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Hay & Forage Grower
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Alfalfa growers facing water shortages can hold off on irrigating
for a selected cutting and still get high yields, according to results
of a three-year New Mexico State University (NMSU) study.
Leonard Lauriault, forage agronomist at NMSU’s Agricultural Science
Center at Tucumcari, and Sangu Angadi, crop stress physiologist at the
Agricultural Science Center at Clovis, say the goal of their irrigation
termination system project is to determine which cuttings a producer can
forego irrigating when water is short.
“Based on data collected so far, producers can afford to skip
irrigation on one cutting during late summer or fall without
experiencing a significant reduction in annual yield,” Lauriault says.
“If it is known irrigation water will be short, it is best to irrigate
the first three cuttings well to maximize yield.”
Click
here to read the entire story.
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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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An alfalfa hybrid introduced last week offers even better yield and
persistence than earlier hybrids, say officials at Dairyland Seed, West
Bend, WI.
HybriForce-2400 Gen-2 is the first second-generation alfalfa hybrid from
Dairyland, which introduced the first hybrid, HybriForce-400, in 2001.
Compared with the first entry, the new one “produces significantly
higher yields, better crop consistency and greater hardiness,” says
Chad Staudinger, the company’s forage product manager.
He says its parental lines were selected for superiority across diverse
environments and weather patterns, and that research has shown it
performs well in wet and dry years, through extreme winters and in
multiple cutting regimes.
“Extensive field studies and trials throughout the Midwest have shown
that HybriForce-2400 Gen-2 outperforms competitive alfalfa varieties in
94.3% of the head-to-head comparisons,” states Steve Wagner, a
Dairyland alfalfa breeder.
The company claims growers of HybriForce-400 saw an 8-15% yield
advantage over competitors, and that the new hybrid offers a 5% increase
over the first one. A fall dormancy 4 variety with a 1.8 winter survival
rating, it’s highly resistant to all the major alfalfa diseases.
Significant amounts of seed will be available for spring 2010 plantings.
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Hay growers in southwestern Missouri have until July 10 to submit
entries for this year’s Ozark Empire Fair Hay Show. Entries may be
small rectangular bales or big round bales of hay harvested in 2009.
University of Missouri extension livestock specialist Eldon Cole notes
weather in the region so far this season has not been favorable for
harvesting top-quality hay. “Hopefully, the second cutting will be put
up in better shape and be a good candidate for the show,” says Cole.
He says the goal of the hay show is to showcase growers who do an
exceptional job of producing hay and also focus attention on one of the
largest agricultural enterprises in southwestern Missouri. “The show
aids in marketing hay and lets people know hay doesn’t have to cross a
state line to be a valuable feed,” says Cole “The show has also
helped farmers understand results as they are reported from the hay
testing lab.”
Hay growers interested in submitting a fair entry should call the
nearest University of Missouri extension center and schedule a farm
visit from an agronomist. Dates for this year’s Ozark Empire Fair,
held in Springfield, are July 31-Aug. 9.
For hay contest entry forms and details, contact Cole at 417- 466-3102.
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Buying the right kind of tires for tractors and keeping them
inflated properly can go a long way in conserving fuel and trimming
costs, says Randall Reeder, Ohio State University extension ag engineer.
“On the average farm, the majority of tires are over-inflated,” he
says. “Over-inflation causes excess slippage. Keeping tires at the
correct pressure improves traction, flotation and wear.”
Reeder recommends checking tire pressure once a week during times of
heavy usage. He also advises investing in radial tires. Though more
expensive, he says, radial tires outperform bias tires because of their
design.
Other tire tips include replacing tires with worn-out lugs and using
single tires unless duals are needed for traction and flotation or a
controlled traffic system. “Instead of triples, consider using wider
duals. Extra tires can increase rolling resistance and use more fuel.”
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The economic cost of leaving uncovered hay bales in the field can
add up quickly on a 100-cow dairy, says Alvaro Garcia, extension dairy
specialist at South Dakota State University.
If the uncovered hay is rained on, storage losses can easily top 15% of
dry matter, Garcia says.
