2019 Kansas Summer Annual Forage Hay and Silage Variety Trial

In 2019, summer annual forage variety trials were conducted across Kansas near Garden City, Hays, and Scandia. All sites evaluated hay and silage entries. Companies were able to enter varieties into any possible combinations of research sites, so not all sites had all varieties. Across the sites, a total of 95 hay varieties, 99 sorghum silage varieties, and 12 corn silage varieties were evaluated.


Introduction
Annually there are approximately 35,000,000 acres of hay and haylage harvested in the U.S. for a total of 96,000,000 dry matter tons of production. Yields in Kansas averaged 2.77 tons of dry matter per acre. Of this total, about 13,600,000 acres were alfalfa, which averaged 3.76 dry matter tons per acre, and all other crops averaged 2.13 dry matter tons/a.
In Kansas, there were 2,400,000 acres of hay and haylage harvested with an average yield of 2.24 dry matter tons per acre. Of this total, 650,000 acres were alfalfa with an average yield of 3.72 dry matter tons per acre, and 1,770,000 acres were crops other than alfalfa with an average yield of 1.69 dry matter tons/a. Kansas ranked 6th in the U.S. for hay and haylage production. This largely supports the state dairy (ranked 19th in the U.S. and valued at $483,000,000) and cattle (feedlot, background, and cow/calf) industries (ranked second in the U.S. and valued at $10,200,000,000). Dairy and beef cattle represented 58% of the total agricultural product of Kansas. Hay and grain commodities that support these two industries are critical for the state.

Study Objectives
The objectives of the Kansas Summer Annual Forage Hay and Silage Variety Trial are to evaluate the performance of released and experimental varieties, determine where these varieties are best adapted, and increase the visibility of summer annual forages in Kansas. Breeders, marketers, and producers use data collected from the trials to make informed variety selections. The Summer Annual Forage Trial is planted at locations across Kansas based on the interest of those entering varieties into the test.

Procedures
In 2019, the Summer Annual Forage Variety Test was conducted near Garden City, Hays, and Scandia, KS. All of the sites evaluated hay and silage entries. Companies were able to enter varieties into any possible combinations of research sites, so not all sites had all varieties. In the hay test, there were 40 entries at Garden City, 28 at Hays, and 27 at Scandia. In the silage test, there were 38 sorghum and 6 corn entries at Garden City, 26 sorghum and 6 corn at Hays, and 35 sorghum at Scandia (Table 1). Across the sites, a total of 95 hay varieties, 99 sorghum silage, and 6 corn silage varieties were evaluated. Information on the varieties is shown in Tables 2, 3, and 4. Management guidelines were provided to cooperators; however, previous growing experience influenced final management decisions. All trials were planted in small research plots (approximately 225 ft 2 ) with three replications. Cultural practices (Table 5), growing season temperature, and precipitation (Figures 1, 2, and 3) are provided for each site. Results are listed alphabetically by seed supplier. Forage samples were dried, ground, and analyzed for nutrient contents using NIR (near infrared reflectance) by Sevitech Laboratories in Dodge City, KS. Nutrient contents measured were crude protein (CP), adjusted crude protein (Adj_CP), nitrogen free neutral detergent fiber (NDFn), acid detergent fiber (ADF), neutral detergent fiber organic matter basis (aNDFom), lignin, undigested aNDFom remaining after in vitro digestion at 240 hr (uNDFom240), neutral detergent fiber-digestible at 240 hr (NDFD240), water soluble carbohydrates (WSC), starch, total fatty acids (TFA), ash, calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), magnesium (Mg), potassium (K), sulfur (S), non-fiber carbohydrates (NFC), total digestible nutrients using Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC) calculation (TDN_OARDC), net energy for lactation 3x intake using OARDC (NEL3x_OARDC), net energy for gain using OARDC (NEG_OARDC), net energy for maintenance using OARD (NEM_OARDC), and relative feed value (RFV).

Growing Conditions
Temperature and precipitation (Figures 1, 2, and 3) for each site is shown. Thick black lines on the temperature graphs represent long-term average high and low temperatures (°F) for the location. The upper thin line represents actual daily high temperatures, and the lower thin line represents actual daily low temperatures. On the precipitation graph, the line labeled "normal" represents long-term average precipitation , and the line labeled "2019" represents actual precipitation.
In general, the 2019 growing season saw near normal temperatures, and above average precipitation throughout the growing season. Precipitation was below average in the fall at Garden City only, but that site was irrigated, and moisture was not limiting.

Results and Discussion
Since all entries were not evaluated across all sites, data were analyzed by location. All locations had a control entry of Rox Orange (Waconia) and Sumac for the hay test, and a control entry of Kansas Orange for the silage test.