CROP ECOLOGY, PRODUCTION & MANAGEMENT Yield and Quality of Wheat, Triticale, and Elytricum Forage in the Southern Plains

can be harvested with only a slight depression in yields (Redmon et al., 1995). Either option leaves a forage Hard red winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a major cooldeficit period until warm-season perennial grasses are season forage that couples with warm-season perennials to provide livestock feed in the Southern Plains. Productivity and quality of available for grazing in mid summer. wheat forage declines in April, creating a forage deficit period until Sapra et al. (1973) reported that forage production warm-season perennial grasses are available. Other cool-season anof triticale, a cross between wheat and rye (Secale cereale nual grasses with different growth patterns may provide growth during L.), was equal to that of wheat, barley (Hordeum vulgare this period to fill this forage deficit. A field experiment was conducted L.), and rye. Triticale also was productive later in the on Brewer silty clay (fine, mixed, superactive, thermic Udertic Argiusspring than wheat in the southeastern USA. Brown and toll) from 1994 to1997 to compare seasonal forage production patterns Almodares (1976), Finker and Fuehring (1974), and and yield and quality of winter wheat, triticale (3 Triticosecale rimPrato et al. (1971) observed greater fluctuation in grain paui Wittm.) and 3 Elytricum spp. (Triticum aestivum 3 Elytrigia yield and protein in triticale than was reported for wheat spp. ‘OK-906’). Aboveground whole-plant biomass during late fall and other small grains in other geographical areas. Forand early spring were greater for wheat than elytricum, but this trend was reversed in late spring and early summer. Average growing degree age quality of triticale, from boot to the soft-dough days to reach physiological maturity were 2500, 2670, and 3100 for growth stage, was also lower than wheat forage (Tidwell wheat, triticale, and elytricum, respectively. Averaged across years, et al., 1987). triticale and elytricum reached maturity 8.5 and 28 d after wheat, Crossing wheat with perennial wheatgrass (Elytrigia respectively. At physiological maturity, differences in biomass accuspp.) produced a hybrid known as elytricum (Morris mulation between wheat and triticale were minimal, but elytricum at and Sears, 1967), later classified as 3 Elytricum spp. physiological maturity produced 22% more total biomass, 3.5% less California plant breeders first introduced elytricum in grain, and 28% greater straw yield as compared with wheat. Differthe 1930s in hopes of developing perennial wheat. Later, ences in straw in vitro dry matter disappearance (IVDMD) among Oklahoma State University researchers utilized elytrispecies were minimal. Because of its prolonged vegetative-growth cum to breed disease resistance characteristics into phase compared with wheat or triticale, elytricum has the potential to fill the late spring forage deficit period and reduce supplemental Oklahoma wheat (E. Smith, 1998, personal communicafeed cost for livestock. tion). Subsequent crosses of elytricum with, and backcrosses to, wheat were used to develop OK-906 cultivar elytricum. Availability of information on forage production patterns and nutritive value of OK-906 in the southA goal of many grazing programs is to provide ern Great Plains region is minimal. Our objective was high quality forage year round to reduce the costs to evaluate seasonal forage production patterns and of storing and purchasing concentrate feeds. No single quality of elytricum, triticale, and winter wheat under crop has the potential to provide forage year round. dryland conditions. Therefore, new or existing forage species that have the ability to provide forage for grazing over an extended period need to be developed and evaluated. Hard red MATERIALS AND METHODS winter wheat is a major source of forage for livestock Field experiments were conducted for four growing seasons in the southern Great Plains. Stocker calves (Bos spp.) at the Grazinglands Research Laboratory, USDA-ARS, near are placed on the wheat in fall, usually in November. El Reno, OK. Winter wheat, triticale, and elytricum were Wheat can be used in a graze–out or graze–grain system. seeded on 7 Sept. 1993, 14 Sept. 1994, 11 Oct. 1995, and 9 Graze–out refers to maintaining the calves on wheat Sept. 1996 into conventionally tilled plots. Seed was drilled at until it senesces in summer. Under a graze–out systems the rate of 100 kg ha2 with a 20-cm row spacing in 3 by 30 m plots with 1-m alleys between plots. All plots were free of forage biomass and quality declines around the middle weeds. Before seeding, 50 kg of N ha2 as urea was broadcast of April. In the graze–grain system, calves are usually and incorporated with shallow disking. This was followed by removed during March (at jointing) allowing the wheat 100 kg N ha2 broadcast in the spring (March). The study was to produce grain. If cattle are removed at jointing, grain arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Whole plant samples were hand-clipped ranUSDA-ARS, Grazinglands Research Laboratory, 7207 W. Cheyenne domly from three 30-cm rows (total of 90 cm) every 30 d after St., El Reno, OK 73036; S. W. Coleman, USDA-ARS, STARS, 22271 seeding until physiological maturity. Samples were taken at a Chinsegut Rd. Brookeville, FL 34601-4672; and J.D. Volesky, Univ. new location at each sampling date and cut to a height of of Nebraska, West Central Research and Extension Center, Rt. 4 Box 2 cm. In 1995, the first sample was collected 60 d after seeding 46, North Platte, NE 69101. Received 18 Nov. 1999. *Corresponding author ([email protected]). Abbreviations: IVDMD, in vitro dry matter disappearance; N, urea N. Published in Crop Sci. 40:1308–1312 (2000).