Triticale Forage Research Articles

Factors influencing farmer willingness to plant forage triticale in winter fallow fields in Northern China: An example from central Shanxi Province

AbstractBackgroundUsing winter fallow fields for plant forage is important to ensure food security. Forage triticale (× Triticosecale) has higher yields than other available forage crops and can be planted widely in winter fallow fields. Recently, the planted area of forage triticale in Shanxi Province, China, has exceeded 3500 ha; however, problems such as low farmer willingness to plant (WTP) winter forage still remain.MethodsA total of 219 farmers were surveyed in Taiyuan, Lvliang, and Jinzhong. We analyzed the factors influencing farmer WTP forage triticale, focusing on personal, family, land, and cognition characteristics. We used a binary logistic regression model to quantify the influence of various factors on farmer behavior and conducted a robustness check and heterogeneity analysis.Results“Age” was negatively correlated with farmer WTP—farmers 50 years of age and older showed less WTP. “Land lease situation” was also negatively correlated with WTP. Factors that positively correlated with WTP were “land areas,” “raising of livestock,” “size of labor force,” and “development prospect.”ConclusionsMany farmers are over 50 years of age, land lessors, and have low WTP winter forage. Farmers who raise livestock and have large labor forces, huge land areas, and good cultivation prospects have a high WTP. This study identifies the factors influencing farmers' WTP to assist in the development of the forage triticale industry in the study region, improving land resource utilization and efficiency. The findings are likely to have wider relevance and application.

In vitro gas production and digestibility of oat and triticale forage mixtures ensiled with fibrolytic enzymes and inoculants

Objective: To assess the effects of adding fibrolytic enzymes (FE) or lactic acid bacteria (LAB) inoculants to 40 d silages with oat and triticale (O:T) mixtures on the ratio and composition of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and its subsequent in vitro gas production (GP) and in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) at 24 h. Design/Methodology/Approach: Silages elaborated with two O:T ratios (60:40 and 80:20) treated with low (LD), medium (MD), and high (HD) doses of FE (0.75, 1, and 1.25 g/kg forage in wet basis (WB), respectively), and LAB (0.188, 0.25, and 0.31 g/kg WB, respectively). In both cases (FE and LAB), the control had a value of 0. Subsequently, pH, NDF, acid detergent fiber (ADF), acid detergent lignin (ADL), hemicellulose (HEM), cellulose (CEL), dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), GP parameters, and IVDMD were assessed. GP parameters included maximum velocity (Vmax), fractional rate (S), and lag. Experiments were planned in complete randomized designs (CRD), including factorial and split-plot arrangements. Variance analysis (ANOVA) models included fixed (doses, additives, and FR) and random (place/moment of sampling) effects. Results: LAB improved the IVDMD at 24 h of 60:40 and 80:20 O:T silages. FE did not reduce the NDF of 60:40 silages, but LD and MD increased the HEM and CP, and reduced the ADF, ADL, and CEL; these results are correlated (r) with the improvement of pH pattern, GP, and IVDMD. Study Limitations/Implications: The differences in the NDF of FR mixtures could affect the effectiveness of FE and LAB. Findings/Conclusions: Although FE and LAB did not reduce the NDF, they changed the ratios of ADF, ADL, HEM, CEL, and CP of silages, potentially improving the GP and IVDMD.

Genome-wide association study for in vitro digestibility and related traits in triticale forage

