There is an increasing interest in wholecrop cereals for forage and the following are some of the main factors driving this interest:
As costs associated with the making of second and third cut grass silage increase the attractiveness of wholecrop cereals increases.
Many farms may not be in locations favourable for growing maize, but may be quite suitable for wholecrop cereal production.
Recent research has shown that a combination of grass silage with wholecrop in the diet has increased animal performance over either feed on its own.
It is difficult to produce high quality grass silage consistently, particularly so for second cut, and so wholecrop cereals can be very useful as an alternative to later cuts of silage.
Labour and convenience are becoming more important on farms and wholecrop cereals can play a part here, since contractors can do a lot of the work involved.
Crops, costs and returns:
The table below compares the various cereal crops that can be used and indicates the costs involved and the potential returns.
