LIBRARY, A 61:51 COLLEGE, CAMPUS. R69-237—l2n1 TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION A. B. CONNER, DIRECTOR COLLEGE STATION, BRAZOS COUNTY, TEXAS BULLETIN NO. 539 APRIL, 1937 DIVISION OF AGRONOMY SMALL GRAIN AND RYE GRASS FOR WINTER PASTURE E 1 B R LA" R Y. Agricultural & Mechanical Collage of Texas l '|lL lrzlnl .... m4w1~lvvIwumlrinw -- - AGRICULTURAL AND MECHANICAL COLLEGE OF TEXAS T. O. WALTON, President Wheat, rye, barley, oats, and rye grass are proving to be valuable for vinter pasture in Texas and worthy of planting for their grazing value done, although these same crops are also, with the exception of rye grass which is an entirely diflerent species from rye, dependable producers of grain. They produce forage when the native grasses are more or less lormant and act as soil conserving crops in preventing erosion of the soil as well as leaching of ‘soil fertility. The forage is high in feed value, lsually analyzing from 3 to 5 per cent fat and about 25 per cent protein 1t thebeginning of the season. The percentage diminishes as the season ldvances. Yields per acre measured in pounds of dry matter during the four years >f these experiments have ranged up to 5000 pounds for barley, 6300 )0l1l1(1S for wheat, 4600 pounds for oats, 4400 pounds for rye, and 6900 Jounds for rye grass at Denton; up to 1679 pounds for oats and rye grass ti} Angleton; and at Lubbock around 3000 pounds per acre for rye and almost as much for wheat, oats, and barley. Barley produced far more fall and early winter grazing than the other crops but Italian rye grass pro- luced by far the largest amount of grazing in the months of March and ipril and May. XVheat, oats, and rye produced the best grazing for the nidwinter months. The difference in rate of growth of the various crops indicates that maximum pasturage may be obtained by planting a mixture 1f the several crops. ‘Vheat and rye grass, more resistant than oats and rye to extreme cold, are to be preferred in north and northwest Texas, where grazing the wheat fields is already a common practice. Grazing from these small grains becomes available in the fall just as the grazing from Sudan grass is fading out and lasts well into the spring when the native grass pastures are ready for grazing. In fact, it is usually quite possible to makethe change to native grass pasture from wheat and oats in plenty of time to avoid a reduction of the grain yields expected of these crops. Experiments at Denton showed that grazing up to March 1 im- proved the yields of grain and could have been continued 20 days in the case of oats without damage to yields. At Lubbock where 82 per cent of the rainfall occurs between April and October, small grain for pasture is planted early in September and almost always yields some grazing, but generally it pays to withdraw the stock from pasture occasionally to allow the crop to recover. Rust epidemics have prevented paying yields of grain from the small grains during most years in the Gulf Coastal areas and they are planted Jnly for grazing. As a rule wet soil limits the number of days of grazing in this area but grain sown on old cotton ridges is not so badly trampled in grazing. Italian rye grass can be successfully sown on sod land where the grass is short enough for the animals to graze the rye grass without getting too much dry grass. The sod aids in holding up the animals in wet weather. On this account, rye grass is becoming the popular winter grazing crop of the Gulf Coast area, and rye grass seed is being sold by the carload where a few years ago it was unknown. Considering the uniformly good yields of grazing produced by these small grains, there is obviously in Texas the opportunity for large increases in the carrying capacity of farms for dairy cattle and beef cattle as well as practically all classes of livestock. With the uniform success of Sudan as a grazing crop in summer and fall and with these winter grazing crops, the farmer has within his grasp a potential constant supply of green grazing supplying abundant proteins and vitamin A. CONTENTS Page Introduction -_ -. -_ 5 Review of literature 5 Conducting the experiments 9 Results at Angleton_.-r-----___r__ 10 Practical problems in connection with winter pastures in the Gulf Coast 10 Soil conditions 10 Climatic conditions 10 Yields of forage 11 Chemical analyses of forage 17 Results at Denton_- 19 Practical problems in connection with winter pastures in Denton - 19 Soil conditions 19 Climatic conditions 19 Yields of forage_-_ 20 Effect of length of grazing period upon production of grain __________ __ 23 Chemical analyses of forage 28 Results at Lubbock 28 Practical problems in connection with winter pastures in Lubbock 28 Soil conditions __ 29 Climatic conditions 29 Yields of forage 30 Chemical analyses of forage 33 Discussion 33 Summary 36 Acknowledgments 3 7 References \ 37 BULLETIN NO. 539 APRIL, 1937 SMALL GRAINS AND RYE GRASS FOR WINTER PASTURE R. H. Stansel,1 P. B. Dunklefit and D. L. Jonesfi Farmers in regions Where small grains are regularly grown as part of the cropping system have long recognized that these crops are extremely valuable for the winter grazing which they furnish. Only recently, however, has there been any great tendency to grow them for their grazing value alone in regions where grain crops are not dependable. In Texas, where the winter Weather is usually mild and the soil is seldom frozen, the small grains seldom go into a dormant period, and growth continues almost throughout the winter; moreover, a wider variety of crops can be grown than in the northern states. All of these factors contribute to providing an unusual opportunity for growing temporary winter pastures at a time when native pastures are more or less dormant. In developing the widespread use of winter pastures it is essential not only to know which species produce the maximum forage, but also to understand the growth characteristics with particular reference to the time at which the growth is made. It is also desirable to have some information on the chemical composition of the forage produced by these crops. On all these subjects very little definite experimental evidence is available and the experiments herein reported were initiated primarily for the purpose of supplying some of this long needed infor- mation. REVIEW OF LITERATURE Although, as previously stated, there is but little experimental infor- mation showing the relative merits of the difierent small grains for winter pasture and practically none showing the actual yields of forage that are produced, there are many isolated references having a bearing on the problem. Since this is, so far as the writers are aware, the first publication dealing extensively with small grains for winter pasturage, it seems desirable to bring together, primarily for the benefit of other research workers, all the literature of the subject which the writers have discovered in the course of this investigation. Carleton (22) says, “In the southern states, a mixture of oats and vetch is employed both for pasture and hay.” Duggar (19) states that small grain may be pastured with the following precautions: (a) keep- ing stockioff of the land while wet, (b) discontinuing pasturing early enough to afford abundant time for the plants to tiller and head, and (c) avoiding too close pasturing while there is danger of severe freezes. He further states that pasturing early sown oats may be a distinct advantage in preventing too early formation of stems with resultant freeze injury. Rye and barley are chiefly used for pasturing and soiling 1 Superintendent Substation No. 3, Angleton, Texas. 2 Superintendent Substation No. 6, Denton, Texas. a Superintendent Substation No. 8, Lubbock, Texas. 