|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
Hay producers who didn’t much care for last year’s
growing-season weather should brace themselves. The U.S. as a whole
could be in for more of the same during the growing season ahead, says
Iowa State University Extension climatologist Elwynn Taylor.
He notes that the National Weather Service’s most recent forecast
(released in late February) for the coming summer’s weather is nearly
identical to 2009's. “The odds are high that we’ll have warmer than
normal in the West and Rocky Mountain states, a condition that often
results in cooler than normal east of the Continental Divide,” he
says.
The forecast is based on an assumption that a strong El Niño, which
reached full development in mid-December, will remain in place. That
would be favorable for Midwestern farmers. “An El Niño summer is not
oppressively hot,” he says.
If the El Niño falters or fails and is replaced by a La Niña weather
pattern, though, the Midwest could see a repeat of 1983. That year, the
growing season was characterized by an extremely wet spring followed by
a hot, dry summer. “It was a complete disaster for many farmers,”
says Taylor. “Right now I’d only give it a one-in-five chance of
happening. But that is a real chance.”
The fact that the Midwest is way overdue for a widespread drought
increases the odds. The historical average between droughts in the
region is 19 years. The longest span between droughts, as indicated by
tree-ring records, was 23 years. The last drought was in 1988.
A more immediate concern for many Midwestern farmers, says Taylor, is
that high moisture levels in the soil – the result of fall rain and
heavy snowfall this winter – could lead to major flooding in some
parts of the region. “There’s no reason to necessarily expect a
repeat of 2008. But, at the same time, it wouldn’t take a great deal
of intense precipitation to result in substantial flooding in parts of
Iowa, the Dakotas, southern Minnesota and Illinois. The ground in a lot
of places is all full of water right now.”
Follow Taylor on Twitter.
|
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
|
The U.S. Supreme Court has set April 27 as the date for hearing
oral arguments on whether a lower court acted hastily and incorrectly by
banning the planting and sale of Roundup Ready (RR) alfalfa seed.
Monsanto Company set the stage for the hearing last fall when it filed a
petition with the Supreme Court. The company argued that the 2007
injunction against RR alfalfa, issued by a federal district court judge,
shouldn't have been ordered without first holding an evidentiary
hearing. Monsanto also contended the injunction imposed unnecessary
restrictions and costs on alfalfa hay and seed growers. See our January
story,
Supreme Court To Hear Monsanto Appeal On RR Alfalfa.
Recently, a coalition of agricultural organizations – including the
National Alfalfa and Forage Alliance, the American Seed Trade
Association, the American Farm Bureau Federation and others – filed a
joint friend-of-the-court brief in support of Monsanto. The groups said
the lower court’s decision must be reversed “to protect the farmers
who choose to grow genetically engineered crops, as well as the public
benefits that agricultural biotechnology brings to producers and
consumers around the world.”
The case marks the first time the high court has weighed in on the risks
of genetically engineered crops. It’s expected to issue a decision by
June. See
Ag Groups Support Biotech Alfalfa.
|
Plant disease researchers are asking alfalfa growers in parts of
the Upper Midwest to be on the lookout for Mycoleptodiscus crown and
root rot during the next several growing seasons.
The University of Minnesota Plant Disease Clinic and the USDA-ARS Plant
Science Research Unit in St. Paul, MN, received several samples of
severely infected plants from fields in southeastern Minnesota and
southwestern Wisconsin last summer. The plants were from new and
established stands.
While the disease has been known since the 1950s, say the researchers,
it has not caused severe problems in alfalfa production fields. What
remains unclear is if the weather pattern in 2009 caused an increase in
observation of the disease or if the disease is becoming a bigger
concern in alfalfa.
Learn
more.
|
 Know where to find the best alfalfa seed?
Isn’t it obvious? Syngenta alfalfa varieties offers top yield, high
forage quality and exceptional persistence. Plus all the varieties you
need, available through your Garst seed advisor, Golden Harvest dealer
or NK retailer. Contact them today to place your order.
