Variations of Forage Yield and Nutritive Value in Winter Rye Germplasm.

There has been an increasing use of rye (Secale cereale L.) for winter forage production in the United States because of its good forage yield, nutritive value, and winter hardiness. However, limited information on forage rye is available. To identify variations and germplasm with superior forage yield and/or nutritive value, winter rye germplasm, including elite cultivars and advanced breeding lines, were evaluated during two growing seasons. Effects of germplasm, clipping date, and germplasm by clipping date interactions were significant for dry matter yield (DMY). Clipping date and germplasm by clipping date interactions were significant for crude protein (CP), minerals, and nutritive value, but germplasm effect was not significant. Across the environments, seasonal DMY ranged from 789 kg ha-1 for ThunderGreen at the first clipping to 3733 kg ha-1 for NF97352 at the first clipping. Crude protein concentration varied from 17.7 to 27.9% for ThunderGreen at the third and first clipping, respectively. Cumulative DMY ranged from 5301 kg ha-1 for ThunderGreen to 8114 kg ha-1 for NF95319B. The results of this study identified significant variations in DMY and nutritive value among the rye germplasm, which may provide useful information for rye breeding programs for winter forage production and livestock producers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]