Triticale – Maryland Agronomy News

2020-2021 Forage Performance of Cereal Cover Crops in Maryland

Dr. Nicole Fiorellino – Extension Agronomist
Louis Thorne – Faculty Specialist
Joseph Crank – Agriculture Technician Supervisor

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Dairy farmers are constantly looking for sources of forage to meet their feed needs. One source that many of our region’s dairy farmers utilize is the fall planting of cereal grains that are green-chop harvested the following spring. Among the cereal species used for this purpose are rye, triticale, barley, and wheat. Per the Maryland Cover Crop Program guidelines, cereal grains planted as a cover crop prior to November 5 and suppressed via green-chop in the spring are eligible for the grant payment for participation in the Cover Crop Program. In addition, per the Nutrient Management Regulations, a fall application of dairy manure is allowed to a field planted to a cereal cover crop.

Planting a cereal cover crop that will be green chop harvested fits well into the crop rotation used by many dairy farmers. The scenario that many follow is to plant the cereal cover crop following harvest of corn silage. Prior to planting the cover crop, an application of manure is made to the field. The subsequent planting of the cover crop provides incorporation of the manure into the soil. The fall and spring growth of the cover crop is supplied nutrients from the manure. At the same time, the cover crop provides protection to the soil from loss of nutrients via leaching and/or erosion. The objective of this study was to evaluate select varieties of cereal species for cover crop performance and forage production and quality.

Cereal varieties (26) representing three species (rye, triticale, wheat) were evaluated at Central Maryland Research and Education Center – Clarksville Facility. Three replications for each entry were planted using a randomized complete block experimental design. Planting date was November 5, 2020. Planting was delayed in 2020 due to multiple large rain events that kept equipment out of the field. The 3’ X 18’ plots were planted with a small plot planter with 6-inch spacing between each of the 7 rows. The germination percentage for each entry was used to calculate the seeding rate needed to establish 1.5 million seedlings. Good stands were established in most plots by late fall.

Our goal each year is to time spring biomass harvest with when entries reach late boot to early heading stage of development. We reached this growth stage from late April to mid May in 2021, with three harvest dates to capture the variation in maturity (April 20, May 4, May 14). Each harvest sample was collected by cutting the plants just above ground-level from three center rows of each plot from an area 2.5 feet in length and from two areas within the plot. The samples were placed into cloth bags and dried using a forced air dryer set at 60^o C where they remained until sample water content was zero. Each sample was weighed and is reported as pounds of dry matter production per acre (Table 1). Each of the dried samples was ground through a 20-mesh screen using a large plant grinder and the ground biomass samples were sent to Cumberland Valley Analytical Laboratory for standard forage quality analysis.

Cover crop performance is measured by amount of biomass produced and the concentration of nitrogen (N) in the biomass. These two factors were used to estimate N uptake (Table 1). Despite late planting 2020, all varieties amassed good biomass during the growing season. Nitrogen uptake in 2021 was lower than in 2020, but still good, with only two varieties significantly different from the overall mean (one greater, one less). Several forage quality characteristics for these cereals were measured (Table 1). The descriptions of the various quality characteristics are described here and in the footnotes at the bottom of Table 1. Crude protein (CP) is the N content of the forage, with higher protein representing better feed quality. This value was used to calculate nitrogen uptake of each variety (Nitrogen content = % CP/6.25). Three rye varieties (Aroostook, TriCal Exp 19R01, and the check variety) had significantly greater CP than overall mean, with two triticale varieties (BCT 19004 and Hi Octane) having significantly less CP than the overall mean. Both Aroostook and TriCal Exp 19R01 also had soluble protein and rumen degradable protein (RDP) significantly greater than the overall mean.

Neutral and acid detergent fiber (NDF, ADF) are measures of feed value and represent the less digestible components of the plant, with NDF representing total fiber and ADF representing the least digestible plant components. Low NDF and ADF values representing increased digestibility; ideally NDF values should be <50% and ADF values should be <35%. Our plots were slightly more mature than ideal this year, with overall mean NDF of 60.2% and ADF of 36%. Despite this, one rye variety (KWS Propower) had ADF significantly less than the mean and both Aroostook and TriCal Exp 19R01 had ADF numerically less than 35%, although they likely would have ADF similar to the overall mean of 36%. Aroostook and TriCal Exp 19R01 also had total digestible nutrients (TDN), net energy for lactation (NEL) significantly greater than the overall mean, indicating good performing varieties. Some good performing wheat varieties included LW2068 and LW2958, which had lower ADF values, low NDF values, high TDN and NEL.

The characteristic that best captures the overall forage quality performance is Relative Feed Value (RFV). An RFV of 100 is defined as the forage value that full bloom alfalfa would have. Two triticale varieties (KWS Propower and Aroostook) had RFV significantly greater than the overall mean (95.0) and over 100. TriCal Exp 19R01 had RFV similar to the overall mean, but combined with the other forage quality factors indicate a good performing triticale variety. Three wheat varieties (LW2068, LW2958, Pioneer 25R25) had RFV significantly greater than the overall mean, and combined with other forage quality factors, indicate good performing wheat varieties.

