Growth Stage Influences Forage Yield and Quality of Winter Rye

Winter rye ( Secale cereale L.) is a common cover crop in the Upper Midwest United States with potential as a forage crop; but little is known about the effect of maturity on its spring forage yield and quality. Our objective was to determine the forage yield and quality of three winter rye cultivars at six different maturities in four environments. The yield response to increased maturity was quadratic and variable over environment with ranges at boot (Zadok 41) of 1.2 to 2.7 tons/acre, at heading (Zadok 51) 1.4 to 4.2 tons/acre, and at dough (Zadok 81) of 4.4 to 9.5 tons/acre. Forage crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber digestibility (NDFD), and digestible dry matter (DDM) decreased with maturity while neutral detergent fiber (NDF) increased. Average NDF digestibility decreased linearly from 82.5% at tillering to 44.1% at soft dough. Rye cultivars had similar forage yield and quality except for CP. Vitallo had lower CP levels than Rymin or Spooner. Producers can maximize yield by harvesting at dough (Zadok 81) or forage quality by harvesting at tillering (Zadok 21). Rye provides good yield and high quality forage at many environments and maturities.