Delay of harvest effects on forage yield and regrowth in spring and winter cereal mixtures

1995 ◽  
Vol 75 (3) ◽  
pp. 667-674 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. S. Baron ◽  
E. A. de St Remy ◽  
A. C. Dick ◽  
D. F. Salmon

Spring-planted mixtures of spring and winter cereals extend the grazing season and maximize dry matter yield if the initial defoliation is delayed until the milk stage of kernel development of the spring cereal component. However, fall regrowth may be less than spring-planted winter cereal monocrops. Research was conducted at Lacombe, Alberta to determine the effect of time of initial cut and winter cereal species on initial yield, regrowth yield and factors affecting regrowth (tiller density, water-soluble carbohydrate (WSC) and etiolated regrowth immediately post-cutting) of the winter cereal component of spring-seeded monocrops of fall rye (Secale cereale L.), winter triticale (× Triticosecale Wittmack) and winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and in binary mixtures with spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). Treatments were planted in early May and harvested initially when the barley reached the boot (B), heads emerged (H), H + 2 wk, H + 4 wk and H + 6 wk stages. Three weeks after the initial cut a regrowth harvest was conducted. Initial yields of both mixtures and monocrops increased until approximately H + 4 wk and H + 6 wk respectively, with no differences due to species in the mixture. The effect of crop stage at initial harvest on regrowth was much larger than the species effect. Monocrop regrowth decreased almost linearly with delay of defoliation, while that of the mixture (winter and spring components combined) declined at a faster rate. Tiller density, WSC and etiolated regrowth also followed decreasing trends with time of initial cut in the monocrops and mixtures. These trends were due directly or indirectly to very low light intensities in the lower levels of the canopies of both cropping systems after H + 2 wk. Both initial and regrowth yields of the winter cereal component of mixtures involving rye and triticale were generally superior to those involving wheat. The ability of the winter cereal component to regrow in mixtures may be related to plant size and therefore ability to compete during initial growth. In general, the initial harvest of the mixture should occur no later than H + 2 wk of the spring cereal component in order to allow sufficient time for recovery of the winter cereal component after harvest. Otherwise, a spring-seeded winter cereal would be a better alternative for fall pasture. Key words: Delayed harvest, spring and winter cereals, forage yield, regrowth

1994 ◽  
Vol 74 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. S. Baron ◽  
A. C. Dick ◽  
E. A. de St. Remy

Spring-planted mixtures of spring and winter cereals in a silage/fall pasture system have been shown to extend the grazing season in the Parkland of the Canadian prairies. Experiments were conducted at Lacombe, Alberta to determine the effects of planting date on yield and yield components of spring-seeded spring oat (Avena sativa L.), winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), winter triticale (X Triticosecale Wittmack) and winter rye (Secale cereale L.). The cereals were grown as monocrops or as binary mixtures of the oat and winter cereals. Treatments were planted in early May and mid-June and harvested twice for forage. The initial harvest for early and late planting dates occurred when oat reached the early-milk and heading stages, respectively. Regrowth was harvested in mid- to late September. The planting date x treatment interaction did not affect (P ≤ 0.05) annual yield (initial + regrowth) even though oat was harvested at different developmental stages. Averaged over treatments, late planting reduced annual yield by 42%. The annual yields ranked: mixtures = oat monocrop > winter cereals. Late planting date reduced the initial yield of all treatments, but the winter monocrops were reduced less than oat. Oat dominated the initial yield of all mixtures. Although oat tiller density was lower in the mixtures than monocropped oat at the initial cut, oat constituted a greater proportion of the mixture than would have been expected from the seeding ratio (1:1). A larger tiller weight in the oat mixture vs. the monocrop may have compensated for low tiller density in the mixture. Mixture regrowth yields tended to be greater in late-planted treatments and were dominated by the winter cereals. Although the winter cereal component of the mixture had more tillers at the regrowth cut, they still had lower yields when compared with their respective monocrops. Thus, late planting reduced annual yields of mixtures and monocrops, but did not limit regrowth of winter cereals in mixtures given equal regrowth periods. Key words: Oat, winter rye, winter wheat, winter triticale, forage yield, tillering


1999 ◽  
Vol 79 (4) ◽  
pp. 565-577 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. E. Juskiw ◽  
D. F. Salmon ◽  
J. H. Helm

