Wheat is usually grown for grazing and grain, but the expanding dairy industry is creating a market for wheat as a protein-rich silage, said two Texas Cooperative Extension specialists.

Dr. Ellen Jordan, Extension dairy specialist in Dallas, said wheat silage has been used in other areas and now dairies moving into the Panhandle are finding it works as an excellent forage.

"We will probably be seeing more people consider growing wheat for silage as an alternative to growing it for grain," Jordan said. "It will be on a year-by-year basis, depending on the price for a crop, versus the price for silage.

"If you have good wheat prices and a high yielding crop, it may be better to grow it for the grain," she said.
Dr. Brent Bean, Extension agronomist in Amarillo, said dairy producers are seeking growers out. They want small grain silage, whether it be wheat or triticale.

"We probably saw more go that way this year because the potential for a good grain crop looked minimal," Bean said. "Also, they cut it for silage so they wouldn't have to keep watering it."

Producers are asking more questions about varieties and quality as well as tonnage, he said. More test plots of both triticale and wheat varieties are being planted to compare strictly their silage potential.

In order to get the high quality forage needed by the dairies, producers must cut the wheat earlier, Jordan said. Wheat cut in the boot stage or very early flowering stage to get higher protein.

Producers need a balance between quality and tonnage, she said. The earlier the forage is harvested, the higher protein and energy value are, but less tonnage is available.

"If the farmer is getting paid strictly off tonnage, then it's a detriment to him," Bean said. "One thing that could be done is the dairies could start paying for quality or percent protein per ton. This tends to be more fair for everyone involved."

Many production practices, such as planting dates and seeding rates, will probably stay the same whether the crop is being grown for grain or for silage, Bean said, although more research is needed in that area.

One management practice is different, Jordan said. Any small grain silage should be field wilted so the moisture content drops to 65 percent before it is ensiled.

The growing season plays a key role when determining whether to harvest a crop for grain or silage, she said.
"We may be able to reduce the spring irrigation by harvesting the wheat at an earlier stage, so what happens with the wheat crop may be determined by the rainfall and how much water is available for irrigation," Jordan said.
Wheat silage supplements corn silage, she said. Small grain silages cut at the earlier stages are higher in protein, but lower in energy, than corn or sorghum silages.

Producers can split their risks by growing a combination of the two: forage sorghum or corn as summer crops and wheat or triticale as winter crops, Jordan said.

"Some producers will double crop and grow both silages on the same land in the same year," she said.

Silage transactions take various forms. Some dairies contract with growers to raise wheat for silage, other raise their own for silage. Some producers raise wheat silage without a contract and negotiate later with dairies.

Jordan said when deciding to sell a wheat crop as silage, producers need to consider:

• Will it be sold as it stands in the field?
• Who will harvest and truck to the silage point?
• Who is responsible for packing into the silage pit?
• Price should include percentage of dry matter.
• Possible deductions for anything too wet should be determined in advance.
• Will the silage be paid for at harvest time or as it is used?
• Will there be a protein premium or deduction based on quality?
• What's the risk as compared to other harvesting methods?
• Does the producer want to consider retaining ownership and selling it from a silage pile over the course of a whole season?