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Plan Ahead To Get RR Alfalfa Seed For
2007
Growers planning to plant Roundup Ready alfalfa next
year should keep in close touch with local seed providers and order
early, say Monsanto officials. Seed supplies are expected to be tight
this fall for most of the country, with the exception of parts of
California. "We should have a pretty good supply of non-dormant
varieties available, starting now," says Chris Peterson, Monsanto's
Roundup Ready alfalfa manager. "With demand being as strong as it has
been this past year, we anticipate being a bit tight this fall from a
dormant variety supply standpoint. We anticipate a better supply
position next spring for dormant varieties, but you still want to line
up your seed supply early."
It's been a little over a year since RR alfalfa was approved for use in
the U.S., and 25 seed companies are now selling it. The seed is
available for planting throughout the country. Export approval has been
gained for RR alfalfa hay in Japan, Mexico, Canada and Korea. "We're
working on getting export approval from more of the Pacific Rim
countries," says Paulette Pierson, Monsanto's RR alfalfa technical
manager.
The new product has been of particular interest to hay growers who work
hard to produce weed-free hay for the dairy market. It's also been a
good fit for producers who in the past have used companion crops to
prevent weed pressure during establishment. Many cite improved stand
establishment as a big advantage gained by using RR alfalfa.
"We suggest producers treat their alfalfa when weeds are small to remove
potential weeds from the hay product and to get the highest-quality
hay," Pierson says. "You can treat weeds late, but then the skeletons of
those dead weeds will be in your hay and can reduce quality. In some
areas, growers let that mower bar do their weed control in the first
cut. But, because of crop safety and ease of weed control offered by the
Roundup Ready system, Roundup Ready alfalfa offers the opportunity to
get good-quality hay for the first cutting, while controlling the weeds
and getting better establishment with stronger crowns and better root
growth."
Producers buying seed west of the Rocky Mountains are charged a $150/bag
technology fee. East of the Rockies, that fee is $125/bag. The price
difference is based on differing agronomic characteristics, production
capabilities and water usage, Peterson says.
Monsanto offers a stand assurance program. If a grower spring-plants the
transgenic alfalfa and it does not, for various reasons, come up
properly within 60 days, he can replant at no charge for the technology.
If the producer plants the alfalfa in fall, he has until May 15 to
determine if replanting will be necessary. "If a producer does not see
the benefit of our technology and needs to plant again, he plants the
second time on us," says Peterson.
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The biggest ideas in haying equipment
come from New Holland. Like the BW Series self-propelled automatic bale
wagon, featuring a new five-speed automatic transmission that provides
excellent speed matching ability. Choose a slower ground speed in
high-density crops, or fifth gear overdrive for no-load road speed. To
learn more, see your local New Holland dealer or call 1-888-290-7377. www.newholland.com/h4/
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Counties In Several States Declared Disaster
Areas
USDA designated counties in California, Connecticut,
Georgia, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, South Dakota
and Texas as primary ag disaster areas last week. The counties suffered
losses caused by frost, hail, excessive rain, high winds, drought, high
temperatures, an unusually mild winter resulting in an infestation of
tent caterpillars, high humidity and insect damage. Qualified
farmer-operators in these areas are eligible for low-interest emergency
loans from the Farm Service Agency and have eight months from the date
of declaration to apply for loans to help cover part of their actual
losses.
A map indicating the designated counties can be accessed at: disasterhelp.gov/portal/jhtml/usda/usdamap.jhtml.
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lllinois Web Site Explains Environmental
Regs
EZregs, a new Web site that can help producers make
sense of environmental regulations in Illinois, is being hosted by
University of Illinois Extension. The site, www.ezregs.uiuc.edu,
is home to 13 sets of regulations, including Illinois Environmental
Protection Agency Livestock Regulations, the Livestock Management
Facility Act (Section 900), the Illinois Construction Site Storm Water
Permit, the Illinois Pesticide Act, the Endangered Species Act and the
Historic Resources Preservation Act.
Currently, users can access sections on livestock production, food-crop
production, ornamental horticulture production and landscape
maintenance. Within these sections, users will find regulations on
pesticides and worker safety.
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Beef Industry News Report
Learn more about what's happening in the cattle
industry from BEEF magazine's "2006 State Of The Industry Report." The
report is available at: beef-mag.com/advertisers/research/. Compiled by Iowa
State University extension economists John Lawrence and Shane Ellis, the
15-page report provides a concise, one-page overview of the U.S. beef
industry, with supporting graphics on demand, inventory, production
segments (seedstock, cow-calf, stocker and feedlot), prices and
profitability, and industry structure. Print it for a handy office
reference.