Spring-planted winter cereals grown as monocrops or in mixture with spring cereals maintain yield and quality into late summer and fall, and can be used to replace or complement perennial pasture. Our objectives were to determine the response to clipping of spring-planted winter cereals, and to determine the effects of seeding rates and ratios of spring to winter cereals on this response. Monocrops of winter triticale (X Triticosecale Wittmack) cv. Pika and winter rye (Secale cereale L.) cv. Musketeer and mixtures of these cereals with the spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) cv. Noble were evaluated. Tests were conducted from 1991 to 1993 at Botha and Lacombe, AB. Mixtures of spring:winter cereals were 0:100, 25:25, 25:75, 50:50, 75:25, 75:75 and 100:100 (Lacombe only), where the ratio of components represented the percentage of the base seeding rate of 250 seeds m−2. Biomass yields for triticale treatments (5.5 t ha−1 at Botha and 6.3 t ha−1 at Lacombe for the May to October growing season) were generally as high as for the rye treatments (5.9 t ha−1 at Botha and Lacombe); however, at Lacombe, spring regrowth after overwintering for triticale treatments was only 0.6 t ha−1 compared with 1.0 t ha−1 for rye treatments (LSD0.05 = 0.17). As little as 25% spring barley in a mixture ensured good early-season biomass yields, but more than 50% reduced late-season biomass yields. All treatments produced good-quality forage with protein >20%, neutral detergent fibre (NDF) <45% and acid detergent fibre (ADF) <30%. Nitrate contents were frequently >0.5% at both sites in 1991 and 1992, especially for those treatments with spring barley. Key words: Winter triticale, winter rye, annual forage, biomass, forage quality


1993 ◽  
Vol 73 (4) ◽  
pp. 947-959 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. S. Baron ◽  
A. C. Dick ◽  
H. G. Najda ◽  
D. F. Salmon ◽  
J. R. Pearen

The feasibility of using mixtures of spring-planted spring and winter cereals for pasture in central and southern Alberta was demonstrated previously. In the current study cropping system treatments consisting of: spring cereal monocrops (SMC), either oats (Avenu sativa L.) or barley (Hordeum vulgare L.); winter cereal monocrops (WMC), either winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) or winter triticale (× Triticosecale Wittmack); binary mixtures of the spring and winter cereals planted together as intercrops (IC) in the spring at the same time; and a doublecrop (DC) system where the winter cereal was planted into the spring cereal after one clipping were grown during 2 yr at Lacombe, Alberta. Pasture was simulated by clipping the stands five times, beginning at the joint stage of the spring cereal and four times subsequently at about 4-wk intervals. Prior to each clip, tiller weight, tiller density, tiller height and leaf area index (LAI) were measured in each sward. Differences for yield among treatments within systems did not occur, so small differences in sward structure were considered to be due to a compensatory interaction of yield components which stabilized yield and were ignored. Sward structure appeared to explain differences among systems for yield distribution. Tiller density and LAI of the SMC and spring component of the IC and DC became relatively small as the season advanced, especially after cut 2. Tiller density and LAI of the WMC were maintained at high levels throughout the season after cut 1. After cut 2 the winter cereal components of the IC and DC were responsible for the maintenance of total tiller density and LAI in their respective swards. Average seasonal total LAI were 3.36, 3.02, 1.87 and 1.17 cm2 cm−2 in the WMC, IC, DC and SMC. Late planting and competition for light from the taller spring cereal component delayed tillering of the winter cereal component in the DC compared with the IC during midsummer (cuts 2 and 3) resulting in the low average LAI. In contrast, planting the spring and winter cereal components at the same time (IC) resulted in a relatively stable total tiller density, high average LAI and yield. Thus the superior yield distribution of the IC, shown previously, was due to the complementary way in which spring and winter cereal tillers responded to clipping when planting occurred at the same time. Key words: Monocrop, intercrop, double-crop, yield components


1996 ◽  
Vol 76 (2) ◽  
pp. 251-257 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. S. Baron ◽  
E. A. de St Remy ◽  
D. F. Salmon ◽  
A. C. Dick

