|
|
Hay & Forage Grower
USDA
Hay Prices
Weather
Send Questions & Comments To...
Rick Mooney, Editor, eHay Weekly, at
hfg@hayandforage.com
For information on Hay & Forage Grower, contact:
Neil Tietz, Editor, ntietz@hayandforage.com
or
Fae Holin, Managing Editor, fholin@hayandforage.com
For specific information from past issues of eHay Weekly and
Hay & Forage Grower, click on hayandforage.com, and use the search
function in the upper right-hand corner of the homepage.
|
|
|
|
Producers who opt not to extend or renew contracts on Conservation
Reserve Program (CRP) ground may want to maintain the established cover
and hay those acres, says Walt Fick, Kansas State University extension
range and pasture management specialist.
“Land enrolled in CRP is generally highly erodible,” says Fick.
“Maintaining these acres with a perennial grass cover will reduce
erosion, improve water quality, enhance wildlife and reduce
sedimentation.”
Considering fertilization needs of the crop is a good starting point.
For CRP ground that was seeded to warm-season native grasses,
fertilizing with nitrogen and/or phosphorus might increase production.
Even so, Fick doesn’t recommend it because of potential changes in
plant composition. “Cool-season grasses and broadleaf plants will be
stimulated by fertilization,” he says.
For cool-season grasses like smooth brome and tall fescue, Fick suggests
basing fertilization on a soil test. Recommendations can be found in
Kansas State University Research and Extension publications: Smooth
Brome Production and Utilization C-402 www.oznet.ksu.edu/library/c402
or Tall Fescue Production and Utilization C-729 www.oznet.ksu.edu/library/c729.
Prescribed burning – to remove mulch and standing dead litter – is
another option. “Although this material will add yield when baled,
forage quality will be reduced,” he says.
In his part of the country, the proper time to hay native warm-season
grasses is during July. “Crude protein will drop a half percentage
point every week during July, but will usually be 6-8% during this
time,” Fick says. Peak yield on warm-season grasses will probably not
occur until August, but by that time crude protein will be less than 5%.
A mid-July haying date on native grass is a good compromise between
yield and quality. Cool-season grasses should be hayed during the
heading-to-full-bloom stage to optimize yield and quality.
For more information, contact Fick at 785-532-7223 or whfick@ksu.edu. For suggestions on
getting former CRP acres ready to graze, see the lead story on our Web
site at hayandforage.com.
|
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
|
Teff, the popular new summer-annual grass, offers potential
benefits and likely challenges, says Bruce Anderson, University of
Nebraska extension forage specialist.
On the upside, teff is much leafier and finer-stemmed than other summer
annuals and often contains more crude protein and TDN, says Anderson.
"Teff makes a very palatable hay and is well-accepted by horses, llamas,
alpacas and similar livestock," he says. "Recently weaned calves also
adapt to teff hay quite quickly. Teff may be better-suited to these uses
than our other summer-annual grasses. Stock cows, replacement heifers,
and other cattle also like it. However, since other summer-annual
grasses usually produce more tonnage and also are acceptable, they may
be a better choice."
Anderson points out that teff can be difficult to establish. Its tiny
seed must be planted very shallow, about 1/8” deep, or seedlings
won’t emerge. "Many producers who have planted teff have had thin or
uneven stands, partly because their drills placed the seed too deep.
Extra firm seedbeds may be needed when a drill is used; broadcasting
seed and rolling or irrigating afterward might work better."
Seedlings need a week or so of moist soil to become established well
enough to survive. This shouldn’t be a problem with irrigation, but
dryland growers have had some failures, especially when planting after
wheat, says Anderson.
To read our January Hay & Forage Grower story on growers’
experiences with teff, click
here.
|
Texas AgriLife Extension officials are looking for hay donations to
help ranchers in Montague County affected by a major wildfire last
month. The fire swept through 45,000 acres the week before Easter
Sunday. Along with taking three lives, the blaze destroyed numerous
homes, devastated rangeland and pastures and burned as much as 1,000
miles of fencing to the ground.
