Abstract
Intermediate wheatgrass (IWG) is a new perennial dual-use crop for grain and forage with growing interest among farmers. Intercropping IWG with red clover may increase yield and nutritive value through nitrogen transfer. IWG and red clover planting timing can affect grain and forage yield, and there has not been previous research on this management practice. At two locations (Arlington and Lancaster, WI, USA) a factorial experiment was established two years with two factors: (1) IWG planting date (August through October, and April) and (2) red clover planting season (in the fall with IWG or frost seeded in the next spring). Yield data were collected for two subsequent years. Grain yield was maximized at 515 kg ha−1 and 423 kg ha−1 at Arlington and Lancaster when planted by 26 August and 13 September, respectively. Planting date influenced grain yields in the first harvest year but not in the second. Seeding red clover in the spring increased IWG and red clover biomass compared to seeding it in the fall. In Wisconsin, planting IWG by early September at the latest and planting red clover in the spring is recommended to maximize grain yield.
Highlights
Agronomy 2021, 11, 2227. https://Perennial crops offer many important opportunities to produce grains in a more environmentally, economically, and energetically sound manner than the current annual crops [1]
Kernza grain yield varied with intermediate wheatgrass planting date and red clover planting season (Figure 3, Supplemental Tables S1 and S2)
At Lancaster, they were 291 kg ha−1 when red clover was planted in the fall (a 5% increase from the maximized yield from the previous year), and 403 kg ha−1 when red clover was planted in the spring (a 5% decrease from the maximized yield from the previous year) (Figure 3b)
Summary
Perennial crops offer many important opportunities to produce grains in a more environmentally, economically, and energetically sound manner than the current annual crops [1]. Perennial crops have extensive root systems that contribute to reducing soil erosion, nutrient, and pesticide use and losses [2,3], which lowers farmer expenses due to decreased annual inputs and costs. The cool-season grass intermediate wheatgrass (IWG, Thinopyrum intermedium (Host) Barkworth & D.R. Dewey) stands out because it provides grain, forage, and multiple ecosystem services [4,5,6,7]. As a dual-use crop, grain and forage of IWG can present multiple income streams to farmers [9]. There is minimal agronomic knowledge for the management of Kernza intermediate wheatgrass as a dual-use crop [10]
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