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Effect of tillage and planting date of wheat pasture on forage production and calf performance
Effect of tillage and planting date of wheat pasture on forage production and calf performance
Thursday, July 21, 2016: 11:30 AM
Grand Ballroom H (Salt Palace Convention Center)
Abstract Text: The objectives of this experiment were to determine how fall wheat forage production and animal performance are affected by establishment method (conventional tillage [CT] vs no-till [NT]) and timing in dedicated wheat fields (1.6-ha). No-till pastures were planted on August 15 (n = 8), September 1 (n = 8), or September 15 (n = 8) and CT on September 1 (n = 3) or September 15 (n = 3). Preconditioned steers (n =236, BW = 245 ± 21.1 kg) were placed on wheat pasture when forage mass reached a minimum of 1,100 kg DM/ha. Steers were destocked from pastures on 23 February 2015 and 11 February 2016. Forage mass was estimated monthly using a calibrated rising plate meter, with 20 plate readings per pasture. Data were analyzed as a randomized complete block design using the mixed procedure of SAS (SAS Inst. Inc., Cary, NC). Forage mass in November for NT did not differ (P = 0.91) between the August 15 (1,525 ± 386 kg/ha) and September 1 (1,548 ± 386 kg/ha) planting dates, but were greater than (P = 0.05) September 15 (1,153 ± 386 kg/ha). November forage mass for CT planted on September 1 (1,982 ± 426 kg/ha) tended (P = 0.10) to be greater than CT planted on September 15 (1,444 ± 426 kg/ha) and NT planted on August 15 or September 1. No-till planting on September 15 (1,153 ± 386 kg/ha) produced less (P ≤ 0.05) forage in November than other planting methods. The average starting date of grazing was November 26 for CT planted on September 1 or September 15 and NT planted on August 15 or September 1; while the average starting date of grazing was delayed (P < 0.01) until December 8 for the NT September 15 planting. Initial forage allowance (3.79 ± 0.93 kg forage DM/kg steer BW) did not differ (P ≥ 0.84) among tillage methods and planting dates and thus ADG (1.24 ± 0.10 kg/d) did not differ (P = 0.63) among planting methods. Steer grazing d per hectare and BW gain per ha were reduced (P≤ 0.02) by NT planting on September 15. Planting wheat pasture in mid-August using NT did not result in improved forage production or animal gains compared with CT or NT on September 1. If planting is delayed until mid-September, use of CT provides advantages over NT.
Keywords:
Wheat pasture, tillage, planting date, steers