6 BULLETIN NO. 539, TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION in the South. Redding (9) states that in Georgia barley and rye are sown almost exclusively for pasturing. Barley is more valuable on rich soils, is more nutritious, and is relished more by animals. Rye is better adapted t0 poor soils. Dodson (6) found in Louisiana that oats furnish Winter pasturage from December to the first of March and a good grain crop in May. Barley, if sown in early October, grows rapidly and makes a good Winter pasture. Rye is the most commonly used cereal as a pasture crop. Lloyd (8) recommends turf or winter oats in Mississippi to be sown in August or September. It will furnish excel- lent grazing from November to the middle of May, but the stock should be removed in April to produce a grain crop. In Tennessee, Soule and Vanatter (10) found that winter cereals prevent the leachin.g out of valuable fertilizer constituents and the wash- ing of fields by winter rains. Winter rye, planted from the middle of August to the middle of September, furnishes excellent pasture from October until Christmas, or through the entire winter if the season is mild. They state that rye furnishes one of the best pastures for the winter season and withstands the effect of tramping. Minkler (24) recommends oats with peas and clovers for an early fall pasture for hogs in New Jersey. Rye was a good early spring pasture for brood sows. Arkansas workers (28) found that winter rye has furnished more pasture, both in winter and spring, than either winter oats or winter wheat. Finnell (33) in Oklahoma found that winter barley yielded 67 per cent more pasture on summer fallowed land and 72 per cent more on stubble land than wheat in the fall and winter and early spring of 1930-31. These results were obtained where one cutting was made by hand. Wasson (32) recommends oats for south Louisiana and rye for north Louisiana as the most popular winter and early spring grazing crops in that state. Lush (46) reports that oats were found more valuable than Abruzzi rye or winter barley for milk production in north Louisiana in five years’ results at Calhoun. Rye was best during cold winters. Canadian Workers (41) found that oats are superior to the other cereal grains in yield of dry matter per acre, percentage of pro- tein, total Iyield of protein, and number of cuttings per season where the plants were cut at various stages to simulate grazing conditions. They conclude that young oats herbage may be regarded as a highly concentrated protein feed. All the small grains are recommended for pasturage in various parts of the southern United States. Oats seems to be the preference in most cases, but rye is generally recommended further north and on the poorer soils. The effect of pasturing cereals on the subsequent grain yield has been investigated by a number of workers. Oklahoma workers (14) report that three years’ results show little or no reduction in the yield of grain from judicious pasturing of wheat in winter, when pasturing was not carried beyond March 1. Heavy pasturing or late pasturing reduced the grain yield. Pasturing was beneficial when wheat was making a heavy growth. Georgeson and others in Kansas (3) found that when the wheat plants were grazed to the ground during the first part of April, with no other pasturing", the yield of grain was reduced. In a SMALL GRAIN AND RYE GRASS FOR WINTER PASTURE 7 later report (7), it was recorded that grazing wheat in the fall or spring had little effect on the yield of the wheat. The spring grazing in this case was uneven and not so close as in the fall. Shelton (1), also in Kansas, found that grazing had little effect on the .grain yield. Swanson (44), in later Work in Kansas, reports that approximately 65 per cent of the Kansas wheat acreage is pastured to a greater or lesser extent, and that if wheat is making a rank growth, moderate winter grazing will not materially reduce the yield of grain and may increase it. Moderate grazing can be continued until the plants show a strong tendency to make erect growth in preparation to jointing, which is usually about April 10 at Hays, Kansas. When conditions are unfav- orable for a vigorous growth of the wheat plant and when moisture is limited, grazing results in a reduction of grain yield. In Indiana, Where wheat was cut with a mower when the plants were six inches high in the spring, Latta (4, 5) found that the yield of grain was reduced. Hastings (21) found at San Antonio, Texas, that oats can be pastured up to January without injury to the hay crop, but severe winter and early spring pasturing results in reduced yield of hay or grain. In Mississippi (13). wheat grazed for one month produced 1210 pounds of hay per acre as compared with 1812 pounds where it was not grazed. In Australia (20), Perkins and Spafford made the following recom- mendations and observations on wheat, oats, and barley: (a) hay yields suffer from judicious grazing; (b) to avoid lodging where growth is rank, graze off as rapidly as possible; (c) do not pasture in wet weather, late in the season, or in frosty weather; (d) percentage of smut in grain is reduced by pasturing. At the McNeill branch station in Mississippi (18) oats and wheat pastured in the winter resulted in a reduced hay yield some years and had little effect in other years. At the Oklahoma Panhandle station (31), Finnell found that grazing wheat to April 1 had little effect on the plant or grain yield. Grazing to April 26 and later reduced the grain yield. Welton and Morris (34) in Ohio found that clipping wheat or oat plants tended to reduce the number and height of culms and prevented lodging but this was not completely successful because of the uncertainty of the character of the subsequent seasonal conditions. These results indicate that pasturing of cereals will usually have little effect on the grain yield where the plants are making a rank growth, provided the pasturing is not severe and is not continued too late in the season. Severe pasturing or late pasturing will almost certainly result in a reduced yield of grain or hay. The cereal grains produce a very nutritive herbage, especially during the early part of the growing season. At San Antonio, Texas, in 1917, Letteer (25) obtained a total gain of 243 pounds from two steers pas- tured on two acres of oats from January 24 to February 23 and from April 11 to June 7. Later (26) Letteer reported that two steers on one and one-half acres of oats for 34 days made a daily gain of 2.5 pounds each, and he concluded that winter oats make a satisfactory pasture crop for beef cattle. In 1919, Ratliffe (27) at San Antonio, Texas, reported that two steers on two acres of oats from November 20 to May 11 made an average daily gain of 1.6 pounds each and that the steers were in 8 BULLETIN NO. 539, TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION good finish. Rust injured the oats that year. In Tennessee, Neel (43) reported a three-year average of 169 days pasturing per acre for one steer on Balbo rye, with an average animal gain of over 300 pounds per acre. In Kansas (44) the custom rate for wheat pasture is based upon the price per head per month and has been approximately $1.00 per head per month for growth cattle since 1929; it was higher previous to that time, when higher cattle prices prevailed. The carrying capacity varied greatly, depending on seasonal conditions. During the fall 3 to 7 acres may be required to carry an adult animal and during the spring 2 to 4 acres are required. Winter cereals during the early stages of growth contain 18 to 30 per cent protein and can be considered a rich source of protein and minerals. Protein and mineral supplements are dispensed with by most stockmen in Kansas as these are considered sufficient for livestock requirements when a heavy growth of green wheat is being grazed. Gains of 1.3 to 1.7 pounds per day were obtained from cows pastured on winter wheat, supplemented by a limited supply of dry roughage. Lush (37) reports a gradual decrease in the protein content of succulent grasses as the season advanced. He (35) also found that in the early spring rapidly growing oat plants were quite similar to clover samples in analysis. A comparison of oats, rye, and barley, each with vetch, at the North Louisiana Experiment Station showed 33, 28, and 22 days grazing, respectively, per animal per acre for an average of four winters with returns of $13.56, $8.91, and $7.15 per acre in butterfat at 30¢ per pound (40). From these results there is no doubt that the cereals produce a very nutritious pasture and that early in the season in the South they are very high in protein. There is some objection to rye and wheat as pastures for dairy cattle since they have a tendency to flavor the milk. Barley has less effect on milk flavor than wheat or rye, while oats have little effect on the flavor of milk. Babcock (29) found that green rye fed after milking had little effect on the flavor or odor of milk produced at the next milking, but when fed before milking, did affect the flavor and odor of the milk. The importance of an adequate supply of vitamin A in the ration of dairy cattle and poultry is pointed out by Texas workers. Copeland and Fraps (36) have shown that where dairy cows are pastured for a. large part of the year, sorghum silage may carry them through the dry lot feeding period without any noticeable effects of an undersupply of vitamin A on the health of the animal. Pasture supplied sufficient Vitamin A to produce butterfat of a high potency in vitamin A while sorghum silage did not. Fraps, Copeland, and Treichler (42) say, “The feed of cows must be high in vitamin A potency in order for the animal to continue to produce butter high in vitamin A potency. Silage and ordinary hays and fodders apparently