Evaluating western Canadian corn crops for grazing cattle

Non-Peer Reviewe

Performance of new forage varieties for grazing

Non-Peer ReviewedSaskatchewan beef producers require forage varieties that are high yielding, of good nutritional quality and persist in western Canada. New forage varieties require evaluation under grazed conditions to determine suitability for grazing purposes. A grazing trial near Lanigan, Saskatchewan evaluated crested wheatgrass (CWG) (Agropyron cristatum (L.) Gaertn.) cv. ‘Goliath’, meadow bromegrass (MBG) (Bromus riparius Rehm.) cv. ‘Paddock’, smooth bromegrass (SBG) (B. inermis Leyss) cv. ‘Carlton’, hybrid bromegrass (HBG) (B. riparius Rehm. X B. inermis Leyss) cv. ‘AC Knowles’ and tall fescue (TF) (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) cv. ‘Courtney’ compared to an old established stand of CWG (A. cristatum) for cumulative dry matter yield (CDMY), average daily gain (ADG) of yearling steers, animal grazing days (AGD) and total beef production per hectare (TBP). There was no significant species x year interaction for ADG, AGD and TBP and data was analyzed using the mean of 2004 and 2005. In 2005, CWG cv. ‘Goliath’ yielded significantly higher (p<0.05) than all other varieties. The long established CWG showed higher ADG than HBG established in 2003 (p<0.05) but was not significantly different than the other varieties. The long established stand of CWG had the lowest AGD, while TF, MBG and HBG had the greatest animal grazing days (p<0.05). Tall fescue, MBG, HBG, SBG and CWG cv. ‘Goliath’ yielded higher TBP than the long established stand of crested wheatgrass (p<0.05). New forage varieties have the potential to perform better than long established stands of crested wheatgrass

The effect of winter feeding systems on nutrients, forages, cattle, and economics

Non-Peer ReviewedExtensive and intensive cattle feeding methods were compared for their effect on nutrient distribution, pasture growth, cattle parameters, and economics. In the extensive system cattle were fed on the pasture by either bale processing or bale grazing methods and the manure was deposited directly. In the intensive system cattle were fed in the yard and an equivalent amount of manure per acre was spread on the pasture in either a raw or composted state. Measurements were taken of soil nutrient levels, residue levels, pasture forage growth, cattle weight and condition, feed consumption, and economic factors

Effect of winter feeding systems on soil nutrients

Non-Peer Reviewe

Nutrient export in run-off from an in-field cattle overwintering site in east-central Saskatchewan

Non-Peer Reviewe

Forage yield and quality, cattle grazing capacity, cost of production and soil carbon in an annual polycrop mixture versus barley swath grazing

Non-Peer ReviewedThe extensive swath grazing systems of barley (Hordeum vulgare) and an annual polycrop mixture were evaluated for forage yield, forage quality, cattle grazing capacity, and cost of production in 2017 and 2018. A 13.2 ha site located at Livestock and Forage Centre of Excellence Termuende Research Ranch was seeded in June and grazing commenced in November of each year. The annual polycrop mixture was Union Forage Ultimate Annual Blend with the addition of 40-10 forage peas (Pisum sativa). The Ultimate Annual Blend included the following species: hairy vetch (Vicia villosa), crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum), Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), Winfred forage brassica (Brassica napus ssp. biennis), Hunter Brassica (Brassica rapa syn.B campestris), and Graza Forage Brassica forage brassica (Raphanus sativa ssp. maritimus). The barley cultivar was CDC Maverick barley

Evaluation of a New Fall Rye Cultivar 'Bono' in Single and Double Cropping Systems

