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Weed-Seed-Free
Straw Market Beats Hay
by Fae Holin, Managing Editor, Hay & Forage
Grower
Today, there’s little market potential for certified
noxious weed-seed-free hay in the Midwest. It’s something that
certifying agencies hope will change soon.
Certified straw, however, is a niche showing increasing demand –
especially in a state with an established certified noxious weed program
and a transportation department that supports it. So says Ben Lang,
soon-to-be president/CEO of the Minnesota Crop Improvement Association,
that state’s noxious weed-seed-free forage and mulch certification
agency.
“In Minnesota, certified noxious weed-seed-free hay has been sold
primarily to trail riders who take their horses to the Western U.S.,
where it (certified hay) has been required. That market is pretty
limited,” Lang says. “Most of what we certify under that program is
actually straw mulch.”
“There is a real strong market for (certified weed-seed-free) straw
mulch within the state because Mn/DOT (Minnesota Department of
Transportation) is requiring it on its roadside projects for
revegetative use. Other state and federal agencies are beginning to
require it on their own revegetative projects,” he adds.
Mn/DOT has been supportive of the program from the beginning, Lang says.
“It sees its value. When noxious weeds are established in road
ditches, it becomes Mn/DOT’s job to control them and that would be
very expensive. And in using chemicals, there’s liability associated
with that and spray-drift issues – all those things it has to deal
with once noxious weeds are out there and have to be controlled.”
Essentially, such a program certifies that hay or straw is harvested
before seeds form on the noxious weeds harvested with the crop. It does
not imply that the forage or straw is weed-free; instead, it ensures
that the weeds won’t spread seeds and propagate, says Keith Johnson,
Purdue University forage agronomist. Certification programs vary, but
usually involve a membership fee and certification fees when inspectors
visit fields prior to any harvests. A three-cutting field would have to
receive certification before each of those three cuttings. Storage is
also viewed before a crop is certified, he says.
Some hay growers have been approached by horse owners looking to buy
weed-seed-free hay. That’s because national parks are beginning to
require such hay on park trail rides to prevent weeds from spreading.
But Indiana, which established its own certified weed-seed-free forage
and mulch program three years ago, has no hay growers utilizing it, says
Johnson.
“The program has been built, but the need hasn’t been expressed to
the point to get forage and straw producers to really latch onto this.
And that seems to be more of a regional issue and not just Indiana
alone,” he says. At a recent regional meeting, organizers concurred
that they need to go to trail associations, national and state parks,
state highway departments and others in an attempt develop markets for
certified hay and straw.
Randy Judd of the Michigan Crop Improvement Association says only one
person may harvest a certified weed-seed-free crop in Michigan this
year. And he’ll harvest straw. Judd believes, however, that there is
potential for certified hay as more state parks and other public lands
are requiring its use.
For more information on certified noxious weed-seed-free programs, visit
www.hayandforage.com/.
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Forage
Testing: Does It Work For You?
The accuracy and variability of forage test results
have long been debated among growers, dairymen and forage analysis labs.
Last fall, two university forage specialists, with support from grower
groups, took on the task of testing about a quarter of the labs
certified by the National Forage Testing Association. The result? Labs
do produce variability, and some more than others.
To learn more, visit www.hayandforage.com or pick up a
copy of Hay & Forage Grower’s May issue and read “Insight
From Blind Samples.” Then consider telling other Hay & Forage
Grower readers your experiences with forage tests. Do you believe
the results you get back are accurate? Do they coincide with the results
your buyer gets from another lab? Send us an email at hfg@hayandforage.com and we’ll
share your comments with those of others on our Web site, www.hayandforage.com.
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Resources
For Determining Custom Rates
One of the most common ways custom farming rates are
determined is through the use of university extension survey results,
point out Ohio State University experts. Their newest report, “Ohio
Farm Custom Rates 2008,” is based on survey results from 205 Ohio
farmers, custom farmers and farm managers. Rates may differ from those
in other regions, depending on availability of custom operators and
machinery, timeliness, operator skill, field size and shape, crop
conditions, performance characteristics of the machine being used and
demand for custom farming services.
