Farmers are interested in winter rye for grain yield to meet local demands and niche market. During the 2024-2025 growing season, an experiment was conducted to evaluate three rye hybrids from KWS ('Receptor', 'Serafino', and 'Tayo' and five spring nitrogen application rates (0, 30, 60, 90, and 120 lb N/acre). The experiment was conducted in two locations- the Northwest Agricultural Research Station in Wood County and the Western Agricultural Research Station in Clark County.
Key takeaways:
- Grain yield was influenced by hybrid and nitrogen application, but not the interaction. This means that nitrogen application rate does not need to be different across the three hybrids.
- Grain yield was greatest for Serafino (91.1 bu/acre) and Tayo (92.8 bu/acre) at the Wood County location. At the Clark County location, grain yield was greatest for Serafino (110.0 bu/acre).
- Lodging was variable depending on location, with no lodging in Wood County and up to 70% lodging in Clark County. Higher lodging was associated with higher N application rates.
- In Clark County, the optimal spring N application rate was 81 lb N/acre. At the Wood County location, yield increased with increasing N rate, with an optimal N rate >120 lb N/acre. However, profitability also needs to be considered.