Spring planted mixtures of spring and winter cereals maximize dry matter yield and provide fall pasture by regrowth of the winter cereal. However, delay of initial harvest may reduce the winter cereal component and therefore subsequent regrowth yield. Research was conducted at Lacombe, Alberta to investigate the effect of time of initial cut (stage), winter cereal species (species) and cropping system (monocrop and mixture) on winter cereal shoot weight, leaf carbon exchange efficiency and shoot morphology. These parameters may be related to adaptation of winter cereals to growth and survival in the mixture. Winter cereal plants were grown in pails embedded in monocrop plots of fall rye (Secale cereale L.), winter triticale (X Triticosecale Wittmack) and winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and in binary mixtures with Leduc barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). The plants were removed when the barley reached the boot (B), heads emerged (H), H + 2, H + 4 and H + 6 wk stages. Shoot weight was generally smaller in the mixture than in the monocrop and wheat was reduced more than fall rye and triticale in the mixture compared to the monocrop. Dark respiration rate (r = −0.54) and carbon exchange (r = 0.36) under low light intensity were correlated (P < 0.05) to shoot size in the mixture. Fall rye and winter triticale had lower dark respiration rates than winter wheat. Leaf area index (LAI) was closely correlated (r = 0.83 and 0.84) with shoot weight in both the mixture and monocrop. While species failed to exhibit clear cut differences for LAI, fall rye and winter triticale were reduced less than winter wheat in the mixture relative to the monocrop. Stage was the dominant factor affecting winter cereal growth in both cropping systems, but fall rye and triticale exhibited superior morphological features, and their carbon exchange responses to light were more efficient than wheat, which should allow them to be sustained longer under the shaded conditions of a mixture. Key words: Delayed harvest, shade, spring and winter cereal mixtures, adaptation, carbon exchange, respiration


2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 335 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rodolfo Carletto ◽  
Mikael Neumann ◽  
Danúbia Nogueira Figueira ◽  
Guilherme Fernando Mattos Leão ◽  
Egon Henrique Horst ◽  
...  

Winter cereals are mainly used for human and animal nutrition and several studies are now exploring their potential as conserved forage (hay and silage). Among the winter cereal species available for cultivation in the south of Brazil, which is major winter cereals producer in the country, the wheat cv. BRS Umbu has attracted special attention. However, few studies have investigated the potential of this cultivar for silage production. The aim of this study was to evaluate the production and quality of silage from the dual-purpose wheat, BRS Umbu, subjected to different cut managements treatments: T1 - without cut (control), T2 - one cut and T3 - two cuts. Each plot represented an experimental unit in a randomized block design, with 5 replicates per treatment. Two representative samples were collected from each plot to determine morphological segmentation (stem, leaf and ear) and dry matter (DM) content of the whole plant and its morphological components. At the time of opening of the silos, food chemical analysis and pH determination were performed. Forage mass production decreased by 26.88% and 67.82%, respectively, with one and two cuts, compared to control. The DM content of the ensiled plant was 49.9 g kg-1 for the control, 54.7 g kg-1 with one cut and 63.2 g kg-1 with two cuts, at the time of ensiling. Management cuts changed the morphological components of the plants, with a lower proportion of stem (28%) in plants subjected to two cuts. The control treatment showed fewer leaves in ensiled plant (9.6%) and intermediate amount of stalk (52.8%), and was significantly different (p < 0.05) to treatment of a cut. Regarding feed chemistry evaluations, no significant difference (p > 0.05) was observed for mineral matter (MM), crude protein (CP) and hemicellulose (HEM) between the different cutting regimens. However, neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) decreased (p < 0.05) as the number of cuts increased. The control treatment showed higher NDF and ADF content (563.2 and 357.9 g kg-1 DM, respectively) and lower amount of total digestible nutrients (TDN) and net energy of lactation (NEL). However, the estimated milk production (EMP) was superior for this treatment (22,447 l ha-1), demonstrating the high impact of reduced forage mass production with increased number of cuts.


1992 ◽  
Vol 72 (1) ◽  
pp. 163-172 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. J. Thompson ◽  
D. G. Stout ◽  
Z. Mir ◽  
T. Moore

Three spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and four annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) types were intercropped to evaluate the potential yield and quality of forage which can be produced under irrigation in southern interior B.C. All treatments were intercrops; when barley cultivar effects are described they are averaged over the ryegrasses and vice versa. Barley cultivars differed in grain maturity. Ryegrass cultivars included diploid and tertraploid Italian and Westerwolds types. Intercrops including late grain maturing barley cultivars (Samson and Virden) increased the yield of the first silage cut (both by 25% over 2 yr) compared to Diamond, a medium-maturing cultivar adapted to the area. Intercrops containing the semi-dwarf barley, Samson, produced more digestible forage including higher in vitro digestible dry matter (IVDDM) and lower ADF and lignin. Annual ryegrass yield in the first cut intercropped with Samson was almost twice that with either Diamond or Virden, showing that Samson barley is less competitive. Second-cut yield (ryegrass regrowth) was greater for tetraploid than diploid annual ryegrasses. Yields of fall pasture (cuts 3 and 4) were similar among ryegrass cultivars. Cuts 2 and 3 (ryegrass only) of Italian ryegrasses had superior quality (higher IVDDM and protein; and lower ADF, lignin, and NDF) to Westerwolds ryegrassses, but all cultivars had similar quality in the late fall (Cut 4). It was concluded that a range of barley and annual ryegrass cultivars can be successfully intercropped to produce forage in south central B.C.Key words: Intercropping, barley annual ryegrass, forage yield and quality


