Objective:

To evaluate the performance of spring-planted oat, barley, and triticale forage varieties in northwestern Montana

Summary:

The spring cereal forage trial was planted on April 23, 2019, and managed under rainfed conditions.  Detailed management information is show in Table 1. The trial included one triticale variety, 3 oat varieties, and 6 barley varieties.  The triticale variety was later-maturing than the oat and barley varieties, and forage harvest took place a week after the rest of the varieties were harvested. 

Tritical 141 (triticale) was the highest-producing forage variety at 4.0 t/A (Table 2).  The lowest-producing varieties were MT16F02408 (barley) and Hayden (oat) at 2.9 t/A.  Overall forage production averaged 3.2 t/A.

Tritical 141 was the tallest variety (average of 49.8 inches), MT16F01601(barley) was the shortest (21.4 in.), and the average height across all varieties was 29.8 inches.  Otana (oat) had the highest grain yield at 115.2 bu/A, and Tritical 141 had the lowest at 53.4 bu/A.  Grain yield averaged 75.9 bu/A. Grain protein was highest in MT16F02902 (barley) at 16.0 % and lowest in Tritical 141 (13.1%).  Mean protein was 14.4%.

Table 1. Management information

Seeding date: 4/23/2019 Field Location: R4
Julian date: 112 Harvest date: 7/9 and 7/15/2019 (forage)
      8/28/2019 (grain)
Seeding rate: n/a Julian date: 240
Previous crop: Alfalfa Soil type: Silt loam
Herbicide: Detonate: 5/23/19 Tillage: Conventional
Insecticide: None Soil residual nutrient  
    (NO3-1, P, K lb/A): 26-6-146
Fungicide: None Nutrient fertilizer applied  
    (N, P2O5, K20 lb/A): 84-45-100
 

 

Table 2. Agronomic performance of the spring cereal forage entries

Cultivar/ Cereal
 Forage    Yield  
Grain Yield  Height 
 Protein 
TWT
Line                  
Type
t/A bu/A in. % lb/bu
Tritical 141 triticale 4.0 53.4 49.8 13.1 53.8
Otana oat 3.5 115.2 36.3 14.1 40.5
Lavina barley 3.2 71.2 22.2 15.4 48.8
MT16F02902 barley 3.2 62.2 23.6 16.0 49.8
MT16F01602 barley 3.2 64.3 22.3 13.6 49.4
Goliath oat 3.2 91.3 38.5 13.9 41.5
MT16F02903 barley 3.0 61.1 25.6 15.6 50.6
MT16F01601 barley 3.0 69.4 21.4 14.7 51.2
MT16F02408 barley 2.9 69.8 24.1 14.6 50.9
Hayden oat 2.9 100.7 33.6 13.3 42.0
Mean   3.2 75.9 29.8 14.4 47.9
LSD   0.5 11.9 2.4 0.52 0.73
CV%   8.1 8.90 4.00 2.10 0.87
Pr>F   0.002 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001
 

*Forage yield is reported on a dry matter basis

TWT = test weight

Height = height at forage harvest