Cultivation

Forage use of rye

Secale cereale L.

The use of rye in animal feed is limited by a high content of non-starch polysaccharides, which require special grain preparation, but the crop is valuable as a source of early green forage and high-quality plant protein.

In the reference 91 varieties crop Rye, where this is mentioned in the description.

Rye grain is characterized by an increased content of water-soluble arabinoxylans and beta-glucans, with levels 2–2.5 times higher than in wheat. These substances form viscous structures in the digestive tract that impede feed absorption in monogastric animals. At the same time, rye protein is rich in lysine, and the breeding of modern hybrids allows for the reduction of anti-nutritional alkylresorcinol levels and increased resistance to ergot infection.

Technological processing, including extrusion, micronization, and the addition of xylanase and beta-glucanase enzymes, makes it possible to increase the share of rye in swine diets up to 50% and in cattle diets up to 40–50%. Furthermore, rye is a valuable source of early green forage, possessing rapid spring growth and high leafiness, which makes it an effective component for silage production at the flag leaf stage.

General information about the subject — on the page Forage purpose.

Sources8

Varieties of Rye mentioned in the description

Selection based on the description text, not on official evaluation: these data are absent from registers. For specific variety details, please refer to its profile.