BackgroundTriticale is making its way on dairy farms as an alternative forage crop. This requires the availability of high-yielding triticale varieties with good digestibility. Triticale forage breeding mainly focussed on biomass yield, but efforts to improve digestibility are increasing. We previously investigated the interrelationships among different quality traits in soft dough triticale: starch, acid detergent fibre and in vitro digestibility of organic matter (IVOMD) and of neutral detergent fibre (IVNDFD) of the total plant, IVNDFD and Klason lignin of the stems, and ear proportion and stem length. Here we determine the genetic control of these traits, using a genome-wide association (GWAS) approach. A total of 33,231 DArTseq SNP markers assessed in a collection of 118 winter triticale genotypes, including 101 varieties and 17 breeding lines, were used.ResultsThe GWAS identified a total of 53 significant marker-trait associations (MTAs). The highest number of significantly associated SNP markers (n = 10) was identified for total plant IVNDFD. A SNP marker on chromosome 1A (4211801_19_C/T; 474,437,796 bp) was found to be significantly associated with ear proportion, and plant and stem IVNDFD, with the largest phenotypic variation for ear proportion (R²p = 0.23). Based on MTAs, candidate genes were identified which were of particular relevance for variation in in vitro digestibility (IVD) because they are putatively involved in plasma membrane transport, cytoskeleton organisation, carbohydrate metabolic processes, protein phosphorylation, and sterol and cell wall biogenesis. Interestingly, a xyloglucan-related candidate gene on chromosome 2R, SECCE2Rv1G0126340, was located in close proximity of a SNP significantly associated with stem IVNDFD. Furthermore, quantitative trait loci previously reported in wheat co-localized with significantly associated SNP markers in triticale.ConclusionsA collection of 118 winter triticale genotypes combined with DArTseq SNP markers served as a source for identifying 53 MTAs and several candidate genes for forage IVD and related traits through a GWAS approach. Taken together, the results of this study demonstrate that the genetic diversity available in this collection can be further exploited for research and breeding purposes to improve the IVD of triticale forage.

Quantifying the Flows of Nitrogen Fertilizer under Different Application Rates in a Soil–Forage Triticale–Dairy Cow System

Nitrogen (N) can enhance the biomass and feeding quality of forage crops and advance the growth of the herbivorous livestock industry. Investigating the N fertilizer dynamics in the soil–crop–livestock system is important for resource-use efficiency and environmental safety. By using the 15N-labeled technology and the in vitro incubation technique, an experiment was conducted in the North China Plain (NCP) in 2015–2016 to quantify the migration and distribution of N fertilizer in the soil–forage triticale (X Triticosecale Wittmack)–dairy cow system. The results showed that 34.1–37.3% of the applied N fertilizer was absorbed by forage triticale, in which 35.9–39.6% N accumulated in the stems and 60.4–64.1% accumulated in the leaves. In addition, 36.3–39.1% of the applied N fertilizer remained in the 0–100 cm soil layer, in which 81.8–91.3% was distributed in the 0–40 cm soil layer. The remaining 24.6–26.8% of the applied N fertilizer was lost in various ways and 28.1–31.3% of the N fertilizer could be utilized by dairy cows. When N fertilizer was applied between 0–225 kg N ha−1, the increased application of N fertilizer improved the biomass yield from 14.0 to 17.5 t ha−1 and enhanced the N content of the forage triticale from 1.3% to 1.4%; however, it did not significantly affect the distribution rate of N fertilizer in the soil–forage triticale–dairy cow system. The optimum N fertilizer application rate for forage triticale is less than 225 kg N ha–1 to maintain high-efficient N use in the soil–crop–livestock system and reduce the environmental risks in the NCP. Our results quantified the N fertilizer dynamics in the soil–forage triticale–dairy cow system and provided a significant reference for guiding rational strategies of forage triticale cultivation.

Variation in potential feeding value of triticale forage among plant fraction, maturity stage, growing season and genotype

Cereal forages, such as triticale forage, progressively gain interest as alternative crop for maize. The main study objective was to investigate the variation in potential feeding value of triticale forage among maturity stage, growing season and genotype, using total plant and stem fractions. Therefore, near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) was evaluated as fast screening tool. The prediction ability was good (ratio of prediction to deviation, RPD ≥3.0) for total plant residual moisture, starch, sugars and for stem crude ash (CAsh) and neutral detergent fibre (aNDFom); suitable for screening (2.0 ≤ RPD <3.0) for total plant CAsh, acid detergent fibre (ADFom), in vitro digestibility of organic matter (IVOMD), in vitro digestibility of neutral detergent fibre (IVNDFD) and for stem total lignin (TL) and IVNDFD; poor (1.5 ≤ RPD <2.0) for total plant crude protein, crude fat, aNDFom, lignin (sa) and for stem Klason lignin (KL); unreliable (RPD <1.5) for stem residual moisture and acid soluble lignin (ASL). The evolution in potential feeding value of 36 genotypes harvested at the medium and late milk to the early, soft and hard dough stage was followed. The most important changes occurred between the late milk and early dough stage, with little variation in quality after the soft dough stage. During 2 growing seasons, variation in feeding value of 120 genotypes harvested at the soft dough stage was demonstrated. Interestingly, variation in stem IVNDFD is almost twice as high as for the total plant (CV 12.4% versus 6.6%). Furthermore, Spearman correlations show no link between dry matter yield and digestibility of genotypes harvested at the soft dough stage. Based on linear regression models ADFom appears as main predictor of both plant IVOMD and plant IVNDFD. Stem IVNDFD is particularly determined by KL.

