The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of different nutrient solutions and harvest date on production and nutritive quality of hydroponic forage wheat (
Triticum aestivum
L.). The experiment was conducted inside a protected environment at Fitotecnia Department of the Universidade Federal at Santa Maria, Brazil. The experimental design was a randomized complete block. Treatments consisted of two nutrient solutions (SIN: inorganic solution by Neves (2001), and SONC: organic solution of the vermicompost) and four harvesting dates (4, 8, 12, and 16 days after emergence), distributed in a 2x4 factorial scheme. It was observed interaction (P<0.05) between nutrient solution and harvest date for the variables plant height, dry weight (DW), crude protein (CP), soluble protein (SP), and neutral detergent fiber (NDF). SONC and SIN showed a decrease in DW values when delayed harvest dates. SONC presented an increase in the values of DW, CP, and SP, but a decrease in NDF in comparison with SIN in all harvest dates. It was observed an increase in acid detergent fiber (ADF), lignin (LIG), and cellulose (CEL) and a decrease in digestibility
"in vitro" when delaying the harvesting dates. It was not observed statistical difference (P>0.05) in ADF, LIG, CEL, and digestibility
"in vitro" among the solutions. The best quality characteristics (CP and digestibility
"in vitro") of hydroponic forage wheat were obtained when harvest was 8 to 12 days after sowing.