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Central
U.S. Ice Storm May Cause Alfalfa Damage
An ice storm currently threatening the central part of
the U.S. is causing deaths, black-outs and, very likely, damage to hay
fields. A state of emergency has been declared for the entire state of
Oklahoma, and the National Weather Service has posted ice and winter
storm warnings for parts of Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa and
Illinois.
Ice-covered alfalfa fields first covered with snow may not have the
damage some growers fear, says Dan Undersander, University of Wisconsin
extension forage specialist. Undersander recently commented on the
Midwestern freezing rains that followed snowfall the weekend of Dec. 1,
reassuring growers there that the ice may not be damaging alfalfa fields
as much as they fear.
"A lot of people are asking what they can do to help minimize damage
from ice that is covering fields from Nebraska, up across Iowa, southern
Minnesota and Wisconsin and into Illinois," Undersander says. "I don't
think the threat is as bad as ice damage has been in the past because
the ice occurred over a sheet of snow."
Ice can create a surface barrier that prevents oxygen from getting to
the soil and suffocates plant roots. "People want to be able do
something and are asking me about everything from spreading fertilizer
across the top of the ice so the salt melts holes in the ice, to
disking," says Undersander. "There are several reasons why those are not
good ideas right now."
He says spreading fertilizer doesn't work because growers couldn't apply
enough to make a difference. In most cases, the salt doesn't melt all
the way through the ice, plus pollution issues arise because the
fertilizer runs off. Disking can damage fields and doesn't provide much
benefit. An additional reason for growers and plants to breathe easier
comes from alfalfa residue. "Those who left residue in their fields have
stems sticking through the ice, providing a hole for air to get
through," Undersander points out.
Contact Undersander at 608-263-5070, or email djunders@wisc.edu.
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Wheat
Looks Good As Alfalfa Companion
In recent University of Minnesota research, alfalfa
yields the year after seeding were greater when the crop was established
with wheat than with other small grains. Currently, oats are the most
commonly used companion crop for alfalfa establishment in Minnesota,
says agronomist Craig Sheaffer. But the high value of wheat grain has
renewed interest in seeding alfalfa with wheat instead, he says.
Research at three southern Minnesota locations evaluated alternative
companion crops for alfalfa establishment. Assuming current market
prices, Sheaffer says wheat and barley would be the most profitable
small grain companion crop options, and oats the least profitable.
There are other factors to consider when choosing and managing a
companion crop. Sheaffer says to pick early maturing, short varieties,
reduce the seeding rate and promptly remove the straw.
A table comparing the grain and alfalfa yields is in the November issue
of the University of Minnesota Forage Quarterly newsletter. View
the newsletter at www.extension.umn.edu/forages.
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High-Quality
Hay Is Scarce Almost Everywhere
Dairy-quality hay is in really short supply throughout
the U.S., says Dan Undersander, University of Wisconsin extension forage
specialist. "Thirty states have reported a drought this year, and corn
acreage was up, meaning good hay is hard to find in some areas," he
states. "It seems there is some hay available in the Winnepeg, Manitoba
area in Canada, and Nebraska, Colorado and Idaho all have some hay
available. But much of that hay has been drawn into other areas, such as
the California market." Undersander says USDA-reported hay prices seem
to be a bit low in areas. "USDA is reporting around $100/ton for
alfalfa, and I would say we are seeing closer to $150/ton," he notes.
"Horse hay is astronomical in many parts of the country. Even
lower-quality round bales that would normally sell for around $15 are
selling for $60 to $80. If it's a mild winter, hay availability will be
less of an issue. But if it is cold, we could see a bigger problem."
People are looking for ways to stretch their hay supplies, such as
watching feed efficiency, using distillers grains and trying other
alternative feedstuffs, he adds.
Contact Undersander at 608-263-5070, or email djunders@wisc.edu.