Use of Dual-Purpose Winter-Grain Cover Crops as Emergency Forage and for Management of High Soil Phosphorous in Manured Fields

Dual-purpose cover crops can cycle nutrients on dairy farms while providing additional quality forage. However, questions remain regarding the crop species best suited to this function. A two-year field experiment with five small-grain winter cover crops, including rye (Secale cereale), wheat (Triticum aestivum), and three triticale varieties (×Triticosecale varieties), was conducted on an active dairy farm. The rye produced the highest yield at 4612 kg ha−1, followed by the forage varieties of triticale, which averaged 4004 kg ha−1, whereas the wheat and one nonforage triticale produced only 2950 and 2987 kg ha−1, respectively. The wheat had the highest crude protein (CP) at 11%, and a relative feed value (RFV) of 132, and it had the greatest milk-production potential, which was 1729 kg milk/Mg of forage. Yet, the rye (CP: 10.4%; RFV: 112) had the greatest milk-production and economic potentials per hectare due to the high forage yield, valued at USD 714 ha−1, whereas the nonforage triticale had the least economic value (USD 326 ha−1), despite its high forage quality (CP: 9.5%; RFV: 120). The forage triticale varieties were intermediate performers compared with the rye and wheat on a yield and quality basis. Mirroring the yield, the rye also removed the most nitrogen (77.3 kg ha−1) and phosphorus (20.8 kg ha−1). The species differences were found to be contingent on the manure application. The results of this experiment suggested that winter rye is the most efficient cover crop for harvesting and nutrient-recycling purposes.

EFECTO DE UN BIOESTIMULANTE EN EL RENDIMIENTO DE FORRAJE DE TRITICALE (x Triticosecale) EN SIEMBRA ESCALONADA ASOCIADA CON HABA (Vicia faba)

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background.&lt;/strong&gt; The associations of poaceae and fabaceae forage species are important to provide cattle with a balanced diet between proteins and carbohydrates; also to contribute to the sustainable management of soils. &lt;strong&gt;Objective&lt;/strong&gt;. The objective of the research was to determine the effect of the natural biostimulant on the triticale forage components during staggered sowing associated with faba bean. &lt;strong&gt;Methodology&lt;/strong&gt;. The research was carried out under a randomized complete block experimental design with three repetitions. The genetic material was a line of semi-late triticale and a local variety of faba bean. Applications of a biostimulant were made in two phenological of the triticale stages forage during the staggered sowing (0, 20 and 40 days after sowing the bean). The variables evaluated were percentage increase of foliar N in triticale, biomass in triticale and broad bean, green forage yield of triticale and faba bean, presence of &lt;em&gt;Rhizobium&lt;/em&gt; nodules in faba bean and interspecific competition indices of the associated system. &lt;strong&gt;Implications&lt;/strong&gt;. The establishment of a triticale-faba bean association requires certain planting arrangements, varieties and nutrition to avoid the effects of competition, which cause the dominance or displacement of any of the species. &lt;strong&gt;Conclusions&lt;/strong&gt;. The application of biostimulant in triticale in the tillering stage 20 days after sowing the bean, the highest yield of triticale forage was found, allowing the increase in the concentration of foliar nitrogen (1.8%) and rhizobial nodules per plant (175.83) of broad bean; higher biomass (6.49 t ha&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt;) in triticale and higher amount of total forage (39.02 t ha&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt;). The competition indices indicate that the bean cultivation in association favors the total relative yield without showing aggressive behavior between crops (A = 0); triticale and faba bean share their competitive capacity (CR&amp;gt;1) according to staggered plantings with and without biostimulant in a certain phenological state of triticale.&lt;/p&gt;

