A new multistate study involving Kansas State University, Colorado State University and the University of Nebraska highlights how cover crops planted after wheat harvest can create grazing opportunities, improve soil health and add flexibility for livestock producers.
“Disrupting good wheat stubble always deserves careful consideration, but when the moisture outlook is favorable, it can do more than sit idle; it can support livestock and protect the soil with the addition of cover crops,” said Sandy Johnson, K-State extension beef specialist.
For late-summer and fall grazing, warm season species such as sorghum-Sudangrass, millet and sunflowers perform best. Cool season grasses like triticale, barley and cereal rye are better suited for grazing from fall through spring. Producers will need to manage plant toxicities, as sorghum species and other warm season crops can accumulate nitrates or prussic acid, especially during drought or after frost events. Johnson said testing forage before turnout and delaying grazing after a frost are important risk management steps.
Even with good management, forage yield can be highly variable. Trials across Kansas, Colorado and Nebraska showed yields ranging from 500 to 2,300 lbs./acre. In southwest Kansas, forage sorghum after wheat averaged 5,600 lbs./acre over seven years, but yearly yields ranged from 1,100 to nearly 9,000 lbs./acre depending on rainfall.
While cover crop mixes of six or more species sometimes are promoted for soil health, this study found simpler mixtures or single-species plantings often were more productive and cost-effective. For more information, click here.