will not supply enough vitamin A potency "to maintain a high content of the butterfat. Green growing pasture grasses appear to be\ needed to maintain the production of butterfat high in vitamin A.” Fraps and Treichler (38) say, “Green pastures are the best sources for enabling animals to produce milk or eggs high in vitamin A or to store a reserve of vitamin A to tide them SMALL GRAIN AND RYE GRASS FOR WINTER PASTURE 9 over periods of scarcity. Dry feed high in vitamin A may lose a great portion 0f this vitamin during storage. \Drying moist foods results in a loss of vitamin A.” Sherwood and Fraps (39) conclude that “rations usually fed laying hens apparently do not supply enough vitamin A for maintenance and high egg production unless the hens have access to green grass or similar feed. It seems probable that laying fowls which do not have access to green feed and fed many of the ordinary laying feeds are likely to break down from a deficiency of vitamin A during the second and third year, or possibly sooner.” Since the winter season is the period when there is usually little or no pasturage available, the need of a succulent green pasture for dairy cattle at this time, in order to produce butterfat high in vitamin A, is apparent. Cereal pas- tures should furnish the needed green feed at this time. CONDUCTING THE EXPERIMENTS The small grain and winter grasses in this test were planted in plats 17 inches wide and 6 feet 9 15/16 inches lon.g, or 9.6 square feet in area. The yield in grams per plat multiplied by ten gave pounds per acre. In order to obtain yields throughout the season at Angleton each plat was cut with a lawn mower and the clippings were caught in a grass catcher. In order to cut each plat at the same height and to provide for the clippings regardless of soil conditions, wooden tracks were built for the wheels of the lawn mower to run upon. These tracks on each side of the plat consisted of 1 x 4 inch strips of lumber which were sunk level with the surface of the ground and fastened with a crosspiece at each end of the plat. The strips extended about 18 inches beyond the edge of the plats in order to allow a runway for stopping and starting the mower. High winds and sandy soil at Lubbock and high winds at times at Denton made it difficult to use a lawn mower, so that shears were used to clip the plats at these places. The seed were planted in two rows in each plat. The planting rate was 60 pounds per acre for all the small grains and 3O pounds per acre for the grasses. Where a mixture of the two varieties was planted, each was planted at one-half the respective rate where planted alone. Where three varieties were planted in a mixture, the rate of each was one-third of the rate where it was planted alone. Too frequent clipping injured the plants, so the plats were cut only when they were from 4 to 6 inches high instead of at any regular time intervals. The small grains made a more upright growth than the Italian rye grass and it was not possible to cut the latter close enough to severely injure it. The removal of practically all of the leaf surface of the small grains at frequent intervals was probably the cause of the injury to these plants. The green weight of the clippings from each plat was obtained as soon as the samples were collected and brought to the laboratory. The green clippings from all plats of each variety or mixture were next placed in an ordinary jute sack and dried in the sun for several days, 10 BULLETIN NO. 539, TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION then placed in the laboratory until they reached a constant weight, before the air-dry weight was determined. The chemical analyses were made by the Division of Chemistry of the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station. It is not known how closely the results obtained by clipping the plants agree with those obtained under actual grazing conditions. It is probable that the clipping was more uniform and more severe than grazing would have been. However, the data obtained should give comparable data on the pasture value of the crops tested, although the yields are probably somewhat higher than would be obtained under grazing conditions. RESULTS AT ANGLETON Practical Problems in Connection with Winter Pastures in the Gulf Coast Because of the severe rust epidemics in this section of the State, small grains seldom produce paying yields of grain, although occasionally, when there is only light rust infection, the yields are satisfactory. For this reason small grains are planted almost entirely for the pasturage produced. They are usually broadcast on a prepared seed bed, but in many cases are sown on the top of old cotton ridges so that the live- stock, in grazing, do not tramp on the plants. This is very advantageous during a wet winter. As a rule, the wet condition of the soil will limit the number of days of grazing obtained from a small grain winter pas- ture on prepared soil in the humid Gulf Coast Prairie. Italian rye grass can be successfully grown on sod land where the grass is short enough for the livestock to graze the rye grass without getting too much old mature grass, and the sod will aid in holding up the animals in wet weather. Italian rye grass has lately become a popular winter grazing grass with dairymen in the Gulf Coast Prairie of Texas. Soil Conditions Texas Substation No. 3 is located at Angleton, Brazoria County, in the Gulf Coast Prairie. The soils are largely of the Lake Charles and Edna series, which are gray to black in color and range from clay to fine sandy loam, with the clay predominating. They have gray to black heavy subsoils. The topography is generally fiat, with a fall of about one and one-half feet per mile. The drainage is slow and almost entirely from the surface, the tightness of the soils and subsoils preventing percolation into the lower strata. The water table is within a few feet of the surface. 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U0n=n=hn¢ol|n~QwQFWnn< w: Jwmnwman iwflmnflfio 0853a m0 vwuwioonofi i» Uonmoafiko momhwaiw iwou-EQGO .w o??? SMALL GRAIN AND RYE GRASS FOR WINTER PASTURE 17 WHEAT OATS OATS & RYE GRASS MAY WHEAT _ OATS RYE GRASS OATS & YE RASS JAN. FEB MARCH APRIL 0 ‘<35 > > l) U) -i u e65 LBS. 1296 LBS |4s5 LBS. 1725 LBS. DEC. I [Tl 1> "l TOTAL. YIELD & RYE GRASS WH EAT ATS NOV 6 WHEAT OATS RYE GRASS OATS & RYE GRASS OATS & RYE GSS 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 o w 6 w 6 m 6 6 6 0 — — (u m d) <1“ d‘ an POUNDS 0F AIR DRY FOR/AGE PEP? ACRE Fig. 1. Average Monthly Yield per Acre 0f Air-Dry Forage for the Years 1932-34-35 at Angleton. 350- Chemical Analyses of Forage The analyses of the various clippings from the 1933-34 and the 1934-35 crops are presented in Tables 8 and 9. The protein content is high early in the season but gradually decreases in each subsequent cutting. There was little difference in the composition of Italian rye grass, Wheat, and 18 BULLETIN NO. 539, TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT‘ S'I'A'J'J()N 3w. 3;. ww. m2 $.13 8a 02$. 3.2 $4.. 3.2 ................mm.2w~i=~=~: wafiwonz, ow. a: om. i. $13 02w m“ .3. 52g 31m ~93 . . . . . . ... dwmhw 92 5E3 Ea .322» QQO I... 3Q “m. S. 3.3 ~56 8.2. 2.3 C6. 3.3 . . . . . . mwfiw PC $.32 E8 2x0 3. $.10 mm. 2... 8.: 2a 2&3. $2 mo... 3.3 2.2:» v5» 2&0 2. 2.... B. an. 2.2 Ea 8.2 3G OW.M. 2.2 . . . .. . . . . ..........%Sw~.:=~=@: B. t...“ .. . on. 3.3 21w 3.2. 34A 2.». 2W6 . . . . . . . . . . ................2.§§> @©. wmw- m,@. ...... - . . - .... -....-....WM.NO Q. 3d 2.2 Ne. $12 8a 3.2. 09$ i...» 3.3 . . . . . . ..mm8w 9r min“: E8 “mus? 8. 2d mo. Q2 2i»; 22w $13. 8.8 31¢ 3X3 . . . . . . . . . . dwmkw 92 52R: 2.5.. .82? 2x0 No. $4.. N“. %. 3.2 2: wvém 8.3 .22». 3.2 . . . . 13.122» 9C =28: 28 WHO S. $6 mm. $1 8.3 3d 5.3. 09$ m2». 3.2 .. ............fi~w:3 numflmo S. 8.2 S. S. $2 mmzw 34m 2.3 2.2. 3.2 . .. . .28» 238.2: E. £6 S: o». ~22 32w ~22. 2.4m 34. M53 . . . . . .. . . . . . .. .........J$§> 2w. F10 2.. 2.. 3.2 Nod ~93 3.2m i.» 2.3 . . ...........m§O 3}. S. 3w N? S. 8.2 8a M65... 8.2 3.4. 2.2 ...... 1&8» P: 5:82 98 32$, i. 3d m2 i. 2&2 2 .0 3.3 5.3 Z4. 3 .2 .222...“ oi =33: E8 .32? 2x0 %. 8Q S. 9.. 3:2 8a 23 2.2 24 8.2 . . . . . . ... . . . . . ....m..§w P: =25: Ea 28 w? B.» 3.. 3.. c2»; 3d 2:9. 3.3 $4. Q22 .........................Jwwfiswcwmuwo 3.. 3d wm. B; 8.5 $5 Nod». 3.2 24. 2.: . . . . . ...........mmw._ww>h=m=w£ m2 8E 2.. 9.. Q93 22w E29. -d~ 2:. 3.2 . . . . . . . . . . .................§§>> \ wo .2 \. $1 m2 2:3 No.2 02w». 2.9 $6 2..~_ . ........................2¢O 2Q». 2. Si». mo. i. 3.3 ta $4». 2i: .84.. ~92 . . . ........mw.fiw 92 5BR: v.8 2355 8. 36 2w. Si 3 .3 3d 2X3 2.2: $6. 3.2 .. . . . . . . 622w 9C c232 vnm .32?» fimO am‘... 3.». .. mm. 2&3 2e 2.2 3.3 m?» $3 . . . . . . . . 