Effects of growth stage on nutritional value of barley and triticale forages for goats

The nutritional composition and in vitro gas production of barley and triticale forages at tillering, stem elongation, and ear emergence stages were studied. The mean crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and water-soluble carbohydrate (WSC) content was higher in barley than triticale. The supplementation of wheat grain in in vitro incubation had no effect on the gas production of barley and triticale forage. The nutritive value of barley and triticale forages is highly influenced by growth stage and is high during the early stage of growth during tillering and stem elongation. Barley and triticale forages have potential as feed for dairy goats and although barley had a higher CP content, both have adequate ME and CP levels to meet the nutritional requirements of adult goats with 50 kg body weight in early lactation.

The Production of Dual-Purpose Triticale in Arid Regions: Application of Organic and Inorganic Treatments under Water Deficit Conditions

Most of the arid and semi-arid regions, particularly in the Mediterranean area, suffer from the lack of a sufficient quantity of high-quality feed, as well as a low amount of rainfall that is unevenly distributed, resulting in the region being highly vulnerable to drought. A field experiment was carried out at the experimental station of the Faculty of Desert and Environmental Agriculture, Fuka, Matrouh University, Egypt during the winter seasons of 2018/19 and 2019/20 to study the performance of triticale (X Triticosecale Wittmack), grown under water deficit conditions, in terms of productivity and quality. The study investigated the influence of five levels of potassium fertilization (PF; 0, 43.2, 86.4, 129.6, and 172.8 kg ha−1) and ascorbic acid (AA; 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100 mg L−1) that was applied to the triticale grains before sowing and humic acid (HA; 0, 2.4, 4.8, 7.2, and 9.6 kg ha−1) that was applied as powder to the soil 21 days after sowing followed by sprinkler irrigation on triticale forage and grain production when forage was removed at variable ages at cutting (AC), determined as days after sowing (AC; 40, 65, 90, 115, and 140 DAS) on forage yield and nutritive value, in addition to the final grain yield of triticale. The experimental design was a central composite design with one replicate. Results indicated that the PF*AC interaction was significant, and it gave values of 84.78 and 238.00 g kg−1 for crude protein (CP) and degraded neutral detergent fiber (DNDF). In addition, the interaction between AA and AC was significant for CP, acid detergent fiber (ADF), 100-grain weight (100 GW), number of spikes m−2 (NSM−2), and plant height (PH). Moreover, the AC*HA interaction was significant with values of 175.17 and 247.00 g kg−1 for CP and DNDF, respectively, and 0.55 t ha−1 for grain yield (GY). Age at cutting exerted the strongest effect on the studied characteristics. It was observed that the contents of neutral detergent fiber (NDF), ADF, acid detergent lignin (ADL), and non-fiber carbohydrates (NFC) in the triticale forage significantly increased when the crop was cut at an advanced age, unlike CP, DNDF, GY, NSM−2, 100 GW, and PH that decreased with advanced AC. The highest values of 271.00, 256.00, and 268.00 g kg−1 for DNDF were obtained with higher levels of either PF, AA, or HA, respectively. However, the highest value of GY (0.97 t ha−1) was obtained with higher levels of PF*HA averaged over the two seasons. The interaction between AA*HA resulted in 393.39, 311.00, 27.13 g kg−1, and 0.94 t ha−1, for NDF, DNDF, ADL, and GY, respectively. The highest significant NDF (413.11 g kg−1) and DNDF (307.50 g ka−1) values were obtained with the application of high levels of either AA or HA. In the dual-purpose production system, it is recommended to cut the triticale crop at 65 DAS to achieve the optimum balance between forage yield and quality on the one hand, and final grain yield on the other hand. In the arid regions, application of PF, AA, and HA could help in reducing the damage caused by water deficit.