Non-Peer ReviewedHybrid fall rye (FR, Secale cereale L.) is now being considered as a novel cropping option in western Canada due to its high yield potential, fast growing, and earlier maturing and harvest. An earlier harvest allows producers to consider the option of seeding another forage on the same land base in the same crop year (i.e., double cropping). Growing fall rye may also address forage demand during drought conditions due to its fibrous root system and efficient use of N along with spring moisture. The objective of this study was to evaluate performance of a new hybrid fall rye cultivar ‘Bono’ compared to a conventional fall rye, modern open pollinated cultivar ‘Hazlet’ and winter triticale in single and double cropping systems with spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) in central Saskatchewan. The study included 5 replicated (n = 4) treatments: (i) Bono fall rye; (ii) Hazlet fall rye; and (iii) Pika winter triticale as single crops, and two double cropping treatments composed of spring barley harvested for greenfeed followed by the seeding of two fall rye cultivars: (iv) barley/BonoFR; and (v) barley/HazletFR. The study was conducted in the Dark Brown soil zone at the Livestock and Forage Centre of Excellence located near Clavet, SK in 2019 and 2020. Pre-seeding herbicide was applied for all treatment plots. No fertilizer was added except for double-cropping plots that were fertilized with 23 kg actual N/ha in fall 2019. First crop - barley was seeded at 136.6 kg/ha at 2.5 cm depth and harvested for greenfeed at soft dough stage in late summer, followed by second crop - fall rye seeded at 85 kg/ha and 3.75 cm depth in the same year. The fall rye was harvested as greenfeed between the flag leaf to heading emergence the following summer. Winter triticale was seeded at 151.2 kg/ha and 3.75 cm depth. Soil was analyzed for available nitrate–N (NO3–N), sulfate–S (SO4–S), phosphate–P, (HPO4/H2PO4–P), and available potassium (K). Forage dry matter yield (DMY) and quality were determined including crude protein (CP), crude protein yield (CPY) and total digestible nutrient yields (TDNY) per hectare. Metabolizable energy (ME), and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) were also estimated to evaluate the two cropping systems. Soil available N, P, K, and S averaged 62.2, 26, 724, and 1502 kg/ha, respectively. In the double cropping system, first crop-spring barley produced similar (P > 0.05) DMY (avg. 5955 kg/ha) and quality (CP = 9.1%; neutral detergent fiber (NDF = 47.4%, TDN = 67.2%, ME = 2.5 Mcal/kg) over the two production years. Bono fall rye did not differ (P > 0.05) in DMY (avg. 2339.8 kg/ha) or quality from Hazlet fall rye in both single and double cropping systems. However, compared to winter triticale, both fall rye cultivars had lower CP (13.4 vs. 18.6%; P = 0.003), ruminally degradable protein (RDP, 10.2 vs. 13.7%; P = 0.004), relative feed value (RFV, 91.8 vs. 122.3; P 0.05) DMY and estimated nutrient yield per hectare including CPY, TDNY, N, P, and K, but differed (P = 0.009) for higher NUE level. Expectedly, double cropping increased total DMY (barley DMY + fall rye DMY) by 74.2% (8401 vs. 2166 kg/ha), CPY by 61.5% (832.8 vs. 320.5 kg/ha), TDNY by 75.9% (5503 vs. 1325 kg/ha), P by 77.1% (19.5 vs. 4.5 kg/ha), K by 41.7% (94.8 vs. 55.3 kg/ha), and N uptake (133.3 vs. 51.3 kg/ha), with 34.7% higher NUE (64.5 vs. 42.1) as opposed to single crops. Preliminary results suggest that the new cultivar, Bono fall rye shows good potential to be used in a double cropping system providing adequate forage production and nutrition for beef cattle, while its lower nutritive value compared to winter triticale is compensated by the higher efficiency of nitrogen use, protein and total digestible nutrients accumulated per hectare. Spring seeded barley would provide suitable forage for greenfeed during summer, and Bono fall rye would be a viable alternative to other winter cereals in a single cropping system

Legume based pasture rejuvenation for greenhouse gas outcomes

Non-Peer ReviewedIncorporating legumes into a grass based pasture system has multiple benefits. A grass/legume blend increases the dietary protein of foraging cattle over grass alone. Furthermore, symbiotic biological nitrogen fixation introduces additional nitrogen to the pasture system thereby potentially lessening the need for synthetic fertilizers. However, over time, pastures initially seeded with a blend of grasses and legumes will tend towards increasing grass dominance such that the presence and benefits of legumes diminishes. Reestablishing legumes on a mature pasture can restore these important functions. By improving ruminant diet and therefore feed conversion ratios as well as decreasing nitrogen fertilizer applications, pasture rejuvenation, through the introduction of legumes, is expected to lower the greenhouse gas cost of grazing livestock on a per output basis. However, disturbance of soils, which can be part of various rejuvenation techniques, can result in losses of soil carbon thereby offsetting potential at least some of the greenhouse gas benefits. Sod-seeding may be an effective strategy to establish legumes in a mature pasture thereby incurring benefits without heavily disrupting soils and incurring soil carbon loss. To test this, a multiyear experiment, including cattle, vegetation (specifically the incorporation of non-bloat legumes: cicer milkvetch and sainfoin), soils and microbiota, was established near Lanigan, SK to examine the impact of sod-seeded legume pasture rejuvenation on greenhouse gases

The effect of rejuvenation of Aspen Parkland ecoregion grass-legume pastures on botanical composition

