Source: OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY submitted to NRP
EXPANDED WHEAT PASTURE, OK
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
SPECIAL GRANT
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
0221761
Grant No.
2010-34198-20812
Cumulative Award Amt.
(N/A)
Proposal No.
2010-01619
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Jul 1, 2010
Project End Date
Jun 30, 2011
Grant Year
2010
Program Code
[DI]- Expanded Wheat Pasture, OK
Recipient Organization
OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY
(N/A)
STILLWATER,OK 74078
Performing Department
Animal Science
Non Technical Summary
Winter wheat pasture is a very unique and economically important sustainable resource in Oklahoma and the southern Great Plains. Income is derived from both grain and the increased value that is added as weight gain to growing cattle. This project is a multidisciplinary research and education project involving the Animal Science, Plant and Soil Sciences, and Agricultural Economics Departments. The goal is to be the premier program in the world for discovery and dissemination of scientific information that decreases production risks and improves profitability of feeder cattle and grain production from dual-purpose winter wheat; thus, strengthening the economies of rural communities in the southern Great Plains. The objectives of the research and education program are to: (1) develop supplementation programs and programs for delivery of new technologies that will decrease production risks of growing cattle on wheat pasture and increase profitability of the enterprise, (2) determine the effect of nutrition and management practices on adipose tissue development and deposition in different adipose tissue depots of feeder cattle and final carcass value, (3) develop and distribute new wheat cultivars which maximize profitability of dual-purpose wheat enterprises, 4) determine the economic consequences of alternative strategies for managing cropland suitable for dual-purpose winter wheat production, and (5) determine the ecophysiological effects of grazing intensity on hard red winter wheat in an integrated crop-livestock system. Annual income in Oklahoma could be increased by $82 million by improving the technical efficiency of production of the approximate 1 million stocker cattle that are grown to heavier weights on wheat pasture in Oklahoma prior to being finished in feedlots. In addition, reductions in production risk would most likely result in greater utilization of the 5.8 million acres of wheat for grazing cattle contributing an additional $37 million annually to the state income. Therefore, the potential impact of this ongoing research project could increase annual state income by $176 million. Furthermore, this research has similar potential impacts on the 18 million acres of wheat planted annually and the 5.5 million wheat pasture stocker cattle in the states of Texas, Kansas, New Mexico, and Colorado.
Animal Health Component
80%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
10%
Applied
80%
Developmental
10%
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
2051631101015%
3023399101035%
3053399101025%
3073399107025%
Knowledge Area
302 - Nutrient Utilization in Animals; 205 - Plant Management Systems; 305 - Animal Physiological Processes; 307 - Animal Management Systems;

Subject Of Investigation
3399 - Beef cattle, general/other; 1631 - Winter annual grasses;

Field Of Science
1070 - Ecology; 1010 - Nutrition and metabolism;
Goals / Objectives
The objectives of this research and education program are to (1) develop supplementation programs and programs for delivery of technologies that will decrease production risks of growing cattle on wheat pasture and increase profitability of the enterprise; (2) determine the effect of nutrition and management practices on adipose tissue development and deposition in different adipose tissue depots of feeder cattle and final carcass value; (3) develop and distribute new wheat cultivars which maximize profitability of dual-purpose wheat enterprises; (4) determine the economic consequences of alternative strategies for managing cropland suitable for dual-purpose winter wheat production; and (5) determine the eco-physiological effects of grazing intensity on hard red winter wheat in an integrated crop-livestock production system. Activities will include the actual conduct of beef cattle grazing trials, small plot wheat variety, tillage and management studies, and analysis and summarization of the data. Events will include field days, tours of county cattlemen's associations, etc. The primary products will include new fundamental and applied knowledge, new wheat varieties, and new management practices.
Project Methods
Large replicated pasture studies will be conducted for objectives 1 and 2 to evaluate different supplementation strategies for increasing the profitability of stocker cattle grazed on wheat pasture and to determine the effect of nutrition and management practices on adipose tissue development and deposition in different adipose tissue depots of feeder cattle and final carcass value. These studies will include traditional grazing trials, serial ultrasound and slaughter studies to measure adipose tissue deposition, and expression of known genes related to adipocyte recruitment, differentiation and denovo lipogenesis. For objective 3, wheat varieties will be evaluated for (a) forage production until January 1, (b) grain production, (c) test weight, (d) coleoptile length under conditions representing hot soils encountered with mid-September planting dates, (e) variety rankings for time of appearance of first hollow stem growth stage, and (f) variety rankings for high-temperature germination sensitivity and post-harvest dormancy. As a component of the OAES wheat breeding program, breeding nurseries will be established at Marshall using a graze-plus-grain management system. The purpose of these trials will be to allow selective forces of a grazing system to operate in early-generation segregating bulk populations, while at the same time, culling those populations that lack adequate disease resistance and yield potential in non-replicated trials conducted elsewhere in the state under grain-only conditions. Each trial at Marshall will contain subsets of populations grouped according to their generation of inbreeding, starting with the F2 generation and proceeding through the F4 generation. Each generation represents a stage of selection. For objective 4, data from past and ongoing experiments will be used to estimate wheat forage yield, wheat grain yield, and stocker weight gain from alternative production strategies. Data generated in the trials, functional relationships estimated from the data, and historical prices will be incorporated into enterprise budgets and programming models. These models will be used to test the economics of alternative production strategies and management systems. For objective 5, no-till and crop rotation management practices at two locations in Oklahoma will be demonstrated. All crops will be sown according to extension recommendations using modern equipment that is designed to deliver accurate seeding depth and sufficient seed-to-soil contact for rapid emergence and growth. Fertility amendments will be made when deemed necessary by soil tests and OSU extension recommendations. Where appropriate, forage will be harvested by hand clipping and will be reported on a dry weight basis. Grain will be harvested using a small plot combine and reported according to FGIS standards.