Though none of these green-chop cereal forages are considered to be adequate as a stand-alone feed for a dairy operation, they can supply a source of forage used in a total mixed ration at the time of year when feed supply may be running short. When this forage benefit is added to the environmental benefit that is gained, planting winter cereal cover crops on a dairy farm can be a win-win decision.

Acknowledgements

This work could not be accomplished without the assistance and oversight of all field operations by Mr. Louis Thorne and Mr. Joseph Crank. We acknowledge the assistance of Ms. Shana Burke with seed packaging and harvested sample drying and weighing.

Table 1. Forage and cover crop performance of cereal species evaluated in Clarksville, MD during 2020-2021 growing season.

Variety	Species	Brand	Biomass Yield lb DM/a	Head Date	¹Nitrogen Uptake lb N/a	²Crude Protein %	³Soluble Protein % DM	⁴RDP % DM	⁵ADF % DM	⁶NDF % DM	⁷Ash % DM	⁸Total Digestible Nutrients % DM	⁹Net Energy Lactation (Mcal/lb)	¹⁰RFV
Wheeler	Rye	TriCal	13241	May 9	266*	12.5	6.0	9.3	38.5	60.7	6.2	60.1	0.61	90.0
Hazlet	Rye	TriCal	10736	May 6	202	11.5	4.9	8.2	36.4	61.3	6.8	60.1	0.61	92.2
KWS Propower	Rye	TriCal	9412	May 9	182	12.5	6.9*	9.7*	32.2	57.5	6.5	62.8*	0.64*	104.2*
Aroostook	Rye	TriCal	8117^#	April 25	211	16.7*	7.0*	11.9*	34.7	55.4	8.6*	62.1	0.63	104.5*
TriCal Exp 19R01	Rye	TriCal	8251	April 25	197	14.8*	6.8*	10.8*	34.2	57.4	7.3	62.0	0.63	101.0
Rye VNS	Rye	check	10065	May 4	240	15.1*	5.5	10.3*	35.4	55.8	7.9*	61.8	0.63	102.5
Rye Mean			9970	May 3	216	13.9	6.2	10.0	35.2	58.0	7.2	61.5	0.63	99.1
TriCal Gunner	Triticale	TriCal	11936	May 14	176	9.2	4.2	6.7	39.1*	63.6*	7.2	58.2	0.59	85.7
TriCal Exp 20T02	Triticale	TriCal	12531	May 14	186	9.3	3.1	6.2	37.2	62.1	6.1	59.4	0.60	90.0
TriCal Flex 719	Triticale	TriCal	12329	May 14	205	10.4	5.4	7.9	41.7*	65.8*	7.0	56.2	0.57	80.0
TriCal Merlin Max	Triticale	TriCal	14641*	May 14	233	9.9	5.7	7.8	41.4*	65.5*	6.4	56.0	0.57	81.0
TriCal Surge	Triticale	TriCal	10535	May 14	188	11.1	5.1	8.1	37.0	61.0	6.9	57.9	0.59	92.0
TriCal Gainer 154	Triticale	TriCal	10458	May 6	176	10.4	4.2	7.3	32.7	58.0	6.9	61.8	0.63	101.7
TriCal Thor	Triticale	TriCal	12646	May 14	196	9.7	4.8	7.2	39.9*	64.6*	6.8	57.8	0.59	84.0
BCT18001	Triticale	SeedLink	8817	May 6	172	12.4	4.6	8.5	33.0	55.6	7.3	63.6*	0.65*	106.0*
BCT18002	Triticale	SeedLink	11878	May 14	186	9.9	5.3	7.6	38.3	64.5*	7.1	56.6	0.57	85.5
BCT19003	Triticale	SeedLink	13001	May 14	204	9.8	3.5	6.6	36.3	61.5	5.5	60.1	0.61	92.0
BCT19004	Triticale	SeedLink	15064*	May 14	208	8.6	3.7	6.1	42.6*	67.6*	5.5	55.9	0.57	77.0
BCT19005	Triticale	SeedLink	12406	May 14	209	10.7	5.5	8.1	35.5	61.9	5.9	60.2	0.61	92.2
BCT19007	Triticale	SeedLink	13500	May 14	199	9.2	3.3	6.2	37.4	62.7	6.9	58.3	0.59	88.7
MBX Tri-Cow Arcia	Triticale	Eddie Mercer	11849	May 6	242	12.8	5.6	9.2	35.7	60.8	7.4	60.5	0.62	93.5
Hi Octane	Triticale	check	10957	May 14	139	8.1	4.1	6.1	40.2*	63.5	6.5	57.0	0.58	85.2
Triticale Mean			12170	May 12	195	10.1	4.5	7.3	37.9	62.6	6.6	58.6	0.60	89.0
LW2169	Wheat	Local Seed	10554	May 14	172	10.2	4.7	7.5	33.9	58.6	5.2	61.9	0.63	99.3
LW2148	Wheat	Local Seed	10410	May 14	180	10.8	5.1	8.0	32.0	56.7	6.0	61.3	0.63	105.5*
LW2068	Wheat	Local Seed	12300	May 14	205	10.4	5.8	8.1	30.7	54.4	5.7	63.2*	0.65*	111.5*
LW2958	Wheat	Local Seed	10679	May 14	172	10.2	4.7	7.4	30.1	45.6	5.8	63.8*	0.66*	111.2*
P25R25	Wheat	check	11274	May 14	177	9.8	4.8	7.3	30.0	53.3	5.8	64.1	0.66*	115.0*
Wheat Mean			11069	May 14	182	10.3	5.0	7.7	31.2	55.4	5.7	62.9	0.64	109.0
Overall Mean			11454	May 10	197	11.0	5.0	8.0	36.0	60.2	6.6	60.1	0.61	95.0
LSD_0.1			2257	<1 day	47	1.9	1.8	1.6	3.1	3.4	1.1	2.4	0.03	8.8