Optimizing Crop Systems: Integrating Forage Triticale into the Fallow of Peanut Monoculture in the North China Plain

Integrating a forage crop into the fallow (F) of the peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) (P) mono-cropping system is a practical approach to provide forage yield and increase the resource use efficiency. However, little information about the comprehensive assessment of water utilization and economic benefits in the crop–livestock system exists for the North China Plain (NCP). This study aims to identify the crop rotation for optimizing water management and enhance economic benefit. The field experiment was performed over three years (2011–2014) to assess production, water utilization, and economic benefits when inserting forage triticale (X Triticosecale Wittmack) (T) into the peanut mono-cropping system. Results showed that replacing the fallow F-P cropping system with forage triticale provided a substantial amount of forage (the average of 9.8 t ha−1 per year) and enhanced the average system productivity by 85.1%. Cultivation of forage triticale during the fallow period decreased the subsequent peanut pod yield by 8.3% due to a 19.3% decline in soil water storage capacity during the sowing stage of peanut. Replacing fallow with forage triticale increased the system net income by 1016.2 US$ ha−1 and the water use efficiency (WUE) by 30.0%, while not affecting the economic efficiency of water use (EEWU), and thus can be recommended as a better option for maintaining relatively high system production, economic benefit, and WUE in NCP.

Productivity and profitability with fallow replacement forage, grain, and cover crops in W‐S‐F rotation

AbstractAdoption of cover crops is greatly dependent on their effect on the productivity of the main crops and profitability of system. The objective of this study was to quantify effects of spring fallow replacement grain, forage, and cover crops on winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) productivity and overall net return. This field study was conducted from 2013 through 2020 near Garden City, KS. Three phases of the wheat–sorghum–fallow (W‐S‐F) rotation were the main plots, and fallow and fallow replacement grain, forage, or cover crops were subplot treatments. Available soil water at planting (ASWP) of wheat was 58 to 81% less following forage and grain oat (Avena sativa L.) and triticale and ASWP of sorghum was 29% less following spring oat grain than fallow. Spring crops did not affect average wheat and sorghum yield, water use, or water productivity compared with fallow; likely because winter wheat yield potential over the study period was &lt;1,700 or &gt;3,500 kg ha−1. Fallow replacement crops increased cost of production by 16 to 97% compared with fallow, and costs were greater for forage and grain crops than cover crops. However, gross returns of forage crops were greater than cover crops or grain crops. Net return was greatest for triticale forage than spring pea (Pisum sativum L.) grain. We concluded no significant effect of spring fallow replacements on wheat and sorghum yield, but greater net return from spring triticale forage because of greater forage productivity and low seed cost.

Effects of harvest date and growth stage on triticale forages in the southwest USA: kinetics of in vitro disappearance of fiber and dry matter.

Recently, there has been interest in including triticale (X Triticosecale Wittmack) within forage programs in the southwest USA. Our objectives were to evaluate in vitro disappearance kinetics of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and dry matter (DM) for cultivars identified during 2019 as positively or negatively deviant from typical cultivars, based specifically on regressions of 48-h in vitro disappearance of NDF on growth stage (GRST). All NDF analyses included the use of heat-stable α-amylase and sodium sulfite, as well as correction for residual ash (asNDFom). Seven triticale cultivars were established on December 18, 2019 at the University of Arizona Maricopa Agricultural Center, located near Maricopa, AZ. Forage plots were arranged in a randomized complete block design with three complete blocks (replications), and then harvested on seven dates the following late-winter and spring (February 26, March 17, April 1, April 14, April 28, May 12, and May 26). Based on a linear model, GRST was highly variable among cultivars on March 17 (44 ± 10.6), April 1 (57 ± 12.1), April 14 (67 ± 8.9), and April 28 (79 ± 7.2) compared with other harvest dates (SD ≤ 1.7). For concentrations of asNDFom, all cultivars exhibited linear (P ≤ 0.042) and quadratic (P < 0.001) polynomial contrasts in response to harvest date, and all cultivars except Merlin Max (P ≥ 0.063) exhibited at least one additional cubic or quartic effect (P ≤ 0.015). A contributing factor to the unique response by Merlin Max was the numerically greater maximum canopy height (145 ± 9.8cm) compared with the mean of all cultivars (107 ± 17.7cm), which also was associated with greater percentages of stem, as well as reduced percentages of DM partitioned within the grain head. Regressions of asNDFom disappearance after 30- or 48-h incubations on GRST indicated this was an effective independent variable (R2 ≥ 0.927), and responses were most often linear in nature. Generally, relationships for DM disappearance were quadratic, ostensibly due to the complicating effect of grain fill, but GRST was again an effective predictor variable with R2 statistics ≥ 0.852 for 12 of 14 combinations of cultivar and incubation time. Predicted percentages of digestible DM attributed to asNDFom disappearance were ≥50.3% through the fully flowered stage of growth, but digestible contributions from nonfiber components following the onset of grain fill profoundly affected overall DM digestibility among cultivars harvested at later GRST.

