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Agents study small grains for silage

   

Dairy farmers in Southwest Virginia may soon have a new option for growing crops to serve as silage for their herds. Agriculture and natural resources Extension agents Chase Scott in Wythe County, Phil Blevins in Washington County, and Walter Robinson in Smyth County are in their second year of field tests designed to determine the feasibility of using small grains as silage where farmers currently are using only corn.

“I had seen farmers successfully using small grains for silage in other parts of Virginia,” says Scott. “I thought there might be a potential economic benefit for southwest producers to try small grains as well.”

The advantage of planting small grains is that they can be planted in the fall, survive the winter, and then provide a source of silage in the spring before the typical planting of corn. As a result, farmers get more feed from the same amount of acreage. An additional benefit is that the small grains serve as a winter cover crop, helping to reduce erosion and assist with nutrient management efforts.

“We’re hoping to gather enough data from our research test plots to help dairy producers make good management decisions about the feasibility of using small grains for silage,” Blevins says. The agents intend to provide data on yield as well as determine the energy, protein, and fiber content of the resulting feed. They are currently testing wheat, barley, triticale, winter peas, and vetch.

“This is a good example of Extension agents taking the initiative to explore new options for our farmers,” says Jim Riddell, Extension’s assistant director for agriculture and natural resources. “By bringing together practical on-farm research and demonstrations with recommendations for producers, the agents may be able to increase profitability for southwest dairy farms.”