Crop Progress
What’s the real cost of fertilizing alfalfa?
As the 2011 growing season gets into full swing, many hay producers will be considering how much fertilizer they should apply to their established alfalfa and clover fields following a long winter season. Due to volatility of fertilizer prices, one of the growing concerns MSU Extension specialists and educators have is decreased fertilizer usage and impacts on yield.
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Alfalfa suffering from heavy rainfall and saturated soils
Consistently saturated soils from heavy spring rainfall have taken their toll on forage crops in some areas of the country, especially in alfalfa grown on soils that are less than moderately well drained.
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Are you sure that yellowing means nitrogen deficiency?
In most areas, planting season has kicked into high gear. Since seeds are finally making their way into the ground, it might seem a bit pre-emptive to start talking about nitrogen and other nutrient deficiencies.
However, with the larger amounts of rainfall at varying times during the spring season, the loss of applied nitrogen is on every grower’s mind and every grower’s eyes will be on their crops, scouting for deficiency symptoms.
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Late planting's impact on corn and soybean insects
Questions are surfacing about the impact of late planting on key insect pests of corn and soybeans, says Mike Gray, University of Illinois extension entomologist. Based upon the progress of planting this spring, Gray said he can understand the interest.
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Forage harvesting spring 2011
To say it bluntly, this weather is for the birds! At a time when forage supplies are becoming low and producers look toward spring harvests of winter small grains and cool season grasses, these unending rain events are seriously affecting dairy and livestock producers.
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Disease considerations in continuous corn
When corn is planted back into corn residue, you should be aware of the increased potential for certain diseases, says Doug Jardine, Kansas State University research and extension plant pathologist. Not all diseases are affected by crop rotation, however.
Following is a brief summary from Jardine of how soil and leaf diseases differ between continuous corn and rotated corn:
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The benefit of shorter alfalfa rotations
Producers of alfalfa may be asking whether it’s time to rotate their alfalfa production to another crop. The value of each crop produced should be considered before the decision is made for the 2011 crop, suggests Phil Kaatz, Michigan State University extension forage educator.
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PEAQ helps alfalfa producers capture top dollars
With high-quality alfalfa capturing premiums of nearly $50 a ton, it's time for producers to start measuring their alfalfa in order to determine the best time to harvest the first cutting, says Mike Hutjens, University of Illinois professor of animal sciences emeritus.
"There is a science to harvesting quality alfalfa hay," Hutjens explains. "It starts with a good, old-fashioned yardstick and a trip to the field, and ends with a little work on the Internet."
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Help to identify Aspergillus ear rot
Aspergillus ear rot is one of the most important and challenging corn diseases, but a new Purdue Extension publication can help farmers identify and manage its effects.
"Diseases of Corn: Aspergillus Ear Rot" is a free, three-page publication that covers disease identification, the danger to livestock, mycotoxin testing, minimizing losses and handling diseased grain after harvest, and disease management.
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Planting methods for successful alfalfa establishment
Alfalfa is one of the major forage crops in dairy and livestock production as well as an expensive crop to establish. Therefore, it’s important to establish alfalfa successfully by following important steps of planting alfalfa from variety selection to planting, says Doo-Hong Min, Michigan State University extension agronomist.
He offers the following recommendations to increase your odds of success:
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Proper nitrogen application timing for corn
The goal of timing nitrogen (N) applications to corn is to supply adequate N when the crop needs it without supplying excess that potentially can be lost, say experts at Pioneer Hi-Bred.
Because N reactions in the soil are closely linked to both temperature and moisture conditions, this goal often is hard to achieve. Applying N at multiple times, including the time of maximum crop uptake, can spread the risk of N loss and crop deficiency, improve profitability by reducing N rates and benefit the environment.
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- Will Smith dethroned in latest Peterson Farm Bros. parody
- U.S. 2012/13 corn export prospects cut as global trade boosted
- Feed grain supply prospects lowered on delayed plantings
- Corn conditions a tad better than last year
- Brent crude oil dips before U.S. Fed meeting
- Grain markets proved mixed on Monday
