Biomass production potential of forage rye and forage rape under contrasting environments

Biomass production potential of forage rye and forage rape under contrasting environments | Authorea try { document.documentElement.classList.add('js'); } catch (e) { } var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'G-8VDV14Y67G']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); Skip to main content Preprints Collections Wiley Open Research IET Open Research Ecological Society of Japan All Collections About About Authorea FAQs Contact Us Quick Search anywhere Search for preprint articles, keywords, etc. Search Search ADVANCED SEARCH SCROLL This is a preprint and has not been peer reviewed. Data may be preliminary. 23 January 2026 V1 Latest version Share on Biomass production potential of forage rye and forage rape under contrasting environments Authors : Sala Lamega 0000-0002-4887-9056 [email protected] , Martin Komainda , Kingsley Kwabena Ayisi , Jude Julius Odhiambo , and Johannes Isselstein Authors Info & Affiliations https://doi.org/10.22541/au.176918524.42611054/v1 97 views 55 downloads Contents Abstract Supplementary Material Information & Authors Metrics & Citations View Options References Figures Tables Media Share Abstract Context: To meet the growing global demand for livestock products, especially in Southern Africa, alternative forage production strategies are required to increase on-site biomass yield. To this end, frequently used winter forages in temperate livestock systems may potentially play a crucial role in crop-livestock systems in Southern Africa. Objective: We assessed the production potential of two C3 forage species from different functional groups: a monocot, forage rye (Secale cereale L., 'Bonfire'), and a dicot, forage rape (Brassica napus L., 'Gorilla'), by exploring their adaptability to distinct environments. Methods: The two-year field trial was conducted as rainfed winter crops in Germany (Temperate climate) and in South Africa (Subtropical climate), as winter crops receiving full irrigation, under two N levels (0 and 120 kg N ha-1). The experiment included one fertile and one marginal site per climate, totaling four sites, with plots harvested twice each year: Hd1 (winter harvest date) and Hd2 (spring harvest date). Results: Rye biomass (t ha-1) in the temperate climate was 1.4 and 3.3, at Hd1 and Hd2, respectively, at the fertile site, exceeding the averages at the marginal site (0.8 and 2.3). Conversely, forage rape biomass (t ha-1) was similar across harvests (2.3) and sites (fertile: 2.4, marginal: 2.2). In the subtropical climate, rye biomass averaged 1.8 and 5.8 at the fertile site, which was lower than the averages at the marginal site (4.1 and 9.2). Similarly, forage rape averaged 1.1 and 8.9 at the fertile site, while the marginal site produced greater yields of 4.2 and 12.8, Hd1 and Hd2, respectively. This discrepancy was attributed to higher temperature sums, leading to heat stress at the fertile site. Overall, rye was more tolerant of cold in the temperate climate, and biomass production was more efficient than rape. Meanwhile, in the subtropical climate, rape was more efficient, producing on average 42% more biomass. N fertilization did not substantially increase biomass. Therefore, the study suggests that water availability and optimal thermal requirements are the most crucial factors for forage biomass yields. Conclusion: By testing their adaptability to different conditions, we can promote the use of these winter forages in southern Africa's subtropical climate. However, establishment may be limited by site-specific conditions such as higher temperature sums, but biomass accumulation was better at the subtropical site with more optimal temperature sums. Implications: Our findings highlight that with proper management, forage rape and forage rye have the potential to serve as feed resources in the South African crop-livestock zone. Future research should focus on assessing genotypic differences in biomass production and water-use efficiency to identify cultivars that yield the most with the least input. Supplementary Material File (forage_paper.pdf) Download 511.11 KB Information & Authors Information Version history V1 Version 1 23 January 2026 Copyright This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License Keywords biomass yield forage rape germany rye southern africa Authors Affiliations Sala Lamega 0000-0002-4887-9056 [email protected] Department of Crop Sciences, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Grassland Science View all articles by this author Martin Komainda Department of Crop Sciences, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Grassland Science View all articles by this author Kingsley Kwabena Ayisi Risk and Vulnerability Science Centre, University of Limpopo, Sovenga-Polokwane View all articles by this author Jude Julius Odhiambo Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Venda View all articles by this author Johannes Isselstein Department of Crop Sciences, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Grassland Science View all articles by this author Metrics & Citations Metrics Article Usage 97 views 55 downloads .FvxKWukQNSOunydq8rnd { width: 100px; } Citations Download citation Sala Lamega, Martin Komainda, Kingsley Kwabena Ayisi, et al. Biomass production potential of forage rye and forage rape under contrasting environments. Authorea . 23 January 2026. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22541/au.176918524.42611054/v1 If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download. For more information or tips please see 'Downloading to a citation manager' in the Help menu . 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