*^,#Indicates the entry was either significantly greater (*) or significantly (^#) less than the overall mean for that feed characteristic.

¹Nitrogen uptake (lb N/acre) for each entry was estimated by multiplying the lb DM/ac X % nitrogen contained in the DM. The percent nitrogen for each entry was calculated by dividing crude protein by the conversion factor 6.25 which is the average amount of nitrogen (%) contained in protein.

²Crude Protein %: represents total nitrogen content of the forage; higher protein is usually associated with better feed quality.

³Soluble Protein %: non-protein N and portion of true proteins that are readily degraded to ammonia in the rumen.

⁴RDP (Rumen Degradable Protein): portion of crude protein that microbes can either digest or degrade to ammonia and amino acids in the rumen.

⁵ADF (Acid Detergent Fiber): represents the least digestible fiber portion of forage; the lower the ADF value the greater the digestibility.

⁶NDF (Neutral Detergent Fiber): insoluble fraction of forage used to estimate the total fiber constituents of a feedstock.

⁷Ash: mineral elements of the forage.

⁸TDN (Total Digestible Nutrients): measure of the energy value of the forage.

⁹Net Energy Lactation: estimate of the energy in a feed used for maintenance plus lactation during milk production.

¹⁰RFV (Relative Feed Value): indicates how well an animal will eat and digest a forage if it is fed as the only source of energy.

Maximizing Potential of Winter Forages

Amanda Grev, Pasture and Forage Specialist
University of Maryland Extension

The time for silage harvest is either here or soon to be here, which means the subsequent planting of winter forages is quickly approaching and now is the time to be thinking ahead on plans for winter forage plantings. With proper fertilization and management, winter forages can be a high yielding forage crop with as much as 17-20% crude protein and 180+ relative forage quality while also providing environmental benefits in the form of nutrient retention and soil erosion control.

Regardless of your choice of species, there are several steps you can take to boost production and achieve maximum success with these winter forages. One of the biggest things you can do to maximize the benefits of winter forages and increase yield potential the following spring is to use an earlier planting date. The ideal time to plant is typically 10 days to two weeks ahead of the recommended wheat for grain planting date for your region. By planting winter forages in this earlier timeframe, the plants have more time to generate tillers during the fall. When it comes to forage production, more tillers equals greater forage yield. Replicated trials in New York have reported 9 to 11 tillers per seed for earlier plantings of triticale compared to 2 to 5 tillers per seed for later plantings. As a result, winter triticale planted around mid-September produced 25-30% greater dry matter yield compared to winter triticale planted in early October. This earlier planting date also resulted in an earlier harvest the following spring, with triticale planted in September being ready to harvest a week earlier than that planted in October.

Planting winter forages earlier also allows you to better capitalize on any remaining nitrogen left in the soil from the previous crop. When manure is applied to corn in the spring, it not only releases nitrate during the growing season but it will continue to release it after corn silage harvest. Earlier-planted winter forages are able to capture this nitrogen and use it to produce more tillers that will increase yield potential the following spring. Research out of Cornell showed that triticale nitrogen uptake averaged 62 pounds of nitrogen per acre for triticale planted before September 20th compared to 19 pounds of nitrogen per acre when planted after September 20th. For every ton of triticale dry matter biomass that was produced in the fall, approximately 70 pounds of nitrogen was taken up. In other words, more dry matter produced in the fall meant more nitrogen was stored and held over until the following spring. The bottom line is by planting on time, a considerable amount of nitrogen can be taken up and stored in the crop that would otherwise likely be lost or leached away.

Other added benefits stemming from additional fall biomass include greater protection of the crown from cold weather due to the additional top growth, as well as greater root growth which can reduce injury potential from winter heaving. And finally, early planting also results in a rapidly growing crop that can better outcompete weeds and will likely lessen the need for herbicides.

If early planting is not feasible due to the corn coming off later or for another reason, planting a winter forage at a later date can still provide economical yields of high quality forage and will still serve to protect the soil from erosion and improve soil health and structure by having living roots in the soil throughout the winter. That being said, if you are planting later, don’t try to make up for lost yield by putting down more seed. Research has shown that there is rarely an advantage to this, even with a later planting date. Triticale planted in New York the third week of October at seeding rates increasing from 100 to 200 pounds of seed per acre showed no significant yield differences the following spring. Instead of spending the money on extra seed, consider spending it on having a 3-way fungicide seed treatment applied to the seed. Field trials have shown a 15% increase in yield for treated seed compared to untreated seed when planted at an earlier or on-time planting date, and a 28% increase in yield for treated seed when planted at a later planting date.