Added feeding losses can compound the problem and result in an
additional 25% of the feed being wasted. Research has shown that
differences between covered and uncovered large round bales can be
almost 30% with total losses (storage plus feeding) of uncovered bales
being close to 45% of the dry matter.
“The monetary value of these losses can be sizeable for average dairy
producers, who may harvest enough hay to feed 1,500 lbs daily for every
100 cows,” he says.
Garcia also notes that, in these calculations, only hay dry matter
losses are factored in (milk production losses aren’t calculated).
“Dry matter losses are usually those of the most digestible nutrients
in the forage, including easily digestible carbohydrates and bound
proteins.”
Garcia’s bottom line: “For hay worth $100/ton, if producers are able
to reduce storage losses 10% by covering round bales stored outside,
this represents $7.50 of savings per day for every 100 cows fed or
roughly $2,700 per year.”
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 Use
our site to search for forage production tips! Plus, read what other
growers are doing to stay profitable.
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- The University of Kentucky’s (UK) Gluck Equine Research
Center and Equine Initiative program have announced plans to team up
with TheHorse.com and Pfizer Animal Health in launching the Bluegrass
Equine Digest later this month. The new online publication will
feature equine news, management tips and research findings from various
UK departments. To sign up for the free newsletter, go to www.TheHorse.com/Enewsletter,
then check the digest's box on the right-hand side of the page and
submit an e-mail address and name.
- USDA has lowered its projection for U.S. corn production during the
2009/10 marketing year. In last week’s Feed Outlook, the ag
department projected corn production at 11.9 billion bushels – down
155 million bushels from the previous month’s projection. The decline
reflects lower expected yields due to slow planting progress, slow crop
emergence and persistent, heavy rainfall across the eastern Corn Belt.
To see the full report, go to usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/usda/current/FDS/FDS-06-12-2009.pdf.
- The American Forage and Grassland Council’s 2009 Annual Conference
gets under way on Sunday (June 21) at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel in
Grand Rapids, MI. For a preview of the meeting’s education program, go
to www.afgc.org/mc/page.do?sitePageId=74910.
- Weren’t able to attend the University of Georgia’s Hay
Production School earlier this year? Summaries of presentations are now
available online at www.georgiaforages.com.
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Michigan
A cool, wet spring has slowed first-crop alfalfa harvest in
Michigan’s Thumb area, reports commercial hay grower Mike Lauwers,
owner of Lauwers Alfalfa and Straw near Capac. “We’re about seven to
10 days behind normal on first crop alfalfa,” says Lauwers, who
typically devotes 350 acres to alfalfa production and another 400 acres
to grass hay. All of his forage is put up as baleage in large square
bales. “Ordinarily, we’d be all done with first crop by now.”
Lauwers reports that winterkill hit alfalfa fields hard in his part of
the state. “We had record wet weather in the fall, winter and spring
and it really took a toll on the alfalfa,” he says. “I’ve never
seen so much winterkill.”
As a result, he says, yields have been running about half of normal.
“On the other hand, the quality of first crop looks very good.”
Lauwers, who markets primarily to large dairies, reports prices seem to
have stabilized after softening considerably when milk prices tanked two
to three months ago. Currently, high-quality dairy hay (180 RFQ) is
fetching around $185/ton, down $20/ton from last year’s peak. He
believes the market is likely close to bottoming. “With fertilizer and
other input prices so high, we really can’t let it get a lot
softer,” he says. “Also, with yields being off, there isn’t likely
going to be an oversupply here. Unless the rest of the country has a
bumper crop, things could get tight again.”
To contact Lauwers, phone 810-343-0671 or email slauwers@airadvantage.net.
New York
The hay growing season is off to a great start in upstate New York, says
Jim Ochterski, Cornell University extension educator in Ontario County.
“Our first crop has been coming in sure and steady over the last 10
days or so,” he says. “Most of the haylage is already in the silo
and people have been making progress with dry hay as well.”
Ochterski says the area was blessed with good spring weather. “We had
just enough moisture for good growth, but not so much that we had to
worry about mold. We also had pretty good soil moisture due to the
winter snow. It could have been a hair warmer, especially in May. But
overall it’s been good enough for growing hay.”