52.2w 9C .8821...“ BmO U 3.2 2.1a 3.3 2.2 woé 3.3 . . . . .................Jfiiaucwméo 2 mag. . .. S. 2.2 8a Si $2 m2... 2.8 ..mm_&w9c=~=~: o“. win . .. w». 8.3 Ed 2.3 3.3 3.». 02$ .. ..........2$z>> .... ...-.....-..........wu.flo gum smm Em 0E3 sw< L633 3x35 3mm “so uiosnwonm @333 $5.32 wob- vECU “mm 530.5 3323/ vfimfl 130E AG nuwobMZ GQwQFwfiQ w.» fimavman .m.w:@=9.§o oaiwmsfi we owawfluoaofi 5 wommounkw momhflwia ~uumioiO é 01-3? SMALL GRAIN AND RYE GRASS FOR WINTER PASTURE 19 oats cut at the same period of time, with the exception of the protein content of wheat, which is slightly higher than that of the oats or Italian rye grass. There was little difference in the lime or phosphoric acid content for the different clippings or for the various crops. How- ever, the amount of lime in some cases is less than is usually con- sidered adequate for livestock needs. The total amount of insoluble ash shows great variation from cutting to cutting, but has a tendency to increase during the latter part of the growing season. RESULTS AT DENTON Practical Problems in Connection with Winter Pastures at Denton Wheat is the principal small grain planted for winter pasture although volunteer oats occupy as much as 75 per cent of the acreage devoted to grain pasture during the fall and winter months on the black lands of Central and North Texas. The volunteer oats and a small acreage of volunteer wheat and barley ordinarily come up about a month earlier than the planted grains and are ready for pasturing about the first to the middle of October. Pasturing of volunteer grain continues until about mid-winter, when the land is plowed or listed in preparation for cotton or other row crops. The planted grains are pastured until about the middle of March. All grains planted and intended for grain produc- tion should not be grazed too heavily at any time, particularly during the fall and winter months when the plants must establish sufiicient root systems to withstand hard winter freezes. In seasons when rainfall is deficient and fall and winter growth is poor, heavy pasturing may cause considerable injury by pulling out the plants, or so exposing the crowns that freeze injury is more likely. Also, pasturing during wet periods may be very injurious because of the trampling of the plants into the mud and the severe packing of the surface soil. Soil Conditions Texas Substation No. 6 is located 5% miles northwest of Denton, Denton County, Texas, in what is known as the Fort Worth Prairie Region of North Texas. The soils of this prairie region are largely of the Denton, San Saba, and Houston series, which vary in color from brown to black and in depth from one to eight or ten feet. The topography is gently rolling, the soil in the depressions being deeper and more fertile than on the higher ground. Outcroppings of lime rock are frequent on the higher elevations of this black prairie region. The experimental work at this station was located on San Saba silty clay loam. Climatic. Conditions The average annual rainfall at this Station is 33.03 inches, of which 24 per cent falls in September, October, and November; 20 per cent in December, January, and February; and 32 per cent in March, April, and May. The rainfall is usually ample for good growth of small grains dur- 20 BULLETIN NO. 539, TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION ing the winter and spring months, but is occasionally deficient during the fall months. The data on the rainfall and temperatures during the period covered by this experiment are presented in Table 10. Lack of Table 10. Rainfall and temperature data at Denton Year Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May Total Rainfall, 1931-32 . . . . .. .33 4.16 2.11 2.17 7.12 4.15 .61 1.96 4.57 27.18 1932-33 . . . . .. 2.08 1.33 .04 5.60 3.33 1.68 3.41 2.24 5.22 24.93 1933-34 . . . . .. 1.91 1.26 .59 1.54 1.25 1.85 3.75 4.19 4.24 20.58 Temperature Maximum: Extreme 1931-32 . . . . . . 103 96 83 72 75 8S 91 88 94 103 1932-33 . . . . . . 97 92 85 80 72 87 90 92 9S 97 1933-34 . . . . . . 99 89 84 84 76 80 87 89 97 99 Minimum. 1931-32 . . . . .. 53 36 35 27 23 25 15 33 52 15 1932-33 . . . . . . 57 34 16 5 25 1 28 33 47 1 1933-34 . . . . . . 63 41 30 22 18 17 24 40 49 17 Mean: Mean 1931-32 . . . . .. 82.2 71.1 59.4 48.9 46.6 55.1 51.3 65.4 70.8 61.2 1932-33 . . . . .. 76.1 64.9 50.8 41.9 52.3 46.0 58.4 64.9 74.1 58.8 1933-34 . . . . .. 81.3 69.0 57.2 51.9 47.9 47.6 52.9 65.6 72.4 60.6 moisture during the fall of 1932 severely retarded growth of small grains, and clippings in this experiment could not be obtained until January 27, 1933. Likewise deficient rainfall in the fall of 1933 retarded growth, and the first clipping was not made until December 8. Moisture condi- tions were ideal in the fall of 1931 and clipping started October 29. Temperatures varied considerably during the months of December, Janu- ary, and February, hard freezes often occurring after warm growing periods and severely damaging growth. A hard freeze on March 5, 1932, severely damaged oats and barley on all plats and also the non-pastured plat of wheat. Italian and English rye grasses were not injured by this freeze and subsequent growth was exceptionally good. Because of freeze injury to wheat, oats, and barley, heading was very poor and irregular and yields of grain were not obtained. In 1933, a low temperature of 1 degree F’. on February 8 killed the "top growth on all plats and materially reduced the stand, particularly for oats and barley. The dead top growth was clipped on February 28 and recorded as the dry weight of forage. Recovery of the plants following this freeze was slow and the clipping weights were low until near the end of the season. In 1934, a clipping on March 15 left the plats exposed to more than normal dam- age by a hard freeze on March 19. Barley and oats were severely frozen back and the stand reduced on some plats. Therefore, the yields of forage obtained after March 15 were much below normal. Yields of Forage In 1931-32, the first year of this test at Denton, six varieties were planted in duplicate on October 3. All plantings emerged on October 12 and growth during the fall and winter was exceptionally good, because of abundant moisture. The first clipping was made on October 29 and SMALL GRAIN AND RYE GRASS FOR WINTER PASTURE 21 subsequent clippings were made at intervals of about two Weeks. The yields obtained are presented in Table 11. Barley and oats produced abundant forage in less than a month from planting, whereas wheat did not produce well until mid-winter. Italian and English rye grasses were slow in getting started and‘ did not produce much forage during the fall and winter, but during the late spring they produced much more than any of the cereal crops. No grain yields were obtained because of severe injury by the freeze on March 5. In 1932-33, six varieties were planted in duplicate on October 8. All plantings were watered immediately after planting to insure uniform p germination. Exceptionally dry weather during the fall retarded growth to the extent that no clippings could be made before January 27. Because of this poor fall growth and the effect of the freeze on March 8, the yields of all plats, except the continuously clipped plats, are very low. Wheat produced much more forage than the other cereals because of its greater cold resistance and ability to grow in cold weather. The next highest yield was made by barley. The rye grasses were slow in getting started and were severely injured by the freeze, the total yield being largely made in the last cutting on June 8. The yields for all varieties are presented in Table 12. The yields of grain presented in Table 16 are not what would normally be expected, because of the effect of the hard freeze on March 8. The very succulent growth on the unclipped plats was almost completely killed, whereas the clipped plats had less top growth and were injured much less. Wheat grazed to March 1 yielded more than wheat grazed to February 15, indicating that grazing is beneficial up to March 1. In 1933-34, the same six varieties were planted in duplicate on October 9 and emergence occurred on October 14. Because of dry weather in November, all varieties made very poor growth and the first clipping could not be made until December 8. Thereafter cold weather retarded growth until near the end of February, only two clippings being obtained during this period (Table 13). The fourth clipping made on March 15 left the plats exposed to more than normal damage by the hard freeze on March 19. The yields of forage after March 15 are much below normal, but should be considered, inasmuch as winterkilling may occasionally be expected at this late date. From planting time until February 15, barley and oats made the highest yields, but during the period February 15 to the end of the growing season, they made con- siderably less than the other varieties. Wheat made the highest total yield of dry forage, followed by oats, Italian rye grass, barley, English rye grass, and rye, in the order named. In the period of years 1932-34, English rye grass and Italian rye grass yielded slightly more forage than wheat, and all three yielded approxi- mately one-third more than oats, barley, or rye. These data are pre- sented in Table 14. 