Developing Alternative Forage Production Strategies for Increased Sustainability in Corn Silage Systems.

Most Northeast dairy farmers rely on full season corn silage as their primary source of feed. Despite known dual-purpose potential, small winter grains (SWG) are planted as cover crops to be rolled or incorporated in the spring, but they are rarely harvested. Shorter season corn allows for timely corn harvest and fall planting of SWG. Fall planting delays can result in more than 50% reduction of spring yield (2014-2015: September 1 planting date, 3100 kg ha^-1 vs September 30 planting date, 1460 kg ha^-1). However, concerns of a yield penalty associated with shorter season corn, and potential impact on subsequent corn production, has prevented adoption of double cropping with dual purpose SWG. To address these concerns, rye, wheat, and triticale were evaluated for feed quality and yield potential, nutrient cycling capacity of nitrogen and phosphorous from fall-applied manure (crops captured 12 kg ha^-1 P and 50 kg ha^-1 N in fall 2014), and impact on subsequent corn production.
Spring nitrogen applications to winter grains were assessed for yield increase and implications to the farm nutrient balance; extremes in winter and spring weather are suspected to have impacted varied N responses between years (yield by nitrogen spring 2015 r²=0.92, spring 2016 r²=0.78).  Following spring harvest, the synchrony of winter grain stubble mineralization with N-uptake of subsequently planted short season corn, and effects on in-season nitrogen requirements at PSNT, were also assessed. The effects of the three winter grains on corn emergence and yield were assessed following planting with a no-till planter and glyphosate burn down of SWG regrowth. Spring biomass harvests in 2015 and 2016 (average of all treatments, 2650 and 3138 kg ha^-1, respectively), plus average shorter season corn yields, outyielded systems of full season corn alone.