|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
by Fae Holin
Managing Editor, Hay & Forage Grower
Stem nematode is becoming such a problem in Western alfalfa fields that
stem nematode-resistant varieties – at this point the only way of
controlling the pest – will have to become more resistant. So says Don
Miller, director of development and an alfalfa breeder with Producer’s
Choice Seed and Cal/West Seeds.
“Years where stem nematodes aren't extremely bad, the resistance level
in the 30-50% range has been good enough,” Miller says. “It looks
like what we're seeing in California is that we need a bit higher high
resistance than what we have now.”
Part of the reason the nematode is severe this year is because the
West's cool, wet weather has been ideal for the pest to survive. So much
so that not only first cutting, but also second cutting was damaged in
northern California and the Pacific Northwest, he adds. Up to 50% yield
losses have been reported in parts of some first-cutting fields in the
Sacramento Valley as well as severe damage in southern Idaho and the
Delta, UT, area.
Click
here to read the entire story.
|
Iowa State University Extension has developed a new spreadsheet for
comparing the costs of different hay storage options.
The free, electronic spreadsheet can compare up to eight alternatives at
a time. “The standard for comparison is storing bales on bare ground
with no cover,” says Extension economist William Edwards. “This is
the least-cost method, but also results in the most storage loss. Other
methods include outdoor uncovered storage on gravel or pallets, outdoor
covered storage, storage under a roof, and storage in a new or existing
building.”
Several types of cost are considered in the analysis. Initial
investments in storage structure, tarps, gravel and pallets are
amortized over their individual expected lives. Annual costs such as
repairs, insurance and property taxes are part of the spreadsheet, as
are estimated labor costs for storing and feeding the hay. And, the
estimated value of spoilage losses under each system is considered.
Users will need to enter the expected volume of hay to be produced or
that’s needed, current hay prices and the size of bales they use. For
each method, a total annual cost is calculated, which includes spoilage
losses and the tons of hay available to feed or sell.
View
the spreadsheet.
|
Organizers of the World Forage Analysis Superbowl are reminding
producers that deadlines for this year’s contest are approaching.
Entries in corn silage categories must be received by Aug. 13. Entries
in all other categories are due Sept. 2. Producers can enter as often,
and in as many categories, as desired.
The forage quality contest is held in conjunction with World Dairy Expo,
scheduled for Sept. 28-Oct. 2 in Madison, WI. Get contest rules
and entry form.
|
 Know where to find the best alfalfa seed?
Isn’t it obvious? Syngenta alfalfa varieties offer 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.
|
Producers in Western states who planted alfalfa this past spring or
plan to seed new alfalfa soon may need to protect the plantings from
grasshoppers, says University of Nebraska Extension forage specialist
Bruce Anderson.
“If you find more than two or three grasshoppers per square yard in
the field that was or will be planted, or more than 10 grasshoppers per
square yard in field margins, treatment probably will be justified,”
says Anderson.
To head off potential invasions, he advises treating field margins
before new alfalfa seedlings begin to emerge. For field margins, he
considers Orthene one of the better insecticides. Since many
grasshoppers are getting large, use the highest rate allowed on the
label. Pyrethroids like Warrior, Ambush, Baythroid and Mustang as well
as malathion, Sevin and Lorsban are also labeled for grasshopper control
on alfalfa.
Anderson reminds producers using insecticides to be especially careful
to avoid injuring bees and other important pollinating insects. Time of
day when spraying, using less-toxic insecticides and avoiding areas with
blooming plants are some precautions to take to protect bees.
|
0 Dollars that provincial governments in
Manitoba, Alberta and Saskatchewan have earmarked to assist cattle
producers impacted by extreme moisture and flooding conditions in 2010.
Last month, the three provinces announced they would make $450 million
available to grain producers for protecting and restoring damaged
cropland. Cattle producers say that’s unfair. For more details, see
“Provincial Government Still Leaving Cattle Producers Stranded” at
the Manitoba Cattle Producers Assn. Web
site.
98 Percent of U.S. farms that are family
operations, according to a new report from USDA’s Economic Research
Service (ERS). Large-scale family and non-family farms account for 12%
of U.S. farms but 84% of the value of production, says ERS.
See the
report.
$100 Registration fee for the Mississippi
State University (MSU) Pasture and Forage Short Course, scheduled for
Aug. 24-25 at the Bost Conference Center, MSU campus. The registration
deadline is Aug. 17. For more information, phone 662-325-7718.
1,000 Acres of improved switchgrass
varieties planted by the University of Tennessee Biofuels Initiative
(UTBI) this year. The plantings, on private farms in nine counties,
utilize two varieties of Ceres’ Blade Energy brand – EG 1101 (an
improved Alamo variety) and EG1102 (an improved Kanlow variety). UTBI
researchers plan to compare the growth and yields of the 2010 plantings
to those of another 1,000 acres planted with the standard switchgrass
variety Alamo. Read
more.
