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Hay & Forage Grower
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or
Fae Holin,
Managing Editor, fholin@hayandforage.com
For specific information from past issues of eHay Weekly and
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by Fae Holin
Managing Editor, Hay & Forage Grower
It wasn't a pleasure trip from his Idaho base to California last week,
says Don Miller, forage breeder with Producer's Choice Seed. Miller
spent several days inspecting alfalfa stem nematode damage in alfalfa
fields. Some fields have lost half their crop, he believes.
But the damage, found in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys, usually
affects first-cutting alfalfa only, says Dan Putnam, University of
California Extension forage specialist. “We've seen fields that looked
absolutely devastated and dead, but they actually do come back in the
second cutting. However, some fields this year are so badly affected,
they may not come back very well.”
“It's a question of number of plants. If there were enough plants that
were killed, then you would consider some other options, like
overseeding with grass or plowing the crop under. But if you still have
a halfway decent stand that produces maybe not 100% of yield but 80% or
90%, most of you will want to keep it in,” he says.
Yet the stem nematode problem appears to be increasing in the state.
“Is this something that is just two bad years out of 10 or 20 or is it
something that we're going to see more of as time goes on? My thought
is, it may be the latter,” Putnam says.
“That nematode is as bad as I've ever seen,” agrees Miller. “Part
of the problem down here is that they reuse irrigation water, and
nematodes live in the water or on the equipment.” Growers who run
tailwater from one field to another, or move a windrower or swather from
field to field, help spread the pest.
Few chemical control options are available, and planting stem
nematode-resistant alfalfa varieties gives the best control, Miller
says. Yet resistant lines now available may not be resistant enough. For
more of Miller's and Putnam's comments on the stem nematode outbreak,
and what Putnam thinks alfalfa breeding companies should do about it,
read “Stem
Nematodes Strike California Alfalfa – Again.”
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 Know where to find the best alfalfa seed?
It’s Syngenta for varieties like Genoa, three-time Forage Superbowl
grand champion and new 6475H with PLH resistance. For these and other
Syngenta alfalfas, see your Garst seed advisor, Golden Harvest dealer or
NK retailer.
The Syngenta logo is a trademark of a Syngenta Group
Company.
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Prices for top-quality dairy hay have been pushing up steadily
throughout the winter at the twice-monthly quality-tested hay auctions
conducted by the Dodge County Forage Council (DCFC) in Beaver Dam, WI.
“Quality hay is almost impossible to find right now, not just in
Wisconsin but in neighboring states as well,” says Dan Ritger,
auctioneer at the Beaver Dam Auction Market where the DCFC sales are
held. “There just wasn’t a lot of good-quality hay made last
summer.”
Two lots of 3 x 3 x 8’ alfalfa square bales, RFV of 116, brought a
price of $200/ton at the sale last Tuesday, March 16. At the two
previous DCFC sales, the same kind of hay, brought in by the same
Canadian supplier, sold for $150-180/ton. “We’re seeing 30-40 buyers
at each sale,” says Ritger. “There’s a lot of interest. People
need the hay.”
The final DCFC auction of the season will take place on April 6,
starting at 1 p.m. For more information, contact Ritger at 414-333-8625
or Dodge County Extension soils and crop agent Matt Hanson at
920-386-3790. See previous sale
results.
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There’s still plenty of time to plant hay or pasture crops this
spring. But extended periods of wet weather and the potential for
flooding may make it worthwhile for some growers to wait until late
summer to put their crops into the ground, says Iowa State University
Extension forage specialist Steve Barnhart.
In most of Iowa, forage stands can successfully be planted into the
first 10-14 days of May, Barnhart notes. “The increasingly dry and hot
soil surfaces in late May and June increase the risk that the small
forage seedlings do not establish. If conditions turn normal or hotter
and drier than normal, the risk of late-planted forage seeding failures
increases. If late May and early June conditions remain cooler and
wetter than normal, then later-than-desired spring forage seedings may
survive very well.”
He adds that delaying planting can also increase vulnerability to
erosion and weed competition. “Keep cereal companion-crop planting
rates to half of a full seeding rate or less, and mow or clip new
seedings several times during the early seedling development months to
allow light to reach small developing legume and grass
seedlings.”
If you opt to wait on planting until late summer, you’ll want to
provide seedlings an establishment period of six to eight weeks before
the first killing freeze of fall. Existing soil moisture and the
prospect for average or better rainfall will influence success rates.
“The risk of stand failure is high if seed is planted in dry soil, and
rainfall patterns for the remainder of the fall season are erratic,”
says Barnhart.
You’ll also want to keep in mind that seed is perishable.
“Germination declines over extended storage time and declines faster
if seed storage conditions are warm and in high humidity,” he says.
“Certainly try to store carry-over seed in a cool, dry place. Even
better, try to arrange for storage in a more desirable seed storage
facility.”
If you have concerns about the viability of carry-over forage seed, he
advises having a germination test done before planting and adjusting
sowing rates to compensate for any germination percentage losses.
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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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Going to all the trouble of sending forage samples to a reputable
lab won’t do you a lot of good if you’re not sampling correctly to
start with, says University of California Extension forage specialist
Dan Putnam. Here’s his checklist of good sampling practices:
- Use a very sharp coring device with a 3/8-3/4” diameter to
cut through the hay.
- Insert the device into the butt ends of bales between the ties, not
the sides.
- Gather random samples. Every fourth or fifth bale is fine, but
sample the entire stack.