22 BULLETIN NO. 539, TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION aw 2:5 $3 8R o o o m3 mw o o .........afiwvbfi=w=m ww 2% I? Gww o o o i: a a o .. mmflwwbufiz: mw M33 mEw o m3 w? 2w N8 S» m3 mw .......u>M R 2w: oowm o m2 3:. owm amm mmw m2; N2 .....>28m 3 8S 38 0mm w? N3“ B“ o3 wm S» a ...v....$wO ww S3“ wwwm o wmw m3 owe 3.3 3m 0mm 3 ..........Jm~s>> m8 Z S} _ w} _ S}. L m? _ S} l 2R 7 R} 130B 233v mfifisu mo 3mm- BSmE >flutw> >uQ ck» >MUJ$< mwcson nvwmhom 32> o~o< Haw-EC an fiumuflman Jwaacu F573: was ioofiw n0 20-h 934w fin 0128B 3 wSS mowww Qwm momm 2Q S» 3S 3w i; m3 S i. .. . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . dwmhw 8E fifiEm ow 22¢ $2: 18m Eww 1 8R om». $3 9% m2 m3 om 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £22m 9C x263 S oaew momm o 32 S2 3» “S; E0 5w E; Q2 a: .. . ...............Q>M mw 52w $8 o o 3 3w 3R QR; mmw oww 8w mmm .............>2$m § 9x2 2E o a 8a m? £3 K3 www i; $3 SA 530 2 £21m wmww o 30m R2 2m 22 3m 3 hm“ mm _ m8 .............§E>> SQH 2R m} 2). Q» i? mg NQS mi: i N1: i .52 _ cwfiO M535 mo 3x9 hwfimE 32$> Em w. EYE 3250a .382 v33 P6< flow-HIM aw finnnnan 6933 hhm-uumfl ma: Govnw H0 min?» 0H0‘ 1-H shah. SMALL GRAIN AND RYE GRASS FOR WINTER PASTURE ' 23 Table 13. Acre yield of green and air-dry forage; 1933-34, at Denton Acre yield forage, pounds Air-dry Variety % Dry Green matter Date of cutting Total 12/8 1/24 2/16 3/15 4/10 i 5/5 Wheat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1068 852 580 1060 1881 1401 6842 28508 24 Oats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1505 1252 576 520 620 2021 6494 30924 21 Barley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2005 1385 704 420 360 660 5534 26352 21 Rye . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 544 608 588 ‘800 1401 1221 5162 22443 23 Italian rye grass . . . . . . . 832 712 484 680 1160 1741 5609 28045 2O English rye grass . . . . . . 492 648 476 800 780 2281 5477 30428 18 Table 14. Period of years summary, 1932-34, acre yields 0f forage at Denton Acre yield forage, pounds Green Air-dry Variety 1932 1933 1934 Ave. 1932 1933 l 1934 Ave. Wheat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34324 16471 28508 26434 8238 3888 l 6842 6323 Oats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25786 7266 30924 21325 5415 2094 6494 4668 11817 26352 21953 6369 3200 5534 5034 11143 22443 20025 5563 2615 5162 4447 Italian rye grass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8478 28045 32746 12343 2374 5609 6775 English rye grass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66868 8807 30428 35368 12705 2554 l 5477 6912 | The comparative monthly yields of the two species of grasses and four varieties of small grain, for the years 1932-33-35, are presented in graphic form in Figure 2. This graph clearly shows two distinct peaks of production for all varieties, the first coming in February just ahead of severe freezes usually occurring near the end of February or the first part of March. The second peak of production was somewhat more variable, that for wheat and rye occurring in April, while that for the two rye grasses and oats occurred one month later. Barley failed to make a spring growth peak, the yields of forage gradually decreasing from March until the end of the season. Effect of Length of Grazing Period upon Production of Grain Since small grains in North Texas are grown primarily for grain production, the question of when to stop grazing by livestock in the spring is of considerable importance. Opinions on this question among stock farmers vary considerably, some believing that pasturing after March 1 will lower production, while others believe that pasturing up to March 15, or later, does not reduce yields. All stock farmers seem to agree that pasturing small grains by livestock during the fall and winter reduces winterkilling and increases production of grain. In order to 24 BULLETIN NO. S39, TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION POUNDS OE AIR DRY FORAGE PER ACRE A) I: 0\ O O O O O O O O09 OOOI OOZI * OOVI O09! O09! OOOZ WHEAT OATS ARLEY RYE ITAL. RYE GRASS ENG. RYE GRASS WHEAT OAT ARLEY RY TAL.,RYE GRASS ENG] RYE GRASS WHEAT O TS BARLEY RYE ITAL. RYE GRASS ENG.. RYE GRASS WH AT OAT SARLEY RYE TA__. RYE GRASS ENG. RYE QRASS WHEAT OAT BARLEY RYE ITAL. RYE GRA ENG. RYE GRASS AON 130 SAC] AB-IUVQ SLVO LVEIHM SEC! G-IBIA TIVILOL "SQ-I 2169 SSVUO 3A5 HSFTONH 'SG7 QLLS SSVEJO 3A6 NVITIVLI SGT] LVVV $97 G309 ‘S97 99917 'S€]'I €2€9 NV? '93:! HDHVW < m TIIEjdV TAL GR WHEAT AT BARLEY RYE AL. RYE GRAS G. RYE GRA AV W OOZZ Fig. 2. Average Monthly Yield per Acre of Air-Dry Forage at Denton. obtain experimental information on the best time to discontinue grazing in the spring, duplicate plats of wheat, oats, and barley were planted in four different series as a part of the regular clipping experiment. Clippings were discontinued in the first series on February 15, in the second series on March 1, in the third series March 15, while in the fourth series the plats were not clipped at all. forage and grain for each of the three years, 1932-34, are presented in Tables 15, 16, and 17, and the period of years summary appears in SMALL GRAIN AND RYE GRASS FOR WINTER PASTURE Table 15. Efiect of length of grazing period upon the production of forage and grain, 1931-32, Denton Acre yield air-dry forage, pounds Crop Date clipping discontinued Feb. 15 Total to to end of Seasonal Feb. 15 grazing total period Wheat. . . . . not clipped . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 Wheat. . . . . February 15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2767 . . . . 2767 Wheat. . . . . March 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2344 462 2806 Wheat. . . .. March 15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2739 378 3117 Wheat. . . . . End of growing period . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2470 5768 8238 Oats . . . . . . . not clipped . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oats . . . . . .. February 15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 5111 5111 Oats . . . . . . . March 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5396 576 5972 Oats . . . . . . . March 15. . .. . . . . . ._ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4941 648 5589 Oats . . . . . . . End of growing period . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4713 702 5415 Barley. . . . . not clipped . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Barley. . . . . February 15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4728 . . . . 4728 Barley... .. 5112 648 5760 Barley. . . . . March 15 . . . . . . . . ._ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5027 504 5531 Barley . . . . . End of growing period . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5415 954 6369 Table 16. Effect of length of grazing period upon the production of forage and grain, 1932-33, Denton Acre yield _ _ _ _ Air-dry forage. pounds Crop Date clipping discontinued Feb. 15 Grain, Total to to end of Seasonal bushels Feb. 15 grazing total . period Wheat. . . . . not clipped . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 1&3 Wheat. . . . . February 15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 487 487 17,4 Wheat. . . . . arch 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 687 .... 687 25.3 Wheat. . . .. March 15. . ._ . . . . . ._ . . . . . . . . .. 551 469 1020 20.5 Wheat. . . . . End of growing period . . . . . . . 353 3535 3888 0 Oats . . . . . . not clipped . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 29_9 Oats . . . . . . February 15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 542 542 29, 3 Oats . . . . .. March 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 628 .. . . 628 40.3 Oats . . . . . . March 15. . ._ . . . . . .‘ . . . . . . . . . . 582 63 645 42.9 Oats _ , _ , . . End of growing period . . . . . . . 379 1715 2094 0 Barley. . . . . not clipped . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 34_4 Barley. . . . . February 15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 1561 1561 28.4 Barley. . . . . March 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 1887 .... 1887 32.5 Barley. . . . . March 15. . ._ . . . . .._ . . . . . . . . .. 