The Syngenta logo is a trademark of a Syngenta Group
Company.
|
Haying season is about to get under way in some parts of the
country and just a few weeks away in others. So take time now to perform
routine preseason maintenance on your equipment, advises University of
Nebraska Extension forage specialist Bruce Anderson. Here’s his
checklist of steps to take:
- Review your owner’s manual to identify recommended procedures
and proper settings.
- Inspect, lubricate and service all power-driven areas, such as
belts, bearings, chains and gears.
- Set tension on belts and chains.
- Check, sharpen or replace cutterbar sections or disc blades and
adjust wear plates, hold-down clips and guards. Make sure your cutterbar
has proper knife register.
- Check the spacing between the conditioning rollers and adjust roll
timing for your crop.
- On round balers, frequently inspect belts, chains and slats or
rollers for wear. Trim frayed edges and repair belts as needed to
maintain uniform tension. When not in use, keep belts clean and release
belt tension.
- On rectangular balers, check plunger knife clearance and plunger
alignment. Inspect the tying mechanism and adjust as needed.
- Pickup teeth on balers and on rakes frequently are broken or bent.
Replace defective teeth and adjust height if necessary.
- Check your stock of replacement parts for frequently broken or
replaced items and fill in where needed.
|
- With the growing season approaching, it’s time to assess
alfalfa stands to see if they need to be rotated out. See a YouTube video on
the subject featuring University of Wisconsin Extension forage
specialist Dan Undersander.
- University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension has posted a two-part
video on Grazing Alfalfa on YouTube. Part 1 features
comments from livestock producers on how alfalfa fits into their grazing
operations along with management tips from Extension forage specialists.
Part
2 gives more producer comments and recommendations for minimizing
bloat.
- USDA is seeking comment on a new proposed rule for the Biomass Crop Assistance Program
(BCAP). The program offers incentive payments to producers who
invest in the production, harvest, storage and transportation of new
first-generation energy crops that displace hydrocarbon-based materials
currently used for heat, power and vehicle fuel. USDA allocated $25
million for 2009. This year, $517 million has been allocated.
|
|
Kansas
A six-week stretch of snowy weather starting in mid-January put
pressure on the beef hay supply in many parts of the state, reports
Steve Hessman, USDA Market News reporter in Dodge City. Beef-quality
grinding hay was selling for around $90/ton through most of the winter,
with some sales bringing as much as $110/ton.
“Demand was very good,” says Hessman. “If there had been better
money out there, prices might have been even higher.”
Demand for dairy-quality alfalfa has also been strong, he says.
Movement, though, has been slow. “The supply is tight, but prices
haven’t increased as much as you would have thought. The milk price is
still just not good enough to support strong hay prices. And the general
feeling appears to be that things could get worse before they get
better.”
For the upcoming growing season, Hessman thinks alfalfa acres in the
state will be up slightly due to fall 2009 plantings. “Early on, I
thought there might be a lot of acres plowed up this spring,” he says.
“But with beef hay prices strengthening a bit and grain prices not
going up all that much given the cost of production, it looks more like
it’s going to be a wash.
“There’s also still some hope that Roundup Ready alfalfa will be
coming back on the market. Some people have decided that they’ll wait
another year to see if that happens before they plow up their hay
ground. Our irrigated growers really want to see it come back. They
don’t like the idea of pumping water on weeds.”
Hessman can be contacted at 620-227-8881 or steve.hessman@kda.ks.gov.
Wyoming
While abundant supplies of all types of hay have clamped a lid on prices
this winter, there are some encouraging signs that things could be
improving, says Donn Randall, forage program manager for the Wyoming
Business Council (WBC). “We’ve been getting a few more calls from
dairies in other parts of the country looking for top-quality hay,” he
says. “Part of that is due to the fact that there’s a shortage of
that kind of hay in many areas. But transportation costs are coming
down, too. That should help us move some more hay.”
