Skip to main content
ARS Home » Plains Area » Lincoln, Nebraska » Wheat, Sorghum and Forage Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #156474
Title: ANNUAL FORAGES FOR THE NEBRASKA PANHANDLE

Author
item WEICHENTHAL, B. - UNI OF NE
item BALTENSPERGER, D - UNI OF NE
item Vogel, Kenneth
item Masterson, Steven - Steve
item BLUMENTHAL, J - UNI OF NE
item KRALL, J - UNI OF WY

Submitted to: Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin
Publication Type: Experiment Station
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/1/2003
Publication Date: 12/15/2003
Citation: Weichenthal, B.A., Baltensperger, D.D., Vogel, K.P., Masterson, S.D., Blumenthal, J.M., Krall, J.M. 2003. Annual forages for the nebraska panhandle. Cooperative Extension, IANR, Uni of NE., Lincoln. NebGuide G03-1527-A. p.1-4

Interpretive Summary: Annual forages are grown in the Central High Plains of the U.S. including the Panhandle of Nebraska to provide feed for livestock, primarily beef cattle. They have value as pasture, green chop, silage, and hay. Dryland and irrigated annual forage trials were conducted over two years to update forage production and quality characteristics for the Central High Plains region. Spring triticale, barley, oat, vetch, and field pea cultivars were tested at Sidney, NE (elevation 4300 ft above sea level). Winter triticale and wheat cultivars were tested at Sidney, McCook and Mead, NE. Soybean cultivars were tested at Archer, WY (elevation 6000 ft). Summer annual forages tested under dryland at Sidney and/or irrigated management systems at Scottsbluff (elevation 4000 ft) included as many as 9 forage sorghum, 6 sorghum x sudangrass, 1 sudangrass, 3 pearl millet and 9 foxtail millet cultivars (Tables 6-14). A single cut harvest system was used for both dryland and irrigated forages when legumes had bloomed or produced a seed pod or when the majority of the grass cultivars had produced a seed head. Forage yields and forage quality values are reported for barley, oats, triticale, forage sorghums, sudangrass, pearl and foxtail millet, peas, soybeans, and vetch when grown as annual forage crops in the this region. Quality data includes protein and mineral concentrations, digestibility and several indexes of relative feed value for each of these types of annual forages when grown in the Central High Plains of the USA.

Technical Abstract: Annual forages are grown in the Central High Plains of the U.S. including the Panhandle of Nebraska to provide feed for livestock, primarily beef cattle. They have value as pasture, green chop, silage, and hay. Dryland and irrigated annual forage trials were conducted over two years to update forage production and quality characteristics for the Central High Plains region. Spring triticale, barley, oat, vetch, and field pea cultivars were tested at Sidney, NE (elevation 4300 ft above sea level). Winter triticale and wheat cultivars were tested at Sidney, McCook and Mead, NE. Soybean cultivars were tested at Archer, WY (elevation 6000 ft). Summer annual forages tested under dryland at Sidney and/or irrigated management systems at Scottsbluff (elevation 4000 ft) included as many as 9 forage sorghum, 6 sorghum x sudangrass, 1 sudangrass, 3 pearl millet and 9 foxtail millet cultivars (Tables 6-14). A single cut harvest system was used for both dryland and irrigated forages when legumes had bloomed or produced a seed pod or when the majority of the grass cultivars had produced a seed head. Forage yields and forage quality values are reported for barley, oats, triticale, forage sorghums, sudangrass, pearl and foxtail millet, peas, soybeans, and vetch when grown as annual forage crops in the this region. Quality data includes protein and mineral concentrations, digestibility and several indexes of relative feed value for each of these types of annual forages when grown in the Central High Plains of the USA.