Using Dryland Annual Forage Mixtures as a Forage Option for Grazing Beef Cattle

Cover crops are becoming increasingly popular in place of fallow in many farming regions. In semiarid, high plains regions, being able to utilize these annual forages for beef cattle can be crucial to maintaining beef cattle herds. The objective of this experiment was to evaluate annual forage mixtures for dry matter production and diet quality for beef cattle in a dryland no-till crop production system. In a two-year experiment, spring-planted forage pea (Pisum sativum), oat (Avena sativa), and turnip (Brassica rapa) were compared to crested wheatgrass pasture (Agropyron cristatum) for grazing cattle. Overall, annual forage mixtures had greater forage digestibility than crested wheatgrass (66.1 vs. 51.6%) and greater crude protein (10.0 vs. 6.9%, respectively). Dry matter production was greater for the crested wheatgrass pasture in 2011 than for the annual forage mixture (0.97 vs. 0.55 ton/acre). However, in 2012 the dry matter production was similar for annual forage mixtures and crested wheatgrass pasture (0.74 vs. 0.76 ton/acre, respectively). This integration of crops and livestock may offer an economical approach to using land for both grain and cattle production, while providing some deferment of perennial grass pastures when needed.