Cropping systems for spring and winter cereals under simulated pasture: Yield and yield distribution

1993 ◽  
Vol 73 (3) ◽  
pp. 703-712 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. S. Baron ◽  
A. C. Dick ◽  
H. G. Najda ◽  
D. F. Salmon

Annual crops are used routinely for pasture in many parts of the world, but in Alberta they are used primarily to offset feed shortages. Experiments were conducted during 1987 and 1988 at Lacombe, Alberta under dryland conditions and at Brooks, Alberta under irrigation to determine the feasibility of using spring-planted combinations of spring and winter cereals to extend the grazing season. Treatments for simulated grazing were spring oat (Avena sativa L.), and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) monocrops (SMC), winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and winter triticale (X Triticosecale Wittmack) monocrops (WMC), spring and winter cereal binary mixtures, seeded together in the spring (intercrop-IC) and the winter cereal seeded after one clipping of the spring cereal (double crop-DC). Clippings were initiated at the jointing stage of the spring cereals and were repeated at intervals of 4 wk. The SMC produced the highest yields during the first two cuts (mid-June and mid-July), but regrowth declined thereafter. The WMC generally had superior yields after mid-July. The IC yield was similar to the higher of the SMC or WMC at any cut with more uniform productivity over the growing season. The DC was inferior to the IC for late summer and fall production. Averaged over years the IC produced 92 and 87% as much DM in the fall as the WMC at Lacombe and Brooks, respectively. Yield totalled over all cuts resulted in the sequence IC > WMC > DC > SMC. The IC is a feasible season-long pasture system under irrigation in southern Alberta and under rain-fed conditions in central Alberta. Key words: Cereals, double-crop, intercrop, monocrop, pasture, yields

1999 ◽  
Vol 79 (4) ◽  
pp. 565-577 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. E. Juskiw ◽  
D. F. Salmon ◽  
J. H. Helm

Spring-planted winter cereals grown as monocrops or in mixture with spring cereals maintain yield and quality into late summer and fall, and can be used to replace or complement perennial pasture. Our objectives were to determine the response to clipping of spring-planted winter cereals, and to determine the effects of seeding rates and ratios of spring to winter cereals on this response. Monocrops of winter triticale (X Triticosecale Wittmack) cv. Pika and winter rye (Secale cereale L.) cv. Musketeer and mixtures of these cereals with the spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) cv. Noble were evaluated. Tests were conducted from 1991 to 1993 at Botha and Lacombe, AB. Mixtures of spring:winter cereals were 0:100, 25:25, 25:75, 50:50, 75:25, 75:75 and 100:100 (Lacombe only), where the ratio of components represented the percentage of the base seeding rate of 250 seeds m−2. Biomass yields for triticale treatments (5.5 t ha−1 at Botha and 6.3 t ha−1 at Lacombe for the May to October growing season) were generally as high as for the rye treatments (5.9 t ha−1 at Botha and Lacombe); however, at Lacombe, spring regrowth after overwintering for triticale treatments was only 0.6 t ha−1 compared with 1.0 t ha−1 for rye treatments (LSD0.05 = 0.17). As little as 25% spring barley in a mixture ensured good early-season biomass yields, but more than 50% reduced late-season biomass yields. All treatments produced good-quality forage with protein >20%, neutral detergent fibre (NDF) <45% and acid detergent fibre (ADF) <30%. Nitrate contents were frequently >0.5% at both sites in 1991 and 1992, especially for those treatments with spring barley. Key words: Winter triticale, winter rye, annual forage, biomass, forage quality


2004 ◽  
Vol 84 (1) ◽  
pp. 187-194 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. McCartney ◽  
L. Townley-Smith ◽  
A. Vaage ◽  
J. Pearen

