Evaluation of Early Seeded, Multiple-Cut Winter Cereals for Livestock Feed as a Drought Management Strategy in Alberta.

2 days ago
4 min read

Funded by Results Driven Agriculture Research (RDAR)

Background & Objective

Since 2021, many regions in Alberta have faced severe drought and grasshopper infestations, with over 30% decline in crop yields. These conditions have forced producers to overgraze pastures to feed their livestock, compromising forage recovery and productivity for the following year. Seeded in the fall, winter cereals offer an early-season grazing option for livestock, allowing stressed perennial pastures more recovery time. Alternatively, spring-seeded winter cereals remain vegetative through summer and fall, providing additional forage when production from spring cereals declines after July.

This province-wide study (carried out at four different sites throughout the province) aims to provide unbiased regional data on the establishment, dry matter yield and nutritional quality of ultra-early spring-seeded winter cereals as livestock feed in Alberta. It compares cereals seeded in cooler soils (2-6°C) with those seeded at warmer temperatures (>10°C) and evaluates their potential for additional forage production for livestock during the growing season. The study also assesses the impact of soil and climate types on forage yield and quality for early-seeded winter cereals.

Adopting early seeded winter cereals in Alberta can enhance drought management, increase grazing days, reduce production costs, and alleviate mental health stress for producers by ensuring adequate livestock feed.

Methods

Fairview Research Farm (FRF) at RR 35 Fairview, AB, served as one of the four sites for this 3-year project. Table 1 gives the site history, soil information, treatments, field operations, and data collected for this trial. The experimental design includes a randomized complete block design using four replications in small plots measuring 8m x 1.14m. Seeding was carried out using a 6-row Fabro Plot Drill with disc-type openers on 23 cm row spacing, complete with mid-row banding. The site received 10" of rainfall for the growing season (April 1 – Sept 30) and about 1,414 Growth Degree Days.

^{*Funding for the project was accepted late, when soil temperatures had already surpassed the required}

^{(2 – 6°C).}

Results

Forage Dry Matter (DM) Yield

DM Yield obtained from the initial cut varied significantly between treatments, with the two spring cereal controls (CDC Austenson barley and AC Brandon wheat) out-yielding all the winter cereals by over 5 times. (Table 2).

NDVI readings obtained before the initial harvest significantly (p < 0.02) differed between treatments but, interestingly, correlated (R² = - 0.14, p = 0.34) poorly with initial forage DM yields.
Forage DM Yield of regrowth widely ranged between 2,000 – 4,800 lbs/ac but did not significantly differ between treatments.
No clear patterns emerged for the DM Yields of the regrowths.
CDC Austenson barley (Control 1) produced the highest Forage DM Yield in this trial

NDVI – normalized difference vegetative index; DM – dry matter; WT – winter triticale; FR – fall rye; WW – winter wheat; SB – spring barley; SW – spring wheat; LSD – least significant difference.

^§NDVI reading taken on 07/19/2024

^*DM Yield (initial) taken on 07/19/2024

^#DM Yield (regrowth) taken on 10/25/2024

^"Check treatment

Forage Quality

Forage Quality Differences:

Most winter cereals, except Tadeus (Winter Wheat), had higher Crude Protein (CP) than both spring cereal controls.
Winter cereals had lower Neutral Detergent Fiber (NDF) (ranging 45–48%) than spring cereals (56-58%).
Spring cereals tended to have higher Acid Detergent Fiber (ADF) and Energy (TDN) (p = 0.07) than winter cereals.

Mineral Content:

No significant differences in macro minerals (Ca, P, K, Mg) were observed among the cereal crops.
Microminerals were similar, except that Manganese (Mn) varied.

Regrowth Quality:

Winter cereals maintained better overall forage quality than spring cereals.
Tadeus (Winter Wheat) had the lowest protein (14.4%).
NDF (45–55%) remained similar, but ADF and TDN (23–35% and 61–71%) varied significantly.
AC Brandon had the lowest digestibility (34.6%).

Mineral Variation in Regrowth:

Macro minerals varied; spring cereals had lower levels, except for Tadeus (Winter Wheat).
Microminerals: Copper (2.6–7.2 ppm), Iron (162–317 ppm), Manganese (48–135 ppm).
AC Brandon had the lowest micromineral levels.

Conclusion and Implications

Despite lower initial yields, winter cereals offer high-quality regrowth, demonstrating strong potential to extend the grazing season and reduce dependence on stored forages.
- Winter cereals show strong potential due to their higher crude protein (CP) content and lower neutral detergent fibre (NDF), which enhances digestibility and supports the nutritional needs of growing cattle and lactating cows. Among the varieties tested, Tadeus—a winter wheat—was atypical, differing from the others in protein content for both the initial cut and subsequent regrowth.
Spring cereal controls provided a high initial Forage DM Yield and ample early-season forage. They also offered good regrowth Forage DM Yields. Mineral supplementation, especially for Calcium and Phosphorus, is necessary for growing calves and lactating cows when fed on the spring cereals tested in this study.
Some treatments (e.g., AC Brandon wheat) have higher ADF and lower TDN, indicating reduced energy availability, and therefore require additional supplementation for high-performance cattle.
Integrating spring and winter cereals better optimizes forage availability and quality year-round, with strategic supplementation needed to address mineral and energy gaps.