Progress 07/01/10 to 06/30/11

Outputs
OUTPUTS: The Oklahoma State University small grains variety testing program tests 25 to 30 released wheat cultivars and advanced experimental lines in replicated test plots at 25 to 30 sites throughout Oklahoma annually. The wheat multi-use team sows 40 to 45 additional non-replicated wheat variety demonstration tests at sites throughout Oklahoma. All but three of these sites are located on-farm and are conducted with the assistance of farmer-cooperators and many are grown using dual-purpose management techniques. Grazing trials with growing beef cattle are also conducted annually to evaluate supplementation strategies to deliver technologies that improve efficiency of production and profitability of dual-purpose wheat enterprises. Results of these studies have been reported and regional and national scientific meetings, extension education programs such as the Wheatland Stocker Conference and the Kansas State University Beef Stocker Field Day and field days at the Wheat Pasture Research Unit. PARTICIPANTS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. TARGET AUDIENCES: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.

Impacts
Outcomes/impacts include the following: (1) Date of first hollow stem, wheat fall forage production, wheat grain yield, test weight, and protein content data were collected and distributed through direct mailing to over 8,000 stakeholders in Oklahoma; (2) A group of approximately 30 producers at Hooker, OK were shown how variety choice can reduce the incidence and severity of the high plains virus in wheat. Planting a resistant variety increased yield at this site by as much as 19 bushels per acre or over $100 per acre increase in gross returns; (3) Wheat field days and tours were held around the state reaching over 2,000 stakeholders. After these meetings, 90% of the producers attending indicated they would make variety decisions based on information delivered at this meeting; (4) Attendees at the Canadian County field day over the past three years have been asked to complete a short survey. On average 30 - 50 attendees have responded. Respondents have represented a total of 173,364 acres and placed an average value of $29.65 per acre on the information they received at these events. Total perceived value by participants for the 2007-2009 wheat field days was $5,140,247. A primary outcome of the wheat breeding research was the release in 2011 of two hard red winter wheat cultivars, Garrison and Ruby Lee, with broad adaptation to the southern Plains. Both cultivars are targeted for dual-purpose production though their strengths differ when deployed in non-grazing production systems. A study was conducted to determine expected yields and net returns of wheat, cotton, and grain sorghum, under tilled and no-till production systems and to determine the most risk-efficient system. Wheat and cotton yields were not different between tillage systems. Wheat no-till produced the greatest expected net return to land, labor, overhead, and management ($217/ha/year). Wheat no-till required additional expenditures for herbicides ($15/ha), less for machinery fuel, lube, and repairs ($22/ha), and less ($23/ha) for machinery fixed costs. Net returns were slightly greater ($18/ ha) for no-till wheat than for tilled wheat. However, since no-till wheat yields were more variable, tilled wheat may be preferred by risk-averse producers. The objectives of the grazing study during this period were to determine (1) the efficacy of including distillers dried grains and solubles (DDGS) in a corn- and wheat middling-based energy supplement and (2) the effect of a combination grazing implant on grazing/finishing performance and carcass merit of wheat pasture stocker cattle. Results were: (1) Inclusion of 65% DDGS in the energy supplement did not (P < 0.17) influence ADG on wheat pasture; (2) the Component TE-G with Tylan implant increased (P = 0.001) ADG on wheat pasture by 0.31 lb/day; (3) Energy supplementation did not influence feedlot ADG or final carcass characteristics; (4) Implanting with Component TE-G with Tylan during fall/winter grazing increased (P < 0.001) HCW and did not affect marbling score (P = 0.76) and not change the percentage of carcasses that graded in the upper two-thirds of choice.