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Wyoming
Winter Ag Expo Features Hay Show
Wyoming growers are encouraged to enter the hay show at
the second-annual Bales and Bovines Conference, Jan. 7, at the state
fairgrounds in Douglas. The show is limited to one entry per farm and
will feature alfalfa, grass hay and mixed hay classes. Contestants may
enter one small square bale, a flake from a 3 x 3' bale, or a sample of
a bale brought to the contest in a plastic tote. The minimum sample size
is 50 lbs. Core samples of the hay will be sent to Ward Labs in Kearney,
NE, on Jan. 7. Results will be announced at 4 p.m., Jan. 8. Prizes will
be awarded to the top-scoring bales in each class. Forage quality will
make up 80% of the final grade, with visual appraisal accounting for the
other 20%. There is no cost to the show, but hay must be entered by 1
p.m., Jan. 7.
The general public can participate in a hay evaluation contest. One bale
will be selected from each class, and the public will guess its protein,
TDN and relative feed value for prizes.
Bales and Bovines is one of four conferences that make up the Winter Ag
Expo. Learn more about the expo at www.wyoagexpo.com. Contact Scott
Keith, Wyoming Business Council Livestock and Forage Program manager,
for more details at 307-237-4696, or scott.keith@wybusiness.org.
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Fast
Hay Drying Is Alfalfa Symposium Topic
Learn how to make hay dry as fast as possible at the
Feb. 4-5 National Alfalfa Symposium. Sponsored by Hay & Forage
Grower and the Nebraska Alfalfa Marketing Association, the symposium
will take place at the Ramada Inn and Conference Center in Kearney, NE,
just prior to the Mid-America Alfalfa Expo.
Dan Undersander, University of Wisconsin extension forage specialist,
will kick off the program with a presentation titled "Manipulating Hay
Swaths to Speed Drying." "We will be talking about some of the new types
of haymaking equipment on the market, such as super conditioners, and
the reconditioning concept that has developed in some places,"
Undersander says. "We will look at the macerator, too. We will also talk
about management to use whatever kind of conditioner the farmer has to
the best advantage." Additional information about haymaking equipment
will be provided during two panel discussions on new equipment and
technology during the Feb. 5-6 Mid-America Alfalfa Expo at the nearby
Buffalo County Fairgrounds.
For more details on the symposium schedule or to register at the early
bird fee of $100/person, visit alfalfasymposium.com. For
information on the expo, visit alfalfaexpo.com/.
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Ag
Census Forms Coming Soon
Check you mailbox at the end of the month. USDA's
National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is urging ag producers
to make sure their farms and ranches are counted in the upcoming 2007
Census of Agriculture. Conducted every five years, the census is a
complete count of the nation's farms and ranches and the people who
operate them. It looks at land use and ownership, operator
characteristics, production practices, income and expenditures and other
topics. It's the only source of uniform, comprehensive agricultural data
for every county in the nation.
NASS will mail out census forms on Dec. 28 to collect data for the 2007
calendar year. Completed forms are due by Feb. 4. Producers can return
their forms by mail or, for the first time, they have the option of
filling out the census online. For more information, visit www.agcensus.usda.gov or call
toll-free 888-4AG-STAT or 888-424-7828.
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Alabama
"We are facing the worst forage situation I have ever
seen in Alabama," says Don Ball, Auburn University extension agronomist.
"It's been very tough." Because 2006 was dry, most hay barns were empty
going into 2007. Dry conditions again this year meant many people
produced less than one-half their normal hay crops. "Overgrazed pastures
have been stressed, weakened and thinned, and there will be long-term
implications," Ball explains. "I expect severe weed pressure in pastures
next year." Some parts of the state have had a little rain the past two
or three months. This has allowed some producers in these areas to
establish some good winter-annual pastures to help compensate for the
lack of hay. But winter-annual pasture availability depends on the
amount of rain received in a particular area.
Some livestock producers are having trouble providing their animals with
water because ponds and creeks are very low or even dry in many parts of
the state. "A lot of people have severely culled cattle herds on the
heels of having culled heavily during last year's drought," Ball says.
"People have used creative strategies, such as moving animals to other
states. Some producers are feeding alternative feedstuffs, such as
byproducts from milling, cottonseed, cotton hulls, and distillers
grains, for example. But the cost of alternative feedstuffs is high,
too."
