Triticale for Feed and Forage: Case Studies from Mexico and Ecuador

Over the next 20-50 years, global demand for cereals will grow dramatically due to increased demand for grain for direct human consumption, and for animal feed (to satisfy, in turn, a growing demand for meat products). Though a newly cultivated crop, triticale is expanding in several production systems due to its ability to produce high biomass and grain yield over a wide range of soil and climatic conditions. According to an estimate given at the 4th International Triticale Symposium in Canada in 1998, triticale is cultivated on approximately 2.9 million ha in more than 30 countries.

Most triticale is grown for animal feed and fodder and only a little is used for human consumption. Consequently, CIMMYT is emphasizing the development of triticale types targeted for feed grain, dual-purpose forage/grain, and grazing. Several studies have demonstrated that triticale provides better nutritional profiles for animal consumption than conventional grains or forage crops (triticale has better amino acid composition, fiber content, palatability, and more metabolizable energy). One of triticale's competitive niches may be as a crop to feed to livestock. This paper will discuss results and experience obtained in Mexico and Ecuador, where experiments have demonstrated triticale's potential as an alternative feed and forage crop.

For several years CIMMYT, UAAAN (Universidad Autonoma Agraria Antonio Narro) in Saltillo, Cuahuila, and CIRENA (Centro de Investigacion para los Recursos Naturales) in Salaices, Chihuahua, have been working together to evaluate triticale's potential as an alternative forage crop in the winter months in northern Mexico. The northern region of Mexico, which includes the States of Coahuila, Durango, Chihuahua, and Sonora, is very important for livestock production, mainly beef and dairy cattle. Irrigated pasture crops are widespread and used for grazing, hay, silage, and cut-forage production. In La Laguna, the most important dairy area in Mexico (in 1997 milk production surpassed one billion liters), the most common feed use of pasture crops is for hay or cut forage, while in other areas, especially Chihuahua, grazing is more common (Bejar-Hinojosa et al., 2000).

Whatever system is practiced, maize and sorghum are the traditional summer forage crops, while the dominant winter forage crops are oats (Avena sativa L.) and ryegrass (Lolium sp.). Farmers in this region rapidly accepted tricale as a forage crop, basically due to its high biomass production, but also because of its cold tolerance. Low temperatures often damage or restrict the growth of oat and ryegrass, but does no harm to triticale (Figure 1).

Results of experiments in which triticale was evaluated for dry matter production and nutritional value demonstrated that winter/facultative triticales significantly outperformed traditional forage crops like oats and ryegrass (Lozano et al., 1998). Results of the 1998/99 crop cycle, in which wheat, rye, and barley were included as checks, were similar, i.e., triticale showed higher dry matter yields and better quality than the other forage crops (Figures 2 - 5). Furthermore, experiences from the La Laguna area have shown that triticale is far more water use efficient than oat and ryegrass, an important factor in a region where irrigation is a major constraint for forage production.

After evaluating several advanced triticale lines, four superior triticales were identified for northern Mexico and will be released during 2001. Multiplication plots of these four lines have been established to provide sufficient seed for farmers to plant by October 2002.

In Ecuador, as a result of longtime CIMMYT/INIAP collaboration, two triticale varieties, INIAP-Mana 82 and INIAP-Promesa 85, were released. However, due to agronomically unfavorable traits (e.g., shriveled grain) and a long vegetative period, these varieties were never planted over large areas in Ecuador. After several years of testing new advanced lines, INIAP has identified a new high yielding triticale that is early maturing and has high test weight. It was introduced from CIMMYT in 1991 under the cross name 'FARAS 1*2//BUCH'S'/CHRC'S' (selection history: CITM88-135-1RES-11M-1Y-0PAP), and will be released under the name INIAP-Triticale 2000.

INIAP-Triticale 2000 has been evaluated for its nutritional value as a feed grain for cows and calves; this evaluation will later be supplemented with data on its value for feeding pigs and poultry. Results of feeding trials where a concentrate containing triticale was fed to grazing cows are summarized in Figure 6. It was found that the increase in milk production from start of the lactating period to peak production time was higher in cows that had been fed triticale in the concentrate than in cows that ate concentrates containing grains other than triticale. Furthermore, cows having triticale included in the concentrate maintained maximum milk production over a longer period (2-3 months). Milk production at the end of the lactancy period was 12-14 L/day for cows fed the triticale concentrate, while cows fed other concentrates produced 10 L/day. Similarly, higher weight gain per day was observed in calves fed rations in which maize had been replaced by triticale. A weight gain of 1 kg/day is favorable (Figure 7).

Figure 6. Initial and peak milk production in cows receiving triticale as a concentrate in different amounts. Results from INIAP, Ecuador.

Figure 7. Weight gain of calves receiving feed concentrates with different proportions of maize replaced by triticale. Results from INIAP, Ecuador.

A complete analysis of the nutritional profile of the new triticale line compared to other crops demonstrates triticale's potential as an animal feed (Table 1). Of special importance is its high protein level (higher than barley and maize and the same as wheat) and favorable amino acid composition with a high content of lysine and tryptophan, which fit the nutritional requirements of monogastrics and poultry very well.

Table 1. Nutritional characteristics of the variety INIAP-Triticale 2000, compared to other crops.
						Amino acids
	Protein	Ash	Fiber	Ca	P			Total
Crop	%	%	%	%	%	Lysine	Tryptophan	energy^a
INIAP-Triticale 2000	13.43	1.88	3.24	0.03	0.38	5.04	0.67	44.24
Barley	11.80	3.15	6.66	0.05	0.38	2.94	0.37	44.17
Wheat	13.94	1.72	3.29	0.06	0.37	4.30	0.74	44.51
Maize (yellow, hard)	10.10	1.53	2.96	0.02	0.20	2.27	0.12	41.90
^a Expressed as calories per gram of whole grain.

Results obtained in Mexico and Ecuador demonstrate triticale's great potential as a feed and forage crop. Farmers in many other countries have expressed great interest in growing triticale. In Canada, for example, triticale has expanded from 34,000 ha in 1998 to over 110,000 ha in 2000. However, although triticale has been widely accepted as a feed and forage crop, more information needs to be collected on a wide range of feeding situations in both monogastric and ruminant species.

Lozano, A.J., V.M Zamora, H.D. Solis, M. Mergoum, and W.H. Pfeiffer. 1998. Triticale forage production and nutritional value in the northern region of Mexico. In: P. Juskiw (ed.), Proc. 4th Int. Triticale Symp., Red Deer, Alberta, Canada, 2, 259-263.

Bejar-Hinojosa, M., A.J. Lozano, and A. Hede. 2000. El triticale, una alternativa forrajera para el norte de Mexico. Boletin tecnico No. 3, Salaices,