Publications

  • Edwards, J. and B. Carver. 2010. Deliver awnless hard red winter wheat. OSU Ext. Pub. L-336. Oklahoma State Univ., Coop. Ext. Service, Stillwater, OK.
  • Edwards, J. and B. Carver. 2010. Endurance hard red winter wheat. OSU Ext. Pub. L-335. Oklahoma State Univ., Coop. Ext. Service, Stillwater, OK.
  • Edwards, J. and B. Carver. 2010. Centerfield herbicide-tolerant hard red winter wheat. OSU Ext. Pub. L-334. Oklahoma State Univ., Coop. Ext. Service, Stillwater, OK.
  • Edwards, J. and B. Carver. 2010. Duster hard red winter wheat. OSU Ext. Pub. L-331. Oklahoma State Univ., Coop. Ext. Service, Stillwater, OK.
  • Edwards, J., B Hunger, B. Carver and T. Royer. 2010. 2010 Wheat variety comparison chart. OSU Fact Sheet PSS-2142. Oklahoma State Univ., Coop. Ext. Service, Stillwater, OK.
  • Edwards, J. 2010. Estimating wheat grain yield potential. OSU Fact Sheet PSS-2149. Oklahoma State Univ., Coop. Ext. Service, Stillwater, OK.
  • Edwards, J., and G.W. Horn. 2010. First hollow stem: a critical wheat growth stage for dual-purpose producers. OSU Fact Sheet PSS-2147. Oklahoma State Univ., Coop. Ext. Service, Stillwater, OK.
  • Edwards, J., N. Dunford, B. Carver, R. Kochenower, R. Austin and J. Ladd. 2010. Protein content of winter wheat varieties in Oklahoma 2010. OSU Current Report No 2135. Oklahoma State Univ., Coop. Ext. Service, Stillwater, OK.
  • Sharman, E. D., P. A. Lancaster, G. W. Horn, and G. D. Hufstedler. 2011. Effects of energy supplementation and a combination grazing implant on grazing/finishing performance and carcass merit of wheat pasture stocker cattle. Plains Nutrition Council Spring Conference. 2011-15:114-115.
  • Varner, B.T., F.M. Epplin and G.L. Strickland. 2011. Economics of no-till versus tilled dryland cotton, grain sorghum, and wheat. Agronomy Journal 103:1329-1338.
  • Edwards, J.T., C.B. Godsey, and M. Payton. 2010 Tillage affects wheat forage yield in dual-purpose systems but not grain yield . Online. Crop Management online doi: 10.1094/CM-2010-1105-01-RS
  • Dunn, B.L., D.R. Porter, C.A. Baker, and B.F. Carver. 2011. Screening USDA-ARS wheat germplasm for bird cherry-oat aphid tolerance. J. Crop Improvement 25:176-182.
  • MacKown, C.T., B.F. Carver, and J.T. Edwards. 2010. Variation in crude protein and initial in vitro dry matter digestibility of wheat forage. Crop Science 51:878-891.
  • Edwards, J. 2010. Dual purpose wheat management. In Wheat production and pest management for the Great Plains region. Colo. State Univ. Ext. Service Pub. XCM235. Edwards, J. and B. Carver. 2010. Billings hard red winter wheat. OSU Ext. Pub. L-339. Oklahoma State Univ., Coop. Ext. Service, Stillwater, OK.
  • Edwards, J. and B. Carver. 2010. OK Bullet hard red winter wheat. OSU Ext. Pub. L-337. Oklahoma State Univ., Coop. Ext. Service, Stillwater, OK.
  • Edwards J., R. Kochenower, R. Austin, J. Ladd, B. Carver, B. Hunger, D. Butchee, and C. Andrews. 2010. 2010 Small grains variety performance tests. OSU Current Report No 2143. Oklahoma State Univ., Coop. Ext. Service, Stillwater, OK
  • Edwards J., R. Austin, and J. Ladd. 2011. Fall forage production and date of first hollow stem in winter wheat varieties during the 2010-2011 crop year. OSU Current Report No 2141. Oklahoma State Univ., Coop. Ext. Service, Stillwater, OK.
  • Sharman, E. D., P. A. Lancaster, C. P. McMurphy, G. G. Hilton, C. R. Krehbiel, and G. W. Horn. 2011. Effect of rate of gain on fat deposition during grazing and final carcass characteristics in growing beef cattle. J. Anim. Sci. 89 (E-Suppl. 1):505.
  • Varner, B.T., F.M. Epplin and G.L.Strickland. 2011. Cotton, wheat, and grain sorghum economics in the Southern Plains by tillage system. Selected poster presented at the Southern Agricultural Economics Association meetings, Corpus Christi, Texas, February 6-8, 2011. Abstract in the Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics 43(2011):473.
  • Wright, S., J. Edwards, C. Godsey, J. Vitale, F. Epplin and R. Taylor. 2010. Conservation tillage in Oklahoma: perceptions and demographics of producers. OSU Ext. Pub. E-1019. Oklahoma State Univ., Coop. Ext. Service, Stillwater, OK.