Perennial forage grains for fall grazing of beef cattle

多年生谷物，特别是驯化的中间冰草(IWG)，作为粮食作物正接近商业化。由于这种作物的多年生特性，即一次种植多次收获种子(年份)，在深秋放牧收获后再生将为牛肉生产商提供额外的竞争力，因为它提供了在同一土地上顺序种植经济作物和高质量动物饲料的新潜力。此外，利用牛将植物生物量循环利用为未来生长所需的养分，可以为有机和常规粮食生产者提供经济和环境选择，以维持多年生作物生产。与一年生谷物相比，IWG在碳捕获方面具有较高的水利用效率。将评估多年生谷物为野生动物，特别是水禽提供筑巢栖息地的潜力，因为它们涉及有限的土壤干扰(耕作)和早春生长。秋季再生主要是多叶的，为肉牛提供高营养的饲料，而通常用于扩大放牧的牧草质量较低。在今年晚些时候将牛留在牧场上可以降低饲养成本，并减少粪便的移走和分发。该项目旨在确定单独生产多年生谷物和与多年生豆科作物一起生产多年生谷物的经济和环境效益，以及放牧收获后再生长对牛肉生产者和谷物生产者的额外好处。通过多学科的协作努力，该项目将调查IWG晚秋放牧在谷物和肉牛作物上的农学、环境和经济价值。这将包括水使用、温室气体缓解、生境发展和这些做法对生物多样性的影响。预期结果包括IWG放牧对牛肉数量和质量的有利影响、通过放牧减少IWG谷物生产的营养投入、增强生物多样性、改善环境和鼓励野生动物。支持合作伙伴包括商品团体(马尼托巴省牛肉生产商)、行业组织(加拿大无限制鸭子)和政府(马尼托巴省牛肉和饲料倡议)，他们将参与一些能力，包括参与项目测量、数据分析和通过向最终用户传播数据的综合技术转让战略。培训高素质的人员将是该项目的核心，整个研究团队和支持伙伴都将参与其中。

Perennial grains, especially domesticated intermediate wheatgrass (IWG), are approaching commercialization as food crops. Due to the perennial nature of this crop i.e. multiple seed harvest (years) off of a single planting, grazing of post-harvest regrowth in the late fall would provide added competitiveness to beef producers, by offering the novel potential for a cash crop and high quality animal feed production sequentially off the same area of land. In addition, using cattle to recycle plant biomass into much needed nutrients for future growth could provide both organic and conventional grain producers with both economic and environmental options to sustain perennial crop production. IWG has been shown to have a high water-use efficiency rate with respect to carbon capture when compared to annual grains. The potential for perennial grains to provide nesting habitat for wildlife, especially waterfowl will be assessed as they involve limited soil disturbance (tillage) and early spring growth. Fall regrowth is predominantly leafy, providing highly nutritious feed for beef cattle when forages typically used for extended grazing are low quality. Maintaining cattle on pasture later into the year reduces costs of feeding and mitigates manure removal and distribution. This project aims to identify economic and environmental benefits of producing perennial grains, both on its own and in conjunction with a perennial legume, and the added benefits of grazing the post-harvest regrowth to both beef producer and grain producers. Through a multidisciplinary, collaborative effort this project will investigate the agronomic, environmental and economic value of late fall grazing of IWG on both the grain and beef cattle crops. This will include water use, greenhouse gas mitigation, habitat development and biodiversity impacts of these practices. Anticipated outcomes include beneficial impacts of IWG grazing on beef quantity and quality, reduced nutritional inputs via grazing for IWG grain production, enhanced biodiversity, environmental improvements and wildlife encouragement. Supporting partners include commodity groups (Manitoba Beef Producers), industry organizations (Ducks Unlimited Canada) and government (Manitoba Beef and Forage Initiative) who will be involved in a number of capacities including involvement in project measurements, data analysis and through integrated tech transfer strategies for data dissemination to the end users. Training of highly qualified personnel will be core to the project with involvement across the breadth of the research team and supporting partners.