i; '~=*=*.~1=~ - November 1983 Q i 1n a Wheat-Ryegfiass THEgiEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION / Neville P. Clarke, Director / The Texas A&M University System / College Station, 'I'eicas SUMMARY Wheat is an important cool-season annual for- age and grain crop in Texas. Wheat acreage in Texas varies from 5 million to over 8 million acres depending on economic incentives for grazing and/ or grain production. Much of the wheat to be har- vested for grain is grazed during the fall-winter period, and that which is not harvested is grazed until spring. If grain is to be harvested, cattle should be removed before the growing point is extended to the grazing level, which is about 1/2 inch above the soil surface. Depending on weather conditions. growing point elevations about 1/2 inch will prob- ably occur between mid-February and mid-March. If cattle are removed from wheat to insure future grain production, there may be a period of time that winter forage will be in short supply. In east Texas, annual ryegrass can fill this void and pro- duce high quality forage between mid-February and late May. This study was conducted to determine the \ potential of a grazing system which involved wheat for both forage and grain followed by rye- grass for grazing. Calves weighing 400 to 600 lb‘) were used to determine the grazing potential of this system. \./ ,.../ KEYWORDS: Wheat/forage yields/ryegrass/grazing system/liveweight gain/harvest treatments. ‘N Cash Wheat in a Wheat-Ryegrass Grazing System 4.. heat is an important cool-season annual forage and grain crop in Texas. Wheat acreage in Texas varies from 5 million to over 8 million acres (11) depending on economic incentives for grazing and/or grain production. Much of the wheat to be harvested for grain is grazed during the fall-winter period, and that which is not harvested is grazed until spring. If grain is to be harvested, cattle should be removed "before the growing point (maristamatic tissue) is extended to the grazing level, which is about 1/2 inch above the soil surface. Depending on weather conditions, growing point elevations above 1/2 inch will probably occur between mid-February and mid-March. If cattle are removed from wheat to insure future grain production, there may be a period of time that winter forage will be in short supply. In east Texas, annual ryegrass can fill this void and produce high quality forage between mid-February and late May. Numerous studies on grazing of winter annual grasses have been conducted in Texas. Wheat, barley, rye, oats, and ryegrass alone and in vari- ,/'\ ous combinations have been evaluated under grazed conditions (1, 2, 4, 7, 8, 17, and 21). Gang- stad (6), at Renner, Texas, reported beef gains on wheat, oats, barley, and hardinggrass of 135, 119, 103, and 105 pounds per acre (lb/A), respectively. He also reported that while grazing a combination of oats and button clover, steers had a liveweight gain of 2.21 lb per day and 309 lb of beef per acre over 139 steer grazing days. An average yield of 25, 49, 74, 76, 72, and 16 lb of beef per month was obtained for Ianuary, February, March, April, May, and Iune, respectively. Gangstad also found that when cattle were removed from small grain by March l0, acceptable grain yields of 37 and 20 bushels per acre (bu/A) were harvested for oats and wheat, respectively. Rouquette and others (20) reported liveweight gains of 1.73 lb per day on rye- ryegrass pastures during a 170-day period. Protein levels in the forage varied from 25% in November to a low of 16% in April. In vitro dry matter digest- ibility was about 85% in November and decreased to the midseventies by mid-April. Norris (15), working in central Texas, indicated that oat forage was generally preferred over bar- ley, rye, and wheat for a graze-out program. The muse of wheat, ‘Ias well as barley and rye, reduced ‘the risk of winter-killing of the forage. He indicated that on oat pasture 200 lb of liveweight gain per fianimal over 100 to 125 animal grazing days or L. R. Nelson, F. M. Rouquette, Ir.. and