Skip to main content
ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #82775
Title: SEASONAL FORAGE PRODUCTION AND NUTRITIVE VALUE OF WHEAT, TRITICALE AND AGROTRICUM IN THE SOUTHERN PLAINS

Author
item Rao, Srinivas
item Coleman, Samuel

Submitted to: Agronomy Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/26/1997
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: In the Southern Plains Region, a forage deficit period exists between winter wheat and warm-season grasses. This experiment was conducted to compare seasonal forage production patterns, as well as yield and quality, of dry land wheat (Triticum aestivum L. TAM-101) with triticale (X Triticosecale ) and agrotricum (Triticum aestivum X Elytrigia spp. var. OK-906). Experiments were conducted from 1993-96 at the USDA-ARS, near El Reno, OK. Plots were seeded at a rate of 100 kg ha-1 and fertilized with 50 kg N ha -1 in the fall, and fertilized again with 100 kg N ha-1 in the spring. Above ground plant samples were collected at 30 d after seeding and continued at 30 d intervals until physiological maturity to determine seasonal biomass and N accumulation. Average number of days from seeding to physiological maturity for wheat, triticale, and agrotricum were 265, 273, and 293, respectively. Rate and amount of biomass and N accumulation were similar until May for all crops. After May, triticale continued to accumulate greater biomass and N for a short period before declining compared to agrotricum. Wheat, approaching near maturity, did not show any significant increase in biomass and N accumulation after May. These results suggest that agrotricum has the potential to prolong the vegetative growth period by 4 weeks compared to wheat, and can thus provide high quality forage to fill the forage deficit period.