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Alfalfa
Offers Many Advantages As Biomass Crop
Although it may be several years before cellulosic
ethanol plants start large-scale production, Michael Russelle, soil
scientist with the USDA Agriculture Research Service (USDA-ARS), says
the potential to use alfalfa as a biomass crop means there could be many
benefits on the horizon for hay growers. Cellulosic ethanol production
is in the infant stages now; just a few pilot plants are in the early
stages of production, Russelle says. Eventually, experts estimate
cellulosic biomass could yield at least three times as much ethanol as
corn grain does now.
"If alfalfa stems could be used for biomass energy, we could see greatly
increased demand for alfalfa because bigger markets would be created,"
Russelle notes. "We already have an infrastructure for growing alfalfa.
We have consultants, seed production and variety development, which we
don't have for crops like switchgrass." More demand for alfalfa would
create additional benefits for the allied industries that work with hay
growers, too, such as nutrient and lime applicators, pest management
consultants and custom harvesters.
Russelle points out that biomass production could reduce weather-related
stress for hay growers. If the weather isn't good, growers may be able
to shift fields from one type of market to another. "So if it is a
really wet spring, you could just wait a few weeks for a dry spell
before harvesting without worrying if you are going to have
dairy-quality hay," he says. "You aren't going to make as much money
with biomass as you might with dairy-quality hay, but hay production
might become more flexible."
Alfalfa would not have to be harvested as often to meet biomass stem
yield requirements. "For example, in Minnesota the first conventional
harvest typically occurs near the end of May, and the second harvest
happens close to July 4," Russelle says. "For biomass alfalfa we would
be harvesting near the third week of June, on average."
Russelle says greatly increased alfalfa acreage could provide a number
of natural-resource-based benefits to the public, too. He will be
talking more about the benefits of using alfalfa as a green biomass
alternative during a Feb. 4 presentation at the National Alfalfa
Symposium. Sponsored by Hay & Forage Grower and the Nebraska
Alfalfa Marketing Association, the symposium will take place Feb. 4-5 at
the Ramada Inn and Conference Center in Kearney, NE, just prior to the
Mid-America Alfalfa Expo.
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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Grass,
Clover Seed Supplies Are Tight
Reports from the recent meeting of the National Seed
Trade Association indicate that orchardgrass, tall fescue and clover
seed supplies will be limited in 2008, according to the Penn State
Field Crop News. The shortage, expected to last for a couple of
years, is due to seed fields in Oregon and overseas being taken out of
production at the same time that overseas demand was rising. Marvin
Hall, Penn State extension forage specialist, advises producers who
intend to plant these crops next year to buy early to lock in current
prices and to make sure they get the varieties they want.
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button simplicity, the new T6000 Series tractors from New Holland are
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This
Year Has Been One Of The Warmest
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA) says 2007 looks like it will have been one of the warmest years
on record. This year's average annual temperature across the contiguous
U.S. is expected to be 54.3 degrees, making the year the eighth warmest
since records were begun in 1895, according to preliminary data from
NOAA's National Climatic Data Center. U.S. temperatures were the second
warmest in more than 100 years during March and August; only February
and April were cooler than average.
Temperatures were also in near-record territory worldwide. The global
surface temperature for 2007 is on pace to be the fifth warmest since
those records were started in 1880.
NOAA will update its data in early January to reflect the last few weeks
of December. Visit its Web site at www.noaa.gov.
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Senate
Passes Horse-Friendly Farm Bill
The Farm Bill that passed the Senate on Dec. 14
includes several key provisions to benefit the horse industry, according
to the American Horse Council. Horse owners involved in production
agriculture would be eligible for additional federal programs
administered by USDA in the aftermath of a natural disaster under
specific provisions of the bill. The first provision would make horse
breeders eligible for federal emergency loans for the first time by
including "equine farmers and ranchers" within the class of eligible
producers. A second provision would institute a permanent disaster
relief fund that would provide payments to farmers and ranchers who
suffer losses in areas that are declared disaster areas by USDA. This
provision specifically includes horses within the definition of
livestock eligible for the program.
The House version of the Farm Bill, passed last summer, doesn't include
the provisions described above and is quite different from the Senate
bill in a number of other respects. A House-Senate conference committee
will try to work out the differences when Congress reconvenes in
January.
Visit the American Horse Council Web site at www.horsecouncil.org.
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Minnesotans
Set Hay-Auction Schedule
Minnesota's Houston County Forage and Grassland Council
is sponsoring quality-tested hay sales for the 29th year. The remaining
auctions will be held Jan. 11, Feb. 8 and March 14 at Green Power
Equipment in Caledonia. Each auction will begin at 1 p.m. and all hay
lots must be registered and tested between 9 a.m. and noon on the
Thursday before each Friday sale. Straw lots can also be registered on
Fridays from 11 a.m.-noon.
All hay offered for sale must be tested using the same forage-testing
lab. The sale committee will collect samples for the hay analysis and
results will be posted on the day of the sale. Tare and gross weights
from any state-inspected/approved scale must be provided at
registration.
