Alyssa Essman, Assistant Professor and Emma Matcham, Assistant Professor, Department of Horticulture and Crop Science, The Ohio State University
We’re still a few months away from planting winter annual forages in Ohio, but now is a great time to start planning for fall. This article covers some ground preparation reminders that help overcome common challenges with establishment, winter kill, and weed control in small grain forages.
Planting for small grains should occur after the Hessian Fly Free date, and planting before this date rarely increases spring yield. Earlier plantings of small grains in Ohio are only recommended when utilizing small grains for fall pasture. Aim to plant wheat or barley within 10-14 days of the fly free date for your county (Figure 1). Cereal rye is our most cold tolerant small grain and can be planted up to November 1. Triticale is more cold tolerant than wheat but less cold tolerant than cereal rye; aim to plant triticale by October 20th in southern Ohio and October 10th in northern Ohio.
Figure 1. Fly free date map for Ohio, originally from https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2015-29/hessian-fly-free-date-good-wheat-cover-crops-and-disease
Many fields in a silage corn-small grain baleage rotation will have compaction issues along field entrances and other paths of travel. Evaluate compaction during your summer crop, focusing on paths of travel that get used during harvest and manure application. Signs to watch out for include shorter plants, horizontal root development, and harder soils. I like to bring a survey flag with me and insert it into the soil, feeling for areas with increased resistance to the flag.
If you identify compacted areas, consider whether targeted deep tillage would be useful in portions of your field(s), and if so, when, where, and how deep to till. Generally, aim to till at least one inch deeper than the compacted layers. This deeper tillage pass may only be necessary in parts of the field with frequent machinery traffic, and avoiding tillage across the whole field can help maintain soil health in other portions of the field while reducing how much you spend on diesel while tilling. Tillage between silage corn harvest and small grain planting is frequently easier than tilling in the spring between small grain harvest and corn planting, partially due to dryer weather and partially due to the timing of corn silage harvest.
Small grains have slightly larger seeds than a lot of our other common forage crops and should be planted a bit deeper—aim for around 1.5 inches below the soil surface. Consistent planting depth into a firm seedbed helps emergence and overwintering in small grains. Check depth regularly, especially in wet conditions or when soils are hard and dry. Recommended seeding rates for wheat and rye planted in the 2 weeks following the fly-free date is 1.2 to 1.6 million seeds/acre; when planting 3 to 4 weeks after the fly free date, target 1.5 to 2 million seeds/acre. Aim to plant at the higher end of those ranges when growing small grains for forage.
Where tillage will not be implemented between corn silage and small grain planting, management of fall-emerging winter annual weeds should be a consideration. Successful crop establishment resulting in a healthy, dense stand allows small grains to effectively compete with weeds in the spring. Glyphosate, saflufenacil (Sharpen), and paraquat can be used as burndown options ahead of crop emergence. Control of winter annuals including chickweed, purple deadnettle, and other emerged plants at the time of application should be a priority for any fall treatments. In the spring, herbicides can help clean up any break throughs from summer annual species that may be of concern. For effective herbicide options, review control ratings in the small grains herbicide table of the Weed Control Guide. Spring applications can largely take place prior to jointing, after which it will be increasingly important to check labels to assess growth stage cutoffs. When reviewing labels, also be sure to evaluate any grazing or forage feeding restrictions.
For cereal rye planted after silage corn, grass weed control is complicated by few labeled herbicide options, even compared with wheat and barley. Management largely relies on cultural practices. In general, cereal rye is very competitive, and if allowed to generate sufficiently, biomass will smother and outcompete most grassy weed species. Using crop rotation can be an effective method to increase control diversity and reduce weeds. Prioritizing grass weed control in these other rotations can help drive down populations and seeds in the soil seedbank over time.