When the rain comes, it may be too late to grow more pasture forage for your livestock without causing more long-term damage. If you have crop land—especially corn silage, early soybeans or even pasture—that could use renovations, now is the time to find seed and be optimistic for rain sometime this fall. Your decisions on the possible forage crop to plant will depend on when the rain finally comes and the timing of your forages needs. These forages can be planted as single species or as a mix. However, a mix may reduce yield, especially since moisture will be lacking for a while even when it does finally rain.
Oats
The first option for fall forage is spring oats or winter oats. These are both oats, but they are not the same. Spring oats are Ohio’s most common type of oats that have been successfully used as a forage crop planted in the late summer, but they have been planted through mid-September with yields of almost three-quarters of a ton dry matter per acre. These yields may not be enough to mechanically harvest but can be successfully grazed.
Each year is different, but the first of October is the latest you would want to plant spring oats for grazing forage, however black oats or winter oats could possibly be planted through mid-October for forage. Winter oats will germinate with temperatures as low as 38F but will germinate and grow faster with warmer temperatures. Winter oats survive until temperatures are at or below 14F for multiple hours while spring oats winter kill after a couple hours of temperatures at or below 20F. Both types of oats should be planted at 100-120 pounds per acre to maximize yield.
Winter annual cereal grains
Winter annual cereal grains allow for two possible grazing periods and increase the chance of your forage getting the necessary rains to grow. All of these follow similar grazing rules that you want at least 5 to 8 inches of winter growth before grazing in the fall and then allow it to regrow in the spring with a goal of keeping the crop less than 10 inches in the spring for the highest-quality forage.
Cereal rye is the hardiest of these options that continue to grow in the winter on warm days. Cereal rye will germinate when soil temperature is as low as 33F and grows any time temperatures are above 38F, allowing for the greatest possibility of over winter growth.
Winter wheat is also a common choice but usually has less winter tonnage and slower spring growth than cereal rye. Wheat truly goes above-ground dormant in the winter, only growing roots anytime when temperatures are above freezing. Wheat takes 4-6 weeks of temperatures at or below 50F at the soil surface/crown for the wheat to become winter hardy.
Once wheat goes dormant for the winter, it takes about 14 days of temperatures above 41 F to break dormancy and grow again. Wheat can be grazed while it is dormant but if you want spring growth, overgrazing can increase crown damage and decrease spring regrowth.
Triticale is another option that grows more tonnage than wheat but matures slower than cereal rye. As a genetic cross between the two it brings the cold hardiness of rye with the higher feed quality of wheat. It will germinate when soil temperatures are at 38F and grows very slow when temperatures are above 38F.
For all of these winter annual cereal crops, seeding rates should be between 2-2.5 bushels per acre. While these crops can germinate on the soil surface, having good seed to soil contact will greatly improve germination and your success. Seeding depths should be between three-quarters to1.5 inches deep “into the moisture” when possible. Most of these crops require soil moisture to be at 34% for the crop to germinate.
One of the greatest risks is a crop that gets just enough moisture to germinate but not enough to grow; deeper seeding depths can assist with this issue. Cereal rye and triticale generally have more fall growth than winter wheat but there are about 1,100 lbs. of grazeable dry matter per acre for fall/winter grazing from a winter wheat crop and additional spring green up grazing. Nitrogen fertilization is critical with these crops to maximize tonnage.
One additional crop that can be incorporated when these crops are used for grazing is winter turnips. Livestock will eat both the tops and the turnip bulbs. Depending on the variety, turnip tops will survive until temperatures fall below 15F and bulbs often stay firm through temperatures as low as 0F. Turnips can assist with soil compaction remediation and provide livestock with a very digestible forage source. Seeding rates are usually 1-3 lbs. per acre with lower rates preferred for most forage mixes. — Jason Hartschuh, Extension field specialist, Ohio State University Extension
