even more dramatic, 3 to 6 Ton/Acre for winter cereals vs. 2.5 to 3.5 Ton/Acre for spring cereals (Cash 2006, preliminary data). Winter cereals have better water use efficiency than spring cereals. Because most winter cereals are seeded in late summer to early fall the seasonal distribution of workload can be spread more evenly through out the year. Data has also shown that winter cereals can compete with weeds better that spring cereals.
Winter cereals can be seeded in the spring and can provide ideal summer pasture that maintains growth and quality well into fall. Production depends on soil moisture and fertility. The forage will remain vegetative (produce only leaves) until a vernalization event (Vernalization is exposure to low temperature for a genetically determined length of time in order for the plant to reproduce). Forage quality is very high (~20% CP and ~75% Digestible) and livestock performance gains can be high (~2.0 to 2.5 lbs per day). Winter crops are also ideal for extending the fall grazing season.
Utilization of winter wheat as a pasture source in the fall or early spring could prevent the need to feed stored feeds. Winter cereals can be used as an additional spring pasture base allowing native pastures to fully develop. Winter cereal crops have shown to maintain their forage quality through fall. For this reason they can be used as an alternative to fall grazing of native range. Often in the fall native range will become dormant and decrease in quality. Having a higher quality pasture base available, such as winter wheat, would be advantageous not only in providing a potentially higher quality diet to your livestock but also in preserving your native range.
There are several new experimental lines of awnletted winter wheat being developed at MSU which are showing great promise as a feed source for livestock. A new variety of winter wheat called �Willow Creek� was released by MSU in 2005. Willow Creek winter wheat is a hard red wheat variety that is tall, late-maturing, awnletted, fine stemmed and has fairly light-colored chaff. Winter wheat has several advantages over other cereal forages. Primarily, winter wheat is a crop that has several possible endpoints allowing producers a little more flexibility. It can be harvested for grain as an emergency crop, it can be grazed, or it can be cut for winter feed.
Grazing trials conducted in the spring of 2006 at MSU measured the regrowth of Willow Creek winter wheat after being grazed at three different stages of its growth cycle. In mid June, prior to grazing, winter wheat plots had 0.64 Ton/Acre of dry matter (DM) forage available. Sheep were allowed to graze these plots until the forage was at a one inch stubble height. In early July when the plots were to be harvested, those which were grazed in mid June had a regrowth to 0.56 Ton/Acre of DM forage (Cash 2006, preliminary data). This provides tremendous opportunities to livestock producers to utilize this level of forage availability in early June and delay grazing of native range. Future research at MSU will evaluate the suitability of winter wheat as a grazing source for cattle to determine if there is a difference in the amount of impact cattle will have on this crop in comparison to sheep. Since re-growth following grazing is high enough to maintain an adequate crop, early spring grazing is a possible management strategy.
Remember cereal forages are prone to nitrate accumulation. Under stressful growing conditions and during periods of low sunlight nitrates can accumulate in the stem causing the plant to become toxic to livestock (for more information on nitrate toxicity please refer to MontGuide, www.animalrangeextension.montana.edu/articles/Forage/General/Nitrate-tox.htm, Cash et al., 2002). Winter cereals may have lower levels of nitrate accumulation than spring cereals at time of grazing due to their advanced stage of maturity.
Here are some commonly asked questions regarding growing cereal forages:
Q: When should I plant my fall-seeded winter cereals?
A: About August 15 to ensure pasture will be available for the fall; before the end of September if seeded for spring pasture or hay.
Q: When can I start grazing?
A: Grazing of winter wheat should be delayed until the secondary root system has developed enough to anchor the plant (about 6 inches of top growth). If producers start the grazing process too early the livestock will pull the wheat plant up by the roots and reduce the plant population. In dry years, grazing must be delayed until spring. If growers intend to insure a winter wheat grain crop, they should check with their crop insurance provider to determine if grazing is allowed.
Q: Are spring-seeded winter cereals well suited for rotational grazing?
A: YES, either a spring or winter cereal can be planted in the early spring for pasture or hay. Begin grazing when the drill rows are no longer visible. Graze one week then rest three to four weeks before grazing again. Remember the forage will remain vegetative through the summer if the crops are not allowed to head.
Q: Can I intercrop spring and winter cereals?
A: Yes, spring and winter cereals work well together. They can be used as strictly pasture or silage(hay)/pasture combinations. When intercropping, seeding rates should be � rates of each crop. Other crop combinations with peas are also useful.
Q: What about awns, awnless, or awnletted? Should I care?
A: It depends on your final product. For grazing and silage awns may not be important. Cropping for hay - awnless and awnletted are is best. Chopping does reduce palatability issues with awned cereal forages, and nitrate levels are reduced during silage fermentation.