Forage Cereals
The Barenbrug program of breeding and development that underlies the release of varieties is unmatched.
New varieties are developed for tolerance to multiple grazing, high quality and high forage yields. Further evaluation in tough conditions means that these true forage cereals have the ability to perform as needed for the Australian grazing and forage industries.
Forage cereals are a group of species that are used for a specific seasonal grazing and/or fodder requirement.
Whilst most cereals may offer some grazing or silage/ hay making opportunity, true forage cereals are developed with traits that include:
• Rapid establishment
• Fast recovery from grazing
• Higher early season grazing yield
• Higher proportion of leaf over stem material
• Increased tillering capacity
• Generally higher feed quality and forage yield than grain-type cereals.
In most areas where winter feed with a subsequent fodder opportunity is needed, forage oats, triticale and barley may be planted from late summer through to mid-winter. Some oats and barley may also have application for late winter and early spring sowing in southern areas with excellent results. Where summer and early autumn feed is needed, forage sorghum and millet are also very useful options. These may also be conserved as silage or hay if required.
Forage cereals may play a significant role as a break crop as part of a pasture renovation program and at the same time provide a valuable feed source when other options may be unreliable. Cereal forage crops may be further enhanced by the inclusion of other species such as vetch, field peas, short-term ryegrass, annual clovers and forage brassicas.
Establishment
Forage cereals are well suited to sowing into either a prepared seed bed, or more commonly, by direct drilling into spray-fallows or crop residues. Consider the paddock history, or conduct a soil test to determine fertiliser requirement. However, a modest application of DAP or similar at the time of planting is usually beneficial.
Consider the options for pre-emergent herbicides and insecticides where appropriate, as they will give the crop the best chance to out-compete pests. In heavy
trash situations, incorporating an early application of a molluscicide for slugs or snails may be necessary.
Sowing depth should be between 10 – 35mm, although slightly deeper sowing is often still satisfactory.
Assess the crop for weeds again when it has developed 3 – 4 true leaves and treat accordingly. Forage cereal crops are generally ready for a light first grazing when
20 – 25cm high, down to about 10cm. This will be around 6 – 8 weeks after sowing depending on conditions, and the crop can be allowed to re-grow for multiple subsequent grazings.
Grazing Management
True forage cereals are developed to withstand grazing pressure and can be grazed through winter, with minimal loss of total forage yield if grazed correctly.
The crop should only be grazed when the roots have developed sufficiently to anchor the plants so that they will not pull out. This is generally the case once the crop has reached 25cm in height. Ideally the crop should be grazed before the first node has developed, to avoid the loss of the nodes and resulting tiller death.
As a rough guide the crop should be grazed upon reaching a height of 25 – 30cm. 120
How Hard to Graze
Post-grazing height is critical in maintaining crop yield. The crop should be grazed to no lower than 10cm or just above the first node. If the first node is removed,
regrowth will be significantly reduced as the removal of the node will result in the death of that tiller. True forage cereals do have the ability to re-tiller post-grazing.
However, this regrowth will be slower than growth from established tillers, resulting in lost production.
Ongoing Management
Rotational grazing is the best way to maximise crop production and the crop can be re-grazed each time it reaches 25 – 30cm in height. As the crop progresses, it is inevitable that the nodes will begin to rise and additional care must be taken to avoid over-grazing and tiller death. Grazing crops at these later stages of development will most likely reduce the yield at final harvest. Set-stocking of forage cereal crops will often give the best results for fattening cattle, particularly in northern Australia.
For best results the stocking rate needs to be adjusted depending on the growing conditions and growth rate of the crop.
Adverse Conditions
Grazing when the soil is very wet will likely result in crown and root damage, and recovery and total yield will be reduced. If conditions become very dry, grazing to 10cm to remove leaf tissue may aid survival by reducing evapotranspiration.