Some average custom rates are summarized in the Ohio Ag Manager
newsletter online at ohioagmanager.osu.edu/news/index.php#custom.
A pdf of survey results can also be downloaded.
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Hog
Manure Improves Grass Yield, Quality
In a recent study, applying hog manure to pasture grass
increased crude protein by 80% and brought a three-fold increase in
yield. University of Manitoba researchers applied enough manure to
achieve an annual application rate of 110 lbs/acre of available
nitrogen. The fate of manure nutrients was monitored by extensive
measurements of soil, groundwater and pasture forage. Although the
amount of phosphorus added exceeded the crop’s ability to take it up,
the surpluses remained in the root zone. Similarly, there was no
evidence that significant quantities of nitrate moved into the
groundwater.
Salmonella and E.coli were present in hog manure, but
concentrations in soil and forage were low, and there was no evidence
that they were transferred to grazing cattle.
The researchers concluded that applying hog manure to grasslands is an
environmentally responsible pasture management and nutrient recycling
practice. They hope their findings will help to improve the economic and
environmental sustainability of Manitoba’s livestock industry. Their
work was partially funded by a grant from the Manitoba Livestock Manure
Management Initiative.
The full report, entitled “Best Management Practices to Improve the
Productivity and Environmental Sustainability of Grassland Pasture
Systems,” is available on the Manure Initiative’s Web site at www.manure.mb.ca.
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New
Online Career Center Available
Hay & Forage Grower is helping sponsor a new
agricultural career center, AgriBizJobs.com at www.agribizjobs.com. The site
offers industry employers a long list of qualified ag professionals to
choose from while providing jobseekers with agribusiness-specific,
categorized job listings. It’s a joint effort of Hay & Forage
Grower and its sister publications, BEEF, Corn and Soybean
Digest, Farm Industry News, Farm Press and National Hog
Farmer.
Employers can view complete but anonymous resumes for free and pay only
to connect with a jobseeker. Jobseekers can post resumes in
agriculture-specific employment categories and sign up to receive e-mail
alerts when new positions are posted that match their search criteria.
For more information, contact Chad Krieger at chad.krieger@penton.com or
952-851-4692, Lisa Peterson at lisa.peterson@penton.com or
952-851-4705 or Scarlett Bright at scarlett.bright@penton.com
or 662- 627-0141.
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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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Indiana
Alfalfa Growers Should Look For Weevils
Purdue University entomologists are advising alfalfa
growers to spend time looking for alfalfa weevils. They say alfalfa
fields in southern and central Indiana need to be inspected immediately
for weevil tip feeding and skeletonization of leaves.
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Alfalfa
Weevils Numerous In Missouri
Alfalfa weevils have increased to threatening levels in
central and northern Missouri, according a University of Missouri
extension entomologist. "Alfalfa weevil larvae are two to three times
the economic threshold in many fields," says Wayne Bailey. Last week,
100% of plants were showing signs of foliar damage in the central part
of the state.
The economic threshold is one larva per alfalfa stem with 30% of plants
showing signs of feeding damage, according to Bailey. Most larvae in
fields surveyed by MU extension specialists last week were in early
growth stages and damage was limited to the upper whorl of leaflets.
However, damage will increase as weevils mature.
"Problems can quickly develop and result in substantial loss of forage
yield and quality," Bailey says. Larvae grow rapidly in warm
temperatures and increasingly feed on leaves. So scout fields to
determine weevil numbers. Applying a foliar rescue insecticide is the
most common control strategy. Other options include early harvesting,
grazing and biological control.
"This season, early harvest may be a viable option as alfalfa plants
have grown rapidly with the cool, wet conditions this spring." But
alfalfa must be within seven to 10 days of the normal harvest stage,
Bailey warns. Be sure to monitor fields afterward.
If alfalfa plants are 6-8” tall, and weevil numbers are at the
economic threshold, management-intensive grazing may reduce weevil
larvae by 90% – as long as most spring-laid eggs have hatched, Bailey
says. But grazing wet fields can cause hoof damage, and watch for bloat.
