Authors: Mark Sulc, Bill Weiss, Jason Hartschuh, CCA, Rory Lewandowski, CCA
Rye swaths. Photo credit: Rory Lewandowski
Winter cereal forage crop development is advancing with the early warm weather this spring. These crops include winter rye, winter wheat, winter triticale, and barley. Italian ryegrass planted late last summer to early autumn is another forage crop that is developing early and will be ready for harvest by late April. The cool-down this week will likely slow development of these crops, but producers should be looking ahead to be ready when these crops reach optimal harvest stages.
Forage yield and nutritive value of these forages can change rapidly as the crop matures (see table below). The optimal stage of harvest will depend on the livestock to be fed. As with all forages, yield and quality are inversely related and the user will need to . . .
Continue reading Harvest of Winter Annual Forages is Approaching