Additionally, although seed planting depth is always a critical factor in forage plantings, as planting dates move later than optimum it becomes more critical that winter forage seeds be planted deep enough. Winter forages need to be planted a minimum of 1.25 inches deep. This deeper planting depth will allow the roots to establish firmly in the soil and resist early spring heaving.

For both early- and late-planted winter forages, a shot of nitrogen in the fall can help stimulate fall tillering without affecting winter hardiness. This can be applied in the form of manure or commercial fertilizer and can have a beneficial effect on yields the following spring. In New York trials, adding and immediately incorporating 4,000 gallons of manure per acre prior to planting increased yields for early-planted winter triticale by 14% and for later-planted winter triticale by 33%. However, manure application at this time can be harder to accomplish as harvest is ongoing and labor is often tied up in chopping and hauling. If a choice must be made, it is more important to get the winter forage in the ground early than it is to delay for the sake of adding manure. Getting the winter forage in the ground on time is more critical than applying manure because it maximizes both fall tillering and the absorption of leftover soil nitrogen. Most corn that has had manure applied will have some leftover nitrogen to support the fall tillering necessary for higher spring yields.

Last but not least, don’t forget to consider variety selection. New forage varieties continue to be developed and released because they offer improvements over existing varieties, and winter forages are no different. Choose a variety that has been tested and has shown superior performance in terms of forage yield and quality, and be sure to select and plant certified, weed-free seed in order to reach maximum potential.

Short Forage, Fall Oats, Winter Forage Options

Jeff Semler, Principal Agriculture Agent
University of Maryland Extension, Washington County

Each year, someone, somewhere, ends the growing season short on forage. There are many more this year. For much of our area, dry conditions are continuing as the jet stream tends to not move for extended periods during the present solar minimum we are experiencing. One area gets dumped on while the other goes begging for water. This has impacted the second (and some areas the first) cutting. Hay crop yields are reported to be down 30 to 40%. The extended days with temperature over 85 F can decrease corn silage yields as corn stops growing above that and we have had many days that fit that picture. Added to it the dry conditions and the potential is for corn yields both be down and later maturity as the corn stopped growing for extended days this summer. It is nearly the beginning of September, and you need to identify how much feed you need and what will supply that. There are still a few options open for last chance forage this year. There are also steps you can take this fall to get very early forage next spring when you run out of haylage.

If you are looking for high-quality dairy forage, no mechanically harvested crop will produce as much and as high a quality as late summer planted spring oats. Because of the increasingly cool fall temperatures, the forage quality is incredibly high (higher than forage oats in the spring). You may want plant later to wait for the cooler nights to reduce the aphid population which can bring in in Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus. Aphids can infect the plant with BYDV in less than 30 minutes. If you are planting early or on time, it is recommended using a neonic seed treatment as they are effective in limiting aphid feeding, based on research from the Cornell IPM coordinator. A moist fall can hammer this excellent plan by a major outbreak of rust. It could reduce quality and yield. Normally it starts to show a week or so before harvest. If scouting finds it, a highly suggested practice is to apply a fungicide to the oats when they are starting stem elongation. If you have a cereal leaf beetle outbreak an insecticide can be applied at the same time as the fungicide. Both are low cost assurance of top forage yield.

It is suggested 3 bu/acre of oats. Klicer’s research found NO yield increase from increased fall oat seeding rate. If you use grain type oats, remember it will go through its life cycle quicker and so be ready to plan your timing to dry it for silage. If you are not going to be able to plant until later or have to harvest or graze later, then the slower forage oat type would be the better recommendation based on Ohio State research. Be liberal with the preplant manure but within your Nutrient Management Plan recommendations. In a 2010 study, Cornell studies had a relatively low yield of 2 tons DM/acre due to extremely dry weather. Despite the low yields, over 120 lbs of nitrogen/acre was removed as protein. *NOTE: If you applied manure don’t feed this to dry cows because of high potassium.

For high producing dairy cows, mow as soon as the flag leaf is out, or early boot. Even early boot is still very good forage. The reason for this is because of the very cool night temperatures inhibit respiration of the most digestible parts, and they accumulate in the plant. As soon as it hits flag leaf, mow wide swath. You are trying to dry something that can yield 2 – 3 times more tons of dry matter than a heavy alfalfa first cutting, compounded by cooler temperatures and much less intensity and hours of sunlight. Even with wide swath, the high yield sheer mass will allow only the top to dry. As soon as the top has a light grey cast (pick up a surface plant and see if it is greener underneath) tedd to get the lower layers spread and drying. Watch forward speed so you don’t make tedder lumps. It is critical that it be ensiled the same day you mow because of the very high sugar levels (exception to rule: if it goes into the 30’s F at night it stops respiration and sugar loss and you can go to the next day). Leaving it overnight in warmer temperatures burns off the sugars and produces higher populations of Clostridia and higher levels of butyric acid. With same-day haylage, these are reduced or eliminated even at higher moisture conditions. On the flip side, the very high sugar levels, if preserved until you ensile the crop; will speed the process and produce an excellent fermented forage if inoculated.