Herbage production for silage and pasture production of annual species was investigated near Melfort in northeastern Saskatchewan. Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and oats (Avena sativa L.) were seeded as spring monocrops (SMC) and in binary intercrop (IC) mixtures with fall species including winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), fall rye (Secale cereale L.), winter triticale (X Triticosecale Wittmack L.), biennial Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) and annual Westerwolds ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.). Fall species were also seeded as monocrops (FMC). Silage Spring harvest occurred when barley (early-silage cut) and oats (late-silage cut) reached soft dough stage and again late in the autumn. An additional deferred grazing (DG) treatment containing each one fall species was harvested once in the autumn. Mean ranking of spring herbage silage yield was Oat-SMC (100%) > Oat-IC (91%) > Barley-SMC (83%) = Barley-IC (78%) > late-cut FMC (53%) > early-cut FMC (42%) (P ≤ 0.001). SilageSpring herbage yield of IC combinations was similar, but FMCs containing annual ryegrass were 26% to 34% (P ≤ .01) greater than other treatments. Crude protein content (g kg-1) was 14 to 35% higher (P ≤ 0.001) in IC systems than the corresponding SMC. Neutraleutral detergent fibre (NDF) and acid detergent fibre (ADF) content (g kg-1) of barley based systems was 15 and 22% lower (P ≤ 0.001) than those with oats. Ranking and relative productivity for fall pasture was DG (100%) > early-cut FMC (67%) > late-cut FMC (49%) > Barley-IC (30%) > Oat-IC (24%) = Barley-SMC (14%) (P ≤ 0.001). Cropping systems that contained no spring cereal produced 2.37-fold higher (P ≤ 0.001) fall pasture yield than those with spring cereals. Among FMCs, ICs and DG systems, mean yield of ryegrass treatments were generally higher (P ≤ 0.05) than that of fall cereals. Key words: Annual forage, deferred grazing, intercrop, monocrop


1987 ◽  
Vol 67 (3) ◽  
pp. 831-834 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. BERKEKKAMP ◽  
E. J. MEERES

Forage yields of spring-planted annual crops, oat (Avena sativa L.), barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), triticale (Triticosecale sp. Wittmack), spring and winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), fall rye (Secale cereale L.) and Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.), were compared when harvested as silage, hay and simulated pasture. Yields were higher on a Black Chernozemic soil than on a Gray Luvisolic soil, and oat was the highest-yielding crop with one exception, that is as pasture on the Black soil. The winter cereals and Italian ryegrass produced comparatively better yields than the spring cereals under the hay and pasture modes.Key words: Annual forage, cereals, Italian ryegrass, harvest mode


1993 ◽  
Vol 73 (3) ◽  
pp. 691-696 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. F. Salmon ◽  
V. S. Baron ◽  
A. C. Dick

On the Canadian prairies, winter cereals such as rye (Secale cereale L.), triticale (X Triticosecale Wittmack L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L. EM Thell) have shown potential for forage production when spring-seeded as monocrops (WMC) or as intercrops (IC) and doublecrops (DC) in binary combinations with barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) or oat (Avena sativa L.). Producers are frequently tempted to overwinter the winter cereals for seed production in the second year. The current study evaluated the influence of forage harvest during the establishment year on the winter hardiness and seed production of winter wheat and triticale in the WMC, IC, and DC cropping systems. Clippings of the WMC and IC as well as planting of the DC were timed to correspond to jointing (DS1), boot (DS2), late milk (DS3) and grain harvest (DS4). Planting of the winter cereal after grain harvest (DS4) of the spring cereal simulated the conventional cropping system. All plots were clipped in late fall to remove aftermath prior to overwintering. Consequently treatments first clipped at DS1 received five clippings compared with DS4 which received only two clippings. Subsequent winter survival and grain yield of both winter species were reduced in the WMC and IC compared with DC treatments. However, increasing the frequency of clipping during the year of establishement in the WMC and IC improved grain yield and winter survival in the winter wheat compared with treatments receiving less frequent or no clipping. Less consistent results were observed for winter triticale. Overwintering spring-planted winter wheat and triticale is not a suitable means for seed production compared with conventional fall planting or reseeding to spring cereals. Key words: Spring cereals, winter cereals, winter survival


