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Hay & Forage Grower
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The winner’s circle at the 25th annual World’s Forage Analysis
Superbowl in Madison, WI, last week included some familiar faces. Karl
and Barb Wogsland, Scandinavia, WI, captured another first place in the
dairy hay category, while Kendall Guither, Walnut IL, repeated as
champion in the commercial baleage category.
In other hay categories, Brent and Louann Gjermo, Deerfield, WI, notched
first-place honors in dairy haylage and the top award in commercial hay
went to Kellie Hinman, Wheatland, WY. In corn silage categories,
Stardust Dairy, South Solon, OH, won for dairy (standard) corn silage,
while Spring Prairie Colony, Hawley, MN, won the top award in brown
midrib dairy corn silage. Vreba Hoff Dairy 2, Hudson, MI, earned contest
grand champion honors with a standard corn silage entry.
This year’s competition drew 241 entries, 59 more than last year’s
contest. “We had entries from 24 states and the bulk of states where
dairy production is significant,” says University of Wisconsin
agronomist and contest organizer Dan Undersander. “On quality, we had
some of the highest relative forage quality (RFQ) numbers that we’ve
seen in a long time.”
Speaking at the Superbowl awards banquet last week during World Dairy
Expo, Undersander explained that contest dairy samples are judged 60% on
lab analysis, 20% on visual appraisal, 10% on herd production
information and 10% on calculated milk per ton. Commercial samples are
judged 70% on lab analysis and 30% on visual appraisal. “The visual
judging includes an assessment of color, texture, maturity and
leafiness, according to category,” noted Undersander. “We want to
make sure each sample is handled in a typical fashion for its
category.”
If you’re interested in entering next year’s competition, contact
AgSource Soil and Forage Laboratory, 106 North Cecil St., Bonduel, WI
54107. Phone is 715-758-2178. Entries are due Sept. 3, 2009. To contact
Undersander, e-mail djunders@wisc.edu. For more on this
year’s winners, watch for the November issue of Hay & Forage
Grower.
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Heaps of studies have been completed on growing a better
switchgrass plant for use in making cellulosic ethanol. Economists at
North Dakota State University say what’s needed now is more research
focusing on the economic factors – fertilizer costs, changes in
traditional crop prices, yield increases, etc. – that will influence
the willingness of producers to grow the crop for use as a biofuel. In
one recent study, Larry Leistritz, Dean Bangsund and Eric DeVuyst from
NDSU’s department of agribusiness and applied economics, estimated
breakeven prices required to cover switchgrass production expenses and
provide for the same level of net return as from traditional crops. They
concluded that to break even with traditional crops, switchgrass
producers would need to receive $47/ton on low-productivity soil,
$67/ton on average soil and $76/ton on highly productive soil.
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Whether you’re looking for proven
performance in a package that offers exceptional value or a tractor that
gives you the latest electronic conveniences and push button simplicity,
the new T6000 Series tractors from New Holland are built for you. T6000
tractors are a natural choice for haying operations and heavy loader
work. To learn more, see your local New Holland dealer or call
1-888-290-7377. www.newholland.com/na
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Farmers or custom operators interested in custom baling native
grasses for bioenergy use across Minnesota should call Rural Advantage,
a non-profit group working to connect agriculture, the environment and
communities, according to its Web site. The group is looking for people
to harvest several smaller fields (about 20 acres each) as part of a
research project in collaboration with the University of Minnesota. In
the future, it may also want larger parcels harvested. The acres would
be harvested in October and November.
If you want to be considered for harvesting in your area, send your
contact information, geographic area you work in and type of equipment
(small squares, round, large squares, etc.) you use in an e-mail to linda@ruraladvantage.org, or
call the Rural Advantage office at 507-238-5449.
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If you’re cutting alfalfa in late September to mid-October, know
that it interrupts energy and protein storage in alfalfa taproots. And
that could cause plant damage, says Mark Sulc, Ohio State University
extension forage specialist. Often, the yield gained by early fall
cutting is lost in reduced yields the following year.
