• Topics: Animal Sciences | Myer, Robert O | Blount, Ann R. Soffes | Barnett, Ron D | Small Grains (Oats, Rye, Wheat)

Triticale as a Forage Crop for the Southeastern United States¹

Triticale (X Triticosecole Wittmack) is a man made cereal developed by crossing wheat and rye. This robust cereal is grown worldwide for its grain and forage. Triticale has considerable potential either as a grain crop or forage crop for the southeastern USA. Triticale is well suited to the multi-cropping systems common in this region.

Triticale as a grain crop in the SE USA

Initially, the thrust of triticale breeding programs in the Southeast focused on development of grain varieties. Several cultivars were developed and released in the 1980's (Barnett et al., 2006), and this promoted some triticale grain production in the SE USA. These varieties were spring types, but were planted in the fall in the Southeast. Back-to-back abnormally cold winters in the 1980's resulted in considerable winter kill. This led to decreased production and interest in triticale as a grain crop.

Triticale as a forage crop in the SE USA

In the Southeast, summers are hot and humid and winters are typically mild. Small grain cereals (mostly oat and rye) and annual ryegrass are commonly planted in the autumn to provide forage for grazing, green chop, silage, or hay during the cool season. Typically, these annuals are planted in October through December. Depending on weather and rainfall, they are grazed or green chopped from late autumn/early winter to mid/late spring. For silage or hay, harvest is typically in April. Triticale for forage fits the same growing period as the other cool-season annual forages used in the SE USA.

Initially, triticale cultivars that were developed for grain were used in cool-season forage programs with unsatisfactory results in the SE USA. Recent releases of forage type triticale cultivars have resulted in a recent surge in acreage, especially on dairy farms. Even with this recent increase, acreage is relatively small, estimated at 10,000 to 20,000 acres in 2008. However, acreage is expected to increase significantly in the future. For comparison, rye and oat grown for forage during the cool season is estimated at 500,000 acres in the SE USA and annual ryegrass acreage is about1.2 million acres.

Results of forage yield trials

Cool-season forage variety tests conducted in the SE USA by Auburn University, University of Georgia, and University of Florida are summarized in Tables 1, 2 and 3. The Auburn test summary is an average of results from eight locations over three consecutive years; the Georgia summary is an average of three locations over two years. The Florida test is from one location for one year. In each test, the triticale forage varieties either ranked at the top or near the top for seasonal forage dry matter yield.

Present status of triticale forage

For the USA as a whole, triticale for forage is a minor crop. Presently there are two main production regions: 1) the southern Great Plains and 2) the West Coast, especially California. In the Great Plains, triticale forage acreage is estimated at 50,000 acres (2008; Resource Seed, Inc. estimate). In this region, triticale forage is grown to provide grazing for stocker beef cattle and more recently, for silage on dairy farms. On the West Coast, triticale forage is produced on about 200,000 acres (2008) and is grown primarily by dairy farmers for silage and green chop.

In the SE USA, dairy farmers are the primary growers of triticale forage. Triticale fits well in the common rotation of maize for silage during the warm season and an annul forage like triticale for green chop and (or) silage during the cool season. Yields of up to 18 ton of triticale forage per acre (about 3 to 4 tons of dry forage) are common. Most of these dairy farms pump manure effluent through the irrigation system to the forage crop fields as the primary means of nutrient fertilization. Thus these farmers are interested in crops that not only yield a high amount of nutritious forage, but also utilize the nutrients provided by the effluent (wastes). Dairy farmers have noted that forage triticale is an effective crop to capture and use the effluent. Recent research conducted by the University of Florida has shown that triticale grown for forage was very effective in utilizing a relatively large amount of N and P (Mackowiak, et al., 2008). Further trials using forage triticale for nutrient mitigation are underway.

Nutritional value of triticale forage

There is limited data on the nutritional value of triticale forage grown in the SE USA for cattle. Compositional data collected so far indicates that triticale forage has similar nutritional value to other small grain cereal forages and annual ryegrass (Table 4; Myer et al., 2008). The average values in Table 4 are from samples harvested every four weeks during the cool-season. The samples were harvested just before or at jointing in the plant. Samples harvested at a later maturity (i.e. boot stage, dough stage) would have less crude protein and soluble carbohydrate, and higher fiber concentrations.

Studies done in other parts of the world have generally reported that the nutritional value of triticale forage for ruminant animals was similar to that for other small-grain cereal forages at similar stages of maturity (for a review see Myer and Lozano del Rio, 2004). However, much variation has also been reported in both composition and feeding value among triticale varieties (Myer and Lozano del Rio, 2004; Emile et al., 2007). Field reports indicate no drop in milk production when dairy cows are switched from a maize silage-based total mixed ration to a triticale silage-based total mixed ration.

Recommended triticale forage varieties

For best results, only triticale forage varieties specially developed for and/or adapted to the SE USA should be planted. Variety recommendations for the SE USA include TriCal 342, TriCal 2700 and Monarch triticale. Both TriCal 342 and Monarch were developed at the Universities of Florida and Georgia. TriCal 2700 was bred and released by Resource Seeds Inc. (Gilroy, CA). These three forage type cultivars are well adapted to the growing conditions in the SE USA. More forage type triticale varieties adapted to the Southeast are expected to be released in the future.

Planting and management of triticale is much like that of other small grain cereals for forage in the SE USA (e.g. wheat and rye). Further information can be found in the EDIS publication SS ARG 161 entitled "Forage Planting and Establishment Methods" (edis.ifas.ufl.edu/AG107).

Summary

Triticale has been available in the SE USA for over 30 years but it never developed to be a significant grain crop in this region. The recent development of high-yielding forage varieties has renewed interest as a forage as well as increased triticale acreage. This interest is particularly apparent with dairy farmers; however, triticale forage may also be suitable pasture forage for beef cattle grazing.

References

Barnett, R.D., A.R. Blount, P.L. Pfahler, J.W. Johnson, G.D. Buntin, and B.M. Cunfer. 2006. Rye and triticale breeding in the south. UF-IFAS EDIS Pub. no. SS-AGR-42 Florida Coop. Ext. Ser., University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA

Day, J. L., A. E. Coy, J. D. Gasset. 2008. Georgia 2007-08 small grain performance tests. Crop and Soil Sciences Res. Rep. no. 715. Georgia Agric. Exp. Sta., University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.

Emile, J. C., C. C. Joblin, F. Surault, and Y. Barriere. 2007. Genetic variations in the digestibility in sheep of selected whole-crop cereals used as silages. Animal 1(8):1122-1125.

Glass, G. M. and E. van Santen. 2008. Performance of small grain varieties for forage in Alabama. Agronomy and Soils Series no. 293. Alabama Agric. Exp. Sta., Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA.

Mackowiak, Cheryl, Ann Blount, and Robert Myer. 2008. Seasonal productivity and nutrient uptake comparisons among cool-season annual forage. ASA CSSA SSSA joint meeting abstracts CD-ROM (no. 569-12), ASA CSSA SSSA, Madison, WI (abstract).

Myer, R. O., and A. J. Lozano. 2004. Triticale in livestock production. In: (M. Mergoum, Ed.) Triticale Improvement and Production. FAO, Rome, Italy. pp. 49-58.

Myer, Robert, Cheryl Mackowiak, and Ann Blount. 2008. Water soluble and ethanol soluble carbohydrate concentrations in cool-season annual forages in the southeastern USA. ASA CSSA SSSA joint meeting abstracts CD-ROM (no.568-9), ASA CSSA SSSA, Madison, WI (abstract).

Tables

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension service.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Nick T. Place, Dean.

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