Montague County extension agent Justin Hansard says about 200 big round
bales of donated hay have already been distributed. "We've had more
calls offering to donate hay than requesting it, but it's still early.
These guys are trying to put their fences up. They've had to send some
of their cattle to other counties where there's pasture. But I imagine
in the next 30-45 days, we'll find out who needs hay."
To donate hay, contact Hansard at 940-894-2831 or j-hansard@tamu.edu.
|
Nitrogen has a job to do, and
NutriSphere-N® Nitrogen Fertilizer
Manager makes sure it gets done. By blocking unwanted enzyme
reactions and denitrification, NutriSphere-N reduces leaching and
volatilization to keep nitrogen in its more usable ammonium form.
More nitrogen efficiency means higher yield potential. Visit NutriSphere-N.com for more
information.
|
- The newly revised Alberta Forage Manual is now
available from Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. The 348-page,
illustrated publication covers a wide variety of topics, including
forage adaptation, fertility, diseases, forage species, insects and
more. Its cost is $30 plus tax, shipping and handling. Ordering
information is available at 800-292-5697 or www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/agdex16.
- Michigan State University Extension has posted online its 2009
Weed Control Guide For Field Crops, offering weed management
recommendations in forages, corn, soybeans and other crops. The guide is
available at www.msuweeds.com/publications/2009_weed_guide/.
- State and federal agencies have teamed up with the Texas AgriLife
Extension Service to launch a drought information Web site. It offers
timely drought-related news, historic and forecasted rainfall
information from the National Weather Service, updates from state water
authorities and ag drought damage assessment updates from USDA. Go to agrilife.tamu.edu/drought.
- The all-hay price received by farmers was $129/ton in April, no
change from that recorded in March, according to the preliminary All
Farm Products Index of Prices Received by Farmers report from
USDA’s National Ag Statistics Service. The alfalfa hay price received
by farmers declined by $4/ton, to $133/ton. To see the complete report,
go to usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/04-30-2009.pdf.
|
Georgia
The growing season is off to a good start, reports University of Georgia
extension forage specialist Dennis Hancock. “Right now, everything is
good. We’ve had great spring rains, even too much in some places. The
creeks are up, the ponds are full, and for the first time in my 2½
years in Georgia, we’ve had to deal with mud.”
Hay growers are already making a lot of baleage, Hancock reports.
“They’re also attempting to dry annual ryegrass, oats and other
small grains for hay.”
The long-term weather forecast is for relatively normal conditions this
summer, he says. “Our producers could use a little normal. But, with
our poor water-holding capacity, we’re always only five days away from
a drought.”
To contact Hancock, call 706-542-1529 or email dhancock@uga.edu.
Missouri
Alfalfa growers in the southeastern part of the state are chomping at
the bit to get going on first hay cutting, reports Tony Hancock, USDA
Market News reporter in Jefferson City. Now if the weather would just
cooperate.
“We’re about one to two weeks behind where we normally are for this
time of year, especially with spring planting,” says Hancock. “We
have a surplus of moisture in many areas so far this spring. But we
still need a few days of sunshine to really get things dried out and
growing.”
Even with all the moisture, the overall situation is still much better
than it was a year ago. “Last year, we had major flooding in many
parts of the state,” he says. “It was a disaster. This year, we’ve
had some isolated flooding in several areas of Missouri, but nothing on
the scale of last year.”
Hay movement throughout the state has virtually come to a standstill,
Hancock adds. “The grass has started to pop in most areas and most
livestock producers have quit feeding hay.”
One result: Even with last year’s flooding, the tremendous grass hay
harvest has resulted in moderate to large carryover of average- to
low-quality round-bale hay heading into the growing season. “There’s
just a ton of it sitting around,” he says. “With every day that
passes, it’s losing nutrient value if it’s stored outside. You can
now buy a 5 x 6’ round bale for $20/ton if you put in the time to look
for it. That’s nowhere close to covering last year’s cost of
production.”