Producers who need additional hay supplies this year, however, can
minimize potential damage from cutting alfalfa stands in late fall, Sulc
suggests. “By late harvest, I mean as close as possible to a killing
frost of alfalfa, which happens when air temperatures reach 25 degrees F
for several hours. This often does not happen until sometime in November
in Ohio.
“But I recommend this late-harvest option only if the soil is
well-drained, the stand is healthy, a variety is planted that has
excellent winterhardiness, and the soil has good fertility status. Also,
leave a 6” stubble.”
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Taking the time to scout alfalfa fields before the first hard frost
this fall is a good way to stay on top of pest and disease problems that
could affect next year’s productivity, says Ken Wise of New York
state’s Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Program. “Yellow to brown
plants can indicate a wide variety of disease problems, including
verticillium wilt, leaf spots, fusarium wilt, anthracnose and more,”
says Wise. Doing a random check of the root system in each field also
will be beneficial. “Yellow, reddish-brown to black discolored or
damaged roots may indicate problems like phytophthora root rot or
verticillium wilt,” he says. Counting crowns per square foot is
another way to assess the overall health of your crop. For a table
featuring New York state guidelines on optimum and adequate stand counts
by stand age, visit nysipm.cornell.edu/fieldcrops/tag/pestrpt/default.asp#_4.
Scroll to Fall IPM Alfalfa Assessment.
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Wyoming
People shouldn’t be surprised Wyoming hay growers do so well year
after year in the annual World’s Forage Analysis Superbowl. In this
year’s contest, held in conjunction with last week’s World Dairy
Expo in Madison, WI, Wyoming producers notched four of the top five
places in the commercial hay category. “Wyoming hay is grown at high
altitude in a dry climate with adequate irrigation water,” says Scott
Keith, forage program manager for the Wyoming Business Council (WBC)
Agribusiness Division. “When you add in the fact that we have some
very good farm managers, it’s a great combination for making great
hay.”
For the past four years, Keith’s organization has taken an active role
in encouraging Wyoming growers to enter the Superbowl. As part of the
premium for placing in the top spots of the Wyoming State Fair Hay
Contest, WBC pays the Superbowl entry fee and also the cost of shipping
samples to Wisconsin for judging. Keith says the cost is easily
justified. “Livestock producers from all over the country and all over
the world are at the show in Madison,” he says. “This is a great way
to develop awareness of the fact that Wyoming producers consistently
produce high-quality hay.”
WBC has also teamed up with University of Wyoming extension in operating
a Web site where buyers can look for hay and growers can list hay or
seed they have to sell. Visit the site at ces.uwyo.edu/haylist. To contact
Keith, phone 307-259-3274 or e-mail scott.keith@wybusiness.org.
Nebraska
Shortages of premium dairy-quality hay in the Midwest are putting a
solid floor under prices for mid-range quality hay (140-160 RFV), says
Barb Kinnan, executive director of the Nebraska Alfalfa Marketing
Association (N.A.M.A.). “With supplies so short and prices so high,
many dairy producers have already started to adjust their rations
accordingly,” she says. “We’ve been getting a lot of inquiries
about the availability of heifer hay.”
Rather than simply increasing hay acres, Kinnan notes, growers are
paying more attention to marketing their product. “Instead of it being
a rotational crop, it’s become more of a production crop that they can
get some profit from,” she says. “I think they see the higher prices
out there and rather than just putting it through their own cows or
selling it to a neighbor, they want to take advantage of what the market
is right now. I think that’s contributing to my membership boost,
too.”
Since last May, N.A.M.A. has welcomed 18 new members. For more on the
organization, visit www.nebraska-alfalfa.com. To
contact Kinnan, phone 800-743-1649 or e-mail barb@nebraska-alfalfa.com.
