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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Madison, Wisconsin » U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center » Environmentally Integrated Dairy Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #304786

Title: Grazing management for fall-grown oat forages

Author
item Coblentz, Wayne
item GILDERSLEEVE, RHONDA - University Of Wisconsin

Submitted to: Popular Publication
Publication Type: Popular Publication
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/1/2014
Publication Date: 5/15/2014
Citation: Coblentz, W.K., Gildersleeve, R.R. 2014. Grazing management for fall-grown oat forages. Popular Publication. pp 6-7.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Fall forage production of oat generally will out-yield winter wheat or cereal rye by about a 2:1 ratio, regardless of weather conditions or harvest date because oat plants will joint, elongate, and produce a seedhead before winter, while winter wheat or cereal rye will remain vegetative until spring. Fall-grown oat provides little potential for regrowth, and will winterkill with near certainty in Wisconsin. Therefore, fall-grown oat provides a fall stockpiled forage option for grazing, with best utilization accomplished by efficient, one-time removal of standing forage. A single ‘lead’ wire can be advanced daily to prevent trampling and waste, and to allocate forage based on producer management goals and requirements. Producers will need to evaluate the nutrient requirements of their livestock classes against the quality of fall-grown oat coupled with other harvested forages and/or supplements to meet their desired animal performance goals.