Another Missouri expert advises graziers with excess tall fescue to make
hay to protect interseeded clover. The story, Bale Lush Tall Fescue In
Pasture, can be found at hayandforage.com.
To contact Hancock, call 573-751-5618 or email tony.hancock@mda.mo.gov.
|
 Silencer®
insecticide maximizes your return on investment in alfalfa with the
premier pyrethroid. Silencer® provides highly advanced chemistry for
immediate knockdown and effective control of a wide spectrum of
yield-robbing pests. Dual action activity, by contact and ingestion,
strengthens performance. Protect alfalfa from competitive insects with
long-lasting Silencer from MANA.
|
University of Missouri extension entomologist Wayne Bailey warns
farmers in his region to be on the lookout for armyworms in fescue
pastures and wheat fields.
Armyworms love the kind of weather much of the country’s midsection
has experienced so far this spring – cool and wet with lush grass
growth, Bailey notes. Recent rains and winds from the Southwest may have
brought large numbers of armyworm moths into Missouri from as far south
as the Gulf of Mexico.
"We have the conditions for an outbreak and loss of all grasses," he
says. "The only thing holding down an armyworm hatch has been the windy
nights. Armyworm moths like calm nights to fly out to lay their eggs in
dense forage. High winds have kept the moths in hiding."
Scout grasses early; get down on hands and knees and dig into the debris
on the ground. “The small larvae hide at the base of the plants during
the day and feed at night, so they are easier to find by scouting at
night with a flashlight,” he explains. The tiny worms start eating the
lower grass leaves and work upward. Early detection when larvae are
small allows easier control.
Identify armyworms by the colored bands on their sides. One stripe on
each side will be orange- or salmon-colored. The worms have four pairs
of stubby legs, which they use for climbing grass leaves. Each leg has a
distinctive dark triangle.
The early larval stages might be less than ½” long, but when the
worms become 2” long, they cause major damage. When they eat all of
the forage, they move to new fields. "When small larvae start feeding,
the damage appears as smooth holes shaved from the edge of the leaves,"
Bailey says. "Grasshoppers leave rough edges where they eat. Armyworms
cut neat holes."
The pests don’t eat legumes but consume almost any grass, including
corn. Their favorite foods in Missouri are tall fescue, especially in
fields saved for seed harvest, and wheat. They cause the most damage
when the plants' flag leaves appear and seed heads start to form.
The four-year cycle of armyworms is linked to the population cycles of
beneficial insects that control the worms, according to Bailey. When the
army is on the march, the beneficial insects build up. As the armyworms
die off, the beneficial populations decline. "Last fall we saw very few
beneficial insects," he says.
For more information, download Potential for True Armyworm Problems in
Grass Crops in the April 21, 2009 pdf at ppp.missouri.edu/newsletters/ipcm/.
|
Texas AgriLife Extension Service is conducting four programs in May
to familiarize producers with the provisions of the 2008 Farm Bill.
“New payment limitations, the replacement of the old three-entity rule
with the concept of direct attribution and revised adjusted gross income
thresholds are just a sampling of the confusing but mandated issues
we'll address that producers need to be aware of,” says extension
economist Bill Thompson.
All of the programs run from 9 a.m. to noon. Along with today’s (May
5) program in San Angelo, sessions will also be held at Taylor County
Expo Center in Abilene on May 7, the Roscoe Community Center in Roscoe
on May 13 and the Richard Eckert Civic Center in Mason on May 14.
AgriLife Extension will be joined by Farm Service Agency personnel at
each site. For more information, contact Thompson at 325-653-4576 or w-thompson@tamu.edu.
|
The Northeast Washington Hay Growers Association will conduct a
Spring Field Day at the Hagen Cattle & Hay Company near Chewelah on May
16.
Agenda items include ground squirrel control, pressurized exhaust rodent
control (PERC) and big balers. Two hours of pesticide certification
credits will be available. For more information, contact Tom Platt,
Washington State University Extension, at 509-725-4171 or plattom@wsu.edu.
|
May 7 -- Kansas State University Beef Cattle/Forage Crops Field
Day, Southeast Agricultural Research Center, Mound Valley. Go to www.oznet.ksu.edu/23,
email Llomas@k-state.edu or call
620-421-4826.