Graze only the upper two-thirds of the alfalfa so it can recover for the
next cutting.
A fungus or parasites can sometimes be used to kill weevil larvae, but
not this year because of the high weevil populations.
Contact Bailey at 573-864-9905.
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Alfalfa
And Clover Leaf Weevils In Nebraska
The University of Nebraska is alerting the state’s
alfalfa growers to be on the lookout for feeding damage from alfalfa and
clover leaf weevil larvae. Insect development has been delayed in
Nebraska due to below-average temperatures, but as temperatures start to
climb, the insects may be getting to work. Temperatures and conditions
in southern Nebraska indicate that some feeding may be observed as tiny
pinholes on the leaves of the upper part of the stem.
The weevils feed on first-cutting alfalfa as larvae and also consume
regrowth after first cutting as adults and sometimes as larvae. Research
in northeastern Nebraska has shown that clover leaf weevil feeding
doesn’t reduce first-cutting yield, but alfalfa weevil feeding can
cause severe losses to its yield and quality.
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Iowa
Significant areas of alfalfa winterkill are now evident
in Iowa, according to Steve Barnhart, Iowa State University agronomist.
The worst areas are along the Highway 20 corridor in eastern and
northeastern Iowa, with notable losses up to the Minnesota border and
also in random fields in other parts of the state. Evidence of the
damage was delayed because some plants began to green up and then died,
says Barnhart. He says growers must decide whether to keep
less-productive fields, try to boost their production by supplemental
seeding, or plant new alfalfa fields as well as short-term forage crops
for immediate future forage needs.
Dale Leslein, manager of eastern Iowa’s Dyersville Hay Auction,
reports that lower-quality hay brought $10-15/ton less at the May 7
auction than it had the previous week, but better hay was fully steady.
A load of 171 relative feed value round bales of second-cutting alfalfa
sold for $210/ton, a record price for round bales. The top price on big
square bales was $202.50/ton for a load of mixed hay. Leslein says the
straw market was firm, with large square bales bringing $40-44/ton.
“New-crop hay harvest will be delayed because the late spring has the
hay way behind last year’s,” he says. “Locally, farmers need a
break from the rain so the planters can get rolling.”
Contact Barnhart at 515-294-7835; Leslein, at 563-875-2481 or dale@dyersvillesales.com.
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New
York
Phil Saunders of Sugar Creek Farm is currently storing
hay that brought him $240/ton from a racetrack client. He still has
3,000 bales of the client’s hay, but that’s nothing compared to what
this Dansville, NY, grower can store – more than 50,000 small square
bales in three hay barns. “We put the barns up with the idea that we
would store hay for our customers in the winter,” he explains. “One
of the reasons we can command a higher price for the hay is because of
our storage and load-out facilities. A semi tractor-trailer can pull
right into the barn to load. All of the loading is done mechanically.”
He works with three brokers to provide well-known racetracks, including
Belmont Park, with high-quality hay.
He expects to start selling this year’s hay at around $200/ton. “The
people who know about horse hay are willing to pay good money for
quality hay,” he says. “There’s been such a shortage that people
are offering more money for the hay before I’m asking for it.” He
grows mostly timothy hay and plans to increase acres from 800 to
1,200-1,400. To rotate with the hay, he’ll raise vegetables such as
snap beans and sweet corn. His area was below normal snowfall this
winter, but has had a wet spring with one of the warmest Aprils on
record. “We had 14 days above 70 degrees, and 12 days above 60
degrees,” he reports. “The hay took off well. Then two weeks ago we
had some rain and even snow that slowed growth down a bit.” His first
cutting should be ready to harvest the first week in June.
One of Saunders’ barns has a hay dryer featured in Hay & Forage
Grower’s January 2003 issue, available at hayandforage.com/mag/farming_sunshine_substitute/index.html.
Contact Saunders at 585-335-8664.