Effects of harvest date and growth stage on triticale forages in the southwest United States: agronomic characteristics, nutritive value, energy density, and in vitro disappearance of dry matter and fiber.

Recently, there has been increased interest in including triticale (X Triticosecale Wittmack) or other winter cereals within forage programs throughout the southwest United States. Our objectives were to screen 14 diverse triticale cultivars for agronomic and nutritive characteristics with specific emphasis on identifying normal, as well as deviant, responses to the calendar date and plant maturity for forages seeded in December and harvested from late February throughout May at Maricopa, AZ. Fourteen cultivars were established in a randomized complete block design with each cultivar represented within each of three field blocks. Plots were clean tilled and established on December 18, 2018, and then harvested at 2-wk intervals beginning on February 27 and ending May 23, 2019. Across all harvest dates, forage (N = 315) energy density (NEL) exhibited strong negative correlations with growth stage (r = -0.879), plant height (r = -0.913), head weight (r = -0.814), and estimated dry matter (DM) yield (r = -0.886) but was positively associated with percentages of leaf (r = 0.949), and weakly associated with percentages of the stem (r = 0.138). Through April 10, similar correlations were observed within individual harvest dates (N = 45) for growth stage, leaf percentage, and plant height but not for stem or head-weight percentages. Within later harvest dates, only sporadic correlations with NEL were observed. Primarily cubic regression relationships for neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent lignin, 30- and 48-h in vitro disappearance of DM and fiber, and NEL were fit for the mean or typical cultivar using both days from February 1 and growth stage as independent variables. Coefficients of determination (R2 ≥ 0.860) in all cases indicated a good fit for the polynomial models. For NEL, deviation from the typical cultivar when days from February 1 was used as the independent regression variable was largely affected by cultivar maturation rate. When the growth stage was substituted as the independent variable, plant height, stem percentage beginning at anthesis, and low grain-head percentage were associated with the maximum negative deviant cultivar (Merlin Max). The 0.23 Mcal/kg difference between maximum positive and negative deviant cultivars at a common late-boot/early-heading stage of growth suggests that some attention should be placed on cultivar selection as well as forage inventory needs and overall cropping goals.

Genotyping-by-sequencing and genomic selection applications in hexaploid triticale.

Triticale, a hybrid species between wheat and rye, is one of the newest additions to the plant kingdom with a very short history of improvement. It has very limited genomic resources because of its large and complex genome. Objectives of this study were to generate dense marker data, understand genetic diversity, population structure, linkage disequilibrium (LD), and estimate accuracies of commonly used genomic selection (GS) models on forage yield of triticale. Genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS), using PstI and MspI restriction enzymes for reducing genome complexity, was performed on a triticale diversity panel (n = 289). After filtering for biallelic loci with more than 70% genome coverage, and minor allele frequency (MAF) > 0.05, de novo variant calling identified 16,378 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers. Sequences of these variants were mapped to wheat and rye reference genomes to infer their homologous groups and chromosome positions. About 45% (7430), and 58% (9500) of the de novo identified SNPs were mapped to the wheat and rye reference genomes, respectively. Interestingly, 28.9% (2151) of the 7430 SNPs were mapped to the D genome of hexaploid wheat, indicating substantial substitution of the R genome with D genome in cultivated triticale. About 27% of marker pairs were in significant LD with an average r2 > 0.18 (P < 0.05). Genome-wide LD declined rapidly to r2 < 0.1 beyond 10 kb physical distance. The three sub-genomes (A, B, and R) showed comparable LD decay patterns. Genetic diversity and population structure analyses identified five distinct clusters. Genotype grouping did not follow prior winter vs spring-type classification. However, one of the clusters was largely dominated by winter triticale. GS accuracies were estimated for forage yield using three commonly used models with different training population sizes and marker densities. GS accuracy increased with increasing training population size while gain in accuracy tended to plateau with marker densities of 2000 SNPs or more. Average GS accuracy was about 0.52, indicating the potential of using GS in triticale forage yield improvement.