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The ninth-annual Kentucky Grazing Conference will be held Oct. 23
at the Fayette County Extension Office in Lexington. The morning session
will feature presentations on how grass and legume growth impacts
grazing, why simpler is better for fencing and watering systems, and
what herbicide options are available for pasture weed control. Afternoon
programming will be devoted to the Kentucky Forage and Grassland Council
awards program and the forage spokesperson contest. Event organizers
expect a full house of exhibitors representing seed, chemical,
fertilizer and other supply/service companies. Registration cost is $15
($5 for students) and includes meal, refreshments, proceedings and other
educational materials. If you have questions, e-mail Garry Lacefield at
glacefie@uky.edu or phone
270-365-7541.
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Oct. 14 -- Cell Grazing: What, Why And How Webinar, 6-7 pm
PT. Free from Ranching For Profit School. To register, visit www2.gotomeeting.com/register/431268188.
Oct. 14-16 -- Southeastern Hay Contest, Sunbelt Agriculture
Exposition, Moultrie, GA. For guidelines and entry form, visit www.caes.uga.edu/commodities/fieldcrops/forages/events/SEHC/SEHC.html.
Oct. 16 -- Arkansas Extension Clover Pastures Field Day, Larry
Wells Farm, Drasco, AR. Contact Cleburne County Extension at
501-362-2524
Oct. 23 -- Kentucky Grazing Conference, Fayette County extension
office, Lexington. Learn more at www.uky.edu/Ag/Forage/.
Oct. 23 -- Arkansas Extension Clover Pastures Field Day, Steve
Swenson Farm, Shirley, AR. Contact Van Buren County Extension at
501-745-7117.
Oct. 31-Nov. 2 -- Virginia Equine Extravaganza, Richmond Raceway,
Richmond. Learn more at www.equineextravaganza.com.
Nov. 6-7 -- 2008 BEEF Quality Summit, sponsored by
BEEF magazine, Antlers Hilton Hotel, Colorado Springs, CO. Visit
beefconference.com/.
Nov. 13-16 -- Massachusetts Equine Affaire, Eastern States
Exposition Center, West Springfield. Visit www.equineaffaire.com.
Nov. 20-23 -- Wyoming AgXpo, Central Wyoming Fairgrounds, Casper.
Details at wyoagexpo.com.
Dec. 2-4 -- California Alfalfa & Forage Symposium And Western Alfalfa
Seed Conference, Town & Country Resort and Hotel, San Diego. Learn
more at alfalfa.ucdavis.edu/+symposium/2008/.
Dec. 5-6 -- 2008 Missouri Livestock Symposium, Kirksville.
Programs for horse, beef cattle, sheep, meat goat and forage producers,
and trade show. Details at missourilivestock.com or call
Bruce Lane at 660-665-9866 or Garry Mathes at 660-341-6625.
Jan. 15-16 -- Southwest Hay And Forage Conference, Ruidoso, NM.
Contact Gina Sterrett at 575-626-5677 or Justin Boswell at 575-840-9908.
Jan. 21-22 -- Heart Of America Grazing Conference, Columbus, IN.
Contact Jason Tower at 812-678-4427 or towerj@purdue.edu.
Feb. 3-4 -- Idaho Hay And Forage Conference, Burley. Call Glenn
Shewmaker at 208-736-3608.
Feb. 3-4 -- Mid-America Alfalfa Expo, Buffalo County Fairgrounds,
Kearney, NE. Contact Barb Kinnan at 800-743-1649 or nebalf@cozadtel.net.
Feb. 19 -- Kentucky Alfalfa Conference, Cave City Convention
Center. E-mail glacefie@kyu.edu or
raysmith1@uky.edu.
June 21-23 -- American Forage & Grassland Council Annual
Conference, Amway Grand Plaza Hotel, Grand Rapids, MI. Call
800-944-2342 or email info@afgc.org.
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