Source: BEEF Cow-Calf Weekly.
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advertisement |
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 NK Brand Alfalfas deliver
more quality AND more yield. Our premium alfalfas, like Genoa,
Expedition and Boulder, combine high nutritional values with high
yields, plus outstanding agronomics and persistence for longer,
healthier stands. The result? More profit from your alfalfa acres -
whether you feed it or sell it. www.nk-us.com
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Michigan
The third cutting of alfalfa, under way in southeastern
Michigan, is very good quality, according to Michigan State University.
In the west-central part of the state, hay harvest has progressed well
the past two weeks. Most growers there have finished their third
cuttings. Central Michigan growers are harvesting third- and
fourth-cutting alfalfa now, with very good yields and quality. Summer
seedings have been planted and will benefit from recent rains.
Potato leafhoppers have been above threshold in southeastern and central
Michigan; the west-central region has seen some injury.
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New Mexico
New Mexico hay growers have gone from the driest season
ever to being slammed into the wettest, reports Doug Whitney, a Roswell
grower. Pasture conditions are vastly improving in most areas of the
state because of massive rainstorms over the last month. Hay, however,
is taking a hit. Whitney says it's rotting in fields, and new crop will
probably eventually get run over while old crop is taken out.
"These conditions, while ranching is improved, will not help the supply
of hay to dairies," he states. "Most of fourth cutting is black hay in
the Pecos Valley, where it was in full swing when storm after storm
dumped 4-8" on average this month alone. In southwestern New Mexico, the
Rio Grande is running bank to bank, as levees near Hatch have given way
on two occasions, flooding the small farming community that was built at
or near river level. Elephant Butte Lake has risen many feet, which is
great, but at the cost of flooded-out crops and municipalities."
Hay markets are as strong as ever, Whitney says. Because central Texas
and the Midwest continue to miss rains, those areas are still hurting
for feed. To view a listing of New Mexico hay, visit the New Mexico Hay
Association Web site at www.nmhay.com. Contact Whitney at 505-622-8080.
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Wyoming
Hay is in high demand in Wyoming, says Ervin Gara,
Torrington. "As soon as first cutting was done, trucks were out in the
field loading up," he reports. "Prices are just outrageous -- $100/ton
for grinding hay right now. I sold some grass hay for $130/ton recently,
and small square bales are bringing around $6/bale at auctions in
Colorado. It's a seller's market." Gara says hay buyers from as far away
as Texas are traveling to Canada to find hay because supplies are tight
in many parts of the western U.S.
The availability of irrigation water this year has been adequate, he
says. Hot weather has kept tonnage down somewhat, although it has still
been good. "We are on our third cutting and are hoping to get a fourth
cutting if we don't get an early snow. We got a little rain on the first
cutting this year, but no rain on the second cutting and maybe one-tenth
inch on just part of the third cutting. It has been a good year for
cutting. We didn't have any insect problems and didn't have to do any
spraying at all."
He grows 3,000 acres of hay, primarily targeting the dairy market, and
also runs a 300-head cow-calf herd. He ships hay to dairies in Colorado,
Iowa and Missouri.
Contact Gara at 307-532-1746.
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advertisement |
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Research trials conducted throughout the major alfalfa growing
regions of the U.S. prove the superior performance of Raptor®
herbicide: Controlling grasses and broadleaf weeds with Raptor in
both seedling and established alfalfa can have a significant effect
in improving the yield potential and forage quality of your
alfalfa.
The chemical company.
Always read and follow label directions.
Raptor is a registered trademark of BASF. © 2005 BASF
Corporation.
All Rights Reserved.
APN 05-01-133-0010 b
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Register For Western Hay Business
Conference
Plan now to attend the upcoming Western Hay Business
Conference and Expo, sponsored by Hay & Forage Grower. Scheduled
for Oct. 24-25 at the Red Lion Hotel at the Park in Spokane, WA, it will
feature a panel of innovative hay growers discussing ways to increase
sales and profits. Other speakers will cover hay export opportunities.
Come to the conference to learn tips on how to squeeze more profit from
your hay business. Learn more about alfalfa's role in human nutrition,
in building materials, and as fodder for ethanol. Learn more about how
to maximize yields and profits from timothy and orchardgrass. Find out
why hay growers need to look at the organic hay market and what horse
hay buyers want and how they want it.
Register for $150 per person and bring a second person from your
operation for $125. Learn more at www.hayconference.com.
