42 Story Idea? Email Paul.Nolan@Farms.com Better Farming | November/December 2023 fairly drought tolerant forage variety. The overall average triticale yield was 6,906 pounds per acre. There were no significant differences in lodging, or days to heading. Fall rye (KWS ProPower) mixed with oats (CDC Baler) is of interest to livestock producers as a spring seeded winter annual that will continue growing after the first cut and can then be grazed and/or overwintered for further forage. This combination was the lowest yielding mixture of all the mixtures when averaged over 12 site-years, although not significantly different. A mix of CDC Arborg, a forage oat variety, and CDC Maverick, a forage/ feed grain barley variety, was included to increase the overall protein content of the mix as a result of Arborg oats having improved protein compared to other oat varieties. CDC Arborg was also chosen to mix with CDC Maverick because both varieties are tall, but CDC Arborg has good lodging resistance compared to CDC Maverick. The combination of the varieties resulted in no lodging in this project. The dry matter yield for the barley-oat mixture was good but was not significantly different than CDC Haymaker oat and CDC Maverick grown on their own. The second barley (CDC Austenson) and oat (CDC Haymaker) mixture was included due to the difference in maturities between the two varieties and was thought to result in improved protein in the barley. CDC Austenson barley also has improved lodging resistance and is mixed with a much taller oat variety. The mixture did not result in any lodging but it should be noted that CDC Maverick grown on its own did not lodge in this study. This mixture yielded slightly less than the CDC Haymaker oat check and more than the CDC Arborg and CDC Maverick mixture. However, treatments were not significantly different. A mixture of oats (CDC Haymaker) and peas (CDC Horizon) as a forage blend that includes a pulse is a common recommendation to improve protein and this did occur with this mixture. A second blend of CDC Haymaker oats, CDC Horizon peas and a brassica (Gorilla forage rape) was included to potentially further increase protein and improve overall forage quality. Protein did increase but was not significantly different than the combination of oats and peas. This mixture yielded slightly less than the pea-oat mixture for dry matter, but the difference was not significantly different. Overall, it appeared the brassica was unable to compete in this mix. Conclusions Although dry matter yield varied by location, barley, oats and triticale as well as most forage mixtures often remained consistent in providing sufficient dry matter yield compared to wheat. Specific varieties such as Haymaker oat and Pronghorn triticale were generally higher yielding than other varieties and have shown to perform well in terms of yield across various locations. Of the mixtures, the rye-oat mix tended to be lowest yielding, but it continues to grow and be an available feed source after the first cut for further grazing. This mix was best suited for the Prince Albert region. Barley-oat mixtures performed well across most sites compared to other mixtures, particularly at Clavet, Redvers and Prince Albert followed by pulse-cereal mixtures, which were best suited for Swift Current. Some variation is seen between soil types and environments and it’s important to choose the mix most suited to your region. Although environmental conditions were less than ideal most site years, the results of the project provided valuable information about each variety and location. BF Headed-out wheat field. Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture photo Ag Insights SHANNON CHANT & AMBER WALL Shannon Chant, MSc, PAg, crops extension specialist, Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture and Amber Wall, assistant manager, Wheatland Conservation Area
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