Fall Spring Oats plus Winter Triticale. This is a triple crop system where oats and winter triticale (100 lbs. oats/acre with 80 lbs. of triticale/acre) are planted after corn silage harvest or in fallow wheat ground. After the oat harvest, the triticale continued to grow and produced an excellent forage the next year. It is CRITICAL that you mow the oats with the cutter bar set at a minimum of 4 inches. Where 4 inches or more is left, the triticale thrived. Where mowed less than 3.5 inches the triticale died. Target flag leaf oat harvest to maximize triticale fall regrowth. Fertilize the triticale as normal the next spring and had an excellent harvest. This can give you two very high-quality forage crops in one planting.

Last Chance Forage: If it rains, cool-season grasses put on a burst of growth in late August, September, and early October. Feeding the crop with nitrogen and sulfur can give you some very high-quality forage for your dairy herd. It will be wet so chop it ¾ to 1 inch long to reduce leachate. As with the oats above, use a homolactic inoculant and ensile it the same day it is mowed (unless temperatures drop to the 30’s at night). Remember to cut grass at 4-inch cutting height to maintain the stand.

First Chance for Very High-Quality Forage Next Year. Now is the time to get seed for winter forage. This will be the earliest highest quality forage you can get into your cows next spring. Fermented energy levels are equal to corn silage, protein (with sulfur fertilization) can equal good alfalfa. Both rye and winter triticale could be used to produce winter forage. Winter triticale is preferred as it is 35% higher yielding than rye in side by side tests. Flag leaf triticale resists lodging at nitrogen rates over 100 lbs.N/a which gives high crude protein, while rye lodges.

The Key to High Winter Forage Yields is Planting on Time, which is: 10 DAYS TO TWO WEEKS BEFORE WHEAT-FOR-GRAIN PLANTING DATE IN YOUR AREA. This has proven true over the past 20 years of winter forage research. Earlier planting means more tillers which means more spring yield potential. On-time planting research showed a 25-35% yield increase next spring vs late (same date or later than wheat).

Should we skip winter forage? NO! Go ahead and plant. You will protect the soil against long term yield-robbing soil erosion; improve the soil health and structure for long term yield gain and still could have economical yields of very high-quality forage. There are several steps that our research has found to improve the yield and survival of late winter forage. Don’t fall for the old story that if you plant late you can make up for it by putting down more seed. Research has not seen any advantage planting over 100 lbs winter triticale seed/acre. If you are forced this year to plant later than the optimum two weeks before wheat grain planting; instead of spending money on extra seed, spend it on having a 3-way fungicide seed treatment applied to the seed. In replicated trials at the on-time planting date, the treated seed yielded 15% more than the control of untreated seed. For the late planting date, the treated seed yielded 28% more than the untreated seed. The late seeding still produced 2.8 tons of dry matter (8 tons/a 35% dm) yield which is a very profitable crop. Much depends on fall weather. The management most critical to survival in late planting is to plant at 1.25 inches at a minimum. If you don’t, in early spring thaw the heaving will push the plant up and they don’t grow. For keys on planting watch the YouTube video Establishing Winter Triticale Forage.

Like cool season grass, oats with an under-crop of winter triticale must be mowed at 4-inch cutterbar height or it will be killed. Mowed properly, this triticale crop is growing very nicely the next spring.

(adapted from research by Tom Klicer; Cornell University Emertis).

Forage Performance of Cereal Cover Crops in Maryland: 2018-2019 Results

Nicole Fiorellino, Extension Agronomist
University of Maryland

Dairy farmers are constantly looking for sources of forage to meet their feed needs. One source that many of this region’s dairy farmers utilize is the fall planting of cereal grains that are green-chop harvested the following spring. Among the cereal species used for this purpose are rye, triticale, barley, and wheat. Per the Maryland Cover Crop Program guidelines, cereal grains planted as a cover crop prior to November 5 and suppressed via green-chop in the spring are eligible for the grant payment for participation in the Cover Crop Program. In addition, per the Nutrient Management Regulations, a fall application of dairy manure is allowed to a field planted to a cereal cover crop.

Cereal varieties (17) representing two species (rye and triticale) were evaluated at Central Maryland Research and Education Center – Clarksville Facility. Three replications for each entry were planted using a randomized complete block experimental design. Planting date was October 10, 2018. The 3’ X 18’ plots were planted with a small plot planter with 6-inch spacing between each of the 7 rows. The germination percentage for each entry was used to calculate the seeding rate needed to establish 1.5 million seedlings. Good stands were established by late fall.

In order to compare forage quality among the entries that headed over a period of two weeks, the timing of the spring biomass harvest was when the entries had reached late boot to early heading stage of development. The two rye varieties were harvested on April 23, while the triticale varieties were harvest on either May 1 or May 6, basing on heading date (Table 1). Each harvest sample was collected by cutting the plants just above ground-level from three center rows of each plot from an area 2.5 feet in length and from two areas within the plot. The samples were placed into cloth bags and dried using a forced air dryer set at 60 C where they remained until sample water content was zero. Each sample was weighed and is reported as pounds of dry matter production per acre (Table 1). Each of the dried samples was ground through a 20-mesh screen using a large plant grinder. For each location, the ground biomass samples were sent to Cumberland Valley Analytical Laboratory for standard forage quality analysis.

