All rights reserved. No part of this periodical may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. C rop diversification, reduced fallow periods, and limited inputs are being promoted in the Great Plains to improve economic and environmental sustainability in dryland cropping systems (Peterson et al., 1993). In Montana, more than 1.59 million ha or 36% of the dryland acreage for annual crop production was in summer fallow in 2003 (NASS, 2010). Producers are encouraged to diversify crops away from monocultures, primarily wheat (T. aestivum L.), to reduce the area of land under fallow, and to reduce farm inputs, especially those that have negative impacts on economic and environmental sustainability (Matson et al., 1997; Struick and Bonciarelli, 1997; Gregory et al., 2002). Water typically is the primary limiting factor for growing crops in durum-based cropping systems in the semiarid northern Great Plains (NGP). Conventional summer fallow usually increases both soil water storage and NO 3-N concentration for subsequent crop use. Summer fallow, however, is ineffi cient for precipitation storage, averaging only 25% effi ciency in tilled systems (Farahani et al., 1998). Intensifi cation of crop production by reducing summer fallow provides more effi cient utilization of water in the semiarid central Great Plains (Farahani et al., 1998). Available N is the second most limiting factor for dryland crop production in semiarid agroecosystems (O'Leary and Connor, 1997). Soil NO 3-N availability is usually related to cereal yields. Increased NO 3-N content can also contaminate surface and groundwater due to N leaching and surface runoff. For decreasing fertilizer N applications and improving N utilization, producers are encouraged to diversify away from cereal monocultures, primarily spring wheat and durum, to improve crop N uptake and reduce residual soil N and N leaching. Additionally, purchasing fertilizer N is a signifi cant expense for producers. Improved nutrient-use effi ciency, particularly N, is an important goal in cropping systems (Karlen et al., 1994; Raun and Johnson, 1999). Huggins and Pan (2003) showed determination of key indicators of nitrogen use effi ciency (NUE) in cereal-based agroecosystems enabled broad assessment of agronomic management and environmental factors related to N use. Key indicators of NUE include N in grain and N aboveground biomass, N harvest index, and grain N accumulation effi ciency. Annual cereal forage crops are well adapted to semiarid NGP

No abstract

No abstract

‘Willow Creek’ forage winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) (Reg. No. CV‐1032, PI 655073) was released by the Montana Agricultural Experiment Station. Awnletted cereal forages are widely used for hay production on integrated crop–livestock operations in the Northern Great Plains. Five awnletted winter wheat accessions were evaluated for forage characteristics in 1996 and 1997, and Willow Creek was selected directly from PI 306505. Willow Creek was evaluated in replicated trials for forage yield and quality, grain yield, and agronomic characteristics from 1998 through 2008. Willow Creek is an awnletted winter wheat cultivar with good performance as an annual hay crop under irrigated or rainfed conditions in Montana and Wyoming. This cultivar has excellent winterhardiness and is tall and late‐maturing. Willow Creek has good forage quality characteristics suitable for use by livestock in winter maintenance diets.

Nitrogen fertilizer recommendations for triticale (X Triticosecale Wittmack) and soft red winter (SRW) wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in the southeastern USA are similar in spite of different end uses. Grain yield, protein, and amino acid composition of four triticale cultivars were evaluated over five N levels ranging from 30 to 150 lb/acre in four Georgia environments. Nitrogen was topdressed as ammonium nitrate at peak tillering. Relative economic value of triticale for feed was calculated assuming total replacement of corn (Zea mays L.) plus variable amounts of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] meal (SBM) in a standard swine diet formulated to 100% of National Research Council (NRC) lysine requirement at representative prices for corn and SBM. Significant grain yield responses to N occurred in three of the four environments. Grain yield was maximized with 90 or 120 lb N/acre depending on environment and cultivar. Yield component responses to N were increased tiller density, decreased seeds per head, and decreased seed weight. Quantity of all amino acids increased linearly with N indicating potential for enhancing nutritional value by increasing N to raise contents of limiting essential amino acids. The superior lysine content of triticale relative to corn resulted in a relative cash price for triticale, which averaged 6% higher than corn value (range 3% to 10%). Despite N‐induced increases in lysine content and relative nutrional value of triticale for feed, marginal return per acre was maximized at N levels associated with maximum grain yield. Cultivars varied for all traits except tiller density. Maximum economic return per acre was obtained with improved cultivars Florico and Florida 201, which had higher yield potential and test weight, but lower lysine content, than cultivars Beagle 82 and Morrison. Based on our study using 1997 prices, current N recommendations for small grains of 60 to 120lb N/acre depending on previous crop, are appropriate for triticale. At these N levels, cultivar selection is more important for increasing returns than additional inputs of N. Research Question Although end use and quality parameters of triticale and soft red winter wheat differ, N recommendations for the two crops are the same in the southeastern USA. High rates of N cause undesirable increases in grain protein content and decreases in milling and baking quality of soft red winter wheat, however N‐induced increases in content of limiting essential amino acids could increase the nutritional value of triticale as a feed grain for poultry and swine. This study was conducted to determine triticale cultivar response to N fertilization for grain yield, amino acid composition, and feeding value for swine. Literature Summary Several studies with cereal grains have shown that amino acid contents in grain increase as a linear function of N fertilization. Contents of some nonessential amino acids increase faster than contents of some essential amino acids in response to N, and it is generally concluded that protein quality decrea...