2007 ◽  
Vol 47 (7) ◽  
pp. 825 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. Lee ◽  
D. J. Donaghy ◽  
J. R. Roche

The objective of the current study was to quantify the effects of greater herbage residuals in winter on leaf appearance rate, herbage accumulation and quality, and plant energy reserves, as well as quantifying the effects nitrogen (N), or phosphorus (P) and sulfur (S) fertilisers had on the above measures. Ten pasture areas were grazed to different residual masses (1260 ± 101 and 1868 ± 139 kg DM/ha, Severe and Lax, respectively) over five consecutive days by dry dairy cows. Two randomly located subplots within each grazing area were fertilised with either 50 kg N/ha (N treatment) or 50 kg N/ha, 31 kg S/ha plus 26 kg P/ha (N + S + P treatment) on the day immediately following defoliation (day 1), and were compared with a control subplot. Neither growth rate (15.1 ± 8.1 kg DM/ha.day), nor leaf appearance rate (15.1 ± 0.3 days per new leaf) differed between treatments. As a result, herbage accumulated over the 49 days of regrowth was similar across grazing treatments and averaged 726 kg DM/ha. Application of N + S + P tended to increase total herbage accumulated during regrowth compared with either the control or N treatment subplots (860 v. 675 and 643 kg DM/ha, respectively), likely a result of increased tiller density. Swards defoliated more severely had lower initial water-soluble carbohydrate (WSC) concentrations compared with swards laxly defoliated, but this difference had disappeared before appearance of the third new leaf. Herbage quality improved in the Severe treatment subplots after emergence of the third new leaf, with higher digestibility, greater WSC and metabolisable energy, and lower fibre content than in laxly grazed subplots.


2017 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 273-285
Author(s):  
Tomasz Zając ◽  
Agnieszka Synowiec ◽  
Andrzej Oleksy ◽  
Jan Macuda ◽  
Agnieszka Klimek-Kopyra ◽  
...  

Abstract Cereal straw is an important biomass source in Europe. This work assessed: 1) the morphological and energetic characteristics of culms of spring and winter cereals, 2) the energy deposited in the different aboveground parts of cereals, 3) losses of energy due to different cutting heights. The straw of winter and spring cereals was collected from arable fields during the seasons 2009/10 and 2010/11 in southern Poland. Detailed biometric measurements of culms and internodes were performed. The losses of straw biomass and energy were assessed during simulation of cutting the culm at different heights, up to 50 cm. Longer and heavier culms were developed by winter wheat and triticale and oat. Cutting of straw up to 10 cm did not lead to significant losses in straw yield. The total amount of energy in the culms was as follows: triticale > winter wheat > oat > spring wheat > winter barley > spring barley. Cutting the culms above 20 cm led to significant differences in terms of biomass energy between cereal species. The smallest losses of energy were recorded for spring and winter barley. Oat and barley accumulated the highest energy in grains.


2002 ◽  
Vol 138 (3) ◽  
pp. 311-315 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. GHANBARI-BONJAR ◽  
H. C. LEE

Sole crops and intercrops of field beans (Vicia faba L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), at three nitrogen rates, were evaluated for production of whole crop forage in two field experiments, one spring and one autumn drilled, on Imperial College at Wye farm, UK, during 1997–1998. Forage quality attributes measured were crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF), water-soluble carbohydrate (WSC) and ash content. In both experiments, dry matter (DM) and percentage dry matter (DM%) were improved by intercropping compared with beans sole crops. Intercropping enhanced CP and NDF contents and WSC compared with beans and wheat sole crops, respectively. Nitrogen (N) applications up to 75 kg/ha produced the optimal intercrop forage yield and crude protein content. This input of N is smaller than that for other forage crops.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document