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BEEF Quality Summit Scheduled Nov. 14-15
Sign up now at www.beef-mag.com for BEEF magazine's 2006
BEEF Quality Summit. The Nov. 14-15 workshop in Oklahoma City's
Clarion Hotel aims to provide attendees with the background, tools and
environment to make the connections for involvement, and the potential
rewards offered, in the new beef-value chain.
The first day's program is devoted to outlining the opportunity
available in the new beef-value chain. The second day is devoted to how
to link your production into that chain.
Among the topics to be discussed are:
- How U.S. beef consumers define quality.
- Quality, profit and the cattle cycle.
- International competition and opportunities for U.S. quality beef.
- Current international beef trade opportunities.
- Producers discussing how they are getting paid for the quality they
produce.
- What to look for in selecting a marketing partner -- a panel
discussion on the role of various marketing channels.
- A value-chain production and marketing workshop -- attendees will
learn how to match typical production and identification scenarios with
available markets for the cattle, and management adjustments needed to
make the "next" calf crop fit a chosen market.
- Linking up with a marketing partner -- an opportunity to meet with
participating marketing channel representatives.
For more detail on speakers, topics, accommodations and registration,
visit www.beef-mag.com and click on the "BEEF Quality
Summit" box in the top right corner of the opening page.
Source: BEEF Cow-Calf Weekly.
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Calendar
**Sept. 7-9 -- National Hay Association 111th Annual
Convention, Snow King Resort, Jackson Hole, WY. Call 800-707-0014 or
visit www.nationalhay.org.
**Sept. 7-9 -- Stockman's School For Profit, Rockin H Ranch,
Norwood, MO. Gerald Fry and Cody Holms will provide real live data and a
close-up look at how the Rockin H Ranch of 900 cow/calf pairs has grown
to a successful family operation in the last 31 years. Ranchers can
learn how to profitably operate a ranch. Contact Cody Holmes at
417-844-2619, email rockinh@getgoin.net, or visit www.rockinh.net.
**Sept. 12 -- Kentucky Forage And Grassland Council Field Day,
Dobbs Shady Meadow Farm, Campbell County. Learn more at www.uky.edu/Ag/Forage.
**Sept. 21-24 -- World Beef Expo, Wisconsin State Fair Park near
Milwaukee. Learn more at www.worldbeefexpo.com, or call 414-266-7050.
**Oct. 3-7 -- World Dairy Expo, Alliant Energy Center, Madison,
WI. Learn more at www.worlddairyexpo.com.
**Oct. 17-19 -- Sunbelt Ag Exposition, Moultrie, GA.
**Oct. 20-21 -- 5th Annual Pennsylvania Statewide Project Grass
Conference, Williamsport. Featured speakers include Jim Gerrish and
Allen Williams, plus many more. Contact Kris Ribble at kris.ribble@pa.usda.gov or
570-784-4401 ext. 111.
**Oct. 24-25 -- Western Hay Business Conference And Expo, Red
Lion Hotel at the Park, Spokane, WA. Sponsored by Hay & Forage
Grower. Register at $150 per person and bring a second person from
your operation for $125. Learn more at www.hayconference.com.
**Nov. 21 -- Kentucky Grazing Conference, Fayette County
Extension Office, Lexington. Learn more at www.uky.edu/Ag/Forage.
**Dec. 11-13 -- Western Alfalfa & Forage Conference, Reno, NV.
Contact Dan Putnam at 530-752-8982 or dhputnam@ucdavis.edu, or Glenn
Shewmaker at 208-736-3608 or gshew@uidaho.edu.
**Jan. 18-19 -- Southwest Hay Conference, Ruidoso Convention
Center, Ruidoso, NM. Learn more at the New Mexico Hay Association
website at www.nmhay.com. Contact Doug Whitney at dug@plateautel.net or call Gina
Sterrett at 505-626-5677.
**Jan. 24-25 -- Heart Of America Grazing Conference, Holiday Inn,
Mount Vernon, IL. Contact Garry Lacefield at 270-365-7541, ext. 202, or
glacefie@uky.edu.
**Feb. 6-7 -- Mid-America Alfalfa Expo, Buffalo County
Fairgrounds, Kearney, NE. Visit www.alfalfaexpo.com or call Barb Kinnan at
800-743-1649.
**Feb. 27 -- Kentucky Alfalfa Conference, Cave City Convention
Center. Learn more at www.uky.edu/Ag/Forage.
**Feb. 28-March 2 -- National Grassfed Beef Conference,
Grantville, PA. Contact John Comerford at 814-863-3661 or jxc555@gmail.com, or Dave Hartman at
570-784-6660, ext. 12, or dwh2@psu.edu.
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