Cover crop performance is measured by amount of biomass produced and the concentration of nitrogen in the biomass. These two factors were used to estimate nitrogen uptake (Table 1). There was no significant difference in nitrogen uptake among the varieties tested. A number of forage quality characteristics for these cereals was measured (Table 1). The descriptions of the various quality characteristic are described here and in the footnotes at the bottom of Table 1. Crude protein (CP) is the nitrogen content of the forage, with higher protein representing better feed quality. This value was used to calculate nitrogen uptake of each variety (Nitrogen content = % CP/6.25). Both rye varieties had significantly greater CP than the overall mean, with one triticale variety having significantly less CP content than the overall mean. Both rye varieties also had rumen degradable protein (RDP) content significantly greater than the overall mean.

Neutral and acid detergent fiber (NDF. ADF) are measures of feed value and represent the less digestible components of the plant, with NDF representing total fiber and ADF representing the least digestible plant components. Low NDF and ADF values representing increased digestibility; ideally NDF values should be <50% and ADF values should be <35%. One triticale variety had significantly lower NDF and ADF values than the overall mean, representing a digestible triticale variety. This same variety also had significantly higher total digestible nutrients (TD), net energy for lactation (NEL), relative feed value (RFV), and nonfiber carbohydrates (NFC).

The characteristic that best captures the overall forage quality performance is Relative Feed Value (RFV). A RFV of 100 is defined as the forage value that full bloom alfalfa would have. Two triticale varieties had significantly higher RFV than the overall average but both rye varieties also had high RFV values, though not significantly different than the overall mean. Though, none of these green-chop cereal forages are considered to be adequate as a stand-alone feed for a dairy operation, they can supply a source of forage used in a total mixed ration at the time of year when feed supply may be running short. When this forage benefit is added to the environmental benefit that is gained, planting winter cereal cover crops on a dairy farm can be a win-win decision.

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Maryland Department of Agriculture Extends Deadline for Planting Cover Crops to November 12

ANNAPOLIS, MD – Due to a late harvest and saturated soil conditions, the Maryland Department of Agriculture has extended the Nov. 5 planting deadline by one week for farmers who have signed up to plant cover crops this fall with the Maryland Agricultural Water Quality Cost-Share (MACS) Program. Farmers now have until Nov. 12 to plant qualifying cover crops of rye, wheat and triticale on their fields.

The extension is only available to farmers who use the following planting methods: no till, conventional, or broadcast with light, minimum or vertical tillage. With the extension, farmers must certify their cover crop with their local soil conservation district within one week of planting and no later than Nov. 19 in order to be reimbursed for associated seed, labor, and equipment costs.

“Extending the planting deadline allows farmers enrolled in our popular Cover Crop program to plant more acres of protective cover crops on their fields this fall in order to control soil erosion, reduce nutrient runoff, build healthy soils, and protect water quality in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries,” said Hans Schmidt, the department’s Assistant Secretary of Resource Conservation. “Importantly, the extended forecast calls for mild temperatures which should allow for germination to take place.”

Cover crops are cereal grains that grow in cool weather. They help slow down rainwater runoff during the winter, when the soil would otherwise be exposed, and recycle any nutrients remaining in the soil from the previous summer crop. Cover crops are a key feature in Maryland’s efforts to reduce the amount of nutrients entering the Bay.

Maryland’s Cover Crop program is funded by the Chesapeake Bay Restoration Fund and the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund. For more information, farmers should contact their local soil conservation district or the Maryland Agricultural Water Quality Cost-Share Program at 410-841-5864.

Forage Performance of Cereal Cover Crops in Maryland 2017-2018 Cereal Forage Study

Dr. Bob Kratochvil – Extension Agronomist
Mr. Louis Thorne – Agricultural Research Technician Supervisor
Dr. Jason Wight – Field Trials Coordinator
Ms. Jessica Whitaker – Student Assistant
Ms. Sonia Agu – Student Assistant
University of Maryland, College Park

mowing a field of triciale The majority of dairy farmers are constantly looking for sources of forage to meet their feed needs. One source that many of this region’s dairy farmers utilize is the fall planting of cereal grains that are green-chop harvested the following spring. Among the cereal species used for this purpose are rye, triticale, barley, and wheat. Per the Maryland Cover Crop Program guidelines, cereal grains planted as a cover crop prior to November 5 and suppressed via green-chop in the spring are eligible for the grant payment for participation in the Cover Crop Program. In addition, per the Nutrient Management Regulations, a fall application of dairy manure is allowed to a field planted to a cereal cover crop.

Planting a cereal cover crop for green chop harvest fits well into the crop rotation used by many dairy farmers. The scenario that many follow is to plant the cereal cover crop following harvest of corn silage. Prior to planting the cover crop, an application of manure is made to the field. The subsequent planting of the cover crop provides incorporation of the manure into the soil. The fall and spring growth of the cover crop is supplied nutrients from the manure. At the same time, the cover crop provides protection to the soil from loss of nutrients via leaching and/or erosion. The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of 18 triticale varieties submitted by participating companies along with select varieties of four cereal species (3 triticale, 3 rye, 1 barley and 1 wheat) for cover crop performance and forage production and quality.