1992 ◽  
Vol 72 (1) ◽  
pp. 137-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. S. Baron ◽  
A. C. Dick ◽  
H. G. Najda ◽  
D. F. Salmon

Forage quality of small grain cereals harvested after flowering affects animal performance adversely. The feasibility of using mixtures (MX) of spring-planted winter cereals with spring cereals to improve forage quality at the late milk stage of the spring cereal was investigated at Lacombe and Brooks, Alberta during 1987 and 1988. Spring monocrops (SMC) of oats (Avena sativa L.) and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and winter monocrops (WMC) of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and winter triticale (× Triticosecale Wittmack) were compared with binary MX of spring and winter combinations using a randomized complete block design. Dry matter (DM) yield and concentrations of in vitro digestible organic matter (IVDOM), crude protein, neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF) and lignin were determined. Dry matter yields of MX as a percent of their SMC counterparts ranged from 84 to 99% at Lacombe and from 82 to 113% at Brooks; no crop combination was consistently superior. For forage quality the cropping systems ranked WMC > MX > SMC. The effects of winter wheat and triticale on forage quality in the MX were similar. However, MX containing barley generally had higher IVDOM and lower NDF, ADF and lignin concentrations than those containing oats. At Lacombe and Brooks, IVDOM and crude protein concentrations of the MX were increased by 6.5 and 7.2% and by 21.2 and 23.6%, respectively, while NDF, ADF and lignin concentrations were decreased by 6.7 and 6.5%, 9.9 and 7.5%, 10.9 and 20.4%, respectively, compared with the SMC group. While the extent of compensation is not known the improved forage quality of the MX should partially offset the slight reduction in DM yield compared to the SMC.Key words: Forage potential, forage quality, mixtures, spring cereals, winter cereals


1993 ◽  
Vol 73 (4) ◽  
pp. 947-959 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. S. Baron ◽  
A. C. Dick ◽  
H. G. Najda ◽  
D. F. Salmon ◽  
J. R. Pearen

The feasibility of using mixtures of spring-planted spring and winter cereals for pasture in central and southern Alberta was demonstrated previously. In the current study cropping system treatments consisting of: spring cereal monocrops (SMC), either oats (Avenu sativa L.) or barley (Hordeum vulgare L.); winter cereal monocrops (WMC), either winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) or winter triticale (× Triticosecale Wittmack); binary mixtures of the spring and winter cereals planted together as intercrops (IC) in the spring at the same time; and a doublecrop (DC) system where the winter cereal was planted into the spring cereal after one clipping were grown during 2 yr at Lacombe, Alberta. Pasture was simulated by clipping the stands five times, beginning at the joint stage of the spring cereal and four times subsequently at about 4-wk intervals. Prior to each clip, tiller weight, tiller density, tiller height and leaf area index (LAI) were measured in each sward. Differences for yield among treatments within systems did not occur, so small differences in sward structure were considered to be due to a compensatory interaction of yield components which stabilized yield and were ignored. Sward structure appeared to explain differences among systems for yield distribution. Tiller density and LAI of the SMC and spring component of the IC and DC became relatively small as the season advanced, especially after cut 2. Tiller density and LAI of the WMC were maintained at high levels throughout the season after cut 1. After cut 2 the winter cereal components of the IC and DC were responsible for the maintenance of total tiller density and LAI in their respective swards. Average seasonal total LAI were 3.36, 3.02, 1.87 and 1.17 cm2 cm−2 in the WMC, IC, DC and SMC. Late planting and competition for light from the taller spring cereal component delayed tillering of the winter cereal component in the DC compared with the IC during midsummer (cuts 2 and 3) resulting in the low average LAI. In contrast, planting the spring and winter cereal components at the same time (IC) resulted in a relatively stable total tiller density, high average LAI and yield. Thus the superior yield distribution of the IC, shown previously, was due to the complementary way in which spring and winter cereal tillers responded to clipping when planting occurred at the same time. Key words: Monocrop, intercrop, double-crop, yield components