R. D. Randel* about 2 lb per day can be expected. Norris (16) also obtained steer gains of 1.7 lb per day from oats grazed until March 1. Conrad (3) observed that in south Texas, aver- age total forage yields (over 2 years and 3 loca- tions) for oats, barley, wheat, and rye were 3,500, 3,200, 3,400, and 3,200 lb of dry forage per acre, respectively. Earlier results at Overton in north- east Texas (9, 12, 13, and 14), have indicated annu- al forage dry matter (DM) yields of about 5,000 lb of forage for wheat with over 2,000 lb/A being pro- duced in February through March. McDaniel (10) indicated that wheat and rye were the most toler- ant to cold temperatures and were favored over oats and barley on the High Plains and Rolling Plains areas of Texas. Proper selection of adapted varieties is very important, particularly with re- gard to disease resistance such as leaf rust, etc. Annual ryegrass is a high protein and very digestible forage that can be seeded into various types of sod or on prepared seedbeds. Generally, the peak forage production is produced in March and April in Texas (5, 9, 12, 13, and 14). In prepared seedbeds, which can supply forage as early as December, high forage production is possible. Dry periods during the fall or cold weather can greatly reduce winter ryegrass dry matter production, however, by March 1, ryegrass is normally avail- able for grazing in east Texas. Under good fertility levels ryegrass should have a carrying capacity of about two 500-lb steers per acre with a potential average daily grain (ADG) of 2 lb per day (9, 18) from March 1 to May 15. Rate of gain, either per acre or per animal, is dependent on environmental conditions as well as stocking rate (19). This study was conducted to determine the potential of a grazing system which involved wheat for both forage and grain (Fig. 1) followed by ryegrass for grazing. Calves weighing 400 to 600 lb were used to determine the grazing potential of this system. MATERIALS AND METHODS This study was initiated in the fall of 1980 and continued for a 2-year period. The wheat evalua- tion included five varieties and four harvest treat- ments. The harvest treatments were as follows: 1. Wheat forage grazed from November to mid-February and then allowed to produce grain; ‘Respectfully, Associate Professor, Professor, and Professor, Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, Texas A8zM University, Overton, Texas. , A. Figure I. Wheat plots on left were for forage and plots on right for grain. 2. Wheat forage clipped from November to mid-February and then allowed to produce grain; 3. Wheat forage clipped from November throughout its active growing period; and 4. Wheat forage not clipped or grazed and harvested only for grain. The wheat lines planted in each of the four treatments in 1980 were Coker 68-15, McNair 1003, Arthur 71, and breeding lines Tx-73-93 and Tx-72-9. In 1981, two of these lines (Arthur 71 and Tx-72-9) were replaced by TAM-W-106 and Northrup King 812 in an effort to increase grain yields. In addition, a 34-acre field was planted to three wheat varieties for grazing. Cattle weights were monitored at regular intervals until mid- February when the cattle were removed and placed on a ryegrass pasture. The total amount of grain was measured to determine mean yields per acre. The wheat varieties were not replicated in the 34-acre field. All wheat treatments were planted into a pre- pared seed bed. A preplant fertilizer application rate of 60 lb/A each of N, P2O5, and KZO was applied each year. Prior to the first year of the study, agricultural limestone was applied at a rate of 1.5 tons/A. Nitrogen was topdressed at 100 lb N/A in October to all clipped and grazed plots, but not to the grain-only treatment. A 60-lb N/A rate was applied to all wheat treatments in February. In 1980, plots were established in late Septem- ber; whereas, in 1981, wheat was planted in early September. Forage yields were taken with a flail- type harvester on the clipped plots. On the grazed plots, wire cages were employed to protect the