The Rural Voice, 2005-05, Page 28A crop with a difference
Ross Hemingway has been growing triticale for 25 gears, getting a feed grain
that beats corn or wheat for energg.
Even the straw attracts cattle to nibble
Story and photo by Jim Brown
Triticale is a cross between rye
and wheat and Brussels -area
farmer Ross Hemingway has
been growing it for almost 25 years.
"I began growing triticale in 1981,
after reading something about it. My
dad also read something about it," he
said.
He indicated scientists tried to
cross the two grains in the 1800s, but
were unable to produce a fertile
product.
While fairly popular in Europe, it
wasn't until the early 1950s that a
hybrid was developed in North
America.
"It was called triticale in 1979
when it was developed at the
University of Manitoba," said
Hemingway.
Because it can produce in poorer
soil and withstand hot, humid
temperatures, it was being developed
for the Third World countries.
However, it became popular in
Europe, mostly Russia, and has also
come to North America.
Although primarily grown for
livestock feed — both cattle and pigs
— Hemingway said triticale is very
high in protein.
"The protein is very high in
triticale," he said. "That's why I
looked at growing it as a crop for
livestock feed."
"The protein in winter triticale is
15 to 16 per cent and the percentage
of protein in spring triticale is 17 to
18," said Hemingway.
That's much higher than in corn at
six to seven per cent and wheat at
around 10 per cent, he said.
When he initially began growing
the crop in the early 1980s, he used it
to feed his pigs. He found that
because it was higher in protein than
corn, he didn't need to add as much
soybean meal. The only thing he has
to add to the triticale feed is a
"handful" of mineral supplement.
24 THE RURAL VOICE
Ross Hemingway dips his hand into a grain bin holding triticale. He's been
growing the high -protein grain for 25 years.
The quality of the meat from a
triticale -fed animal to a corn -fed
animal is the same, Hemingway said,
though when a neighbour fed some
of the triticale to some geese and the
skin was whiter than the usual a
yellowish colour after cooking.
Hemingway said he grows a
mixture of triticale and peas for
livestock feed producing a crude
protein in the dry product of 19.7 per
cent.
"The protein percentage as fed is
17.63 per cent," he said.
The triticale and peas combination
is great feed as it provides both