Evaluation of Winter Canola for Forage Yield and Quality in Comparison to Wheat Bishnoi Udai Ram*, Kumar Suresh, Mentreddy S. Rao Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, Alabama A&M University, Normal, AL., U.S.A *Email: Udai.Bishnoi@aamu.edu
Abstract In Asia and South America, winter canola is produced for oil seed as well as a forage crop. In the southeastern US, canola is only being tried as an oilseed crop but its potential as a forage crop especially in comparison with wheat has not been valuated. Therefore, a two year field study was conducted to evaluate canola (C) cv. Jetton and wheat (W) cv. Jackson grown as sole crop and as intercrop in 1C:1W, 2C:1W, 3C:1W, 1C:2W and 1C:3W ratios harvested at three grazable stages. During both years, canola alone or canola and wheat planted in 1:1 ratio produced the highest fresh forage and dry matter yield in comparison to other ratios when harvested in early to mid March. Fresh forage yield harvested at later dates decreased and this decrease varied among planted ratios particularly with increase of wheat ratio in the intercrop. Forage from sole planted canola harvested on all three grazable dates contained highest crude protein than forage from wheat alone or its increase in planted ratios. Canola forage was similar in crude fiber, neutral detergent fiber, but low in total digestible nutrients than wheat. Forage quality of both crops decreased at later dates of harvest. Top Keywords Brassica napus, Triticum aestivum, forage quality, forage sustainability, fresh forage biomass, canola wheat intercrop. Top |