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Soil
Scientist Recommends Using Manure On Alfalfa
Hay growers seem evenly split on whether applying
manure to alfalfa fields is a good idea or not, says Michael Russelle,
soil scientist with USDA-Agricultural Research Service. About half the
alfalfa growers he talks to say they would never do it, while the other
half regularly apply manure to alfalfa. He'll give recommendations on
the topic during a Feb. 5 presentation at the National Alfalfa Symposium
in Kearney, NE.
Alfalfa can utilize manure nutrients quite efficiently, according to
Russelle. "The benefits of using manure are many," he says. "When manure
is applied appropriately before alfalfa planting or during production,
it can improve yield and performance of the crop. However, if the manure
application rate, method and timing are not done appropriately, there
can be an increased risk of runoff to surface water or possibly a risk
of spreading pathogens (between livestock herds)." Shallow injection
reduces odor, runoff and crop damage, in addition to decreasing the risk
of spreading livestock diseases. Partial incorporation can reduce
nutrient losses due to runoff and volatilization, but some producers
report stand damage with this method. Russelle urges growers to follow
state manure application guidelines and regulations.
When applying manure to established alfalfa, he says growers should do
it in a manner that minimizes the risk of runoff, and use lower rates
near surface water according to phosphorus limitations. "Be quick, apply
as soon as possible after the harvest and at least 30 days before the
next harvest," he says. "Break up chunks of solid manure and spread
evenly for good nutrient supply and to reduce stand damage." If serious
disease is present or suspected in the livestock herd, the manure should
not be applied to forages.
Russelle says preplant applications should be made on fields with the
lowest fertility. Apply no more than a few weeks before planting on
coarse-textured soils. Incorporate the manure deeply and thoroughly.
The National Alfalfa Symposium, sponsored by Hay & Forage Grower and the
Nebraska Alfalfa Marketing Association, 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 details on the symposium schedule or to register, visit alfalfasymposium.com. For
information on the expo, visit alfalfaexpo.com/.
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Roundup
Ready Alfalfa May Be Tagged By Lot
Hay growers who sell Roundup Ready alfalfa no longer
have to tag every bale. According to a Dec. 18 USDA-APHIS supplemental
administrative order, the genetically modified hay now may be identified
by lot. Vehicles transporting the hay must carry specific documentation
about it and display an 8.5 x 11" sign that identifies it as Roundup
Ready.
Read more details about this new development at the Hay & Forage
Grower Web site at www.hayandforage.com. For exact
wording of the order, visit: www.aphis.usda.gov/brs/pdf/RRA_A8_final.pdf.
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Washington
Groups Offer Flood Relief
The Washington State Hay Growers Association (WSHGA)
wants growers to know how to help beef and dairy producers hurt by
recent floods in the Lewis County, WA, area. Growers who want to donate
hay can contact WSHGA member Clint Didier at 509-727-7118. He has the
names of volunteer truckers and the destinations for the hay.
The Washington State Dairy Federation is coordinating efforts to get
feed to flood-damaged dairies in southwestern Washington. Alfalfa hay is
high on their lists of needs. The federation will also coordinate
livestock donations to the farms when they are cleaned up, repaired and
ready for animals. It can be contacted at 360-482-3485.
The Washington State Farm Bureau is concentrating on giving financial
support to farmers to help in the repair of damaged equipment,
facilities, etc. All funds received will be immediately distributed to
farmers most in need. Contact the Washington State Farm Bureau at
800-331-3276.
WSHGA has contributed $500 to efforts to help dairy and beef producers
who suffered losses from floods. Contact WSHGA at 509-585-5460.
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Horse
Nutrition Taught Online
Michigan State University offers an online course
covering horse nutrition basics such as nutritional requirements,
diseases affecting nutrition, feeding management, evaluating and
balancing a ration and how horse behavior factors into feeding. The
course, offered at www.myhorseuniversity.com,
is estimated to take 8-10 hours to complete and costs $200. The book,
Nutrient Requirements of Horses, is a supplement to the course.
It consists of information compiled by the Committee on Nutrient
Requirements of Horses and the National Research Council. It can be
purchased separately from MSU for $99, or as part of a package included
with the cost of the course at $280.
The Web site was established to meet the needs of horse enthusiasts who
use the Internet to find information.
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Maryland
Hay supplies are short in Maryland after a year of
drought. Much of the state had a cool spring followed by a dry summer
and early fall. In some areas, precipitation is as much as 14-15" below
normal. "Fortunately, so far we have had a relatively mild and open
winter which has allowed longer grazing and has taken some of the
pressure off of the need for feeding hay," says Les Vough, University of
Maryland forage crop specialist emeritus. "Top-quality mixed and grass
hay has been selling in the range of $250-300/ton at some nearby
Pennsylvania hay auctions and for over $7.50/bale at a central Maryland
hay auction catering mainly to pleasure horse owners. That is a
significant cost, particularly for our pleasure horse owners. People are
looking at alternative sources, but alternatives are limited in the
horse industry. The livestock and horse owners have been able to utilize
some remaining fall pasture, and it has been mild enough that people
haven't had to feed extra hay."
Vough expects many pastures will need to be reseeded this year because
of overgrazing. "With high hay prices it was hard to convince some
livestock and horse owners to take animals off pastures in order to
protect them," he says. "We probably destroyed a lot of grass pastures
last summer because of the dry weather and overgrazing."
Maryland hay growers are looking at new grasses that haven't been grown
for hay in the state before. "We have seen some good results with new
bermudagrass varieties that have increased winterhardiness and seem to
be well-adapted to southern Maryland and the lower Eastern Shore," Vough
reports. "It was amazing how good the bermudagrass looked going into the
winter even with the dry conditions. We are looking at several
varieties."