The location for this study was the Central Maryland Research and Education Center – Clarksville Facility. Four replications for each entry were planted at the field site using a randomized complete block experimental design. Planting date was October 3, 2017. The 3.5’ X 18’ plots were planted with a small plot planter with 6-inch spacing between each of the 7-rows. Each entry’s germination percentage was used to calculate the seeding rate needed to establish 1.5 M seedlings. Good stands were observed for all entries by late fall.

In order to compare forage quality among the entries that headed over a period of ten days, the timing of the biomass harvest was when each entry reached the late boot stage of development. Each harvest sample was collected by cutting the plants just above ground level from two center rows of each plot from an area 2.5 feet in length. Each sample was placed into a cloth bag and dried using a forced air dryer set at 60^o C where they remained until sample water content was zero. Biomass yield is reported as pounds of dry matter production per acre (Table 1). Each of the dried samples was ground through a 20-mesh screen using a large plant grinder. All samples were sent to the Cumberland Valley Analytical Laboratory (Waynesboro, PA; http://www.foragelab.com/) for standard forage quality analysis. Data for all agronomic and forage quality measurements are found in Table 1. Table 2 identifies the Company/Source and address/phone number for the participants who supplied the cereal varieties tested in this study.

Producers are always interested in biomass production. Notable entries for biomass production were BCT15513 (Seed-link, Inc.) and Mercer EXP508 (Eddie Mercer Agri-Services, Inc.). Cover crop performance is measured by amount of biomass produced and the concentration of nitrogen in the biomass. These two factors were used to estimate nitrogen uptake (Table 1). The top two entries for cover crop performance were Cover Crop Rye and the triticale variety, Mercer EXP508 (Table 1). The only entry to have nitrogen uptake that was significantly less than the mean for the study was the triticale variety, TriCal 813 (37 lb N/a). This is due to its production of only 2379 lb/a biomass and a low crude protein content (9.8%).

A number of forage quality characteristics for these cereals was measured (Table 1). The descriptions of the various quality characteristic are described in the footnotes at the bottom of Table 1. The characteristic that perhaps best captures the overall forage quality performance is Relative Feed Value (RFV). A RFV of 100 is defined as the forage value that full bloom alfalfa would have. The barley variety, Nomini, and the triticale variety, TriCal Exp 917 (TriCal Superior Forage) had the best RFV (107).

Though, none of these greenchop cereal forages are considered to be adequate as a stand-alone feed for a dairy operation, they can supply a source of forage used in a total mixed ration (TMR) at the time of year when feed supply may be running short. When this forage benefit is added to the environmental benefit that is gained, planting winter cereal cover crops on a dairy farm can be a win-win decision.

Table 1. Performance of 26 cereal varieties tested for biomass production and forage quality at the Central Maryland Research and Education Center Clarksville Farm during 2017-2018.