2193 135 2328 23. 7 Barley. . . . . End of growing period . . . . . . . 1557 1643 3200 0 The average yields of 26 BULLETIN NO. 539, TEXAS ;\GRI(.UL'l‘URAl_ EXPERIMENT STATION Table 17. Effect of length of grazing period upon the production of forage and grain, 1933-34, Denton Acre yield Air-dry forage, pounds Crop Date clipping discontinued Feb. 15 Grain, Total t0 to end of Seasonal bushels Feb. 15 grazing total period Wheat..... notclipped . . . . . . . . . . 0 19.3 Wheat. . . . . February 15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1720 . . . . 1720 29.9 Wheat. . . . . March 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 1684 .... 1684 36.0 Wheat... . . March 15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 1968 640 2608 21.9 Wheat. . . . . End of growing period . . . . . . . 2500 4342 6842 0 Oats...... notclipped . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 0 53.0 Oats . . . . . . February 15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2508 . . . . 2508 56.5 Oats . . . . . . March 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2284 . . . . 2284 72.0 Oats . . . . . . March 15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2424 660 3084 92.8 Oats. . . . . . End of growing period . . . . . . . 3333 3161 6494 0 Barley. . . . . not clipped . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .... .... 0 52.5 Barley. . . . . February 15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3033 . . . . 3033 34.7 Barley. . . . . March 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3068 . . . . 3068 38.5 Barley. . . . . March 15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3389 580 3969 16. 2 Barley. . . . . End of growing period . . . . . . . 4094 1440 5534 0 Table 18. Because of the variable effect of early spring freezes, pre- viously discussed, the yields of grain are perhaps influenced as much by freezing as by grazing. However, the effect of freezing on grazed and on ungrazed grain is perhaps of as much importance as the actual Table 18. Period of years summary—elfect of length of grazing period upon the production of forage and grain, 1931-33, Denton Acre yield Crop Date clipping discontinued Air-dry forage, pounds Grain. bushels 1931-32 1932-33 1933-34 Ave. 1932-33 1933-34 Ave. Wheat. Not clipped . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 0 0 0 18.8 19.3 19.1 Wheat. February 15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2767 487 1720 1658 17. 4 29.9 23. 7 Wheat. March 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2806 687 1684 1726 25.3 36.0 30.7 Wheat. March 15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3117 1020 2608 2248 20.5 21.9 21.2 Wheat. End of growing period . . . . . . . . 8238 3888 6842 6323 0 0 0 Oats... Not clipped . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 0 0 0 0 29.9 53.0 41.5 Oats... February 15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5111 542 2508 2720 29. 3 56. 5 42 .9 Oats. . . March 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5972 628 2284 2961 40. 3 72.0 56. 1 Oats. .. March 15 . . . . . . . . _ . . . . . . . . . . . 5589 645 3084 3106 42 . 9 92 . 8 67 . 9 Oats. .. End of growing period . . . . . . . . 5415 2094 6494 4668 0 0 0 Barley. Not clipped . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 0 0 0 34.4 52.5 43.5 Barley. February 15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4728 1561 3033 3107 28.4 34. 7 31.6 Barley. March 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5760 1887 3068 3572 32.5 38.5 35.5 Barley. March 15 . . . . . . . . . _ . . . . . . . . . . . 5531 2328 3969 3943 23. 7 16. 2 20.0 Barley. End of growing period . . . . . . . . 6369 3200 5534 5034 0 0 0 efiect of grazing. The yields reported can be accepted as indicating that grazing small grains during the fall and winter months is beneficial and increases grain production. Grazing of wheat appears to be more beneficial than grazing of oats and barley. 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GUMOhQWZ .15.. : 28 BULLETIN NO. 539, TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION increased grain production considerably. Grazing that stopped Febru- ary 15 was apparently too early and subsequent rank growth tended to reduce yields. Grazing until March 15 was apparently too late and injury to the rapidly growing plants resulted. Oats responded to grazing up to March 15. Keeping the oat plants clipped until after early March freezes reduced freeze damage and increased grain production. Grazing was not so important in increasing the yield of barley, the plats not clipped yielding slightly more than the clipped plats. Clipping barley up to March 1 had little effect on the yield, but clipping up to March 15 reduced the yield considerably. From these results it is believed that over a period of years ‘the stock farmer could safely graze his small grain crops up to March 1 without reducing grain yields. Grazing wheat or barley later than this would not be profitable. Grazing oats for 15 or 20 days longer would not likely reduce yields materially. Chemical Analyses of Forage The analyses of the air-dry forage obtained at Denton in 1934 are presented in Table 19. These analyses show that protein is very high in all clippings except the last for all varieties, being particularly high during the fall, winter, and early spring months. There were no sig- nificant differences between the different cereals in protein content. The two rye grasses contained approximately the same percentage of protein, but both were significantly lower than any of the cereals. The protein content in all varieties decreased slightly as the spring season advanced. The first four clippings averaged about 30 per cent, while the last two clippings averaged about 20 per cent. The percentage of fat was somewhat higher in oats, rye, and the two rye grasses than in wheat and barley. The fat content did not vary with the season as did protein. Crude fibre was somewhat higher in oats and barley during the early growing season than in wheat, rye, and the two rye grasses. During the latter part of the growing season the crude fibre was about the same in all grasses. Rye and oats were lower in total ash than the other grasses, while the two rye grasses averaged considerably higher in ash than the cereals. Wheat, barley, rye, and the rye grasses were about equal in lime content, and considerably higher in lime than oats. The chemical analyses of the different grasses in this experiment clearly show why winter-growing grasses are so valuable to the livestock farmer. RESULTS AT LUBBOCK Practical Problems in Connection with Winter Pastures at Lubbock On account of the normally dry Winters and the sandy nature of the soil over a good portion of the South Plains area in Western Texas, small grains are not a profitable crop where grown for grain alone, especially SMALL GRAIN AND RYE GRASS FOR WINTER PASTURE 29 when compared with the usual row crops. On the heavier soils, and especially farther north where cotton is not grown, yields of small grain are somewhat better. From November to May there is an absence of green feed for stock. Usually Sudan grass becomes available the latter part of May to early June. Consequently, during the above period small grains ofier the only source of green feed for livestock. The customary practice on the small farms is to seed the crop on five to ten acres and begin to graze as soon as the plants begin to stool and are well anchored. This is continued throughout the winter and well into March. If moisture conditions are especially favorable stock are withdrawn and the crop allowed to mature, otherwise grazing is continued and the crop later is plowed under. On strictly wheat farms stock are usually taken off during March. With 82 per cent of the moisture falling between April and October, inclusive, if ‘the small grain is planted early in September there are few years in which some grazing cannot be obtained. There are also few years when it will not pay to withdraw stock from the pasture in order to allow it to recover. One of the best practices is to allow the stock, to graze only sufliciently long each day for them to obtain a “fill.” This prolongs materially the life of the pasture as continued trampling in either wet or dry soil in this area is detrimental. Soil Conditions Texas Substation No. 8 is located at Lubbock, Lubbock County, near the center of the southern one-half of the Great Plains, known locally as the South Plains. The soils are largely Amarillo fine sandy loam verging into the sandy and clay loams to the east and north. The topog- raphy is generally level with the fall to the southeast of about one foot to the mile. There are no drainage outlets so that what water runs off drains into shallow