Quantity and Quality of Triticale Forage Compared to other Small Grains¹

Abstract

Abstract Several triticale cultivars are being used as supplemental wintergrazing in the southeastern United States. This experiment was conducted to provide comparative data on the yield and quality of forage of triticale Triticale hexaploide Lart.), rye ( Secale cereale L.), wheat ( Trticum aestivum L.) and oats ( Avena sativa L.). Triticale cultivars ‘Fasgro 385’ and ‘Fasgro 514’ produced as much forage as ‘Jefferson’ oats and ‘Holley’ wheat during the 1971‐72 season but were inferior to ‘Athens Abruzzi’ and ‘Pennington Wintergrazer 70’ ryes. In the 1973–74 season triticale cultivars ‘Fasgro 131’ and Fasgro 385 produced as much or more forage as the other small grain cultivars except Athens Abbruzzi rye. Triticale cultivars differed considerably in their ability to survive low temperatures (—11.1 C) during the 1971–72 season. Crude protein content of the triticale forage at comparable stages of growth was similar to rye, wheat and oats. The only exceptions to this were Funk's Rosner and Graze Green 70 at the last clipping in 1972. Cell wall content of the triticale cultivars was lower than rye or rye‐wheat mixtures late in the season; however, their CWC was similar to Holley wheat throughout the growing season. Triticale CWC was similar to oats at all harvest dates except the last one in 1974.