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Wisconsin
Summer Grazing Schools To Start
Farmers interested in switching to rotational grazing
or just starting out in grazing should attend one of the Wisconsin
Grazing Schools to be held around the state the next several months. The
schools are designed to teach producers, educators and agency staff the
basics of management-intensive grazing with a hands-on approach.
The two-day workshops will cover grazing and dairy and livestock
production on pastures. Topics include pasture species selection and
management, fencing and watering systems, animal health on pasture,
animal nutrition, pasture improvement techniques and the economics of
pasturing systems. Producers can network with producers already using
management-intensive grazing as well as university and USDA-NRCS experts
in grazing.
The cost is $75 per person, including reference materials and meals. A
second person from the same farm can register for $35. Dates, locations
and registration deadlines are:
June 10-11 in River Falls. Registration deadline is June 2.
June 24-25 in Gleason. Registration deadline is June 16.
July 22 in Fond du Lac. Registration deadline is July 14. This school is
one day only and registration is $35.
Aug. 19-20 in Richland Center. Registration date to be announced.
For more information or to register, call 715-425-3345.
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Calendar
May 16 -- North Carolina State University Horse
Forage Management Short Course, Ramada Inn Blue Ridge, Raleigh.
Special emphasis on maximizing forages and hay or pasture to
economically meet horses' nutrient requirements. Learn more at www.cals.ncsu.edu/an_sci/extension/horse/SC_Clinic/SCmain.htm.
May 29 -- 2008 Corn Silage & Forage Field Day, Plant Science and
Research Unit, Citra, FL. Contact Jerry Wasdin at jwas@ufl.edu, call 352-392-1120 or visit
www.animal.ifas.ufl.edu/extension/CSFD/index.shtml.
June 6-8 -- Western States Horse Expo, Cal Expo Fairgrounds,
Sacramento, CA. Call 800-352-2411 or visit www.horsexpo.com.
June 11-12 -- Four-State Dairy Nutrition And Management
Conference, Grand Harbor Conference Center, Dubuque, IA. Covering
dairy industry topics for Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois and Minnesota.
Contact Evonne Hausman at ehausman@uiuc.edu.
June 28 -- 2008 Illinois Forage Expo, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Smith
Family Farms near Mount Vernon. For more information, visit: web.extension.uiuc.edu/regions/ag.
July 11-13 -- North Carolina Equine Extravaganza, North Carolina
State Fairgrounds, Raleigh. Learn more at www.equineextravaganza.com.
Sept. 4 -- Kentucky Forage & Grassland Council Field Day,
Christian County. Learn more at www.uky.edu/Ag/Forage/.
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.
Sept. 30-Oct. 4 -- World Dairy Expo, Alliant Energy Center,
Madison, WI. Visit www.worlddairyexpo.com.
Oct. 23 -- Kentucky Grazing Conference, Fayette County extension
office, Lexington. Learn more at www.uky.edu/Ag/Forage/.
Oct. 31-Nov. 2 -- Virginia Equine Extravaganza, Richmond Raceway,
Richmond. Learn more at www.equineextravaganza.com.
Nov. 6-7 -- 2008 Beef Quality Summit, sponsored by BEEF
magazine, Antlers Hilton Hotel, Colorado Springs, CO. Visit beefconference.com/.
Nov. 13-16 -- Massachusetts Equine Affaire, Eastern States
Exposition Center, West Springfield. Visit www.equineaffaire.com.
Dec. 5-6 -- 2008 Missouri Livestock Symposium, Kirksville.
Programs for horse, beef cattle, sheep, meat goat and forage producers,
and trade show. Details at missourilivestock.com, or call Bruce Lane at
660-665-9866 or Garry Mathes at 660-341-6625.
Feb. 15-16, 2009 -- Southwest Hay And Forage Conference, Ruidoso,
NM. Contact Gina Sterrett at 575-626-5677 or Justin Boswell at
575-840-9908.
June 21-23, 2009 -- American Forage & Grassland Council Annual
Conference, Amway Grand Plaza Hotel, Grand Rapids, MI. Call
800-944-2342 or email info@afgc.org.Calendar.
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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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