Double-cropping Options for Today's Dairies - Pat Hoffman,Vita Plus

Click here to download the PowerPoint presentation.

Double-cropping is a practice in which more than one crop is grown and harvested on the same ground in a given year. Double-cropping helps to naturally control pests, weeds and diseases while encouraging healthy soil.

Although this trend is rather new to the Midwest, producers in the south have been double-cropping for a long time.

Dairy producers have many double-cropping options available, according to Pat Hoffman, Vita Plus dairy technical specialist.  He explained that producers need to think outside the box and consider what can be done to maximize fall and spring forage growth.

Hoffman defined several reasons that a dairy producer would decide to double-crop: 

• The opportunity to capitalize on September through October and March through April photosynthesis
• The option to increase forage yield per acre per year
• More availability of forage to meet dry cow and heifer needs
• Increase manure application opportunities
• Provide fall and spring soil covers
• Low seed cost per acre

Hoffman noted a few things to keep in mind specifically for fall-planted oats:

• In Wisconsin, cereal-grain forages that elongate during fall will out-yield those that remain vegetative at a ratio of about 2:1. 
• Oats have very little regrowth potential, especially after jointing occurs.
• With a planting date of about August 10, a yield drag appears to be associated with slow-maturing oat cultivars.
• Fall-grown oat forage exhibits very different quality characteristics than observed with spring-planted oats. Some of these characteristics include: lower neutral detergent fiber, lower lignin, greater non-fiber carbohydrates, greater dry matter and fiber digestibility, and relatively stable estimates of total digestible nutrients over time.

Some options for alternative forages are sorghum/sudan, soybeans, oats-peas, corn stalk silage, millets, tropical corn silage and gamagrass.

Hoffman said it’s a good idea to also think about potential challenges when considering double-cropping or improving your double-cropping experience.  These considerations include:

• Fast maturation of triticale and winter rye when dairies are pressed for time
• Fast maturation of triticale and winter rye when the weather is unpredictable
• Harvest stage (hedge early)
• Windrow size, drying, wet weather and fermentation
• Information on varieties is limited

Hoffman concluded his Dairy Summit presentation with a few additional take-home points:

• Double-cropping can increase manure application opportunities.
• You can expect lower CP, Ca, NDFD and higher in NDF.
• Double-cropping will require seasonal timing; work with a regional agronomist to build your plan.

Click here to access Vita Plus Dairy Summit 2014 event proceedings.