Wheat variety fall forage yield comparison for 2023-24

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Fall forage yield is an important aspect of dual-purpose wheat production. In this system, wheat is typically sown earlier than grain-only production, at higher seeding rates, and with additional nitrogen fertilizer to maximize forage production.

The weather experienced during the fall is crucial to determine the average level of forage yield, with warm and moist weather typically resulting in greater forage yield than cool and dry weather conditions. Management practices that also maximize forage yield are early sowing, higher seeding rates, placement of in-furrow phosphorus fertilizer with the seed at sowing, and fall nitrogen fertilization.

While the weather is typically the largest player in determining fall forage production, followed by management, there are also differences among wheat varieties in forage production potential. Thus, the K-State Wheat Production Group compares the forage yield of several commonly grown wheat varieties and upcoming lines every year. This test is usually performed in the South Central Experimental Field near Hutchinson, Kansas (Fig. 1), and the forage sampling occurs sometime during December (Table 1).

At the sampling conducted on November 30, 2023, there were significant differences among varieties regarding forage accumulation. The average forage yield was 1,353 lbs dry matter (DM) per acre with a  range from 871 to 1,969 lbs DM/a. The varieties that exhibited the highest forage yield were AP24AX, AP Prolific, AR Iron Eagle 22AX, CP7017AX, CP7266AX, CP7909, Croplan CP15CW3388#011, Guardian, KS Ahearn, KS Providence, and Limagrain LCH16AC403-158 (Table 1). The remaining varieties produced statistically less forage than these.


A field of grass with blue sky and cloudsDescription automatically generated

Figure 1. Dual-purpose wheat trial near Hutchinson, KS. Photo by Romulo Lollato, K-State Research and Extension.
 

Table 1. Fall forage yield of wheat varieties sown under dual-purpose system near Hutchinson, KS. Forage biomass was collected on November 30, 2023. Data is shown in pounds of dry matter per acre (lbs DM/ac). There were significant statistical differences among varieties at the 5% probability level. Varieties are listed in alphabetical order, and the bold highlight indicates the highest forage-yielding group.

Variety

Forage DM yield (lbs/a)

AP24 AX

1492

AP Prolific

1678

AR Iron Eagle 22AX

1473

CP 7017AX

1606

CP 7266AX

1649

CP 7869

871

CP 7909

1665

Croplan CP15CW3388#011

1370

Guardian

1510

KS Ahearn

1740

KS Providence

1958

Kivari AX

1082

Limagrain LCH16AC403-158

1969

Polansky XP24-11

875

Roadrunner

1246

WB4347

1154

Average

1459

Minimum

871

Maximum

1969

 

Another important aspect of dual-purpose wheat production is how long each variety can be grazed in the spring. This is measured as the date for the first hollow stem, and varieties can differ in as much as 20-30 days in achieving the first hollow stem in the spring. The Wheat Production Group at K-State uses this very same trial to measure first hollow stem development during late February and early March. The eUpdate will publish updates on the progress of first hollow stem development until all tested varieties have reached this stage.

 

Romulo Lollato, Extension Wheat and Forages Specialist
lollato@ksu.edu  

Mariana Mota, Visiting Scholar

Luiz Otavio Pradella, MS student

Maximo Nores Allende, Visiting Scholar


Tags:  fall forage dual purpose yield results wheat variety trials 

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