forage and an estimate of yield was obtained by hand clipping an area within the caged area on a monthly basis (Fig. 2). Cages were moved after each harvest and placed on a new site. ‘Gulf’ ryegrass was drilled at a seeding rate of 30 lb/A into a common bermudagrass sod in late October of both years. Fertilizer application to the 2 s. =9? “- A l) Pr“ _ - Figure Z. Cattle on grazed wheat plots with cages. ryegrass consisted of 50 lb/A each of N, P205, and KZO applied at planting and 100 lb/A of N (total) in a split application applied in February and late March each year. RESULTS Forage yields. The forage yields from the wheat plots for the entire growing season are shown in Table 1. The yields in 1980-81 were quite low with a total mean yield of 4,362 lb/A. This was due primarily to the late planting date and the dry conditions that persisted during most of the grow- ing season. In addition, there was some damage caused by the lessor corn stalk borer (during the fall) and greenbugs (in the spring). In 1980-81, the three higher yielding lines were Tx-73-93, McNair 1003, and Coker 68-15. In 1981-82 (Table 1), higher yields were ob- tained because of early fall moisture availability. The mean total forage yield for all varieties was 7,162 lb/A. The highest yielding varieties were Tx- 73-93 and McNair 1003. On these plots, which were clipped at monthly intervals until mid-February (Table 2), very little forage was produced in 1980-81; however, in 1981- 82 (Table 3), about 1.5 tons DM/A were harvested. Higher yields were obtained from plots grazed to mid-February (Table 2 and 3) compared to clipped plots in 1980-81, but not in 1981-82. There are two reasons why plots that were grazed produced high- er yields in 1980-81. First, grazing pressure (and defoliation) probably was not as severe on the grazed area as it was on the clipped area. There- fore, less photosynthetic area (leaf surface) was present on the clipped plots to produce new. foliage. Second, the grazed area may have ha more total fertilizer nutrients available due to recy- cling of plant food nutrients. Another possible ex- planation is error in sampling due to differen f)‘ methods of harvesting. On the grazed area sam- pling error was very high and comparisons be- tween varieties were not significant. TABLE 1. FORAGE YIELD (LB OVENDRY WT/A) OF 5 WHEAT VARIETIES MECHANICALLY CLIPPED DURING T\NO GROWING SEASONS 1980-81 7 Harvest Date 1 Variety Dec. 12 Jan. 23 Feb. 16 Mar. 13 Apr. 7 May 7 Total Coker 68-15 894 409 1 79 171 1 920 613 4726 McNai r 1003 715 588 204 1607 741 919 4774 Arthu r 71 486 0 1 O2 1430 996 537 3551 Tx-72-9 460 128 102 1 558 996 537 3781 Tx-73-93 843 460 1 54 1 686 1 124 71 6 4983 Mean 680 317 148 1598 955 664 4362 CV 19 51 37 12 9 23 8 LSD (10% level) 169 206 70 237 105 191 460 1981-82 i oVariety Dec. 16 Jan. 25 Feb. 18 Mar. 15 Apr. 28 Total TAM-106 2018 1252 307 1252 201 8 6847 Coker 68-15 2247 1048 307 1405 1839 6846 North rup Ki n g 812 2452 843 256 1150 1890 6591 McNai r 1003 2809 1073 256 1354 2222 7714 TX-73-93 3064 1047 333 1328 2043 7815 Mean 251 8 1 052 291 1297 2002 7162 CV 19 31 20 15 28 13 LSD (10%) 600 N51 NS NS NS 1180 1N5 = means are not significantly different at the 10% level of probability. Cattle gains. In the 1980-81 season, 37 head of TABLE 2. FORAGE YIELD (LB OVENDRY WT/A) OF s WHEAT cattle with an average weight each of 371 lb start- VAR1ET1E5 CUPPED THRQUGH MDTEBRUARY VER‘ , ed grazing wheat on November 21. Three weigh SUS REGROWTH OF GRAZED PLOTS 1N 1981181 periods of about 30 days each were utilized and the Meehanieauy e1 ipped um" pee 16 calves were removed after 89 days. The ADG for (not grazed) the lst, 2nd, and 3rd weigh periods were 0.29, 1.08, Harvest Date and 1.65 lb, respectively, for a mean ADQ of 1.08 lb Dec Jan Feb Tom for the 89 days. The low ADG for the first period variety 12 23 16 y1e|d was the result of the calves becoming adjusted to the pasture situation and also because of limited 51°13“, 611215 639 35g 295 1202 forage due to a lack of rainfall. Rainfall amounts in Arih $71093 :22 577 3% 2Z3 