basins. The top soils being sandy, the water penetrates easily and is retarded by the clay subsoil, which is found at depths ranging from four to twelve inches. The clay subsoil acts as a storage reservoir. The soil used in this experiment was the Amarillo fine sandy loam. It can easily be understood that constant grazing will pulverize the soil where cultivated pastures are used, loosen the roots, and hasten wind erosion. Also, if pastured while wet, the soil is inclined to pack. Climatic Conditions Rainfall at this point averages 18.60 inches over a period of 25 years, with 82 per cent falling during the period April to October, inclusive. A good portion of this falls in the form of torrential showers. The total yearly rainfall is erratic, varying from 8.73 to 31.61 inches. Normally September and October are the months in which heavy~ rainfall may be expected, and whenever this does occur good results may be expected from small grain pastures. This is evidenced by the results obtained in 1932-33 when 3.41 inches fell during September. The years 1933-34 and 30 BULLETIN NO. 539, TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION 1934-35 were two of the driest on record and yields naturally reflect this condition (Table 20). Minimum temperatures of zero can be expected every year with occasional sub-zero temperatures. Usually the colder periods are the Table 20. Rainfall and temperature data at Lubbock Year Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May Total Rainfall, 1932-33 . . . . .. 3.41 1.29 '1‘ 2.48 .37 .95 .02 .06 2.97 11.55 1933-34 . . . . .. .71 .42 .99 .06 .06 .06 1.98 1.08 1.26 6.62 1934-35 . . . . . . 1.86 .28 .55 T .12 .60 .89 .04 3.49 7.83 Temperature Maximum; EXtT€ITl6 1932-33 . . . . . . 94 87 82 74 68 77 85 86 98 98 1933-34 . . . . . . 97 91 85 81 76 80 87 93 99 99 1934-35 . . . . . . 100 $7 88 73 76 82 86 92 95 100 Minimum: 1932-33 . . . . . . 51 29 16 5 17 —17 22 24 35 —17 1933-34 . . . . . . 59 37 30 12 12 9 19 37 41 9 1934-35 . . . . . . 44 32 24 17 9 1 8 24 35 1 Mean: ‘ Mean 1932-33 . . . . .. 56.8 44.4 31.2 23.2 29.3 23.2 37.0 40.4 51.8 37.5 1933-34 . . . . . . 63.6 48.3 37.1 30.3 25 7 29 1 34 2 46 8 55 9 41.2 1934-35 . . . . .. 58.0 49.6 38.8 29.2 29.7 29.5 41.5 46.0 52.4 41.6 result of “dry” northers. These strong winds, combined with the nor- mally dry winter soils, are severe on winter pastures. Yields of Forage The first year of the test at Lubbock was 1932-33. Four varieties were planted: wheat, oats, rye, and barley. All varieties were seeded September 29, which is about half way between the usual planting dates for pasture and grain purposes. Rapid growth was made, espe- cially with barley, which has the ability to grow rapidly and furnish pasture ahead of the other varieties. The first clipping was made on November 17, or 49 days after planting. In all, seven clippings were made, at intervals of 49, 62, 43, 22, 13, 15, and 17 days apart. Rye made the highest yield, followed by wheat, oats, and barley. Barley was severely injured by a temperature of 5 degrees F. in December; oats were stunted, while both rye and wheat came through in good condi- tion. On February 8, a temperature of —17 degrees F. was recorded; it killed the barley and froze the oats back to the crown. Both rye and wheat were set back by this cold weather. Data are presented in Table 21. In 1933-34, the test, which contained the same varieties as in the previous year, was planted on September 29. Rainfall amounting to 2.19 inches in August furnished fairly good moisture conditions for planting. The winter as a whole was mild with no severe weather, but wind storms were frequent. The first clipping was made 46 days after SMALL GRAIN AND RYE GRASS FOR WINTER PASTURE 31 Table 21. Acre yield of green and air-dry forage, 1932-33, at Lubbock Acre yield forage, pounds Air-dry _ % Dry Variety matter Date of cutting Green Total 11/17 1/18 3/2 3/24 4/6 4/21 t 5/8 Barley . . . . . . . . 2360 530 O 0 0 0 0 2890 11430 25 Oats . . . . . . . . . . 1180 830 190 300 480 500 540 4020 14740 27 Rye . . . . . . . . . . 990 1260 900 1000 860 590 630 6230 25320 25 Wheat . . . . . . . . 560 600 770 1340 1160 500 800 5730 20380 28 planting and subsequent clippings were made at intervals of 22,377, 24, 18, and 17 days (Table 22). These intervals clearly reflect the dry conditions of the soil and the response to the early March snow Table 22. Acre yield of green and air-dry forage, 1933-34, at Lubbock Acre yield forage, pounds Air-dry _ % Dry Variety matter Date of cutting Green Total 11/14 12/6 2/20 3/15 4/2 I 4/18 Barley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 870 350 245 135 104 132 1836 9140 2O Oats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 777 214 . . . . . . . 235 272 363 1861 7890 24 Rye . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 482 116 . . . . . .. 210 269 227 1304 5100 26 Wheat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 553 104 . . . . . . . 186 306 166 1315 4700 28 and rain. Oats made the highest yield followed by barley, with Wheat and rye considerably lower. It is again noticeable that barley made the most active early season growth. The 1934-35 seeding was made on September 29, the same date as in previous years, with the same varieties being used. While 1934 was one of the driest years on record, August had 1.66 and September 1.86 Table 23. Acre yield of green and air-dry forage, 1934-35, at Lubbock I Acre yield forage, pounds Air-dry % Dry Variety matter Date of cutting Green Total 11/19 12/4 3/8 3/28 4/7 Barley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 610 ‘ 230 230 1 330 200 1600 5840 27 Oats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350 90 150 360 240 1190 3660 33 Rye . . . . . . . . . . . . _ . . . . . . . . . . . . 220 110 520 810 310 1970 6340 31 Wheat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290 40 240 670 320 1560 4530 34 32 BULLETIN NO. 539, TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION inches of rainfall, which provided rather good soil moisture conditions for the planting. The winter was mild but severe wind and dust storms interfered with normal plant growth and also rapidly exhausted soil moisture. Five clippings in all were made, the first 42 days after planting and the others at intervals of 24, 94, 30, 21, and 11 days. The greatest yield was obtained from rye followed by barley, wheat, and oats (Table 23). The yield of green and air-dry clippings obtained at Lubbock during the three years are presented in Table 24. Rye produced the highest ‘yield followed, in order, by wheat, oats, and barley. The average monthly yields are presented in Figure 3. There was a high yield in November APRlL MARCH TOTAL YIELD WHEAT Z869 LBS. OATS 2357 LBS. BARLEY 2 l O8 LBS. RYE 3| 67 LBS. 0 l o ' o o o o <5 o o o o o o o o o o cu v u: c0 g g j 5Q POUNDS OF AIR DRY FORAGE PER ACRE Fig. 3. Average Monthly Yield per Acre of Air-Dry Forage at Lubbock. SMALL GRAIN AND RYE GRASS FOR WINTER PASTURE 33 Table 24. Period of years summary-—1933-35, acre yields of forage at Lubbock Acre yield forage, pounds Green Air-dry Variety 1933 I 1934 N 1935 l Ave. 1933 1 1934 l 1935 I Ave. Barley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11430 9140 I 5840 8803 2890 1836 1600 2109 Oats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14740 7890 3660 8763 4020 1861 1190 2357 Rye . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25320 5100 6340 12253 6230 1304 1970 3168 Wheat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20380 4700 4530 9870 S730 1315 1560 2868 but very little growth in December. Barley produced the highest yield early in the season while wheat produced the highest yield later in the spring from February through April. Chemical Analyses of Forage The chemical analyses of the clippings of the small grains are shown in Tables 25 and 26. The protein content remains fairly constant through- cut the season of 1934-35 but shows considerable variation in the season of 1933-34. DISCUSSION Small grains have long been used as a winter and early spring pasture. As a rule, oats have been recommended for pasture in the south, but rye has been the preference further north and on poorer soils. The pasturing of winter wheat has been customary in the wheat-producing regions, especially during seasons of rank growth, and if not continued too late in the season, does not reduce the grain yield but may increase it. Small grain pastures are a very important source of vitamin A at a time when other pastures are short, since green plants are the chief source of this vitamin. In the South, small grain is excellent for preventing winter erosion or leaching of the soil and where used for pasture in the early spring, gives the permanent pasture a much needed rest. The grazing of green wheat and rye plants may affect the flavor or odor of milk, especially if the grazing occurs just before milking time. At Angleton, in the Gulf Coast Region, a mixture of Italian rye grass and oats made the highest yield of air-dry forage. Oats may freeze during some seasons, but Italian rye grass rarely freezes in this region. The yields are highest from January through March, with some grazing in November, April,‘ and May. Little grazing is produced in December in this section. At Denton, in the small grain section of North-central Texas, the rye grasses produced the highest yields, but their maximum growth occurs in April and May. Wheat made a higher total yield than the other small grains tested, although barley produces more grazing through February. Very little grazing is produced in December and there is little production 34 BULLETIN NO. 539, TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION i. mo... . . . . .. wm. 3.3 $5 $13 No.3 S.» 3.3 . .. . . . . . 