Abstract
In recent years planting cover crops has grown in popularity. Producers are especially interested in the use of cover crops for grazing livestock and have been experimenting with new ways of grazing annual cover crops using cattle. During a 2017 Western SARE Farmer/Rancher-led project utilizing cover crops in a management intensive grazing scenario, significant regrowth from annual cereal varieties was observed. Based on these observations, a study was designed to evaluate the longevity and regrowth potential of five cereal forage varieties tested at two locations in Idaho. Grazing each variety was simulated using a forage harvester in a series where one set of plots was ‘grazed’ four times, the next set of plots grazed three times, two times, and once. Forage barley, forage oats, triticale, and winter wheat were planted at 120 lbs. to the acre and Italian annual rye grass was planted at 20 lbs. to the acre. Yield (lbs./acre DM) was measured and analyzed. From our preliminary data, it would appear that season-long grazing is possible with four out of the five varieties tested. This leads us to believe that cereals have much more regrowth potential than what we originally thought. However, further investigation into varieties and how they respond to livestock grazing is needed. In general, forage triticale needs to be grazed before it goes to boot, because once it does, it does not send up new tillers and is done growing for the season. In our study we planted two winter varieties which allowed for the plants to regrow instead of going to boot early in the season. Overall, barley, oats, winter wheat, and Italian ryegrass have the ability to be grazed at least four times throughout the growing season.