Annual ryegrass is a fantastic fall forage. It establishes\nquickly and is very palatable for grazing. Annual ryegrass can produce about\n0.5 ton of dry matter per acre in our region if sown by late August. The seed\nis typically quite inexpensive compared to winter grains or brassicas making it\na very affordable way to boost fall grazing and\/or feed stores. Annual ryegrass\ncan be drilled at a rate of 20 to 30 pounds per acre at a depth of \u00bc to \u00bd inch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Annual Ryegrass<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Winter Grains<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Winter grains are also great options for fall forage. Winter\ntriticale, wheat, and rye can produce large quantities of biomass in the fall\nprior to going into dormancy for the winter. They can also provide early spring\nforage that can be harvested prior to planting corn or soybeans. Oats are\nanother annual forage option. They can also be planted in the fall but will\nwinterkill in northern New England.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Grains may be seeded with a grain drill into a well prepared\nseed bed or seeded with a no-till drill at a rate of 125 to 150 pounds at a\ndepth of about 1 inch. Plant these winter grains as early as possible to\nmaximize fall forage production. Grains planted later than mid-September will\nnot yield much, if any, forage this fall. For more information on managing\nwinter grains for forage see the following fact sheet: <\/p>\n\n\n\n https:\/\/www.uvm.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/media\/managing-cereal-grains-for-forage.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Brassicas<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Forage brassicas, such as turnips, kales, and radishes, can\nprovide plenty of high quality fall forage. They may be seeded alone or in combination\nwith other annuals, and they can yield 1500 to 2000 pounds of dry matter per\nacre. Brassicas are highly digestible and therefore, need to be grazed with\ncaution to avoid bloating. Animals should only be allowed to graze brassicas\nfor short periods of time and given adequate fiber. Brassicas can be drilled at\na rate of about 6 pounds per acre at a depth of \u00bc to \u00bd inch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For More Information<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n For current research on using cool season annual forages,\nsee our recent reports:<\/p>\n\n\n\n https:\/\/www.uvm.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/media\/2018_Cool_season_annual_forages_Report.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n https:\/\/www.uvm.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/media\/2017_Cool_season_annual_forage_mixtures.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n https:\/\/www.uvm.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/media\/2017_FBVT_report.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n https:\/\/www.uvm.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/media\/2017_Maximizing_Forage_Yields_in_Corn_Silage_Systems_with_Winter_Grains_0.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.uvm.edu\/outcropn\/files\/2019\/08\/annual-ryegrass.jpg?resize=199%2C204&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.uvm.edu\/outcropn\/files\/2019\/08\/brassicas.jpg?resize=225%2C225&ssl=1\")