Evaluating rotations of winter annual and summer annual forages for yield, nutritional value, and economic sustainability as forage resources for beef cattle in northern Iowa

Abstract

A winter annual/summer annual forage system can be used to break up the traditional corn/soybean rotation and produce 6-7 tons of forage feed on a dry matter basis. Because these are all grass forages, they tend to respond positively to additional nitrogen fertilizer with increased dry matter yields, crude protein and energy levels.