Interest and enthusiasm for hay production is running high. "Although
the dairy cow population continues to decline in Maryland, the horse
population keeps increasing," Vough explains. "The market for hay exists
in the state, but Maryland is a hay-deficit state. We import tremendous
amounts of hay for the horse industry, so there is great potential in
the horse hay market."
Hay growers and others interested in the hay business are invited to
attend the Southern Maryland Hay and Pasture Conference on Jan. 9 at the
Izaak Walton League Center, Waldorf. More information is available at mdforages.umd.edu/. Contact Vough
at 301-405-1322 or vough@umd.edu.
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Washington
Washington hay growers are enjoying an excellent hay
market, but supplies are getting tight, reports Shawn Clausen, president
of the Washington State Hay Growers Association (WSHGA) and owner of
Stokrose Farm, Warden. "Demand has increased in the last month,
especially for feeder hay. I think supplies are going to be tight going
right into new production with very little, if any, carryover into next
season. Prices are holding strong, but expenses are increasing, too.
Most people I talk to are looking hard at their costs-of-production
numbers because the costs of fertilizer, land rent and fuel are on the
rise." Concerns about tightening up expenses spurred WSHGA to add a
strong business component to the program for the upcoming WSHGA
Conference and Trade Show on Jan. 16-17.
While hay yields were average in 2007, prices were higher than expected,
says Clausen. "Farming was fun in 2007, and people are trying to use
this opportunity to recoup costs and heal from weather damage in
previous years," he says. Even with the high prices, some Washington hay
growers are contemplating switching from hay to wheat or corn to take
advantage of high prices. "There is less risk with some of the other
commodities, too, because you aren't facing risk on four cuttings per
year like you do when producing hay," he states. However, he still plans
to harvest about the same number of hay acres in 2008. "We will be
looking at ways to try to conserve both water and fuel while keeping a
close eye on fertilizer prices and still shooting for good production,"
he says.
Clausen raises around 2,000 acres of alfalfa for the dairy, export and
feeder hay markets. He says some Washington cattlemen are leasing acres
to put cattle on cornstalks left in the field. Dairy producers are
mixing high-quality hay with cornstalks or grass straw to stretch
rations. "With commodity prices being so high, there is still a need for
hay, even at high prices," he states.
Learn more about the WSHGA Conference, to be held at the Three Rivers
Convention Center in Kennewick, by calling 509-585-5460. Visit the WSHGA
Web site at www.wa-hay.org/.
Contact Clausen at 509-349-2324.
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Kansas
Hay And Grazing Conference Is Jan. 16
The Kansas Hay and Grazing Conference will be held Jan.
16 at the Kansas Farm Bureau Building at 2627 KFB Plaza in Manhattan.
Topics will include hay production and utilization, buying and selling
of Kansas grass and hay products, and livestock grazing. Keynote speaker
R.L. Dalrymple, longtime forage management agronomist with the Noble
Foundation, will discuss crabgrass as a forage and grazing management
tool.
Conference attendees can attend three breakout sessions on financial and
transitional planning, using distillers byproducts on grass, marketing
organic hay, forage trends in feedlot rations, liability in the hay
business, hay hauling and trucking regulations, and other topics.
Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. Pre-register for $40 until Jan. 11, or
register for $60 at the door. The registration fee includes a 2008
Kansas Forage and Grassland Council membership, conference lunch and
breaks, conference proceedings and a 2008 KFGC discount coupon book.
Contact Gary Kilgore at 620-431-1530 or kwalters@oznet.ksu.edu.
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Calendar
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 Conference, Ruidoso Convention
Center, Ruidoso, NM. For more information, visit www.nmhay.com, or contact Gina
Sterrett at nmhay@yahoo.com or
575-626-5677.
Jan. 18 -- North Dakota State University Grass-N-Beef Review,
NDSU Central Grasslands Extension Center near Streeter, ND. Contact Paul
Nyren at 701-424-3606 or p.nyren@ndsu.edu.
Jan. 20-22 -- Northwest Alfalfa Seed Growers Winter Seed
Conference, Silver Legacy, Reno, NV. Call 509-585-5460.
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 -- Range & Pasture Management Workshop, Red Lion Canyon
Springs Hotel, Twin Falls, ID. Sponsored by University of Idaho
department of rangeland ecology and management, and the USDA/ARS Forage
and Range Research Lab. Contact Mary Fenwick at 208-736-3605 or mfenwick@uidaho.edu. Visit www.idahohay.com to download a
brochure and agenda.
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.alfalfasymposium.com and
alfalfaexpo.com.
Feb. 6-7 -- Saskatchewan Beef & Forage Symposium, Saskatoon Inn
Hotel & Conference Center, 2002 Airport Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
Contact Murray Feist at 306-694-3492 or mfeist@agr.gov.sk.ca, or John
McKinnon at 306-966-4137 or john.mckinnon@usask.ca. Visit
www.saskforage.ca/.
Feb. 8 -- Ohio Forage & Grassland Council Meeting, Ohio
Department of Agriculture Bromfield Building, Reynoldsburg, OH. Contact
Leah Miller, 740-545-6349 or leah@smallfarminstitute.org.
Feb. 12-14 -- World Ag Expo, Tulare, CA. Learn more online at www.worldagexpo.com/index.html.
Feb. 15-16 -- Indiana Forage Council Meeting/Indiana Cattle & Forage
Symposium, Indianapolis Marriott East Hotel. Contact Keith Johnson
at johnsonk@purdue.edu.
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,
Penn Stater Conference Center at Penn State University, 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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