Spring is an exciting time of the year as we get to start rewriting any mistakes we made last year in forage production to set our farm up for lower feed costs and higher production potential. However, without proper planning, you may be rolling the dice or even hedging towards poor feed quality when it comes to cereal grain forages. The first decision that can still be made for cereal grain forages is the spring nitrogen rate, followed by harvest timing decisions. Spring nitrogen application can increase both yield and crude protein, depending on fall nitrogen application rate and soil nitrogen.
Nitrogen for Yield Increases
We have been conducting a project at the North Central Research Station in Fremont, Ohio to evaluate the effects of spring and fall nitrogen rates on cereal rye yield and quality when the rye was harvested in the boot stage. In both years, spring nitrogen application increased yield when 60 lb./acre or less of fall nitrogen was applied. In 2024 (Figure 1), the yield was maximized when 75 lb./acre of spring nitrogen was applied if fall nitrogen application was 60 lb./acre or less. However in 2025 (Figure 2), if 25 lb/acre of nitrogen or more were applied in the fall, yield was maximized with 30 additional lb/acre of spring nitrogen. Our highest fall nitrogen rates of 75 lb/acre in 2025 or 90 lb./acre in 2024 experienced no yield increase from additional spring nitrogen from 0 to 90 lb./acre. For a stand that received no fall nitrogen, an early application as soon as the crop turns green may provide the greatest increase in tillering to increase yield.
Source : osu.edu