For more information, contact the Houston County Extension Office at
507-725-5807.
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Oklahoma
Overall, the recent cold weather and ice storms have
affected people more than forages, says John Caddel, Oklahoma State
University forage agronomist. "The ice storms caused electrical outages
because trees fell on power lines, but the moisture was welcome,
particularly for pastures in the western part of Oklahoma," he reports.
"Most forage was not seriously harmed by the ice and snow. Newly planted
alfalfa and wheat for grazing should have been planted in September and
large enough to avoid damage from the low temperatures." Some cattle
producers needed to take care of baby calves born in the late fall, and
ponds were frozen, limiting watering for many herds.
"We are frequently asked to report damage from various weather events
quickly, and most of the early reports do not turn out particularly
accurate," Caddel states. "The cold weather experienced by most of
Oklahoma was unusual, but not unheard-of. In a couple of weeks we may
realize that the ice and snow had some detrimental effects on forages,
but it is too soon to see damages other than downed fences, telephone
lines and power lines."
After a summer of incessant rains, the fall in most of Oklahoma was dry,
and some western areas of the state had become too dry for good fall
forage production. With the high price of wheat for grain, producers are
less interested than usual in grazing wheat, Caddel notes.
Contact Caddel at 405-744-9643.
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Utah
Hay quality was good, but quantity was down in northern
Utah this year, reports Clark Israelsen, Cache County extension agent.
"I am getting several calls each day from people looking for hay, and
hay is getting hard to find," he says. "We had frost in late May. Then a
summer drought decreased quantity. Quality was good because very little
hay got rained on this year." Cache County has a combination of
irrigated and dryland hay. Most dryland hay growers who would normally
get two cuttings were only able to make one cutting due to the lack of
moisture. Their first cutting was reduced due to damage from the late
freeze. Alfalfa weevils were a problem, too. "Most people got the first
cutting off and then sprayed to control weevils in the second cutting,"
he states.
The hay shortage means the county's 100 dairies are feeding a higher
percentage of corn silage in rations. "We had a good corn crop this
year, so we have good corn silage supplies," says Israelson. "The
temperature was high and irrigation water was available, so some
producers were able to make 30 tons/acre." Beef producers had been
grazing until recently, but are now mixing straw with hay to help extend
hay supplies. Some are selling cattle, he says.
Hay production is expected to decrease somewhat in northern Utah next
year. Israelsen says wheat is so valuable in Cache County that acreage
that would typically be planted to alfalfa has been planted to winter
wheat or will be planted to white wheat in spring. The injunction
against planting Roundup Ready alfalfa has also caused a pause in
planting plans. "People around our area who had planted Roundup Ready
alfalfa were really happy with it," says Israelsen. "Some producers are
still thinking we will be able to buy RR alfalfa again, hopefully fairly
soon. So people who will be putting in a new seeding of alfalfa are
waiting for at least another year to see if Roundup Ready is going to be
available."
Israelsen wishes eHay Weekly readers a Merry Christmas. Contact
him at 435-752-6263.
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Southwest
Hay Conference Adds Corn Silage Topics
The New Mexico Hay Association (NMHA) announces the
addition of corn silage topics to its usual lineup of hay-related
presentations at the Southwest Hay Conference, scheduled for Jan.17-18
at the Ruidoso Convention Center in Ruidoso, NM.
"Typically, we have only addressed forages that can be wrapped in twine,
but realize there is not an organized forage consortium in our state,"
says Doug Whitney, NMHA president. "We hope to assist farmers with
education on corn production and related topics as well as hay
production since, in many parts of the state, farmers focus on both in
their cropping rotations."
Topics on this year's agenda include the latest in biotechnology of corn
and alfalfa, fertilization, organic alfalfa, irrigation needs,
alternative crops, manure management and maximizing silage production. A
large trade show featuring the latest equipment and other products and
services will be included. "The conference is always a great opportunity
for farmers to improve their vocation, as well as visit with their
across-state counterparts," says Justin Boswell, newly appointed NMHA
executive director. "We welcome out-of-state producers, as well as end
users from all over the Southwest."
For more information, visit www.nmhay.com, or contact secretary Gina
Sterrett at nmhay@yahoo.com or
575-626-5677. Contact Justin Boswell at 575-840-9908 or juboswel@yahoo.com.
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Calendar
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. 27-Feb. 1 -- Joint Society For Range Management And American
Forage And Grassland Council Conference, Louisville, KY. Visit www.rangelands.org/events.shtml.
Jan. 29-30 -- Midwest Forage Association 2008 Joint Symposium And
Annual Meeting, Howard Johnson Hotel and Conference Center,
Wisconsin Dells, WI. Held in conjunction with Wisconsin Custom Operators
and Professional Nutrient Applicators of Wisconsin annual meetings.
Learn more online at www.midwestforage.org, or call
the Midwest Forage Association at 651-484-3888.
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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A Holiday Wish
May your holiday season be filled
with peace, joy and hope. Watch for the next eHay Weekly Jan.
8.
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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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