Cereal Crops - Management for Supplemental and Emergency Forage
David W. Koch, Extension Agronomy Specialist, University of WyomingCereal crops, although grown primarily for grain, are well adapted to Wyoming. These
crops include wheat, triticale, rye, oats and barley. Because they grow primarily during
the cool season, they are less apt to encounter drought. They can provide grazing in as
little as 4-6 weeks, but can also be used as hay, silage or green chop. In some areas, they
are an important source of grazing prior to allowing the crop to mature grain. Oats and
barley are used extensively in Wyoming as companion crops for spring seeding of alfalfa
and other perennial forages. Many acres of small grains, particularly wheat, have been
grazed out due to poor grain prospects.
Cereals can add flexibility to the forage-livestock program. They can be used to
extend the grazing season, provide early grazing before perennials are available, allow
deferment of range grazing, provide an alternative to early-spring grazing of meadows, as
well as supplement range, pasture and perennial hay crops in years of short forage supply.
Adaptation and cultivars. All cereals are annuals. Winter (fall-planted) cereals are
generally more productive than spring types, mainly because they take greater advantage
of spring precipitation. Wheat is the most commonly grown winter annual in Wyoming.
Winter rye is popular in some areas as a dual-purpose cover crop and grazed forage. It
has wide tolerance to adverse weather and soil conditions. Cereal rye is not popular in
wheat-growing areas because volunteer grain can contaminate wheat fields. Triticale, a
cross of wheat and rye, does not volunteer, produces at least 20% more forage than wheat
and is higher in forage quality than rye or wheat. It has excellent winter hardiness.
Barley and oats need to be planted in the spring in Wyoming. Oats are better suited than
barley to delayed spring planting. In fact, oats can be planted as late as July and produce
a good forage crop. Barley is even more susceptible to Russian Wheat Aphid than wheat
and can be severely damaged if the aphid is present in the area.
Although not grown for grain at elevations above 6,000 feet, these crops are excellent
forage crops at higher elevations, in which corn, sorghums and other warm-season
annuals are not suited. For example, at Laramie (7,300 feet) average oat hay yield over a
5-year period has been 5.4 tons/acre.
Varieties of cereal crops grown for grain in an area can be used for forage because
they are adapted. There are winter and spring varieties of wheat and triticale. It is
important to plant only winter varieties in the fall. Winter varieties planted in the spring
will remain vegetative, but will not be productive. Winter varieties of oats and barley are
not winter-hardy in Wyoming. Taller-growing and later-maturing varieties of oats
(Otana, Monida) tend to be higher producing, but are more apt to lodge under irrigation.
Awnless or hooded varieties of barley (Horsford, Westford) are preferred, particularly for
hay production as they cause fewer feeding problems. The most commonly grown
legume in mixtures with cereals is Austrian winter pea.
Grazing. Fall-planted cereals can be seeded 2-3 weeks earlier than for grain production,
particularly if fall and winter grazing is desired. Grazing of cereals should not begin until
plants are 6-8 inches tall. At least 3 inches of plant growth should be maintained for
winter cover. Spring greenup of winter wheat and triticale will be slightly earlier than
crested wheatgrass. After the spring grazing and before the plants start to joint (stem
elongation), the crop should be allowed to grow. Optimum time for final grazing is
between boot and milk stages.
Immature, rapidly growing forages are commonly low in magnesium, compared to
nitrogen and potassium. Grass tetany (hypomagnesemia) may occur when cattle and
sheep are grazing these forages. A mineral supplement may be needed to prevent the
problem. Including legumes in the forage mixture will reduce the incidence.
Producers should exercise caution under drought conditions. Nitrate accumulation is
generally at a peak at the boot stage and gradually declines as the crop matures. If
uncertain, take a representative sample before grazing. See 'Managing Forage to Reduce
Nitrate Poisoning of Livestock'.
Mechanical harvesting. All cereals lose palatability and crude protein content from the
boot stage through the milk stage. Maximum amount of protein per acre is during the late
milk to early dough stages and maximum forage yield is at the soft dough stage. After
that leaves are lost and nutrient contents and dry matter yield diminishes. For hay or
silage, triticale and wheat should be harvested at early heading and barley and oats at soft-
dough stage. Ideal moisture content for silage stored in bunker or concrete silos is 65-
70% moisture. Therefore, forage harvested at early heading may need to be field wilted,
while forage harvested at the soft-dough stage can be direct cut and ensiled.