Cool Season Winter Annual
Winter triticale is an upright winter annual grass. It has similar winter hardiness as winter wheat, not a tough as fall rye. Lodging resistance varies with variety, but ranges from fair to good. The disease package is different than barley or oats, so tends to be a clean crop. If spring seeded, the plants will stay vegetative and continue to tiller. If fall seeded, there is opportunity to cut or graze the spring growth, allow it to recover, and get a second or third crop that year. Leaves are soft and palatable. Silage of winter triticale is difficult to pack if in a pile. Quality is good, just hard to pack. Silo or wrapped bales would be preferred silage harvest method.
Seeds per pound: 12,000 Seeds/sq ft/pound 0.33
Uses:
- Erosion control
- Soil builder
- Nitrogen scavenger
- Weed suppression
- Grazing potential
- Hay potential
Strengths:
- High biomass production
- Different disease package as compared to barley or oats
Concerns:
More ergot susceptible than wheat, not as bad as rye.
Grazing:
Spring seeded – excellent Fall seeded – good.
Hay:
Spring seeded – Fair, short basal leaves Fall seeded – excellent.
Mycorrhizal support? Yes
