Demo Trial 1 – Annual Forage Evaluation Trial

With some promising yield and quality results from last year’s trial, MARA decided to continue the annual forage trial with an addition of a block of alternatives along with three blocks of annuals that consist of cereals, pulse-cereal mixes, and cover crop mixes (cocktail crops) to evaluate the potential of the annuals in supplementing the perennial forage systems to give the system a break for recovery as well as providing an opportunity of the land for cash crop instead of committing it for perennials for multiple years.

A diverse group of annual crops can be planted to supplement the perennial forage system to meet the needs of dairy and livestock producers. The cover crop mixes can also provide shelter to a diverse group of pollinators (wild, native, and domesticated), enhancing the ecosystem services of agriculture.