inches for 1980-81 were: September—l.4; Octo- TX_72_9 333 102 O 435 beI'—-2.5,' NOVGIHbGIiO-B] December—2.9; TX_73_93 588 384 205 1177 Ianuary—2.7; February—0.9; March—1.2; and Ap- Mean 542 297 143 937 ril—2.5. The 2nd and 3rd weigh period gains were CV 18 39 32 19 more respectable and indicate a fairly good gain LSD (10% level) 125 147 59 230 for Ianuary and February. The calves were pure- bred Brangus and Brahman heifers and bulls. The cupped after regrowth of gfazed p101; total gain of 3,803 lb on the 34 acres resulted in a Harvest Date gain of about 112 lb of animal gain per acre. In 1981-82, tester animals were made up of l0 1988 1981 Brahman heifers, 15 Brangus heifers (mean weight Nov, Deg, jan, Feb, Tom 400 lb), and 12 Simmental crossbred steers (mean Variety 19 17 14 13 Yield weight 600 lb). Grazing was initiated on the wheat Coker 6845 1415 672 791 97 2975 on November 3rd with ample forage being avail- McNai, 1003 1247 1008 863 664 3762 1 able. The ADG tOI the three gIOL1pS 0t cattle (Table ‘Arthur 71 1151 596 500 335 2332 1 4) indicate good gains in November and December Tx-72-9 983 792 144 447 2366 , but only small gains were made in Ianuary. TX-73-93 1223 624 408 369 2624 1 The total animal gain was 5,060 lb or an aver- M93" 1284 758 581 388 2912 age of 150 lb/A during 1981-82. Low ADG in Ianuary CV o 171 36 6’ 127 21 1 was the result of a 10-inch snowfall which covered LSD (19 “even NS NS NS NS 919 2 ‘1 the forage 101' several dCIYS. In addition, due t0 1N5 = means are not significantly different at the 10% level of probability. the stress caused by the cold weather, several of the Brahman heifers became sick; the study was TABLE 3. FORAGE YIELDS (LB OVENDRY WT/A) OF 5 WHEAT VARIETIES MECHANICALLY CLIPPED UNTIL MID- FEBRUARY VERSUS REGROWTH OF GRAZED PLOTS IN 1981 -82 Dec. Jan. Feb. Total Variety 16 25 18 Yield Mechanically clipped until Feb. 18, not grazed TAM-W-1 O6 2324 1252 333 3909 Coker 68-15 1839 1047 330 3216 NK 812 1864 996 335 3195 McNair 1003 1788 970 330 3088 Tx-73-93 1584 996 281 2861 Mean 1879 1052 322 3253 CV 46 20 16 27 LSD NS‘ NS NS 1126 Clipped after regrowth of grazed plots Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Total Variety 5 2 12 4 Yield TAM-W-106 577 814 983 292 2666 Coker 68-15 529 886 767 401 2575 NK 812 804 587 984 288 2663 McNair 1003 493 994 678 336 2501 Tx-73-93 420 1043 1561 468 3492 Mean 565 864 995 357 2779 CV 20 30 47 32 21 LSD (10% level) 144 NS NS NS 1097 1N5 = means are not significantly different at the 10% level of probability. terminated early (Ian. Z9) to facilitate the adminis- tration of antibiotics to these cattle. The Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory report indicated Fibrinopurulent pneumonia (which may have been viral) was the cause of the illness. Neither the Brangus nor crossbreed cattle were affected by the illness. Grain yields. The grain yields in 1980-81 av- eraged 37 bu/A (Table 5) and were near average for east Texas. Through small samples, estimated yields were 43, 32, and 24 bu/A for McNair 1003, Coker 68-15, and Arthur 71, respectively. Since only Coker 68-15, Arthur 71, and McNair 1003 were planted in the large field, a large portion of the grain was produced by McNair 1003, and a small proportion was produced by Arthur 71. The small plot data indicated that if the Tx-73-93 experimen- tal line had been planted over the entire large field in 1980-81, the average yield would have been in excess of 50 bu/A. I In comparing the treatments in Table 5 fo 1980-81, the mean yield for the grain only plots (unclipped) was 47 bu/A. Highest yields were from Tx-73-93, Coker 68-15, and McNair 1003. Grain yield produced after the clipping treatment was 50 bu/A, or an increase of about 2 bu/A over the unclipped plots. Grain production following grazing de- creased to 43 bu/A. In 1981-82, extremely low grain yields were harvested from all treatments. The primary reason for this was that an extreme fungus disease epidemic, which was caused by frequent wet 4 TABLE 4. CATTLE ADG (LB.) OF 3 WEIGH PERIODS AT OVER- TON, TEXAS