%0 Journal Article
%T Adding Value to Crop Production Systems by Integrating Forage Cover Crop Grazing
%A Robert B. Mitchell
%A Daren D. Redfearn
%A Kenneth P. Vogel
%A Terry J. Klopfenstein
%A Galen Erickson
%A P. Stephen Baenziger
%A Bruce E. Anderson
%A Mary E. Drewnoski
%A Jay Parsons
%A Steven D. Masterson
%A Marty R. Schmer
%A Virginia L. Jin
%J American Journal of Plant Sciences
%P 180-192
%@ 2158-2750
%D 2024
%I Scientific Research Publishing
%R 10.4236/ajps.2024.153013
%X In addition to their value as cereal grains, wheat (<i>Triticum aestivum</i> L.) and triticale (¡Á <i>Triticosecale </i>Wittmack)
are important cool-season annual forages and cover crops. Yearling steer (<i>Bos taurus</i>) performance was compared in
the spring following autumn establishment as for age cover crops after soybean [<i>Glycine max</i> (L.) Merr.] grain harvest.
Replicated pastures (0.4 ha) were no-till seeded in three consecutive years
into soybean stubble in autumn, fertilized, and grazed the following spring
near Ithaca, NE, USA. Each pasture (n = 3) was continuously stocked in spring
with four yearling steers (380 <a name=\"OLE_LINK4\"></a>¡À 38 kg) for 17, 32, and
28 d in 2005, 2006, and 2007, respectively. In 2005, average daily gain (ADG)
for steers grazing triticale exceeded the ADG for wheat by 0.31 kghd<sup>-1</sup>d<sup>-1</sup>.
In 2006, wheat ADG exceeded that for triticale by 0.12 kghd<sup>-1</sup>d<sup>-1</sup>.
In 2007, steers grazing wheat lost weight, while steers grazing triticale
gained 0.20 kghd<sup>-1</sup>d<sup>-1</sup>. Based on the 3-year average animal
gains valued at $1.32 kg<sup>-1</sup>, mean net return ($ ha<sup>-1</sup> yr<sup>-1</sup>)
was $62.15 for triticale and $22.55 for wheat. Since these grazed cover crops
provide ecosystem services in addition to forage, grazing could be viewed as a
mechanism for recovering costs and adds additional value to the system. Based
on this 3-year grazing trial, triticale was superior to wheat and likely will
provide the most stable beef yearling performance across years with variable
weather for the western Cornbelt USA.
%K Cover crops
%K Soybean
%K Triticale
%K Wheat
%U http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=131873