He reports that high-quality dairy hay is now selling for around
$115/ton. At this time last year, the price was closer to $130/ton.
“Compared to other parts of the country, the price here didn’t go up
to super high levels so it didn’t have a lot of room to come down,”
he says.
To contact Ochterski, phone 585-394-3977, ext. 402, or email jao14@cornell.edu.
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The pasture grubs creating problems for livestock producers in
eastern and central Nebraska belong to an entirely different genus
(Dyscinetus) of grubs than those commonly found in lawns, says Bruce
Anderson, University of Nebraska extension forage specialist. “This
genus is not common and has not been thoroughly studied,” he says.
“Since these grubs have been found in pastures throughout the growing
season, they may be like the May/June beetle, which has a three-year
life cycle that includes about 24 months as a grub. That’s just
speculation, though.”
Anderson notes the grubs have become a major problem for some producers,
especially in pastures dominated by bluegrass. “Skunks, birds and
other animals like to dig up the grubs for food, leaving a pasture full
of unproductive divots,” he says.
Control options are limited. “Sevin is the only chemical labeled for
pastures that can kill grub larvae, but it’s not very effective in a
pasture environment. Other insecticides labeled for pasture use (Mustang
Max and Warrior) are likely effective on adults, but not on the
grubs.”
That leaves good pasture management as the best means of control.
Anderson recommends planting grasses that are more productive than
bluegrass and developing and maintaining healthy, vigorous pastures.
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Extension specialists and dairy producers from Missouri and New
Zealand will explain theory and practice of pasture-based dairies at the
second Missouri Dairy Grazing Conference. The event is scheduled for
July 8-10 at the Holiday Inn in Joplin.
The program opens with an optional tour of the dairy grazing farm at the
University of Missouri Southwest Center, Mt. Vernon, starting at 9 a.m.,
July 8. The formal program begins at 1 p.m. in Joplin that day.
Two optional tours with two farms on each tour will be held after the
conference. The registration fee is $150 in advance, $175 at the door.
Participants are encouraged to sign up before June 24 to assist tour
planners. The Missouri Dairy Association will reimburse its members
$100. The fee includes all talks, a dinner and reception on the first
day, and lunch on the second day.
For more details, go to agebb.missouri.edu
or phone 573-882-9551.
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June 18 -- University Of Georgia/University Of Florida Corn
Silage And Forage Field Day, UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center,
Tifton, GA. Contact John Bernard at 229-391-6856 or jbernard@uga.edu, or Jerry Wasdin at
352-392-1120 or jwas@animal.ufl.edu.
June 21-23 -- American Forage & Grassland Council Annual
Conference, Amway Grand Plaza Hotel, Grand Rapids, MI. Call
800-944-2342, email info@afgc.org or
visit www.afgc.org/mc/page.do.
June 24 -- North Dakota State University’s Central Grasslands Field
Tour, 6-9 p.m., Central Grasslands Research Extension Center,
Streeter. Visit www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/streeter/
and click on Field Days and Events.
June 25 -- University Of Tennessee Tobacco, Beef And More Field Day,
Highland Rim AgResearch and Education Center, Springfield. Call
615-382-3130.
June 27 -- 2009 Equine Field Day, University of Kentucky’s
Maine Chance Equine Campus, Lexington. Call 859-257-2226 or go to www.uky.edu/Ag/Forage.
July 9 -- Organic Field Day, University of Minnesota Southwest
Research and Outreach Center, Lamberton. Phone 507-752-7372 or visit swroc.cfans.umn.edu and scroll to
Events.
July 23 -- University Of Kentucky All Commodity Field Day, UK
Research and Education Center, Princeton. Visit ces.ca.uky.edu/wkrec.
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/.
July 31 -- 2009 Illinois Forage Expo, Meier Farms, Ridott. Go to
web.extension.uiuc.edu/
or contact Dale Baird, University of Illinois extension educator, at dlbaird@illinois.edu.
For a complete list of upcoming events, click here.
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