Forage Quality and Production of Small Grains Interseeded into Bermudagrass Sod or Grown in Monoculture

Abstract

Bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] is productive in summer but dormant for much of the year in the central USA. The grazing season for bermudagrass can be lengthened with fall‐interseeded small grains, which provide forage for early‐season grazing. We compared forage yield and quality of rye (Secale cereale L., two cultivars), wheat (Triticum aestivum L., three cultivars), and barley (Hordeum vulgare L., one cultivar) when interseeded into bermudagrass sod or grown in monoculture. Field plots of each small grain were harvested two to four times each season and analyzed for in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) and crude protein (CP). Cumulative forage production for early spring (growing degree days [GDD] < 1000) was greater (P < 0.05) for rye than for barley in all but one instance. Late spring (GDD > 1000) production of barley was usually greater than that of rye, but wheat cultivars were more balanced in seasonal production. Total forage production among small grains was often similar within each system, but the monoculture system had an almost threefold advantage. Although cultivars varied for IVDMD in the monoculture system, comparisons of digestible dry matter (DDM) were more consistent among harvests. Early DDM production of barley was usually lowest among the species, but as high or higher than other species for ryes. Concentrations of CP were variable, but relative CP production and yield had similar trends. In this study, rye was the best‐suited species for interseeding in bermudagrass for early‐season forage in grazing systems.