1994 ◽  
Vol 74 (3) ◽  
pp. 447-453 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. E. Jedel ◽  
D. F. Salmon

Winter survival is often the most limiting factor for the use of winter cereals for grain production in the Black soil zones of the Canadian prairies. Production practices that optimize winter survival are an important part of extending the winter cereal acreage in this area. In this study, three dates of fall seeding (late August, early September, and late September) at two rates of seeding (258 and 328 seeds m−2) were investigated in 1988–1989, 1989–1990, and 1991–1992, at Lacombe, AB, using Musketeer fall rye (Secale cereale L.), Norstar and Norwin winter wheats (Triticum aestivum L. EM Thell), and Decade and Wintri winter triticales (× Triticosecale Rimpani Wit.). Survival was found to be best in all years when planting was conducted in late August and early September (78–99% survival). In both 1989 and 1990 the early planting resulted in the lowest yields (3.09 and 3.91 t ha−1), while in 1992 the latest planting resulted in the lowest yields (0.92 t ha−1). The early seeding resulted in earlier maturity in 1989 and 1992 (1–13 d). Test weight and kernel weight decreased with later planting (10–116 kg m−3 and 1–3.4 mg, respectively). Kernel protein was generally not affected by the treatments but was higher in some later planted material (0.2–1.0 g 100 g−1). Seeding rates were without effect on most traits, except grain yield in 1992 and kernel weight in 1990 and 1992 when rate effects varied among seeding dates. Date of seeding did not affect plant height except in 1992 when the later planted material was shorter. For all cultivars, survival was decreased with the late planting thereby increasing the risk of crop production. The window for seeding winter cereals in central Alberta is wider for the hardier cultivars and if forced to seed late, these cultivars should be selected. Key words: winter triticale, winter wheat, fall rye, yield, winter survival


Agriculture ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 512
Author(s):  
Alemayehu Worku ◽  
Tamás Tóth ◽  
Szilvia Orosz ◽  
Hedvig Fébel ◽  
László Kacsala ◽  
...  

The objective of this study was to evaluate the aroma profile, microbial and chemical quality of winter cereals (triticale, oats, barley and wheat) and Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam., IRG) plus winter cereal mixture silages detected with an electronic nose. Four commercial mixtures (mixture A (40% of two cultivars of winter triticale + 30% of two cultivars of winter oats + 20% of winter barley + 10% of winter wheat), mixture B (50% of two cultivars of winter triticale + 40% of winter barley + 10% of winter wheat), mixture C (55% of three types of Italian ryegrass + 45% of two cultivars of winter oat), mixture D (40% of three types of Italian ryegrass + 30% of two cultivars of winter oat + 15% of two cultivars of winter triticale + 10% of winter barley + 5% of winter wheat)) were harvested, wilted and ensiled in laboratory-scale silos (n = 80) without additives. Both the principal component analysis (PCA) score plot for aroma profile and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) classification revealed that mixture D had different aroma profile than other mixture silages. The difference was caused by the presence of high ethanol and LA in mixture D. Ethyl esters such as ethyl 3-methyl pentanoate, 2-methylpropanal, ethyl acetate, isoamyl acetate and ethyl-3-methylthiopropanoate were found at different retention indices in mixture D silage. The low LA and higher mold and yeast count in mixture C silage caused off odour due to the presence of 3-methylbutanoic acid, a simple alcohol with unpleasant camphor-like odor. At the end of 90 days fermentation winter cereal mixture silages (mixture A and B) had similar aroma pattern, and mixture C was also similar to winter cereal silages. However, mixture D had different aromatic pattern than other ensiled mixtures. Mixture C had higher (p < 0.05) mold and yeast (Log10 CFU (colony forming unit)/g) counts compared to mixture B. Mixture B and C had higher acetic acid (AA) content than mixture A and D. The lactic acid (LA) content was higher for mixture B than mixture C. In general, the electronic nose (EN) results revealed that the Italian ryegrass and winter cereal mixtures (mixture D) had better aroma profile as compared to winter cereal mixtures (mixture A and B). However, the cereal mixtures (mixture A and B) had better aroma quality than mixture C silage. Otherwise, the EN technology is suitable in finding off odor compounds of ensiled forages.


Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 1482
Author(s):  
Silvia Pampana ◽  
Alessandro Rossi ◽  
Iduna Arduini

Winter cereals are excellent candidates for biosolid application because their nitrogen (N) requirement is high, they are broadly cultivated, and their deep root system efficiently takes up mineral N. However, potential N leaching from BS application can occur in Mediterranean soils. A two-year study was conducted to determine how biosolids affect biomass and grain yield as well as N uptake and N leaching in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L. var. durum), and oat (Avena byzantina C. Koch). Cereals were fertilized at rates of 5, 10, and 15 Mg ha−1 dry weight (called B5, B10, and B15, respectively) of biosolids (BS). Mineral-fertilized (MF) and unfertilized (C) controls were included. Overall, results highlight that BS are valuable fertilizers for winter cereals as these showed higher yields with BS as compared to control. Nevertheless, whether 5 Mg ha−1 of biosolids could replace mineral fertilization still depended on the particular cereal due to the different yield physiology of the crops. Moreover, nitrate leaching from B5 was comparable to MF, and B15 increased the risk by less than 30 N-NO3 kg ha−1. We therefore concluded that with specific rate settings, biosolid application can sustain yields of winter cereals without significant additional N leaching as compared to MF.


1996 ◽  
Vol 76 (2) ◽  
pp. 251-257 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. S. Baron ◽  
E. A. de St Remy ◽  
D. F. Salmon ◽  
A. C. Dick

Spring planted mixtures of spring and winter cereals maximize dry matter yield and provide fall pasture by regrowth of the winter cereal. However, delay of initial harvest may reduce the winter cereal component and therefore subsequent regrowth yield. Research was conducted at Lacombe, Alberta to investigate the effect of time of initial cut (stage), winter cereal species (species) and cropping system (monocrop and mixture) on winter cereal shoot weight, leaf carbon exchange efficiency and shoot morphology. These parameters may be related to adaptation of winter cereals to growth and survival in the mixture. Winter cereal plants were grown in pails embedded in monocrop plots of fall rye (Secale cereale L.), winter triticale (X Triticosecale Wittmack) and winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and in binary mixtures with Leduc barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). The plants were removed when the barley reached the boot (B), heads emerged (H), H + 2, H + 4 and H + 6 wk stages. Shoot weight was generally smaller in the mixture than in the monocrop and wheat was reduced more than fall rye and triticale in the mixture compared to the monocrop. Dark respiration rate (r = −0.54) and carbon exchange (r = 0.36) under low light intensity were correlated (P < 0.05) to shoot size in the mixture. Fall rye and winter triticale had lower dark respiration rates than winter wheat. Leaf area index (LAI) was closely correlated (r = 0.83 and 0.84) with shoot weight in both the mixture and monocrop. While species failed to exhibit clear cut differences for LAI, fall rye and winter triticale were reduced less than winter wheat in the mixture relative to the monocrop. Stage was the dominant factor affecting winter cereal growth in both cropping systems, but fall rye and triticale exhibited superior morphological features, and their carbon exchange responses to light were more efficient than wheat, which should allow them to be sustained longer under the shaded conditions of a mixture. Key words: Delayed harvest, shade, spring and winter cereal mixtures, adaptation, carbon exchange, respiration


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