‘Gwangyoung’, Forage Triticale Cultivar of Winter Hardiness, Resistance to Lodging and High-Yielding

‘Gwangyoung’, Forage Triticale Cultivar of Winter Hardiness, Resistance to Lodging and High-Yielding

Triticale forage crop quality as affected by water stress and nitrogen biofertilizer in an arid climate

Understanding the interactive effect of water and nitrogen (N) availability is a crucial issue for stabilizing cereal forage production in the arid areas. A two-year side by side experiment (2015-2016 and 2016-2017 growing seasons) was carried out under different N sources and water regimes in a typical arid environment (Darab, Iran) to evaluate the forage quality of triticale (×Triticosecale Wittmack) crop.There were two irrigation regimes [normal irrigation (IRN) and cutting off irrigation after crop anthesis stage (IRMD)]. Rain-fed treatment (IR0) was included in the second year. Three N sources including Azospirillum brasilense (biofertilizer, Bio), Azospirillum brasilense + 75 kg N ha-1 as urea (Bio + N75), 150 kg N ha-1 as urea (N150) and unfertilized plots (N0 ascontrol) were used. Water stress decreased leaf-stem (L/S) ratio, dry mater (DM) and dry matter digestibility (DMD) and increased crude forage protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and ash contents. However, the effect of water stress on forage ash, DMD, ADF contents, L/S ratio (in 2015-2016 growing season) and CP content depended on N sources. In Bio + N75, triticale forage had the highest CP content, DMD, ash and L/S ratio (in 2015-2016 growing season) and the lowest ADF compared with the other N sources under water stress conditions. According to the results of this study, it can be suggested that the integration of biofertilizer and chemical N fertilizer be successfully used to increase the quality of triticale forage under deficit irrigation regimes in sustainable farming systems in arid conditions.

Characteristics of light energy utilization of intercropping alfalfa/gramineae forage based on yield effect

Based on field experiments in 2017-2019, we examined the characteristics, yield effect and regulatory mechanism of light energy utilization in alfalfa/gramineous forage grass intercropping. With monoculture of alfalfa, forage triticale (C3 plant), and forage maize (C4 plant) as control, we measured the yield effect, the effect of light energy utilization factor on yield formation, the characteristic difference and mechanism of light energy utilization under alfalfa/triticale and alfalfa/maize intercropping patterns. Results showed that land equivalent ratios of both intercropping patterns were all greater than 1, indicating that land utilization ratio and yield benefit of the two intercropping patterns were higher than that of monoculture, among which alfalfa/triticale intercropping pattern was the most promising one. The contribution of light energy utilization factors to yield was following an order of leaf area index (1.531) > net photosynthetic rate (0.882) > intercellular CO2 concentration (0.282) > transpiration rate (-0.229) > canopy opening (-0.291) > PAR interception rate (-0.681) > stomatal conductance (-0.751). Among them, leaf area index was not only one of the important indices to characterize photosynthetic capacity, but also an important component factor of forage crop yield aiming at harvesting nutrients. Therefore, among all factors of photosynthetic characteristics, net photosynthetic rate was the main factor affecting yield. The net photosynthetic rate of alfalfa, triticale and maize under intercropping showed the same pattern, and being different from that of monoculture. The main ways for intercropping to increase net photosynthetic rate included: triticale and maize increased net photosynthetic rate and yield by enhancing the carboxylation fixation capacity of CO2 and the utilization capacity of strong light, while alfalfa could improve its net photosynthetic rate and promote growth under low light, by increasing the content of chlorophyll b in functional leaves, changing chlorophyll composition and enhancing the collection and transmission of light energy.