- Get at least 20 cores and mix them.
- Gather a half-pound sample.
- Do not leave samples on the truck dashboard in the hot sun.
- Only use a certified lab.
- Ask the lab to grind the entire sample.
- Make sure you can certify the hay sample using a free online test.
The National Forage Testing
Association offers a list of certified labs and more information.
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“Unfortunately, most people who are critical of alfalfa look
only at water consumption and are clueless when it comes to other
benefits.” – Aaron Kiess, executive director of the California
Alfalfa & Forage Association, responding to a recent column in a
California daily newspaper “slamming” the amount of water used in
alfalfa production. Source: Western
Farm Press.
“While I understand that certain thresholds must be set by the Farm
Service Agency (FSA) and met by the producers, I am concerned that
valuation calculations set on hay and forage are too high.” –
U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) in a letter to Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack.
Grassley wants USDA to adjust Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payments
(SURE) “to more equitably treat producers with hay and forage.” See
“Disaster
Program Unfair For Iowa Hay, Forage Growers?”
“The government has an obligation to protect farmers from the
interruption of markets and, by so doing, protect the economic interests
of all Canadians.” – Maureen Bostock, spokesperson for
Canada’s National Farmers Union, expressing support for a bill now
being considered by the Canadian Parliament. The measure would require
an analysis of potential harm to export markets before the sale of any
new genetically engineered seeds is permitted in the country. Source:
New
Democratic Party of Canada.
“Whether it’s the dairy industry, the general economy or the
international economy, I really see more opportunity in the next 10
years than there has been in the past 30 years. But there’s also going
to be more opportunity for failure.” – Ag economist David Kohl
speaking at the annual meeting of the Professional Dairy Producers of
Wisconsin last week in Madison. More than 1,300 people attended the
two-day meeting.
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Kentucky
Spring has been a little slow in arriving throughout the state, says
University of Kentucky Extension hay marketing specialist Tom Keene.
“It’s one of the worst winters we’ve had in 30 years. Everybody
has had enough of the cold, snow and mud.”
Typically, at this time of year, grass has greened up to the point where
livestock producers can turn stock out on pastures. “We’re getting
there,” says Keene. “But we’re probably still a week to 10 days
behind.”
On the upside for hay growers, the harsh winter has played a role in
nibbling away at overall hay supplies. “We’ll still have some
carryover, but it won’t be anywhere near as much as we thought we were
going to have heading into winter. We fed a lot of hay this winter.”
One result: Hay prices bounced back slightly in the last several months.
“At the start of the season, prices were 30-50% lower than they had
been a year earlier,” says Keene. “They’ve now recovered some, but
they’re certainly not back to the levels we saw last winter.”
Keene can be reached at 859-257-3144 or tom.keene@uky.edu.
Texas
The hay cupboards are bare in East Texas, reports Aaron Low, Texas A&M
AgriLife Extension agent in Cherokee County. “There’s absolutely no
hay to be found anywhere. People are down to the point where they’re
feeding four-year-old hay that has been sitting outside. It’s stuff
that probably should have been burned a long time ago.”
A long, cold winter that caught many livestock producers off guard
played a major role in the supply shortfall. “We had a dry summer,”
he says. “We didn’t get much rain from mid-April through mid-July.
On the other hand, many people were able to put up good first and third
crops. A lot of the surplus was sold down in South Texas where they had
a severe drought. The way the winter turned out, a lot of people
probably regret doing that now.”
On the upside, Low says, a near-term forecast for warm weather over the
next few weeks should take pressure off hay supplies. “Pastures are
just starting to green up. I think we’ve seen the worst of it.”
Looking into the season, Low expects many growers will leave hay acres
in production in 2010. “With the hay supply as low as it is, I think a
lot of people will be cutting as much hay as they can this year.
Fertilizer prices have come down quite a ways, too. That will be
enticing to some people as well.”
To contact Low, call 903-683-5416 or email arlow@ag.tamu.edu.
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 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
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An Annual Ryegrass Field Day will take place on April 10 at the Joe
B. Harris Pond House near Odum, GA. The event is sponsored by Region XV
Georgia Cattlemen’s Association, Wayne County Cooperative Extension
and the Georgia Grazing Lands Conservation Coalition.
Presentation topics will include ryegrass variety and fertilization
trial results, storage methods for forage, seeding rate and variety
comparison and nutrient application and harvest methods. New USDA
programs to assist with forage production, grazing management and best
management practices for agriculture will also be discussed.
The event is free, but organizers ask those interested in attending to
RSVP by April 5. Contact Shanda Thompson at 912-427-2502, ext. 3, or Shanda.Thompson@ga.usda.gov.
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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 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 8-9 -- Hay Production School, Spence Field, Moultrie, GA.
Get details.
April 12 -- Okanogan County Hay Day, Grange Hall, Okanogan, WA.
RSVP at 509-422-7245 or suverly@wsu.edu.
April 14-15 -- Kentucky Grazing School, University of Kentucky
Research & Education Center, Princeton. Preregistration required. See
a brochure.
April 16-18 -- Midwest Horse Fair, Alliant Energy Center,
Madison, WI. Get more
details.
April 23-25 -- Minnesota Horse Expo 2010, Minnesota State
Fairgrounds, St. Paul. Learn
more.
May 13 -- Legume Management In The Southeast: Field Day And Pasture
Walk, Central Georgia Research & Education Center, Eatonton. Details forthcoming.
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. Get details.
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.
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