Identifying the Utility of 20 Rye (Secale cereale L) Varieties for Upper Midwestern Agricultural Systems.

In the Upper Midwest, the agricultural landscape is dominated by warm-season annual crops leaving soil vulnerable to erosion, nutrient leaching, and run-off during the spring and fall. Rye (Secale cereale L.), is the second most important cereal grain in the production of bread and is commonly used in mixed animal feeds. In the United States, this winter annual crop is gaining a reputation as a cover crop to fill the void between summer annual cropping seasons. Minnesota growers interested in planting rye need up-to-date information about current cultivars and their potential as cover crops, grazing forages and grain crops. In 2015, 2016 and 2017, 20 rye varieties – from North America and Europe - were grown across five locations: St Paul, Crookston, Lamberton, LeCenter and Kimball MN. Trials were established in September and percent cover was assessed prior to freeze-up. In spring, winter survival, phenological and growth development and forage quality were evaluated. Above-ground biomass was harvested at three phenological stages to analyze biomass growth and forage quality using NIR. Biomass accumulation varied among cultivars and locations. Across all locations the highest forage quality occurred between tiller and boot stages. Grain harvest took place in mid-July with results indicating that European hybrid cultivars produced greater grain yields (~7.3 t/ha) than North American cultivars (~4.4 t/ha) by nearly one-third.