By Pat Hoffman
Producers used to only plant small grains in the spring for forage when they faced alfalfa winterkill or needed a companion crop for alfalfa seedings.
Times have changed and small grain forages are now commonly and diversely used to augment a wide array of forage needs. In addition, small grain forages are now planted in the spring, mid to late summer, and fall to facilitate manure applications and or double-cropping systems. With the planting and harvest of small grain forages approaching, here is a checklist of small grain forage issues to consider:
About the author: Pat Hoffman is a Vita Plus dairy technical support specialist. He received professor emeritus status after completing a 35-year career with the University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Dairy Science. Based at the Marshfield Ag Research Station, Hoffman’s UW-Extension services included application of dairy research and the development of dairy outreach education programs. His research focused on development of dairy replacement heifers. Hoffman earned his bachelor’s degree from UW-Platteville and his master’s in dairy science from UW-Madison. He is a member of the American Dairy Science Association and previously served as president of the Midwest Branch.