Annual forage crops can be used effectively in forage production systems. These crops can be used to provide supplemental feed when perennial forages are less productive; to provide emergency feed when perennial crops fail; to serve as interim crops between grazing periods of perennial forages when long rest periods are needed: and to extend the grazing season in the fall and early spring. Most annual forage crops are best used for pasture or silage rather than for hay. Double-cropping combinations are feasible with these annual forage crops (for example, spring grains followed by summer annual grasses or brassicas).
Corn Silage
Production of corn for silage is a primary component of most confinement dairy operations, but it should also be considered for any operation in need of supplemental forage during the summer months. Corn produces high yields of energy dense forage. Even if planted late and harvested before grain formation, the feeding value of corn is at least equal to that of the other summer annual grasses such as sorghum-sudangrass and forage sorghum, and yields are likely to be higher for corn silage. Hybrids are available that combine both high forage yield and high nutritive value, which is often determined by neutral detergent fiber digestibility. General information for crop production is covered in Chapter 4, including additional details of corn for silage.
Small Grains for Forage
SPRING OAT (Avena sativa L.) is commonly used as a companion crop for seeding forage legumes. It can be used for silage or spring and early summer pasture when sown early. Oats grazed or chopped early regrow and provide a second period of grazing or greenchop. Highest yields are achieved with a single harvest in early heading to milk stage. Oats can be used for hay; however, as with the winter cereals, oats are coarse, slow to dry and often produce dusty hay. Ohio producers have also successfully used oat for late fall grazing, by seeding it in August (after winter wheat) or following an early corn silage harvest. Oat has also been aerially seeded into standing corn in mid-August to provide high-protein forage as a supplement to the lower-quality corn stover when grazed in late fall after corn grain harvest.
WINTER BARLEY (Hordeum vulgare L.) is not as winter hardy as other winter cereal grains and is more sensitive to poorly drained soils. It can tolerate moderate droughts but does not produce well under moist, hot conditions. Barley provides good quality forage for grazing in the fall if seeded early, but it should not be grazed as close or as late in fall as wheat or rye. Barley makes good-quality silage but is less desirable for hay after heading because it has awns that cause irritation in the mouths of livestock.
WINTER WHEAT (Triticum aestivum L.) provides highly digestible fall and spring pasture. Winter wheat can be sown later in the fall than barley because it is more winterhardy and able to withstand wetter soils than barley. Wheat produces more tonnage than barley and is of higher quality than rye. With careful fall or early-spring grazing to avoid removal of the growing point, it can be subsequently harvested for grain, silage, or hay. Varieties of winter wheat used for grain may also be used for forage.
WINTER RYE (Secale cereale L.) is the most winterhardy of the small grains. Quick growth in both fall and spring make it the most productive of the small grains for pasture. Forage-type varieties are available that have greater fall growth and extend the grazing season in late fall. Although best production is on fertile, welldrained soils of medium or heavier texture, it is more productive than other small grains on soils with lower pH and fertility, higher clay or sand content, or poorer drainage. Winter rye matures earlier and more quickly than the other small grains, making it the most difficult of the small grains to manage for high quality in the spring. Palatability and quality of rye are unacceptable if allowed to mature past the boot stage.
TRITICALE (Triticum x Secale) is a hybrid of wheat and rye. Varieties are available for fall or spring seeding. Fall-seeded winter triticale varieties can be used for late fall and earlyspring pasture, as well as for silage or hay. Under good management, triticale produces good forage yields and high animal performance is possible when it is harvested at the right stage. Winter triticale should be managed similarly to wheat, but matures about five to 10 days after wheat.
MIXTURES of small grains or small grains with annual legumes (e.g., field peas and soybean) can be used to achieve specific production objectives. For example, oat can be mixed with the winter grains to increase fall growth for grazing without sacrificing yield of the winter cereals the following spring. Small grain-annual legume mixtures are especially useful when harvested as silage. The seed cost of annual legumes is usually higher and should be weighed against the value of the harvested forage. Adding annual legumes, such as peas, improves forage quality and expands the harvest window for achieving good quality forage. These mixtures do not yield as much as corn silage, but their production in the spring may fill an important niche in a forage system. Harvest timing should be based on the proper time for the small grain species in the mixture.
Establishment and Fertilization
Seed small grains for forage in the same way as for grain (see Chapter 6). When seeding small grains for fall pasture, either plant in mid- to late August or follow normal seeding date guidelines. If small grains are planted only for pasture use, use the seeding rates given in Table 7.4 and apply nitrogen at a rate of 50 to 70 pounds per acre at planting time.
Harvest Management
For the best compromise between yield and quality, harvest oats, barley, and wheat in the early heading stage. Although harvesting later (up to early milk stage) increases tonnage, quality declines rapidly. Triticale should be harvested in the late boot to early heading stage. Rye should be harvested in the boot stage to avoid palatability problems and large reductions in forage quality. Always use a mower conditioner to increase drying rate of small grains.
Grazing Management
Fall and spring grazing of small grains should begin when sufficient growth is available to support livestock. Delayed planting dates and wet fields during the prime grazing season often make grazing of small grains difficult in Ohio. In the fall, graze only early-seeded small grains. Begin grazing when 6 inches of growth is available and leave 3 inches of stubble after grazing. Heavy fall grazing can increase the risk of winterkill. Do not graze when the small grain is dormant or when the ground is frozen if subsequent spring growth and/ or grain production is desired. In the spring, graze only when fields are firm. Heavy or late-spring grazing greatly reduces grain yields. Remove livestock from small grain fields to be harvested for grain as soon as the plants begin stem elongation (jointing stage).
Animal Health Concerns With Small Grains
Animal health hazards are not as common with the small grains as they are with the sorghum grass species; however, the following precautions should be taken:
• Supplement lush spring pastures with high-magnesium mineral blocks or mineral-salt mixes to reduce the risk of grass tetany.
• When using seed treated with fungicides, observe harvest and grazing restrictions on the label.
• Remove lactating dairy animals from small grain pastures two hours before milking to reduce the problem of off-flavored milk.
• Split nitrogen applications to avoid nitrate poisoning.