May 8 -- Southwest Dairy Day, Sierra Dairy, Dublin, TX. Visit texasdairymatters.org/ or email
c-holley@tamu.edu.
May 26 -- University Of Tennessee Forage Conference, West
Tennessee Research and Education Center, Jackson. Sponsored by
University of Tennessee Extension and Tennessee Forage and Grassland
Council. Conference starts at 3:30 p.m. Contact Brian White at
731-968-5266 or dwhite3@tennessee.edu, or Gary
Bates at 865-974-7208 or gbates@utk.edu.
June 10-11 -- Four-State Dairy Nutrition And Management Conference,
Grand River Center, Dubuque, IA. To register online or download a
conference brochure, go to www.wasa.org or contact the Wisconsin
Agri-Service Association at 608-223-1111, or Dale Thorsen at
319-267-2707.
June 11 -- University of Tennessee Beef And Forage Field Day,
Blount Unit/East Tennessee Ag Research and Education Center,
Knoxville. Call 865-974-7201 or go to east.tennessee.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.
June 27 -- 2009 Equine Field Day, University of Kentucky’s
Maine Chance Equine Campus, Lexington. Phone 859-257-2226 or go to www.uky.edu/EquineFlieremail.
July 23 -- University Of Kentucky All Commodity Field Day, UK
Research and Education Center, Princeton. Details forthcoming at www.uky.edu/Ag/Forage/
July 29-30 -- U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center Getting More From
Forages Conference, Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center,
Madison, WI. Visit www.dfrc.ars.usda.gov/forages/Program.html
for more details.
Aug. 1-2 -- Florida Small Farms And Alternative Enterprises
Conference, Osceola County Heritage Park, Kissimmee. Go to smallfarmsconference/index.htm.
Aug. 27 -- 2009 Arlington Agronomy And Soils Field Day,
University of Wisconsin Agricultural Research Station, Arlington.
(Agenda details will be available in early May.)
Sept. 17-19 -- National Hay Association Convention, Cadillac
Jack’s Gaming Resort, Deadwood, SD. Contact Don Kieffer at
800-707-0014 or visit www.nationalhay.org.
Sept. 29-Oct. 3 -- World Dairy Expo, Alliant Energy Center,
Madison, WI. Visit www.worlddairyexpo.com.
Nov. 10-11 -- BEEF Quality Summit, Stoney Creek Inn, St.
Joseph, MO, hosted by BEEF magazine. Visit beefconference.com.
Nov. 18-19 -- McCook Farm And Ranch Expo, Red Willow County
Fairgrounds, McCook, NE. Visit mccookfarmandranchexpo.net
or call 866-685-0989.
Dec. 13-16 – Fourth National Conference On Grazing Lands, Reno,
NV. Presented by the Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative. Visit www.glci.org.
Feb 16-17, 2010 -- Idaho Hay And Forage Conference, Best Western
Burley Inn, Burley. Contact Glenn Shewmaker at 208-736-3608 or gshew@uidaho.edu.
|
|
|
To unsubscribe from this newsletter go to: Unsubscribe
To subscribe to this newsletter, go to: Subscribe
You are subscribed to this newsletter as #email#
To get this newsletter in a different format (Text or HTML),
or to change your e-mail address, please visit your profile
page to change your delivery preferences.
For questions concerning delivery of this newsletter, please contact our
Customer Service Department at:
Hay and Forage Grower
A Penton Media publication
US Toll Free: 866-505-7173
International: 847-763-9504
Email:hayandforage@pbinews.com
Penton Media | 249 W. 17th Street | New York, NY 10011
Copyright 2009, Penton Media. All rights reserved. This article is
protected by United States copyright and other intellectual property
laws and may not be reproduced, rewritten, distributed, re-disseminated,
transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast, directly or indirectly,
in any medium without the prior written permission of Penton Media.
|
|