12x0 24 mod mo. 3.8 3d .33 3.2 8a 0W3 .. ..;§$m 3%.? B4 $4. . 3. 55$ Qtw mod». 3.3 Q6 3.2 . . . . . Iomvsk/ g4 g6 . at 8.8 Sim 5% 3.2. 3a $12 .. . 3.3m NH; .2.» . 3i Q9: 8a mmdm >93 $1». 2.2 . . . . . ZdowO 3.; woo . mm. 2.2 §.w 3.3. 05C 3.6. 32 .. . ....>..i@m fih? “o. 31¢ S. 3.3 3a ~53 ~93 8a iii “o. 2a .. .. N... 85 21w 3S. 3X3 2.... 3.3 . . . . cw. Si». . .. . 9.. 3a 31w no.3. 3.3 Nod 3.2 . . . . .. ZIZZBQO I; 2w... . .. um. 2.2 a; .21.... 3.5 :5. 3.3 . ........$:@m 52> no. uni. Nw. 32 92 3.3. 8.2 $6. $8 ........>28m $..\o~\~ 24 2e . 5.. 8.8 22w $9. 3.2 3.... Z.- . 32E 3H4 $1.. . wo. 09m“ 2Q 8.3. $42 Q6 8.8 . .. Enid om. $1». . mo. Edd 3.2 3% :4; £4. 2.2 . ....3mO i... :3. mo. 3.3 omd Ed». SIC 3;”. 3.3 ESm @332 n“; .34. $1 No.3 $4: Q13 8.3 31¢ $1.2“ ........§§> 3.4 moo .. o». 2.2 8.3 8.3 3.2 8w 2.3 . .. .1283» ......\$\: E2“ 2mm S» fin fiwbxv 3mm i6 uionamona 222cm -9532 ~55 130B .833 3t- wwEU “am umfioum >owtm> QuNQ 83H .5 cuwobmZ Mocfifififl v6 Jéumman iwiimiflo van-wash m9 mwmhiwi: $35050 5N 3:55 35 SMALL GRAIN AND RYE GRASS FOR WINTER PASTURE 2.. 3m . DI $12 ma; 8.3 umil $3», §+~ 2. >06 mm. 3i: 0H.» 3.3 $13 SJ £13 8. $5 om. wm. €§ om.“ ~53, 2.3 S4 3.2 S. 22m S. $5. i.“ 8.2 g2 84. n52 mmki... mo. 3A om. 3.2 It» 33 mmi $4. 2.3 S; 8a mo. m2: -$ 8.2 3i: m: i? 8. 3.0 ww. 8.2 $6 3.2 M66“ :3 Nwém mmQNG S. 36 oo. No.3 3w 2.8 8.2 :6 .33 mo. 3Q $2 3.3 i; C23. 3.2 $4. 8.2.. we. 8a .8. 2.2 aw mmQm NQNH 2a M33 mo. 2.... .. 5. m9? S.“ 2T3 8.2 o»; Mme... mm}? mo. 01m 3. u». Q50 3a 3.3 2.: 004» 33 ~04 2d S“. .2. 3.2 3.3 wmdw mmto 2a 3.3 %. 2a .3». m». Q23 $5 2:... 3.: $4. 2.3 u». 2.», Hm. 8. 3d“ Q20“ wwdm 3.: S4“ M33 ...............>2§m +m\:\~_ #0. m9». 3. 2. 00.3 £5 3.2 32 Nmtm $5 ma. 3.... w». 8. 8.3 3.2 3.2 QQ: 8.0 2.3 Q0. $.~ on. o». $.~H 5.2 2.3 3.2 ~56 offi mo. 5;.” om. 2.. 3.2 $53 2i 2.2 3a wodm $31: E2... sww 3w nww uowbxv “mac . “so oiosawona @333 énwmg 0E3 Egon. 55w? out- 3550 “mm cmflohm 3o€m> BQQ 130m. LG couch: Z Much-nan v5 finnvman iM-ifififio vaflwmflfi m0 mmmhwafln TBMEQGO 6a 2.3a. 36 BULLETIN NO. 539, TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION from the small grains in May, although the rye grasses produce heavy yields during this month. Grazing the small grains to March 1 did not reduce the yield of grain but resulted in an increased yield of oats and wheat. Grazing to March 1 produced more grain than grazing to February 15, probably because the longer grazing season prevented damage from late freezes. Oats could be grazed two or three weeks longer than Wheat or barley without reducing the grain yield materially. At Lubbock, where small grain is grown largely for pasture, barley produced a rapid growth early in the season but it winterkilled more easily than the other small grains tested. Rye produced the largest total yield but, because it flavors milk, is probably not as acceptable to a dairy farmer, or to a farmer for grazing his milk cow, as is oats. All the small grains produce a good pasture in the Lubbock area but the rye grasses are not so well adapted to that part of the State. SUMMARY 1. A mixture of Italian rye grass and oats produced the highest yield of clippings (1928 lbs. per acre) at Angleton, in the Gulf Coast Prairie. 2. The rye grasses produced the highest total yield (6755 and 6912 lbs. per acre) at Denton, in North-central Texas, but the most of their growth occurs late in the spring. 3. Wheat produced a higher yield of pasture (6323 lbs. per acre) than the other small grains at Denton. 4. Grazing wheat and oats at Denton to March 1 resulted in a slightly increased grain yield as compared with no grazing or grazing to Feb- ruary 15, but the grain yield of barley was not affected. 5. (Oats can be grazed to March 15 at Denton without materially reducing the grain yield. 6. Rye produced the greatest total yield (3168 lbs. per acre) at Lub- bock, in Northwest Texas. 7. Barley produces a quick growth and high yields early in the season at Lubbock. 8. Chemical analyses show a high feeding value for the small grain clippings at all three points in the State, the protein content running over 30 per cent in some cases early in the spring. 9. The chemical analyses indicate a lower feeding value of the clip- pings in the humid Gulf Coast Prairie than in north or west Texas. 10. Small grains and rye grasses for winter pasture in Texas are valuable. In general, this is because they produce good yields; the herbage produced is very palatable and nutritious; this pasturage is a cheap feed; they furnish an excellent source of vitamin A; they are excellent for preventing winter leaching or soil erosion; they give the permanent pasture a needed rest in the spring or early summer; a grain SMALL GRAIN AND RYE GRASS FOR WINTER PASTURE 37 crop can be produced in the small grain growing sections of the State if the pasturing is not too severe and is not continued too late. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The aid of Dr. P. C. Mangelsdorf, Agronomist, Small Grain Investiga- tions, in planning and conducting the experiments and in interpreting the data reported in this bulletin is gratefully acknowledged. REFERENCES 1. Shelton, E. M. 1888. Experiments with Wheat. Kansas Sta. Bul. N0. 4. 2. Phelps, C. S. Forage Crops. Conn. Storrs. Sta. Report for 1891. Pp. 9-13. 3. Georgeson, C. C., Burtis, F. C. and Shelton, W. 1892. 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New Jersey Sta. Re- por . Letteer, C. R. 1917. Experiments i-n Crop Utilization. U. S. Dept. Agr. Bur. Plant Industry. Work San Antonio Exp. Farm. Letteer, C. R. 1920. Experiments in Crop Utilization. U. S. Dept. Agr. Dept. Circ. 73. Ratliffe, G. T. 1922. Experiments in Crop Utilization. U. S. Dept. Agr. Dept. Circ. 209. ArkgnsassSta. 1922. Experiments with Swine at the Arkansas Station. u . . Babcock, C. J. 1923. Effect of Feeding Green Rye and G C on the Flavor and Odor of Milk. U. S. Dept. Agr. Bul. Owpeas Kansas Station Biennial Report. 1927-28. Finnell, H. H. 1929. Grazing of Winter Wheat. Oklahoma Panhandle Sta. Bul. 4, 1929. 38 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. BULLETIN NO. 539, TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION Wasson, R. A. 1930. Pasture and Forage Crops for Louisiana. La. Ext. Circ. 140. ' Finnell, H. H. 1931. Winter Grain Pasture Yield and Utilization. homa Panhandle Sta. Bul. 26. Welton, F. A. and Morris, V. H. 1931. Ohio Sta. Bul. 471. Lush, R. H. 1931. Chemical Composition and Yields of Pasture Grasses During 1930. Proc. 32nd Ann. Con. Assn. of Southern Agricultural Workers, pp. 214-218. Copeland, O. C. and Fraps, G. S. Vitamin A for Dairy Cows. Lush, R. H. Seasonal Composition of Pasture Grasses. Science, March, 1933. Vol. XVI, No. 2, pp. 149-152. Fraps, G. S. and Treichler, Ray. 1933. Vitamin A Content of Foods and Feeds. Texas Agr. Exp. Sta. Bul. 477. Sherwood, R. M. and Fraps, G. S. 1934. Potency Required by Hens for Egg Production. Bul. 493. Lush, R. H. 1934. Dairy and Pasture Results at North La. Exp. Station. Mimeographed Report, 5/15/34. Kirk, L. E., Davidson, J. G. and Hamilton, Stella N. Cereal Crops for Annual Pasture. Sci. Agr. Vol. l4, N0. 10, June, 1934. Fraps, G. S., Copeland, O. C. and Treichler, Ray. 1934. The Vitamin A Requirements of Dairy Cows. Texas Agr. Exp. Sta. Bul. 495. Neel, L. R. 1935. Rye for Pasture and Seed in Tennessee. Tennessee Agr. Exp. Sta. Circular 52. Swanson, A. F. 1935. Pasturing Winter Wheat in Kansas. Exp. Sta. Bul. 271. Sherwood, R. M. and Fraps, G. S. 1935. The Vitamin A Requirements of Hens for Egg Production. Texas Agr. Exp. Sta. Bul. 514. Lush, R. H. 1936. Pasture Production and Management. Agr. Exp. Sta. Cir. 15. Okla- Lodging in Oats and Wheat. 1932. Sorghum Silage as a Source of Texas Agr. Exp. Sta. Bul. 473. Journal of Dairy The Amount of Vitamin A Texas Agr. Exp. Sta. Kansas Agr. Louisiana