Productivity and water use efficiency of intensified dryland cropping systems under low precipitation in Pacific Northwest, USA

A lack of plant available water limits the ability to intensify the summer fallow-winter wheat (SF-WW) rotation in low precipitation (<350 mm) areas of the inland Pacific Northwest (PNW). The objective of this study was to compare crop yield, water use efficiency, precipitation capture, and soil water storage between conventional-tillage SF and reduced tillage fallow (RTF) and among different 2-yr and 3-yr cropping sequences. After full initiation of the experiment, eight sequences were evaluated over a 3-yr period (2016−18) including SF-WW, RTF-WW, RTF-WW-spring barley (SB), RTF-winter napus canola (WN)-spring wheat (SW), RTF-spring carinata (SC)-SW, RTF-WN-spring forage triticale (ST), and RTF-winter forage triticale (WT)-SC. Growing season precipitation was near average (269 mm) each year. Ponded infiltration rates were significantly higher (P ≤ 0.05) in 2-yr rotations managed with RTF (77.68 ± 24.56 mm h−1) than SF (37.08 ± 13.03 mm h−1). Water use efficiency and yields of WW were generally greater following RTF than for WW after SF. Water use and yield of winter cereals WW and WT after fallow were greater than for oilseeds WN and SC that also followed fallow. Pre-plant soil water contents were significantly lower following a primary crop than after fallow. Consequently, water use and yield of secondary crops were <50 % of primary crops. Of 3-yr cropping sequences, RTF-WW-SB and RTF-WW-SC had the highest water use efficiencies with annualized yields generally approaching that of RTF-WW and SF-WW. These results support integration of spring barley and spring carinata under low precipitation dryland conditions in the PNW to increase diversification and improve conservation of water.

Spring triticale forage responses to seeding rate and nitrogen application

AbstractGrowing spring forages could reduce soil erosion and increase cropping system profitability compared with summer fallow in a wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)–sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench ssp. Bicolor)–fallow system. Field experiments were conducted over four site‐years to evaluate seeding rate and nitrogen (N) application effects on spring triticale forage production. Seeding rates (60, 80, and 100 kg ha−1) were assigned to main plot treatments, and N rates (0, 11, 34, 56, and 78 kg N ha−1) were the subplots. Seeding rate had no effect on forage dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), or mineral nutrients. However, increasing seeding rate increased lignin, acid detergent fiber (ADF), and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) concentrations while decreasing in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) and total digestible nutrients. Applying N increased forage DM, with optimum yield occurring at 56 kg N ha−1. The application of N fertilizer decreased ADF and NDF concentrations but increased CP, IVDMD, and total digestible nutrients. Similarly, tissue calcium, phosphorus, and potassium concentrations increased with N fertilizer application. Based on our findings, 56 kg N ha−1 was adequate for spring triticale and seeding triticale forage at a lower rate of 60 kg ha−1 had no detrimental effect on forage yield when harvested as hay.

Double‐Cropping with Forage Sorghum and Forage Triticale in New York

A rotation trial with forage triticale (x Triticosecale Wittmack) and forage sorghum (Sorghum bicolor [L.] Moench) was conducted in central New York from 2016 to 2018. Treatments included four timings of sorghum harvest followed by next‐day triticale planting, five triticale spring N rates (0, 34, 67, 101, 135 kg N ha−1), and two N treatments applied at sorghum planting (fertilized, +N, and unfertilized, –N) using a randomized complete block split‐split‐plot design in four replications. The most economic rate of N (MERN) for triticale in spring 2016 was 86 kg N ha−1 with a yield at the MERN of 4.0 Mg dry matter (DM) ha−1. In fall 2016 and spring 2017, total forage yield (triticale plus sorghum) did not increase after the mid‐September harvest for the +N and 135 kg spring N ha−1 plots (23.8 Mg DM ha−1 average). In fall 2017 and spring 2018, there was no difference in total forage yield across harvest timings (13.4 Mg DM ha−1 average), likely due to fewer growing degree days (GDD) that year. We recommend harvesting sorghum ∼1150 GDD after planting or at the soft‐dough stage. Earlier harvests resulted in lower yield but greater digestibility and crude protein. Spring‐applied N did not affect forage sorghum yield or nutritive value. Sorghum fertilized with N resulted in MERNs of 0 kg N ha−1 for the following triticale crop. Fertilizing sorghum according to N needs and timely harvest can support both sorghum and triticale yields without having to fertilize triticale in the spring.Core Ideas Forage sorghum requires N at planting in non‐manured systems. Forage sorghum can be harvested after 1150 growing degree‐days without a yield reduction. Triticale following fertilized sorghum may not need additional N in the spring. Spring N applied to triticale may not affect forage sorghum yield.