Annuals for Greenfeed
Annual cereals and warm‑season crops provide flexible forage options for late‑season planting, summer grazing, greenfeed, swath grazing, or silage. Species selection depends on seeding date, moisture conditions, desired feed type, and soil characteristics.
Cool-Season Annual Forages
Barley • Oats • Winter Wheat • Fall Rye
Barley & Oats
Barley and oats are commonly used for late-season green feed due to quick growth and high energy content.
Uses
- Green feed or silage: Harvest at early to soft dough stage
- Swath grazing: Swath and leave for late-season grazing
- Summer grazing: Ready in 4–6 weeks; avoid grazing below growing points to ensure regrowth
- Moisture management: Suitable when rapid water uptake is needed
- Post-harvest grazing: Regrowth possible with adequate moisture; fertile soils often provide grazing into October
Winter Cereals
Fall rye and winter wheat can provide grazing through summer into late fall due to strong regrowth potential.
Not recommended for green feed or silage in the seeding year because they require vernalization to produce tillers. They also remove less moisture from soil than spring cereals.
Seeding Recommendations
Follow standard grain seeding principles. Many producers increase seeding rates by 10–20% for denser stands.
Typical rates:
- Oats: 1.5–3 bu/ac
- Barley: 2–3 bu/ac
Fertility Management
- Aim for balanced fertility to maximize forage yield.
- For late seeding, reduced fertility helps limit nitrate accumulation.
- For winter cereals, split applications support season-long growth.
Intercropping Spring + Winter Cereals
Intercropping increases plant density, nutrient use, and dry matter production.
Common mix example: Barley + Fall rye
- Seed each crop at ¾ of normal rate
- e.g., 1.25–1.5 bu/ac each
- If more early grazing or silage is desired → seed spring cereal slightly heavier
- Avoid overseeding the spring cereal, which can suppress winter cereal growth
Disease Considerations
Annual forages are susceptible to many of the same diseases as grain crops:
- Rusts
- Septoria
- Wheat streak mosaic
Fungicide applications are common in high-disease years and often pay for themselves through increased feed quality.
When to Switch from Cool-Season to Warm-Season Crops
Warm-season crops (millet, sorghum, corn) may be considered depending on:
Key Decision Factors
- How late is seeding?
- Equipment availability
- Seed availability
- Rotation fit
- Weed pressure
- Climate:
- Growing degree days / heat units
- Frost-free period
- Expected precipitation
- Soil type
- Intended use: green feed, silage, or grazing
Warm-Season Forage Crops
Warm-season grasses convert N, CO₂, and water into dry matter more efficiently than cool-season species.
Millets
Millets are widely adapted and can produce excellent forage in hot, dry summers.
Advantages
- Excellent for harvested green feed or swath grazing
- Best performance in hot July–August weather
- Competitive under Manitoba conditions when warm
Limitations
- Under cool growing seasons, barley and oats outperform millets
- Shallow roots limit performance on extremely sandy or waterlogged soils
Species Differences
- Proso millet:
- Earlier, larger seeds
- Better early competitiveness
- Foxtail millet:
- Longer season
- Better for hay and swath grazing
- Thicker stems, slower dry-down
Millet Seeding Recommendations
Seeding Depth: ½–1 inch
Forage Seeding Rates
- Proso millet: 20–25 lb/ac
- Foxtail millet: 15–20 lb/ac
Grain Seeding Rates
- Proso: 15–20 lb/ac
- Foxtail: 10–15 lb/ac
Increasing seeding rates by 25–30% improves stand establishment in stressful conditions.
Millet Fertility
Millets have low fertility requirements; excessive nitrogen increases lodging and nitrate risk.
General Guidelines
- Proso millet: 50–70 lb N/ac (similar to barley/oats)
- Foxtail millet: Slightly higher N possible, but only under ideal conditions
- Apply ≥15 lb P/ac for seedling vigour
Harvesting Millets (Hay or Grain)
Forage
- Cut shortly after heading for best feed quality
- Foxtail millets:
- Thicker stems, slower dry-down
- Preferred for winter swath grazing
- Use conditioners or macerators to speed dry-down and reduce rain risk
- Suitable for ensiling at correct maturity stages
Grain
- Primarily proso millet varieties
- Foxtail millets are less suited to grain harvest and more commonly used as forage
Disease & Insect Considerations
Disease
- Foxtail millets can host wheat streak mosaic, though typically minor
- Consider this when including millet in crop rotations
Insects
- Hairy stems of proso millet deter grasshoppers
- Corn borer may occasionally affect stands
Millet Variety Information
Foxtail Millet (Setaria italica)
Typically used for forage
- Examples include: Golden German, White Wonder, Hungarian, Siberian, Common
- Maturity ranges: 55–110 days
- Forage yield potential: ~2,200–6,500 lb/ac
Proso Millet (Panicum miliaceum)
Typically used for grain
- Examples: AC Prairie Gold, Crown, Dawn, Cerise
- Forage yield potential: ~3,000–7,000 lb/ac
- Grain yields: ~1,000–3,500 lb/ac depending on variety and region
Pearl & Japanese Millet
Less commonly grown; typically lower early vigour or less suited to Manitoba climates.