Not all small-grain species are equal when it comes to forage production, but there are a few things that you can expect with some regularity.

Here are a few certainties:

• Oats will not survive the winter in the Central and Northern Great Plains.

• It is hard to beat oats for fall forage production.

• Cereal rye has slow fall growth, but it can be a superb spring forage.

• Occasionally, triticale or barley will be better than either oats or cereal rye.

SMALL GRAINS FOR FORAGE: Using small grains as a dependable forage source will hinge upon several factors, including production potential, season of production and winter-hardiness. (Photo: Daren Redfearn, Nebraska Extension forage and crop residue systems specialist)

Many of the seasonal differences between winter and spring small grains are related to vernalization, or the need to go through a cold winter period. In many cool-season plants, including the winter small grains, this physiological process is necessary for stem elongation and heading. It occurs through the combination of cold temperatures and short day length.

Winter small grains have a strict requirement for vernalization to initiate stem elongation and heading. Winter species planted in the late summer or early fall will be vegetative only, with minimal stem elongation. Forage yield will be lower, but with high quality suitable for grazing. In spring, once winter small grains resume growth, stem elongation and heading can occur rapidly.

Spring small-grain species and cultivars do not require vernalization for stem elongation and heading. When planted in the late summer, some spring species can have significant fall growth. However, spring small grains have minimal or no winter-hardiness, so when planted in the late summer or early fall, they will most likely not survive the winter.

We can take advantage of vernalization to increase our understanding of forage production from small grains. There are both spring and winter varieties with different forage production potentials, seasons of production, and degrees of winter-hardiness. This makes small-grain species and variety selection important for expectations of forage production during the fall and spring.

Planting options for fall production

Both spring and winter small grains planted in late summer and early fall have the potential to produce fall forage. If fall forage production is a primary management goal, the best option may be to plant a spring species, such as oats or another spring small grain. Fall forage production from spring species is usually greater than winter species. However, fall forage production will vary because of the uncertainty in timely precipitation and extreme temperature fluctuations.

Planting options for spring production

Cereal rye planted in late summer or early fall is the best choice for the earliest possible spring grazing. The major disadvantage to cereal rye is that once it begins spring growth, it matures very quickly and becomes stemmy, and forage quality rapidly declines. Most cereal rye cultivars will survive winters in the Central and Northern Great Plains regardless of whether they are they classified as a "northern type" or a "southern type". Northern-type cereal rye cultivars are very winter-hardy, with longer winter dormant periods than the southern types. Southern types can have longer growth into the winter, and they are often the first of the small grains to begin growth the following spring. Expected spring production will usually provide 2 to 3 tons of forage per acre.

Planting small-grain mixtures

Planting simple mixtures of winter and spring small-grain species and varieties in late summer may increase the chance of producing both fall and spring grazing. One example is a mixture that includes both oats and cereal rye. Using this method, oats will provide the majority of the forage during the fall. Oats will winter-kill, and then the cereal rye will provide early spring grazing. There may be combinations of other small grains that are also suitable for improving seasonal distribution of forage yield.

Using small grains as a dependable forage source will depend on several factors, including production potential, season of production and winter-hardiness. All small grains can produce forage, so the options are:

• Fall forage production only from oats, spring triticale and/or spring barley

• Mainly spring production from cereal rye, winter triticale and/or winter barley

• A combination of fall and spring production from spring small grains (oats, spring triticale or spring barley) and winter small grains (cereal rye, winter triticale or winter barley).

Whether planting winter and spring small grains, the choice is yours.

Source: UNL BeefWatch