New research from a multistate collaboration suggests High Plains wheat acres left idle after harvest could offer livestock producers and feed suppliers an added source of forage, helping stretch feed inventories and reduce pressure on traditional feedstocks.
The fact sheet, developed by extension specialists and researchers from Kansas State University, Colorado State University and the University of Nebraska, examined how cover crops planted after wheat harvest can create grazing opportunities and support forage production in dryland systems.
For feed producers facing fluctuating hay supplies and volatile feed costs, the findings point to post-wheat acres as a potential tool for building forage inventories or supporting direct grazing.
Researchers found that timing is critical. Cover crops need to be planted immediately after wheat harvest to take advantage of residual soil moisture before fields dry out. In the High Plains, where rainfall can vary significantly, that short planting window can determine whether a forage crop establishes successfully.
Warm-season species such as sorghum-sudangrass, forage sorghum, sudangrass, millets and sunflowers showed strong potential for late-summer and fall grazing. Other options, including cowpea, lablab and sunhemp, can add diversity to forage mixes. Cool-season crops such as triticale, barley and cereal rye can extend forage availability into spring, creating additional feed options before perennial pastures begin active growth.
The study found that simpler cover crop mixes often delivered stronger forage yields than complex blends of six or more species. For feed producers focused on tonnage and cost efficiency, single-species stands or less complicated mixes may provide a more predictable return.
Yield variability, however, remains a major challenge. Trials across Kansas, Colorado and Nebraska showed forage yields ranging from 500 to 2,300 pounds per acre. In southwest Kansas, forage sorghum planted after wheat averaged 5,600 pounds per acre over seven years, but annual yields ranged from 1,100 pounds to nearly 9,000 pounds depending on rainfall.
That wide range underscores the need for flexible feed planning, especially for cattle feeders and forage managers who may rely on cover crops to supplement feed rations.
The report also highlighted quality and safety concerns. Sorghum species and other warm-season crops can accumulate nitrates and prussic acid during drought stress or after frost, creating risks for livestock and feed value. Forage testing and careful grazing management remain important before incorporating these crops into feeding programs.
Researchers also noted that volunteer wheat in summer cover crop stands can create disease and insect pressure for the next wheat crop if left unmanaged.
For animal feed producers, the study suggests post-wheat cover crops can provide 30 to 45 days of grazing on average and potentially add forage tonnage in favorable years, but weather-driven variability means those acres should remain part of a flexible feed strategy rather than a guaranteed supply source.
Source: Kansas State University, "Study: Post-wheat cover crops offer grazing potential"