FOR 1981-82. Nov. 3- Dec. 1- Jan. 5- Type Animals Dec. 1 Ian. 5 Ian. 29 Period Brahman heifers 1.3 1.3 0.2 0.9 Brangus heifers 1.2 1.3 0.9 1.2 Crossbred steers 3.9 2.3 0.7 2.3 Mean over all animals 2.2 1.7 0.6 — TABLE 5. GRAIN YIELD OF 5 WHEAT VARIETIES IN BU/A OVER 2 YEARS UNDER THREE FORAGE TREATMENTS Total It 1980-81 Forage Treatment Grain Clipped Crazed to Variety Only t0 mid-Feb. mid-Feb. 0 Coker 68-15 55 48 32 McNair 1003 52 53 47 Arthur—71 31 43 38 TX 72-9 40 45 42 Tx-73-93 59 59 57 Mean 47 50 43 CV 18 14 24 LSD 11 10 16 1981 -82 Forage Treatment Grain Clipped Crazed to Variety Only to mid-Feb. mid-Feb. Coker 623-1 32 23 17 J McNair 1003 38 24 28 TAM-W-1 06 25 25 16 Northrup King 31 20 14 Tx-73-93 46 42 30 Mean 34 27 21 CV 28 26 19 LSD 14 9 5 weather patterns, occurred during the head filling period. Secondly, a heavy ryegrass weed problem developed during the second year of continuous wheat. The most important diseases were leaf rust and Septoria nodorum blotch. A new race of leaf rust caused significant yield losses, particularly with Coker 68-15 and McNair 1003. Septoria nodorum blotch was severe on TAM-W-106 and Northrup King 812 as well as Coker 68-15 and McNair 1003. The mean wheat yield for the 34-acre area was 19 bu/A, which is certainly below the average expected yield (35 bu/A). Somewhat high- er yields were obtained under plot conditions. For the grain only treatment (unclipped), a mean yield of 34 bu/A was harvested. The mean yields for the grain after clipping and after grazing decreased 10w 27 and 21 bu/A, respectively. This was a decrease of 21 and 38%, respectively, compared to the un- clipped treatment. The highest yielding varieties were Tx-73-93 and McNair 1003 on all three harvestn/ ing treatments. The mean 2-year yield for the 34- acre field was 28 bu/A. Cattle gains from ryegrass forage. In 1980-81, .\ cattle grazed the ryegrass pasture for 87 days be- fore the study was terminated, at which time there was ample forage available for an additional 30 days grazing. The ADG for each of the 3 monthly weigh periods were 1.05, 1.98, and 2.35 lb per day, respectively. The total ADG was 1.64 lb per day. The weight gain was about 4,522 lb or 150.7 lb/A. The estimated cost of growing the ryegrass pasture (overseeded on bermudagrass) was about $75.00 per acre. In 1981-82, cattle grazed the ryegrass from Feb- ruary 4 for 113 days to late May. The ADG for the Brahman heifers was 1.43 lb. The Brangus heifers hhad 1.30 lb ADG while the crossbred steers had an ADG of 2.21 for the period. The total poundage of beef produced over the entire acreage was 7,448 lb for an average of about 500 lb/A during the 113-day period. Profitability of this system. The cost of grow- ing an acre of wheat in east Texas under the management system utilized in this study was about $161.00. During the first year of the study, income including animal gains, (112 lb/A >< $.65/lb = $72.80) and grain yields (37 bu/A >< $4.25/bu = $157.00 per acre) was $229.80. Therefore, the wheat crop should have produced a profit of $68.80/A. Even in a disastrous year when severe epidemics of fungus diseases cause extremely low grain D yields, the wheat made a profit. In the second year of the study, animal gains of 150 lb/A (at $.65/lb = $97.50) and only 19 bu of grain/A (at $3.75/bu = $71.25), resulted in an income of $168.75 per acre. The net profit would have been about $7.75 per acre. Data from this study indicate that by using wheat as a dual purpose grazing-grain crop, there is a high probability of making a profit. Disadvantages of producing wheat in a grazing/grain system in east Texas are: 1. There is a lack of soil moisture for planting in September. 2. Fungus disease, which may occur on wheat, can greatly reduce grain yields. 3. Availability of grain handling, drying, and storage equipment may be problematic. 4. Weed problems (cheat and ryegrass) will reduce grain yields and increase harvest- ing difficulties. 5. There is a shortage of local wheat markets. Advantages of producing wheat in a grazing/ grain system are: 1. Costs of a dual purpose crop remain about the same while the cash crop (wheat grain) is a bonus. 