Forage needs during early fall to spring in the southern Great-Plains are primarily met by feeding hay or grazing on cool season annuals. Small grains have the potential to meet needs for early fall-winter forage. The objectives for The Noble Foundation small grains breeding program are to develop cultivars with potential for early fall-winter forage production and better adaptation to harsh weather of the region. Breeding lines have been developed mainly through double and three-way crosses. Our results showed, among different small grains, rye has the greatest potential for early fall-winter forage. Triticale is a new crop particularly suitable for the light textured soils of southern Oklahoma and north Texas. Forage wheat, particularly the dual-purpose wheats, provides options for the growers because of their additional grain production and marketing potential. In warmer weather and heavier textured soils, oats have excellent forage potential. Early fall-winter yield of late maturing rye cultivars ‘Maton' and ‘Elbon' was only 33-34% of the total production. Line (NF-65) with potential upto 50% early production have been identified and tested in different regions of OK, TX, LA, AL, GA, and FL. The NF-65 total forage yield (5508 dry lb/ac) was close to other check rye cultivars but early forage yield was at least 30% higher over ‘Maton' and ‘Elbon' and 8% over the early cultivar ‘Oklon'. It appears that fall-sown rye cultivars have the potential for extending the grazing season in the southern Great-Plains. Simple sequence repeat (SSR) DNA markers were identified to discriminate different rye cultivars.