Trial Site: Fairview Research Farm
Research Coordinator: Dr. Akim Omokanye
From: Peace Country Beef & Forage Association 2016 Annual Report
Soybean plants may be grazed or harvested from the flowering stage to near maturity for use as high-quality hay. Soybeans may also be grown as a silage crop in pure culture or cocktail mixtures (with appropriate varieties). Agronomically, soybeans have the advantage of fixing nitrogen when properly inoculated, and do not require a lot of specialized equipment to grow. Crop species and variety choice for silage or greenfeed is one of the important decisions any beef cattle producer makes. The objective of this trial was to test and select soybean varieties for forage yield and quality for livestock use based on local growing conditions.
Methods
Site used was the Fairview Research Farm (NW5-82-3W6) on RR #35, MD of Fairview. The site had oats planted for greenfeed in 2015. The soil test at 0-6” soil depth done at Exova laboratory (Edmonton) prior to seeding showed an organic matter content of 7.1%, a pH of 5.5 (acidic) and an electrical conductivity of 0.35 dS/m. The field was cultivated before seeding.
