7 reasons to consider wholecropping cereals for cattle

Dairy and beef units that want to reduce the risk of growing forage should consider cultivating wholecrop, say forage advisers.

Ideal for fitting in along a grass- and maize-based forage system, wholecrop offers versatility at harvesting and can help lower production costs. 

Speaking at the Farmers Club, London, on Tuesday, 10 May, yeast and forage additive company Biotal reported promising results from Harper Adams Niab trial plots looking at 11 winter and spring crops, including wheat, barley and triticale.

Roy Eastlake, technical support manager at Biotal, says wholecrop can be harvested in early, mid- or late summer without risking D-value.

He recommends late harvesting for higher starch if maize is poor but grass has performed well to increase starch in feed.

“Don’t forget the possibilities of crimping cereals,” he adds. “With good grass and good maize, a very late harvest can be taken as crimp to save on concentrates.

“A mid-season harvest at about 37-42%DM can save poor grass if maize is looking promising. If grass is wet, wholecrop can be taken later to get a drier feed.”

Wholecrop advantages

1. Reduce risk from forage
2. Improve forage production (Kingshay 2015 data shows top 25% of farms save 1.75p/litre on average farms by providing obtaining 47% milk from forage instead of 29%
3. Reduce production costs
4. Improve rumen health
5. Build resilience into your system
6. Improve rotations, soil and manure management
7. Most dairy farmers can grow good cereals

What to choose

Rather than replacing grass or maize, Mr Eastlake sees cereals as an addition, to spread the risk of a poor spring and bad harvesting weather hampering grass and maize silage.

“We saw tough harvesting conditions in 2015 for maize and have had wet summer and slow springs for grass silage, too.”

Spring triticale

Costs: (excluding rent)

• Inputs £371.11/ha (£156.4/ac)
• Cultivations: £320.74/ha (£129.8/ac)
• Variable costs: £832.91/ha (£342.99/ac) ((including rent and interest)

Spring triticale	D-value (%)	Starch (%)	NDF (%)
Week 1	67	12.1	41.4
Week 2	65.9	20.9	38.5
Week 3	67.1	25.2	38.6
Week 4	65.6	28	37.6
Week 5	65.9	28.1	39.6

© Design Pics Inc/REX/Shutterstock

Winter wheat

Costs (excluding rent):

• Inputs £486.27/ha
• Cultivations: £331.95/ha
• Variable costs of £1,053/ha (including rent and interest)

Spring triticale	D-value (%)	Starch (%)	NDF (%)
Week 1	61	0	60.9
Week 2	64.6	10	43.3
Week 3	66.5	17.8	42.1
Week 4	66.1	22	42.6
Week 5	66.5	25.2	43.4

Wholecropping in practice

Peter Lord, farm manager at Hartpury College, Gloucestershire, has lifted intakes since adding wholecrop cereals to cow diets nearly eight years ago.

The farm has averaged 36.6t/ha since 2009, excluding 2012 and 2015 – when 32.5t/ha was achieved across the 30ha typically grown.

“Adding wholecrop winter wheat saw freshweight intakes lift 6-7%,” recalls Mr Lord.

“We would have been feeding about 48-49kg of freshweight, whereas we are now feeding about 54-55kg.

“We choose varieties based on AHDB data and while there isn’t as much information on triticale as there is on wheat and barley, it’s important to use what there is.

“Wholecrop fits our system. It spreads the workload over the summer due to the early harvest and I have always found grass establishment difficult after maize.”

Top tips for wholecrop

• Grow to maximise quality and yield
• Don’t cut back on inputs or advice – use an agronomist and feed the crop well
• Choose varieties from AHDB lists for resistance to diseases that are prevalent in your area
• Ensile well – minimise aerobic spoilage