VARIATION IN WINTER FORAGE PRODUCTION OF FOUR SMALL GRAIN SPECIES - OAT, RYE, TRITICALE, AND WHEAT

Small grains including oat, rye, triticale, and wheat are grown widely for winter forage production throughout the world, and they play an important role in sustainable agriculture related to animal production by providing high quality forage during winter season. To compare winter forage yield, the four species were evaluated during three growing seasons. Significant effects (P<0.0001) of the species, environment, and species by environmental interaction were detected for seasonal and mean forage yield. Rye produced the greatest mean forage yield, followed by triticale, wheat, and oat. Seasonally, rye produced greater forage yield through December to early March while oat, triticale and wheat produced greater forage beginning in March. An advanced rye breeding line, NF95319B, produced the greatest mean forage yield (2,873 kg ha(-1)) while ForageMax wheat produced the least forage yield (1,573 kg ha(-1)). This study identified significant differences in forage yield among the small grains species and germplasm within the species, which provides useful information for small grain breeding programs for winter forage production. The results of this study could provide useful guidelines for livestock producers to maximize seasonal forage production by optimizing growth and development using mixtures of small grain forages.