Evaluation of Winter Wheat and Oat Varieties Under Dual-Purpose Management In Central Texas.

It is a common practice for winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and oat (Avena sativa L.) to be used as pasture for grazing cattle during the winter months and as a grain crop in the spring (dual-purpose). Many commercially available and experimental varieties are continually evaluated based on their ability to produce grain, but little yield data is available on wheat and oats under dual-purpose management. To address this issue, a study was planted at three locations in Central Texas that included thirty wheat and ten oat cultivars. The objective of this study was to evaluate cultivars based on forage production and grain yield to identify varieties best suited to dual-purpose production. The experimental design was a randomized complete block design with four replicates at each location. Planting occurred in mid-September to promote fall forage growth prior to the onset of cold weather. Nitrogen was applied based on soil test recommendations prior to planting and after the second forage cutting. Forage was harvested when the plants reached a height of 30.5 cm to simulate grazing. The location at College Station under limited irrigation produced enough forage growth for two cuttings (December 9 and February 3), while the two rain-fed sites were only cut once due to lack of growth (ASTREC - January 28 and McGregor - March 3.) Clipping was discontinued following the development of the first node, avoiding damage to the growing point and allowing for grain production. Grain harvest took place from early to mid-May and samples were tested for moisture, test weight, and protein content. The varieties that exhibited the highest forage production included Doans wheat and Heavy Grazer 76-30 oat at College Station, Billings wheat and Heavy Grazer 76-30 oat at McGregor, and Santa Fe wheat and TAMO 606 oat at ASTREC. The varieties producing highest grain yields include Sturdy 2k wheat and TAMO 606 oat at both College Station and McGregor and TAM 304 wheat and LA 9017 oat at the ASTREC location. Forage samples are currently being tested for nutritive value.