Variety	Company/Source	Species	Dry Matter Yield (lb/a 0% Moisture)	Height (in)	Head Date (Days after April 30)	Nitrogen Removal (lb/a)¹	Crude Protein %²	Rumen Degradable Protein³ %	Acid Detergent Fiber %⁴	Neutral Detergent Fiber %⁵	Total Digestible Nutrients %⁶	Relative Feed Value⁷
Arcia	Eddie Mercer Agri-Services Inc.	Triticale	4145	49	7*	69	10.6	7.1	33.2*	57.9	63.0*	102
BCT15509	Seed-link Inc.	Triticale	4068	49	11	74*	11.1	7.4	34.4	57.8	62.1	100
BCT15513	Seed-link Inc.	Triticale	5603*	57*	12	93*	10.2	7.0	37.1	61.7	59.8	91
BCT17001	Seed-link Inc.	Triticale	4989*	54	9	87*	10.8	7.5	36.4	59.3	61.5	96
BCT17002	Seed-link Inc.	Triticale	3531	56	10	63	11.1	7.5	34.4	58.8	61.2	99
BCT17003	Seed-link Inc.	Triticale	4337	54	14	78*	10.9	7.8	39.9	64.8	59.1	83
Brasseto	FP Genetics (Canada)	Rye	3492	55	6*	63	11.3	7.8	36.6	60.5	62.0	93
Cover Crop Rye	Variety Not Stated	Rye	4874*	61*	5*	97*	12.2*	8.4*	34.5	58.0	62.1	100
Danko	Polish Plant Breeding Institute	Rye	3608	63*	6*	68	11.9*	8.1*	33.9	57.9	62.8*	100
HiOctane	Seedway	Triticale	4030	54	8	70	10.6	7.1	36.0	60.9	60.4	93
HyOctane	Seed-link Inc.	Triticale	4414	50	10	78*	10.9	7.4	35.3	59.4	61.7	96
Louisa	University of Maryland	Wheat	3838	48	11	63	10.2	6.7	32.9*	55.9*	63.0*	105*
Mercer EXP508	Eddie Mercer Agri-Services Inc.	Triticale	5411*	54	8	97*	11.1	7.5	35.5	58.8	61.9	97
NCT 1031⁸	North Carolina State Univ.	Triticale	4452*	52	6*	77*	10.7	7.1	33.5*	56.3*	63.4*	104*
NCT 1088⁸	North Carolina State Univ.	Triticale	4951*	50	7*	92*	11.7*	7.9	34.2	56.5*	63.3*	103*
NCT 1592⁸	North Carolina State Univ.	Triticale	4222	55	11	74*	11.0	7.4	33.8	55.7*	63.4*	105*
Nomini	Virginia Tech	Barley	2840	49	7*	56	12.5*	8.7*	32.2*	55.5*	63.6*	107*
Traction	Seed-link Inc.	Triticale	4337	46	9	72	10.4	6.9	35.4	59.8	62.0	95
Trical 141	TriCal Superior Forage	Triticale	3761	56	9	63	10.6	7.1	40.4	65.4	58.3	82
Trical 813	TriCal Superior Forage	Triticale	2379	56	12	37	9.8	6.7	38.5	61.4	60.2	90
Trical Exp 08TF01	TriCal Superior Forage	Triticale	4452*	56	12	72	10.0	6.8	39.7	65.4	58.3	82
Trical Exp 30113	TriCal Superior Forage	Triticale	4414	59*	9	74*	10.5	7.0	36.9	60.4	61.0	93
Trical Exp 917	TriCal Superior Forage	Triticale	4452*	47	9	74*	10.3	6.8	32.6*	55.5*	63.8*	107*
Trical Flex 719	TriCal Superior Forage	Triticale	4721*	49	11	75*	9.9	7.0	40.7	64.5	58.2	83
Trical Gainer 154	TriCal Superior Forage	Triticale	3953	49	8	67	10.5	7.2	34.0	57.2*	63.0*	102
Trical Surge	TriCal Superior Forage	Triticale	4337	53	10	72	10.4	7.0	38.0	62.5	59.7	89
Mean			4216	53	9	73	10.8	7.3	35.8	59.5	61.5	96
Probability > F			0.233	0.04	0.0012	0.51	0.05	0.28	<0.0001	<0.0001	<0.0001	<0.0001
LSD_(0.20)			1164	6.1	2.6	24	0.95	0.72	1.48	1.82	1.07	4.3

^*Indicates the entry was statistically comparable to the best performing variety (in bold) for the measured variable.

¹Nitrogen uptake (lb/acre) for each entry was estimated by multiplying the lb DM/a X % nitrogen contained in the DM. The percent nitrogen for each entry was calculated by dividing crude protein by the conversion factor 6.25, the average nitrogen content for protein.

²Crude Protein %: represents total nitrogen content of the forage; higher protein is usually associated with better feed quality.

³Rumen Degradable Protein: portion of crude protein that microbes can either digest or degrade to ammonia and amino acids in the rumen.

⁴Acid Detergent Fiber: represents the least digestible fiber portion of forage; the lower the ADF value the greater the digestibility; an ADF <35% is considered good quality.

⁵Neutral Detergent Fiber: insoluble fraction of forage used to estimate the total fiber constituents of a feedstock; NDF has a negative correlation with dry matter intake and is used to estimate dry matter consumption; as NDF decreases animals will consume more forage; for grass forages NDF <50% is considered good quality and >60% is considered low quality.

⁶Total Digestible Nutrients: measure of the energy value of the forage.

⁷Relative Feed Value: indicates how well an animal will eat and digest a forage if it is fed as the only source of energy; full bloom alfalfa has an RFV of 100.

⁸Elite triticale breeding lines obtained from North Carolina State University for local testing by University of Maryland. These are not available for purchase.

Table 2. The company/source for the 26 cereal varieties that were tested in the 2017-2018 Cereal Forage Quality study conducted at Central Maryland Research and Education Center-Clarksville Farm.

Company/Source	Address	Contact	Phone Number	Entries
Eddie Mercer Agri-Services Inc.	6900 Linganore Road Frederick, MD 21701	Tom Mullineaux	410 409-7538	Arcia; Mercer EXP508; Nomini
Seed-link, Inc.	208 S. David St. Lindsay, Ontario K9V 5Z4 Canada	Peter E. Bonis	705-324-0544	BCT15509; BCT15513; BCT17001; BCT17002; BCT17003; HyOctane; Traction
Seedway	5901 Veracruz Rd. Emmaus, PA 18099	Jerry Davis	717-363-0103	HiOctane
TriCal Superior Forage	2355 Rice Pike Union, KY 41091	Bill Smith	859-802-2288	TriCal 141; TriCal 813; TriCal Exp 08TF01; TriCal Exp 30113; TriCal Exp 917; TriCal Flex 719; TriCal Gainer 154; TriCal Surge
FP Genetics	426 McDonald Street Regina, SK S4N 6E1 Canada		877-791-1045	Brasseto
Polish Plant Breeding Institute	Danko Hodowla Roślin Sp. z o.o. Choryń 27 64-000 Kościan Poland		+48 65 513 48 13	Danko
University of Maryland	4291 FIELDHOUSE DR 2121 Plant Sciences Building College Park, MD 20742	Jason Wight	301 405 4558	Louisa

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