Forage Winter Wheat Production for Jay or Grain in Gallatin County, Montana

Agricultural producers must periodically renovate hay and grasslands to improve production, provide weed control and restructure flood irrigation ditches. However, rotating from hayfields to small grains induces economic burdens from loss of hay production, heavy spring workload, the need for additional machinery and nitrate accumulation in the small grains. Project coordinator George Reich plans to test two types of winter wheat that will yield either as hay or grain for harvest. Success with the winter wheat varieties, from the Montana State University Experiment Station, will give producers an option for hay and grassland renovation that has several benefits over the spring forage barleys typically planted, including potentially higher yields and more efficient use of labor and equipment.