Nurse Cropping and Fall Grazing of Winter Canola.

In the southern Great Plains winter wheat is frequently grazed by cattle in the fall through early spring, and then later harvested for grain in a dual-purpose system. Producers were interested in growing winter canola the same way. Growing a nurse crop with winter canola might improve winter survival and increase fall forage production. Field studies were conducted at the KSU-SWREC in Garden City, KS. Study design was a split-plot RCB with four replications. Main plot was a factorial of canola variety (Griffin or Wichita) and nurse crop (none, spring triticale, winter triticale, radish, and turnip), and split-plot was with or without simulated fall grazing (haying). Griffin grew more prostate than Wichita, but both varieties are well adapted to being grown in Kansas. Haying in the fall reduced grain yield of Wichita 48% and Griffin 34%. Griffin’s prostate growth likely protected the plant more from the damage of haying than the upright growth of Wichita. Nurse cropping decreased canola fall stand, winter survival, spring stand, and grain yield. Nurse crops can improve fall forage production. Spring triticale had the least negative impact on grain yield, yet had some positive impact on fall forage production. Turnip and radish had the most negative impact on grain yield, but also increased fall forage production the most. The results from this study indicate canola grown for grain should not be grown with a nurse crop or in a dual-purpose system, unless a 30–50% decrease in grain yield is acceptable.