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- 2023 Rice Straw Forage
Jeremy Hebert, Pousson, Bradley, Dufour, Justin, Fontenot, Todd, Deshotel, Vincent, Bongarzone, Paul
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Louisiana has battled through one of the hottest, driest summers on record in 2023. These extreme conditions have caused steep declines in quantity and quality in grazing and hay pastures which has resulted in the taking of drastic measures for many producers. In response to the shortage of hay production, many cattle producers have resorted to baling and feeding rice straw as a source of forage to cattle.
As feeding rice straw as a source of forage to cattle is an unconventional practice, 52 samples of multiple varieties of rice straw were collected across the state and analyzed for necessary nutrient values such as dry matter, protein, fiber, minerals, and energy value. The samples were then compared to 13 grass forage samples that were baled at the same time. The goal of this study was to determine any significant nutrient value differences in rice straw (varieties) compared to grass forages that were baled at approximately the same time.
Average nitrogen rates per acre that were reported with rice straw samples ranged from 90 to 165 units of nitrogen per acre (average of 134.3 units of nitrogen per acre). Average nitrogen rates that were reported with grass forage samples ranged from 0 to 100 units of nitrogen units per acre (average of 39.4 units of nitrogen per acre).
Two forage harvesting methods were employed when baling rice straw. One method was baling foliage material that directly exited the combine during rice harvest, while the other method was cutting rice stubble after harvest and combining it with foliage material that directly exited the combine during rice harvest. The harvesting method could affect the quality of the rice straw samples and that information was not gathered with each sample submission.
See the Rice Straw Forage Summary PDF for complete details.
2023 Rice Straw Forage Summarypdf / 0.17MB