Lardner, H. A., Wright, S. B. M., Cohen, R. D. H., Curry, P. and MacFarlane, L. 2001. The effect of rejuvenation of Aspen Parkland ecoregion grass-legume pastures on botanical composition. Can. J. Plant Sci. 81: 673–683. A 3-yr study was con- ducted at five different sites in the Aspen Parkland of Saskatchewan to determine the effect of spiking, burning, mowing, deep- banding (Trt) and applications of N, P, K and S liquid and granular fertilizers (Fert) on changes in botanical composition of predominantly smooth bromegrass (Bromus inermis Leyss.) and alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) pastures established on Black Chernozemic and Gray Luvisolic soils in central Saskatchewan. Fertilizer application was in a liquid form blended to provide 100 kg N ha–1, 45 kg P O ha–1, 23 kg K O ha–1 and 12 kg S ha–1 in 350 kg of fertilizer ha–1. The experimental design at each 252 site was a randomized complete block in a split-plot arrangement. Main plots were spike, burn, mow, deep-band, deep-band liq- uid fertilizer and control. The split-plot treatment was granular fertilizer broadcast at 0 and 350 kg ha–1 (providing 100 kg N ha–1, 45 kg P O ha–1, 23 kg K O ha–1 and 12 kg S ha–1). All treatments were applied in the spring of 1994. Interaction effects of 252 Trt × Yr and Fert × Yr were significant (P \u3c 0.05), indicating a wide range of response to the rejuvenation methods among years. Spiking reduced grass and legume composition, and increased (P \u3c 0.05) the presence of annual weeds and bare ground. Burning increased (P \u3c 0.05) alfalfa composition in years 2 and 3 at three sites and tended to decrease (P \u3e 0.05) bluegrass composition in all 3 yr. Broadcast and liquid fertilizer, at 200 kg N ha–1 decreased (P \u3c 0.05) the alfalfa component in years 2 at four sites and increased (P \u3c 0.05) the smooth bromegrass component at two sites in year 1 and all sites in years 2 and 3. Fertilizer (granular or liquid) alone or combined with mechanical treatments (deep-band, mow, spike or burn) increased (P \u3c 0.05) the composition of smooth bromegrass and decreased (P \u3c 0.05) the composition of bluegrass, weeds and bare ground variably over 3 yr. Mowing and deep-banding had minimal effects on botanical composition

Evaluation of Alfalfa and Grass Species in Binary and Quaternary Mixtures for Salinity Control in the Dark Brown Soil Zone of Saskatchewan

Non-Peer ReviewedObjective of this study was to evaluate forage yield, quality, botanical composition, persistence, and weed density of salt tolerant forage mixtures in saline soil. An area representing a gradient of soil salinity near the Livestock and Forage Centre of Excellence in Clavet, SK was seeded on June 27, 2019 using the 4 forage mixtures: a saline tolerant cultivar of alfalfa (cv. Halo Medicago sativa L., HaALF) in binary mixtures with creeping meadow foxtail (cv. Garrison Alopecurus arundinaceus Poir.; CRF) or smooth bromegrass (cv. Carlton Bromus inermis Leyss.; SBG) or slender wheatgrass (cv. Revenue Agropyron trachycaulum Malte; SWG) and in quaternary mixture with the three grasses (CRF, SBG, and SWG) in a Randomized Complete Block Design with 4 replications (n=4). Soil samples at 0-15, 15-30, and 30-60-cm depths were taken in the spring 2019 for soil nutrients (N, P, K, and S), particulate organic carbon (POC), moisture, pH, and electrical conductivity (EC) measurements. Stand establ ishment, botanical composition, weeds including foxtail barley (Hordeum jubatum L.), forage yield, and quality were determined in the fall 2020. Soils were loamy (sand: 47.9 ± 5.72%; silt: 45.5 ± 5.61%; and clay: 6.6 ± 2.09%) with EC (6.6 ± 1.04 dS/m), POC (1.2 ± 0.73% DM), and pH (7.8 ± 0.13). The magnitude of EC at 30-60 cm depth was lower (P 0.05; avg. 78.8%) and were ~15% greater than quaternary mixture (68.8%). Likewise, no difference was observed (P > 0.05) among treatments on DMY. However, based o n DMY, treatments can be ranked as HaALF “ SWG (3210 kg/ha) < HaALF “ SBG (3543 kg/ha) < HaALF “ CRF “ SBG “ SWG (3599 kg/ha) < HaALF “ CRF (4148 kg/ha) with latter produced 15 to 29% greater relative to the other mixtures. Weeds including foxtail barley occupied 16.3-33.1% of total DMY. Revenue SWG in mixture with HaALF had less weed infestation, while Carlton SBG mixed with HaALF was more susceptible to weeds. The preliminary results suggested that Halo alfalfa – Garrison creeping meadow foxtail mixture could be a viable alternative for increasing forage production and controlling salinity on moderate saline soil in the Dark Brown soil zone of Saskatchewan