With hay provides terribly tight in Oklahoma and winter nonetheless right here, each wheat stocker producers and cow-calf producers are on the lookout for forage sources to get by till stockers are bought or grass greens up for grazing. One temptation is to proceed grazing dual-purpose wheat later than is advisable by Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service specialists. This can be a temptation to be resisted!
Previous analysis demonstrates vital financial losses from grazing winter wheat previous the physiological progress section referred to as first hole stem. Relying on climate and site, first hole stem normally seems round March 1 however in heat winters it happens in February. Analysis by Fieser and others reported a 1% loss in wheat grain yield from grazing simply in the future previous first hole stem. Even at that seemingly innocent loss, an evaluation by DeVuyst and others present internet losses of about $1 per acre together with each cattle acquire and wheat grain loss.
Nonetheless, the Fieser analysis evaluated losses on stockpiled wheat forage, a reasonably unusual administration observe in Oklahoma. Alternatively, analysis by Redmon and others evaluated losses from extra conventionally managed wheat grazing. Their outcomes present a 5% common loss in wheat grain yield from simply in the future of prolonged grazing. Within the report by DeVuyst and others that equates to over $11 per acre in misplaced internet returns after contemplating the worth of cattle good points and wheat grain losses.
Grazing for seven days previous first hole stem has considerably worse financial outcomes. Grain yield reductions vary from 6% (Fieser et al.) to 33% (Redmon et al.). Utilizing these estimates of grain yield loss, DeVuyst et al. report financial losses starting from nearly $4 to $75 per acre. Taylor et al. mixed the 2 datasets and report wheat grain lack of 18% with a ensuing financial lack of $35 per acre (DeVuyst et al.).
No matter prior administration, the info clearly present that grazing previous first hole set will not be economically advisable in twin goal wheat programs. Added cattle good points don’t justify misplaced wheat grain yield. Producers are inspired to verify wheat ceaselessly as temperatures heat and wheat is actively rising to keep away from grazing previous the primary hole stem.
References
DeVuyst, E.A., R. Sahs, Ok.W. Taylor, F.M. Epplin, G.W. Horn, and J.T. Edwards. 2023. “The Impact of Prolonged Stocker Grazing on Wheat and Stocker Income” Oklahoma State College Cooperative Extension Service. Pending.
Fieser, B.G., G.W. Horn, J.T. Edwards, and E.G. Krenzer, Jr. “Timing of Grazing Termination in Twin-Goal Winter Wheat Enterprises.” The Skilled Animal Scientist 22(2006):210-216.
Redmon, L.A., E.G. Krenzer Jr., D.J. Bernardo, and G.W. Horn. “Impact of Wheat Morphological Stage at Grazing Termination on Financial Return.” Agronomy Journal 88(1996):94-97.
