Authors
Ted McCollum III, Kim McCuistion, and Brent Bean, Texas A&M University, Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Amarillo
Intro
Hay and silage crops are integral parts of beef production in the Great Plains. In the southern Great Plains, a growing dairy industry is adding demand for silage and hay. Corn silage has long served the region well, producing consistent high quality silage. However, many areas of the southern Great Plains no longer have the irrigation capacity to successfully produce corn silage. Forage sorghums are a viable alternative crop under these conditions. They can be planted later than corn, use water more efficiently and hence still produce acceptable silage yields when planting is delayed, irrigation capacity is limited or droughtier growing conditions.
