Fall‐seeded cereals harvested as forage may be suitable rotation crops in the spring grain region of the northern Great Plains (NGP). A 3‐year field study was conducted to determine the biomass, forage quality, weed community, and water use dynamics of cereals grown for forage with or without post‐emergence broadleaf weed control. Fall‐seeded cereals were ‘Willow Creek’ awnletted winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), ‘Yellowstone’ awned winter wheat, and ‘Bobcat’ awnletted triticale (× Triticosecale Wittm.). ‘Hays’ hooded barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) was included as a spring‐planted control. Willow Creek had greater biomass yield than other fall‐seeded cereals, ranging from 4265 to 8435 lb/acre dry matter. Hays barley and Willow Creek had similar forage yield for 2 years, but Hays was the lowest yielding entry in 1 year. Water use (WU) and water use efficiency (WUE) were higher for Willow Creek than Yellowstone or Bobcat, while WU and WUE of Hays were intermediate to fall cereal entries. All entries had acceptable levels of crude protein and fiber for beef cattle maintenance diets. Willow Creek had the lowest crude protein concentration all three years despite harvesting entries at similar maturity. Weed biomass varied with cereal entry × year, but never exceeded 8% of total biomass for fall‐seeded cereals. In the absence of postemergence weed control, weed seed production was low with all entries. Fall‐seeded cereal forages are well adapted to the spring‐seeded cereal region of the semiarid NGP.

The herbicidal activity of wheat gluten meal (WGM) was evaluated on 17 species of monocotyledons and dicotyledons. Treatments included WGM at 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 9 g·dm-2. Germination, shoot and root lengths, and root numbers were recorded. Treatments reduced germination and root extension in nearly all species. Leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula L.), redroot pigweed (Amaranthus retroflexus L.), shepherd's purse [Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medik.], henbit (Lamium amplexicaule L.), quackgrass [Agropyron repens (L.) Beauv.], annual bluegrass (Poa annua L.), Canada thistle [Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop.], orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.), purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.), annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.), and snap bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) were particularly sensitive. Germination of curly dock (Rumex crispus L.) and common lambsquarters (Chenopodium album L.) was suppressed at the higher rates. Germination of black medic (Medicago lupulina L.), spotted knapweed (Centaurea maculosa Lam.), mustard (Brassica sp.), and corn (Zea mays L.) were not substantially affected at any rate. Shoot growth of all species was inhibited at rates >2 g·dm-2, and at the highest rates no shoots developed. In nine species, shoot extension was stimulated at 1 g·dm-2 WGM. The herbicidal activity of WGM was not due to a “mulching” effect, since growth characteristics were also altered in bean seeds barely covered by the treatments.