Although based on only one year of trials, the results of a greenfeed project may be of interest to producers considering their 2001 seeding options.
Conducted at the Southeast Research Farm near Redvers, Sask., the trial compared the yield and quality of eight varieties of oats and seven varieties of barley at two harvest dates for greenfeed.
The oat varieties were Foothills, Magnum, Royale, Derby, Triple Crown, CDC Bell, CDC Baler and AC Mustang.
The barley varieties were Brier, Stander, Virden, Westford, AC Rosser, AC Lacombe and BZ 593-159.
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Plots were seeded May 17 and the first harvest date was 69 days after seeding, when the oats were in early milk stage and barley in milk dough stage.
The second harvest was 83 days after seeding, when the oats were in the soft dough stage and barley in the hard dough stage. At early harvest, Virden barley had the highest yield at 6,166 pounds per acre.
This compared to the next highest yield, Stander at 5,427 lb. per acre.
Virden also had the highest yield at late harvest: 9,019 lb. per acre. All other varieties, except the lowest yielding Magnum, ranged from 7,415 to 6,222 lb. per acre.
“At both harvest dates, Virden barley also had the highest yield of crude protein and total digestible nutrients,” said Lorne Klein, rangeland agrologist with the Grazing and Pasture Technology Program in Weyburn, Sask.
“Its quality was similar to the average of the other varieties. Although middle-of-the-road in quality, its significant yield advantage indicates it is the greenfeed barley of choice. Virden was clearly the best variety.”
The study also confirmed that a later harvest date improves forage dry matter yield and total digestible nutrients.
Baler and Bell oats, and Virden, Brier, Rosser, Lacombe and Stander barley consistently performed in the top third for dry matter, crude protein and total digestible nutrients.
Brier, Lacombe, Stander and Rosser barley consistently performed in the top third for forage quality.
Klein emphasized that results are based on only one year of trials. The summer of 2000 had above-normal moisture conditions, crop maturity was likely later than normal and yields were probably higher than normal.
Trials will take place at Redvers again this year.
