Winter Annual Cereal Grain Forage Success Starts Now

Jason Hartschuh, Assistant Professor, OSU Extension Field Specialist, Dairy Management and Precision Livestock, Ohio State University

Winter annual forages can be an economical feed for dairy cows and heifers. The four most common winter annuals are rye, triticale, wheat, and barley. Of these four crops, barley is the most challenging to grow, as it has less winter survivability if planted late. The benefit to barley is a slightly higher crude protein (CP) and smaller stems, allowing this species to dry better than the other three for dry hay. Barley CP stays higher even as the crop matures, with similar protein levels at pollination to the other species’ protein just before the head emerges. In a 3-year study conducted at the Ohio State research stations in Jackson, Fremont, and Custer, cereal rye had the highest yield when harvested just before the head emerges, averaging 1.92 ton/acre of dry matter (DM). Harvesting later, once the head emerged, increased the dry matter yield of triticale the most, with a yield average of 2.81 ton/acre of DM, with a top location average for triticale at 5 ton/acre. In this study, 50 lb/acre of spring nitrogen was applied. Yield and quality data from this trial can be found in Table 1. Species that have a 10.0 listed after them were harvested at Feeks 10.0 or head in the boot (not emerged yet, but at the top of the plant, ready to emerge), while those with a 10.5 listed after them were harvested at Feeks 10.5, head fully emerged and in flower.

Table 1: Winter annual cereal grain species yield and quality average over 3 years and 3 locations. Results in the same column with the same letter statistically had the same yield or quality. 

Not only did species affect yield, but it also impacted forage quality. Barley and wheat had higher CP and total digestible nutrients than both triticale and wheat at either harvest timing. NDF was also lower for barley and wheat. While barley is a good feed, we lost our stand to winter injury at all locations one year and at one location an additional year. All varieties in this study were with variety not stated.

Winter annual cereal forage varieties exhibit significant differences in yield and maturity, even within the same species. Within species, yield and quality significantly differed between varieties.  One cereal rye variety in a Penn State variety trial yielded 3.63 ton/acre of DM while another only yielded 2.91 ton/acre. The cereal rye varieties also had a 14-day maturity window between varieties. When planting cereal rye, we often grow a variety unstated, as it is cheaper and easier to get and frequently used as a cover crop.

Triticale also has huge differences in yield, but all varieties mature in a much tighter number of days than the cereal rye. The top yielding triticale variety in the Penn State trial was BCT 19004 with a yield of 4.94 ton/acre of DM with 11.62% CP. The lowest yielding variety was BCT 19003 with a yield of 3.29 ton/acre of DM and 11.46% CP. Many of the other varieties you may be planting yield somewhere in the middle, like TriCal Thor that yielded 4.17 ton/acre of DM with a CP of 14.17%. There are many more varieties available that will do well in Ohio. When selecting varieties, look for agronomic information on winter survival and disease tolerance.

Nitrogen management is a critical part of winter annual forage production. Over the last 2 years, we conducted a trial in Fremont, Ohio, at the North Central Research Station on nitrogen and sulfur management on cereal rye.  Our research showed higher yields of 0.27 ton/acre of DM in 2022 and 1.5 ton/acre more DM in 2023 when 20 lb/acre of nitrogen was applied in the fall at planting after soybeans, compared to no additional nitrogen. Fall nitrogen had little effect on forage quality. We also compared two spring nitrogen rates of 50 and 70 lb/acre plus 20 lb/acre of sulfur in the spring. Spring nitrogen rates of 70 lb/acre did not affect yield compared to 50 lb/acre in 2022, but more spring nitrogen in 2023 increased yields by a ton when sulfur was also applied. Full trial results for 2023 can be found in Table 2. Spring nitrogen had a significant increase in CP. Seventy pounds per acre of spring nitrogen increased CP by 0.5 to 2% over 50 lb/acre of spring nitrogen. Sulfur application in the spring of 20 lb/acre significantly increased yield in 2023 when 70 lb/acre of nitrogen was applied. Our trials only achieved CP values of 12.3%. Our top-yielding treatment was 6.8 ton/acre of DM and had 90 lb/acre of total nitrogen applied. This crop removed 270 lb of nitrogen. In our trial field without historical manure applications, we need to continue to investigate if CP would increase from more nitrogen applied but be careful that the crop doesn’t lodge.

Table 2. Cereal rye yield and quality in 2023 affected by nitrogen rate (lb/acre) timing and sulfur application (lb/acre). Results in the same column with the same letter had statistically the same yield and quality.¹

¹TDN = Total digestible nutrients, CP = crude protein, NDF = neutral detergent fiber, DM = dry matter, LSD = least significant difference, and CV = coefficient of variation.

For the last two years, we have been researching even higher fall and spring nitrogen rates from 0 to 90 lb/acre in the fall and an additional 25 to 100 lb/acre in the spring. Both spring and fall nitrogen are required to maximize yield. Over winter tilling increased until 60 lb/acre of fall nitrogen was applied. Total ground cover at spring green-up was 65% for 60 and 90 lb/acre of nitrogen, while 30 lb/acre averaged 55% ground cover, and no nitrogen only provided 40% cover. Fall nitrogen increase in ground cover translated into a yield increase, with 30 lb/acre of fall nitrogen increasing yield, but only maximizing yield when 100 lb/acre of spring nitrogen was also applied. Figure 1 below illustrates the effect of fall and spring nitrogen combinations on yield (bars with the same letters statistically yielded the same). Spring nitrogen was a critical factor in increasing CP; however, 90 lb/acre of fall nitrogen also increased CP. For all fall nitrogen applications, except the 90-lb/acre rate, spring CP was maximized when 100 lb/acre of spring nitrogen was applied. Crude protein for the 90-lb/acre fall application rate was the same for both the 75 and 100-lb/acre spring nitrogen rate.

Figure 1. Dry matter tonnage yield for cereal rye based on the combination of spring (first number) and fall (second number) nitrogen rates. Bars with the same letters have the same statistical yield.When trying to maximize forage profitability per acre, consider managing your forage crop more like an agronomic crop. Consider variety selection for your needs by looking at both yield and nutritional value. Also, consider nitrogen rate and timing. Your nitrogen may come from commercial fertilizer or liquid manure. Work from New York also showed that unless there was residual nitrogen left over from the previous crop, a fall nitrogen application increased tillering and forage yield. This work also showed that if the field didn’t have fall manure or a history of manure application, a spring nitrogen application increased yield. Winter annual cereal grains should be planted ½ to1½ inches deep based on soil moisture; it can be surface spread but 20 to 30% higher seeding rates are needed. When drilled, seeding rates should be 2.0 to 2.5 bushel/acre, with higher rates needed when planting is delayed until late fall. By increasing your winter cereal grain forage management, you can return even more to your operation’s profitability per acre.

This article has been reposted from the Buckeye Dairy News. To subscribe to the newsletter, click HERE.