Forage and grain yield of grazed or defoliated spring and winter cereals in a winter-dominant, low-rainfall environment

2015 ◽  
Vol 66 (4) ◽  
pp. 308 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alison. J. Frischke ◽  
James R. Hunt ◽  
Dannielle K. McMillan ◽  
Claire J. Browne

In the Mallee region of north-western Victoria, Australia, there is very little grazing of crops that are intended for grain production. The success of dual-purpose crops in other regions in south-eastern Australia with higher and more evenly distributed rainfall has driven interest in assessing the performance of dual-purpose cereals in the region. Five experiments were established in five consecutive years (2009–13) in the southern Mallee to measure the forage production and grain yield and quality response in wheat and barley to grazing by sheep or mechanical defoliation. The first three experiments focused on spring cultivars sown from late April to June, and the last two on winter cultivars planted from late February to early March. Cereal crops provided early and nutritious feed for livestock, with earlier sowing increasing the amount of dry matter available for winter grazing, and barley consistently produced more dry matter at the time of grazing or defoliation than wheat. However, the grain-production response of cereals to grazing or defoliation was variable and unpredictable. Effects on yield varied from –0.7 to +0.6 t/ha, with most site × year × cultivar combinations neutral (23) or negative (14), and few positive (2). Changes in grain protein were generally consistent with yield dilution effects. Defoliation increased the percentage of screenings (grains passing a 2-mm sieve) in three of five experiments. Given the risk of reduced grain yield and quality found in this study, and the importance of grain income in determining farm profitability in the region, it is unlikely that dual-purpose use of current cereal cultivars will become widespread under existing grazing management guidelines for dual-purpose crops (i.e. that cereal crops can be safely grazed once anchored, until Zadoks growth stage Z30, without grain yield penalty). It was demonstrated that early-sown winter wheat cultivars could produce more dry matter for grazing (0.4–0.5 t/ha) than later sown spring wheat and barley cultivars popular in the region (0.03–0.21 t/ha), and development of regionally adapted winter cultivars may facilitate adoption of dual-purpose cereals on mixed farms.

1986 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 345-351 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. E. Osman ◽  
N. Nersoyan

SUMMARYMixtures of legumes and cereals in various proportions (seed ratios) were evaluated in Northern Syria for forage production and quality and for yield of barley grain in the following year. Both a vetch-cereal and pea-cereal mix were tested in proportions of 0:100, 33:66, 50:50, 66:33 and 100:0. The study was carried out between 1982 and 1985, covering two seasons for forage production and two for grain production. Dry matter yields of the mixtures exceeded the yield of either one or both components of the mixture grown as pure stands, depending on the rainfall. The maximum overall yield and quality of forage was recorded for the 66:33 legume-cereal combination. The greatest benefit to subsequent barley grain yield was realized when the legume was grown in a pure stand or formed a high proportion (66:33) of the mixture. Herbage quality was better in forages containing vetch than in those containing pea.


Bragantia ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 70 (4) ◽  
pp. 819-824 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcel Hastenpflug ◽  
Thomas Newton Martin ◽  
João Alfredo Braida ◽  
Deivid Kelli Barbosa ◽  
Renice Paula Zielinski ◽  
...  

The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of nitrogen fertilization and aerial part cuts on yield components, grain yield and quality of the grains for dual-purpose wheat cultivars. The experiment was carried out between May and November 2007 and the experimental design was randomized complete blocks with three replications. The main causes of variation were dual-purpose wheat cultivars (BRS Figueira, BRS Umbu, BRS Guatambu and BRS Tarumã), nitrogen doses (0, 45, 90, 135 and 180 kg ha-1) and cut systems. Each plot was subdivided by cut management (without cut, one cut and two cuts). Spike mass, number of spikelets per spike, number of grains per spikelet, grain yield and hectoliter weight were evaluated. Nitrogen fertilization did not affect the performance of wheat genotypes, but there was interaction between the management systems and the cultivars. The shorter-cycle cultivars (Figueira and Umbu) presented greater grain yield than the others when they were not cut. As quality and yield fell when Figueira and Umbu were cut, the later cultivars (Tarumã and Guatambu) are more adapted to cut (grazing). The lack of an effect from nitrogen dose and application strategy on the variables studied was influenced by the ecological conditions prevailing during the experimental period.


1977 ◽  
Vol 17 (86) ◽  
pp. 452 ◽  
Author(s):  
PR Dann ◽  
A Axelsen ◽  
CBH Edwards

In six years of experiments various grazing treatments were applied to a range of crops and subsequent grain yields measured. Spring rapes, lupins and peas showed little potential for dual purpose grazing/grain use, generally producing less herbage and grain than wheat, oats, barley and rye. Winter rape performed as well as barley and wheat in one year. Oats and barley were overall better than wheat which was generally better than rye. Comparison of late-sown grain-only crops with early sown grazed ones indicated that with some crops in some years the dual-purpose enterprise was the more profitable. The experiments suggested that the most biologically profitable combination of herbage and grain production would be obtained by delaying grazing until about 4t of crop dry matter per ha were available in winter.


1991 ◽  
Vol 31 (6) ◽  
pp. 769 ◽  
Author(s):  
AC Andrews ◽  
R Wright ◽  
PG Simpson ◽  
R Jessop ◽  
S Reeves ◽  
...  

Two newly registered cultivars of triticale, Tiga and Empat, were compared with existing commercial cultivars of triticale, cereal rye and forage oats, for grain yield and dry matter production. Their performance was evaluated at Armidale, New South Wales, over 3 years with varying defoliation regimes (uncut to grain yield, cut in late autumn, cut in autumn and winter, and cut in winter only). Phenological observations confirmed that Tiga and Empat were midseason cultivars, intermediate between Coolabah and Blackbutt oats. Autumn and winter forage production and organic matter digestibility of Tiga and Empat were equal to those obtained from Cooba and Blackbutt oats. Grain yields (up to 4.0 t/ha) of the highest yielding triticale cultivar (Empat) were equal to, or greater than, the best oats cultivar (Blackbutt). Generally, the highest winter growth rates, dry matter yield at maturity and grain yield were recorded from uncut plots, except in the early oats cultivar Coolabah which, in 1 experiment, lodged in spring if left undefoliated through autumn and winter. Cutting only in autumn had small effects (negative) on grain yields, but cutting in both autumn and winter reduced total dry matter yields at maturity by 30% and grain yields by 50%. Cutting only in winter resulted in higher vegetative forage yields than a double cut (autumn and winter), but the single winter cut subsequently produced lowest dry matter yields at maturity. The high grain yields of triticale were linked to rapid spring growth. Harvest indices of triticale cultivars were generally lower than those of the oat cultivars. The results indicate the potential of triticale, especially cv. Empat, as a dual-purpose forage and grain crop.


2011 ◽  
Vol 37 (10) ◽  
pp. 1809-1818
Author(s):  
Zi-Chang ZHANG ◽  
Hong-Wei LI ◽  
Xue-Ming WANG ◽  
Li-Min YUAN ◽  
Zhi-Qin WANG ◽  
...  

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