7,000 Jobs potentially lost in New Jersey if
the state opts to discontinue live horse racing at four major race
tracks, according to Karyn Malinowski, director of the Equine Science
Center at Rutgers University. Learn more.
|
Get in it, and WIN it! Enter the World Forage Superbowl and WIN
Cash Prizes.
The World Forage Analysis Superbowl is seeking entries for the 2010
contest. This year entrants will walk away with over $20,000 in cash
prizes. Corn Silage entries must be received by August 13, 2010.
All other contest entries MUST BE RECEIVED by Thursday, September 2,
2010. Participants may enter as often and in as many categories as
desired. This year World Dairy Expo is September 28 - October 2.
Follow
Download an entry form here.
|
Illinois
Lack of rainfall midway through the growing season has crimped hay
production in Whiteside County, IL.
“We got some timely rainfalls early in the year and had some pretty
good yields on first cutting,” says Greg Clark, University of Illinois
Extension agriculture agent for the county. “But then the water all
but shut off. We didn’t have much at all in the way of regrowth for
second cutting. Now a lot of fields are already turning brown and going
dormant. People were already firing up their pivots for irrigation in
late July. Last year we didn’t have to irrigate at all.”
With second cutting mostly wrapped up, Clark is advising growers to be
on the lookout for potato leafhoppers. “With daytime high temperatures
in the 80s and 90s the last few weeks, we’re starting to see a little
more leafhopper activity,” he says. “It’s not a widespread problem
at this point, but growers need to be out there scouting.”
To contact Clark, phone 815-772-4075 or email gmclark@illinois.edu.
Mississippi
Hay growers in the central part of the state have had a tough go so far
in 2010, reports Wesley Womble of Womble Farms near Greenville.
“We got off to a pretty good start,” says Womble, who grows Coastal
bermudagrass and bermudagrass-johnsongrass mixed hay on 1,000 acres.
“We had plenty of rain through mid-May and were able to get a decent
first cutting. After that, though, the rains just shut off. It was tough
to get anything to grow.”
Things went from bad to worse about two weeks ago, when armyworms
started moving into hayfields en masse. “It’s something that comes
and goes,” says Womble. “Last year we didn’t have to spray for
them at all. This year, they’re about 10 times worse than they’ve
ever been. A lot of the corn in our area has burned up in the dry
weather, so the worms have moved into the grass pastures and
hayfields.”
Womble markets his Coastal bermudagrass to local horse owners in 5 x
5’ round bales and small square bales weighing 65-70 lbs. Beef
producers are the main market for the bermudagrass-johnsongrass hay
(packaged in round bales).
Even though input costs have risen steadily, he’s managed to hold the
line on his prices for the last two years. He gets $4 for a small square
bale and $40 for a large round bale. Most of his hay is sold directly
off the field.
Contact Womble at 662-571-9991.
|
Two species of caterpillars – the green cloverworm and the
alfalfa caterpillar – have been showing up in higher-than-normal
numbers in Wisconsin alfalfa fields this growing season, reports Bryan
Jensen of the University of Wisconsin’s Integrated Pest Management
Program.
Green cloverworms are light green with faint white stripes on the sides
of their bodies and will grow up to 1½” long, notes Jensen.
“They’re very active and will drop to the ground when disturbed.
They are also an occasional pest in soybeans,” he says.
Alfalfa caterpillars are dark velvety green color and have distinct
white stripes down each side of their bodies. They’ll also grow up to
1½” long but are less active than green cloverworms. When disturbed,
they can curl up into a C-shaped pattern.
Jensen notes that both species damage alfalfa by chewing on leaves.
Initially, damage can be identified as holes in leaves. But as larvae
mature, they will feed on leaf margins. Occasionally, large amounts of
foliage can be consumed.
For scouting, he recommends taking five sets of 20 consecutive sweeps
per field. Treatment may be warranted if you have an average of 10
caterpillars per sweep. “Before making a treatment decision, survey
the field for signs of diseased larvae. Economic damage from alfalfa
caterpillars is unusual because a viral disease frequently causes high
mortality as populations increase.”
|
Alfalfa-grass mixtures, potato leafhoppers in alfalfa and managing
your tractor to save fuel will be among the topics discussed at an
agronomy and soils field day at the University of Wisconsin’s
Arlington Ag Research Station on Aug. 24.
Also on the agenda will be presentations on soil-test potassium levels
over winter, cover-crop options in Wisconsin and profitable ways to
sequence crop rotations.
For more information, phone 608-262-1390 or 608-262-0485.
|
Aug. 9-10 -- Kentucky Grazing School, Woodford County
Extension Office, Versailles. Preregistration required. See
a brochure.
Aug. 12 -- University Of Idaho Forage Field Day, UI Research and
Extension Center, Kimberly. Phone 208-734-9590.
Aug. 14 -- 2010 Southern Plains Beef Symposium, Ardmore
Convention Center, Ardmore, OK. For details, contact Tracy Cumbie at
580-224-6411 or tlcumbie@noble.org or Shan Ingram
at 580-224-6412 or shingram@noble.org.
For a complete list of upcoming events, click here.
|
|
|
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.
|
|
