MINNESOTA– Evaluation of Forage Production Potential of ...
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Forage Focus, August 2019 FORAGE RESEARCH UPDATES I ntermediate wheatgrass is the first perennial grain being domesticated, and is being marketed as Kernza®. It provides opportunity for economic return as well as benefits to soil health, soil conservation, and carbon sequestration. Project objective – determine potential for intermediate wheatgrass to be used as a multi-functional, dual-use cropping system to produce grain for humans and forage for livestock. Experiments are examining effects of spring and fall forage harvest, as well as fall grazing on yield of intermediate wheatgrass forage and grain. Results indicate there is potential to produce high-quality forage with spring and fall harvests, up to 1.2 tons/ac over two years, without reducing Kernza grain yield. Harvesting biomass in spring and fall resulted in the highest yield. Kernza has yield potential of 1,000 lbs/ac but in this trial, yields averaged only 350 lbs/ac due to soil and weather conditions. Straw yields at grain harvest were ~1.2 tons/ac. MINNESOTA– Evaluation of Forage Production Potential of Intermediate Wheatgrass Craig Sheaffer, Mitch Hunter, Jacob Jungers, University of Minnesota Figure 1. Cumulative two-year forage yield (not including straw). Total forage yield (tons/ac) None Fall Spring Spring/Fall 1.2 0.8 0.4 0.0 Forage harvest
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Forage Focus, August 2019
F O R AG E R E S E A R C H U P DAT E S
Intermediate wheatgrass is the first perennial grain being domesticated, and is being marketed as Kernza®. It provides opportunity for economic return as well as benefits to soil health, soil conservation,
and carbon sequestration. Project objective – determine potential for intermediate wheatgrass to be used as a multi-functional, dual-use cropping system to produce grain for humans and forage for livestock. Experiments are examining effects of spring and fall forage harvest, as well as fall grazing on yield of intermediate wheatgrass forage and grain. Results indicate there is potential to produce high-quality forage with spring and fall harvests, up to 1.2 tons/ac over two years, without reducing Kernza grain yield. Harvesting biomass in spring and fall resulted in the highest yield. Kernza has yield potential of 1,000 lbs/ac but in this trial, yields averaged only 350 lbs/ac due to soil and weather conditions. Straw yields at grain harvest were ~1.2 tons/ac.
MINNESOTA– Evaluation of Forage Production Potential of Intermediate WheatgrassCraig Sheaffer, Mitch Hunter, Jacob Jungers, University of Minnesota
Figure 1. Cumulative two-year forage yield (not including straw).
Tota
l for
age y
ield
(ton
s/ac
)
None Fall Spring Spring/Fall
1.2
0.8
0.4
0.0
Forage harvest
