Abstract
Management strategies that integrate crops and livestock may lengthen the productivity of seasonal pasture systems in agroecological zones with short growing seasons. The biomass yield and nutritive value of fall-planted rye (Secale cereale L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) forages were determined in an integrated crop–livestock system under rotational cattle (Bos taurus L.) grazing and organic conditions for seven weeks during the spring and summer in Minnesota, USA. Rye yielded greater forage biomass at the beginning of the grazing interval, while wheat yielded greater forage biomass in the latter part of the grazing interval. In general, wheat had greater crude protein and less neutral detergent fiber, compared to rye, throughout the grazing interval. The predicted total tract neutral detergent fiber digestibility of forages was ≥50 g 100 g−1 of neutral detergent fiber for at least the first four weeks of the grazing interval, indicating high forage digestibility in immature forages. Results from this study suggest that rye may provide more forage biomass for grazing earlier in the spring at the expense of lower nutritive quality, compared to wheat. Thus, the biomass yield and nutritional value of rye and wheat forages vary during the grazing interval, which informs producers of grazing schedule modifications in order to meet the nutritional demands of cattle.
Highlights
Maximizing forage production is important to organic cattle graziers since grazing represents a low-cost feeding strategy and since the USDA National Organic Program mandates that cattle must consume at least ≥30% of their dietary intake from pasture during the growing season [1]
Perennial grasses are the foundation of organic cattle pastures, which are typically productive between May and September in the upper Midwest of the United States of America (USA) [2]
Results of the current study suggest that fall-planted rye may offer more forage biomass earlier in the following spring at the expense of lower CP, compared to wheat
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Maximizing forage production is important to organic cattle graziers since grazing represents a low-cost feeding strategy and since the USDA National Organic Program mandates that cattle must consume at least ≥30% of their dietary intake from pasture during the growing season [1]. Perennial grasses are the foundation of organic cattle pastures, which are typically productive between May and September in the upper Midwest of the United States of America (USA) [2]. Opportunities to increase the seasonal grazing duration beyond the potential of perennial pastures may exist via utilizing alternative forages
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