The Alabama Forage Conference will be held this Thursday, Dec. 13, at
the Pike County Cattlemen's Association building in Troy. The program
starts at 9 a.m. Learn more at www.alabamaforages.com.
Contact Ball at 334-844-5491.
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Midwest
Forage Association Meeting To Be Jan. 29-30
The Midwest Forage Association (MFA) will hold its 2008
Symposium and Annual Meeting Jan. 29-30 at the Howard Johnson Hotel &
Conference Center in Wisconsin Dells, WI. Wisconsin Custom Operators and
the Professional Nutrient Applicators of Wisconsin members will be a
part of that joint meeting. More than 25 educational sessions are
planned in a concurrent session format. Topics will include putting
grasses to work on your farm, economics of raising alfalfa in a high
grain price environment, forages for dairy heifers, ag equipment and
public safety on the road, packing bunkers and piles, focusing on
machinery, etc.
Contact the MFA office at 651-484-3888, email midwestforage@comcast.net,
or check www.midwestforage.org.
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Calendar
Dec. 11-12 -- Range Beef Cow Symposium XX,
Larimer County Fairgrounds, Fort Collins, CO. Learn more at www.rangebeefcow.com.
Dec. 17-19 -- 2007 California Alfalfa & Forage Symposium, Portola
Plaza Hotel, Monterey. Contact Dan Putnam at 530-752-8982 or dhputnam@ucdavis.edu.
Jan. 7-8 -- Heart Of America And Mid-Missouri Grazing Conference,
Holiday Inn Select, Columbia. Visit www.uky.edu/Ag/Forage/.
Jan. 7-8 -- Wyoming Winter Ag Expo, Wyoming State Fairgrounds,
Douglas. Hay and forage seminars; trade show features hay equipment.
Learn more at www.wyoagexpo.com
or call Scott Keith at 307-237-4696.
Jan. 11 -- Forages At KCA, Lexington Convention Center,
Lexington, KY. Visit www.uky.edu/Ag/Forage/.
Jan. 16-17 -- Washington State Hay Growers Association Conference And
Trade Show, Three Rivers Convention Center, Kennewick. Call
509-585-5460 or visit www.wa-hay.org/.
Jan. 17-18 -- Southwest Hay And Forage Conference, Ruidoso
Convention Center, Ruidoso, NM. Contact Gina Sterrett at 505-626-5677 or
Justin Boswell at 505-840-9908. Visit www.nmhay.com.
Jan. 27-Feb. 1 -- Joint Society For Range Management And American
Forage And Grassland Council Conference, Louisville, KY. Visit www.rangelands.org/events.shtml.
Feb. 4-6 -- 2008 National Alfalfa Symposium And Mid-America Alfalfa
Expo, Kearney, NE, sponsored by Hay & Forage Grower and the
Nebraska Alfalfa Marketing Association. Visit www.hayandforage.com.
Feb. 12-14 -- World Ag Expo, Tulare, CA. Learn more online at www.worldagexpo.com/index.html.
Feb. 21 -- Kentucky Alfalfa Conference, Cave City. Contact Garry
Lacefield at 270-365-7541, ext. 202, or visit www.uky.edu/Ag/Forage/.
Feb. 26 -- Southwest Missouri Spring Forage Conference,
University Plaza Hotel, Springfield. Call 417-862-8085.
Feb. 26-27 -- Idaho Hay And Forage Conference, Burley Inn,
Burley. Call Glenn Shewmaker at 208-736-3608.
March 4-6 -- Pennsylvania Professional Crop Producers Conference,
State College, PA. Contact Marvin Hall at 814-863-1019.
March 19-20 -- 2008 Central Plains Dairy Expo, Sioux Falls
Convention Center, Sioux Falls, SD. Visit www.centralplainsdairyexpo.com
or call 218-236-8420.
Sept. 17-20 -- National Hay Association Convention, Oak Brook
Hills Marriott, Oak Brook, IL. Contact Don Kieffer at 800-707-0014, or
visit www.nationalhay.org.
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Send Questions & Comments
To...
Lora Berg, Editor,
eHay Weekly,
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.
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