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Forage
Forage Extension Program
Cereal Forages
By Dennis Cash, MSU Professor/Extension
Forage Specialist
"For most of Montana,
we now have two excellent options (winter or
spring cereals) to use when old alfalfa or permanent
pasture is renovated for two years. "
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Large acreages of oat, rye and wheat were utilized
in the early 20th century prior to the advent of power
farm implements. For about five decades, harvested cereal
forages declined to low levels, but have recently resurged
to about 300,000 acres in Montana. Spring cereals –
predominantly barley – are mostly used. Hooded
varieties such as Haybet, ‘Westford’, ‘Stockford’,
‘Hays’ and others are widely planted. Depending
on location and precipitation, dryland barley can produce
1 to 3 tons of hay per acre – equivalent to or
more than an old alfalfa that it replaced (under irrigation,
from 3 to over 4 tons of hay per acre). Recently, the
Montana Agriculture Experiment Station has tested many
winter cereals (awnless or short-awned wheat or triticale).
These winter cereals are consistently more productive
than spring cereals (2 to over 5 tons of hay per acre).
Feeding and forage quality trials are underway to compare
these winter crops with barley. For most of Montana,
we now have two excellent options (winter or spring
cereals) to use when old alfalfa or permanent pasture
is renovated for two years.
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