Another positive sign: Randall points out that the number of online
visitors for the Wyoming Hay List,
a Web site maintained jointly by WBC and the University of Wyoming, has
been at or above “typical” levels in recent months. In January, the
site had an average of 91 visitors per day. “People are looking for
hay.”
Also worth noting, he says, is that the toughest part of the winter may
still be ahead. “Depending on what happens with the weather this
month and next, we could still see a lot of hay being fed up. A lot of
this excess supply could get worked off.”
According to USDA’s Weekly Hay summary for March 11, premium-supreme
quality alfalfa in large square bales was bringing an FOB price of
$90-120/ton in eastern Wyoming. Randall says prices are generally
running about $20-40/ton lower than they were a year ago.
To contact Randall, call 307-777-6578 or email donn.randall@wybusiness.org.
|
The 3rd Annual Hay Production School will be held April 8-9 at the
Sunbelt Agricultural Exposition grounds in Moultrie, GA. Developed by
University of Georgia Cooperative Extension, the school is designed for
“serious hay producers” wanting to learn more about modern haymaking
techniques. Topics on this year’s agenda include fertilization
fundamentals, weed and insect management options, using hay
preservatives, hay production economics and outlook, marketing and more.
The registration fee is $75 ($35/additional person from the same farm).
Georgia beef cattle producers and members of the Perennial Peanut
Producers Association who register before March 31 qualify for a
discount.
Get a registration form and
agenda.
|
 The Noble Foundation will
host the Texoma Pasture Conference on Saturday, March 27 at the
Ardmore Convention Center in Ardmore, Okla. This year’s conference
will focus on brush and weed control in pastures. Speakers from
the Noble Foundation, Oklahoma Cooperative Extension and Texas AgriLife
Extension will cover all aspects of brush and weed control. www.noble.org/AgEvents
|
March 16-17 -- Professional Dairy Producers Of Wisconsin Annual
Business Conference, Alliant Energy Center, Madison. Download
a brochure.
March 25 -- Georgia-South Carolina Piedmont Forage And Grassland
Council’s Annual Meeting, Just More Barbecue, Pendleton, SC. Get info.
March 25 -- University of Minnesota Extension Dairy Meeting,
Community Center, McIntosh. Call 218-563-2465 or 800-450-2465.
March 26 -- University of Minnesota Extension Dairy Meeting,
Ottertail Operations Center, Ottertail. Call 218-385-5420.
March 26 -- 2010 Forage Production Seminar, Bremer Bank, Amery,
WI. Call 715-485-8600 or visit polk.uwex.edu.
March 27 -- Texoma Pasture Conference, Ardmore Convention Center,
Ardmore, OK. Program will focus on brush and weed control in pastures.
Preregister at www.noble.org/agevents or
contact Tracy Cumbie at tlcumbie@noble.org or 580-224-6411.
March 27 -- Winter Regional Horse Owner Program, Cloquet Forestry
Center, Cloquet, MN. Registration deadline is March 24. Register online.
March 30-April 1 -- Pasture And Livestock Management Workshop,
Texas AgriLife Research & Extension Center, Overton. Call
903-834-6191 or get
info.
April 14-15 -- Kentucky Grazing School, University of Kentucky
Research & Education Center, Princeton. Preregistration required. See
a brochure.
May 13 -- Legume Management In The Southeast: Field Day And Pasture
Walk, Central Georgia Research & Education Center, Eatonton. Details
forthcoming at the University
of Georgia Forage Web site.
May 19 -- University Of California Alfalfa & Forage Crops Field Day,
UC-Davis Agronomy Field Headquarters, Davis. Get additional details.
June 21-23 -- American Forage And Grassland Council Annual
Conference, University Plaza Hotel, Springfield, MO. Details at www.afgc.org.
Aug. 9-10 -- Kentucky Grazing School, Woodford County Extension
Office, Versailles. Preregistration required. See
a brochure.
Sept. 1-4 -- National Hay Association Annual Meeting, Griffin
Gate Marriott Resort, Lexington, KY. Watch for details on the NHA Web site.
|
|
|
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 2010, 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.
|
|