2. The system provides an option that does not have to be decided until February. 3. There is increased efficiency of land, fer- tilizer, and equipment. 4. Risk is reduced, particularly for a grain only crop. 5. Acreage harvested for grain will qualify for federal farm programs. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Financial support provided by Texas Power and Light Company made this study possible and is gratefully acknowledged. LITERATURE CITED . Atkins, 1. M., I. H. Gardenhire, D. E. Weibel, K. B. Porter, and K. A. Lahr. Performance of small grain varieties in Texas, 1949-57. Texas Agr. Exp. Station Bulletin 899. April 1958. . Chesmore, R. A. Elbon Rye, hottest pasture in cold weather. Progressive Farmer 75-1, October 1960. . Conrad, B. E. 1976. Forage and animal production programs for South Texas. In Grasses and Legumes in Texas. Res. Monograph 6:42-44. i '. ‘ ' . Davis, I. H., E. O. Gangstad, and H. L. Hackerott. Button clover, a reseeding winter annual legume tor North Central Texas. Texas Research Foundation, Hoblitzelle Agr. Lab. Bulletin 6. Iune 1957.1 . Evers, G. W. l98l._Ryegrass evaluation in Southwest Texas. In Forage Researchin Texas. Soil and CropSci. Tech. Rept. 81-12139-30." . GangstadfE. Oq-"l962wllilVintér grazing of small grains in North Central’ Texas. Hoblitzelle Agr. Lab. Tex. Res. Foun- dation Bulletin 11:18. i ‘ . Hill, H. O. ~, and I. R. Iohnston. An approach to year-round grazing in the Texas blacklands. Texas Agr. Exp. Station Progress Report 1114. March 1948. . Holt, E. C. Small grains for forage. Texas Agr. Exp. Station 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. . Murfield, Doug. 1982. Texas Agr. Facts. Texas Livestock and Reporting Service SM-17-82. Nelson, L. R. 1980. Variety test for winter annual foragc- production. In Forage Research in Texas. Soil and Crop Scifi Tech. Rept. 80-6:37-40. Nelson, L. R. 1981. Forage variety tests for oats triticale, wheat, rye and ryegrass. In Forage Research in Texas. Soil and Crop Sci. Tech. Rept. 81-12:22-28. Nelson, L. R. 1982. 1980-81 Forage production for oats, rye- grass, rye, triticale, and wheat. In Forage Research in Texas. Texas Exp. Sta. Progress Rept. CPR-4024z35-4l. Norris, M. I. 1976. Forage and animal production programs for Central Texas. In Grasses and Legumes in Texas. Res. Monograph 6:36-38. Norris, M. I. Unpublished data. McGregor Res. Center. Parmer, W. R., and E. D. Cook. Forage production of small grain varieties, Blackland Exp. Station, 1953-54. Texas Agr." Exp. Station Progress Report 1751. February 1955. Riewe, M. E. 1976. Principles of grazing management. In Grasses and Legumes in Texas. Texas Agr. Exp. Sta. Mono- graph 6:18-20. Riewe, M. E., I. C. Smith, I. H. Iones, and E. C. Holt. 1963. Grazing production curves. I. comparison of steer gains on Gulf ryegrass and tall fescue. Agron. I. 55:367-372. . 20. Rouquette, F. M. Ir., I. V. Davis, and M. I. Florence. 1982. Buuetm 944' December 1959' Influence oi monensin on gain of stocker calves grazing 9. McCartor, M. M., and F. M. Rouquette, Ir. 1976. Forage and cool-season annual grasses. In Forage Research in Texas. animal production program tor East Texas. In Grasses and Texas Agr. Exp. Sta. Progress Report. CPR-4024-5:13. Legumes i“ Tex“- Res- M°n°graph 6325379- 21. Stansel, R. H., P. B.1Dunkle, and D. L. Iones. 1937. Small . McDaniel, M. E. 1976. Small grains. In Grasses and Leg- umes in Texas. Res. Monograph 6:243-249. grains and rye grass for winter pasture. Texas Agr. Exp. Sta. Bulletin 539. Mention of a trademark or a proprietary product does not constitute a guarantee or a warranty of the product by the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station and does not imply its approval to the exclusion of other products that also may be suitable. All programs and information of The Texas Agricultural Experiment Station are available to everyone without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, or national origin. 1.2M—11-83