Improving grazing capacity with bloat-free legumes
Including legumes in a pasture improves biodiversity, forage quality, forage yield, and soil nutrient status without having to apply extra nitrogen fertilizer. While alfalfa has long been the legume species of choice, concerns about bloat have often limited its inclusion into forage stands.
Started: 2015 | Completed: 2019
Winter hardy alfalfa
Current varieties of winter hardy alfalfa enter into dormancy in late summer and early fall, meaning that growth ceases during that time. While they are grazing tolerant and winter hardy, after the first graze or cut, regrowth does not occur to an extent that permits a second cut or more flexible grazing systems.
Completed: 2018
Rejuvenating sainfoin in existing alfalfa and grass pastures
Despite the high nutritive value and yield of alfalfa, it cannot generally be used in pure stands due to risk of bloating. Legumes that contain tannins, like sainfoin and birdsfoot trefoil protect against bloating, but use of sainfoin has traditionally been limited due to the lower forage yields and slow establishment of older varieties.
Started: 2016 | Completed: 2018
Quantifying yield and quality of perennial varieties and mixtures
Producers are increasingly interested about perennial forage varieties and mixtures. While some yield and agronomic data may be available on these varieties from seed companies, regional data specific to soil type and growing conditions has been limited due to very little participation in the Western Forage Variety Testing System in recent years.
Started: 2016 | Completed: 2018
Selection of annual forage wheat lines for yield and quality
Until very recently, regulatory requirements did not allow for the registration and release of forage wheat varieties. Crops like barley, oats, and triticale were not subject to those same requirements, and have had some forage-specific varieties released over the years, but there are no forage-specific varieties of wheat in Canada.
Started: 2015 | Completed: 2018
Development of forage oat cultivars with improved yield and nutritive value
Oats have been generally selected for grain yield and quality rather than forage yield and quality. These researchers previously discovered oats with low lignin levels in the hull. Because lignin is difficult to digest, developing oats varieties with low lignin levels in the forage raise the digestibility and forage quality of oat greenfeed or silage.
Completed: 2013
A summary of the Triticale Swath Grazing Demonstration Project
Cow-calf producers have long been challenged by the logistics and costs associated with winter feeding. Conventional winter feeding requires the producer to haul hay or silage to cattle, which places significant demands on an operation’s labour and management.
Completed: 2013
Silage variety yield and quality differences
Eleven sites were established across the province in the first two years of the trial, the third year of the trial had 10 sites. Varieties of barley, triticale, oats, and peas commonly used for silage, greenfeed and swath grazing were included, along with new varieties.
Completed: 2012
Measuring and breeding for fiber digestibility in cereal silage
Breeding work on cereal crops often focuses on grain characteristics (particularly protein content) and yield, but these may not always make the best silage. For example, the fiber structure in the stem that leads to lodging resistance may also cause the silage to be less digestible.
Completed: 2012
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