Planting Pointers
Canola: A crop rotation option
Canola can be used in a crop rotation with peas and fed as silage for lactating dairy cattle in certain regions of the country. According to research reported in the December 2011 Washington State University Dairy Newsletter, the resulting combination was palatable and had an acceptable feeding value as indicated by its chemical composition and in vitro digestibility.
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Factors to consider when buying high quality forage seed
One of the most important factors affecting successful forage establishment begins with purchasing high quality forage seed.
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Optimize corn seeding rates
Higher corn seeding rates accompanied by improved stress tolerance in hybrids has contributed to incremental yield gains over time. Average corn seeding rates used by growers in the United States and Canada have increased from about 23,000 seeds per acre in 1985 to over 30,000 seeds per acre today, or approximately 300 seeds per acre per year.
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Tips for variable-rate seeding success
Before developing a variable-rate seeding prescription, you first need to delineate a field into different management zones, or regions of distinct crop yield potential.
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Wisconsin agronomy updates slated
Plans have been set for the University of Wisconsin’s 2012 Agronomy Update meeting series. The University’s Department of Agronomy and University of Wisconsin Extension will offer Crop Production and Management meetings at eight locations in January.
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"Cornfusion" in the corn field
What can you tell about the performance of a particular corn hybrid by looking at it in the field?
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New research explores corn seeding rates
Recent studies report that corn hybrids released in the late 2000s, especially Bt hybrids, require higher seeding rates than commercial hybrids released in the 1990s to reach maximum yields. Expectedly, corn seeding rates in the United States have increased significantly in the past 10 years. However, limited data is available on silage yield and quality responses of recently released hybrids to seeding rates.
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Corn yields with perennial cover crop are equal to traditional farming
Soil quality, water quality, and possibly even farm profits will all benefit by using a perennial cover crop on corn fields that allows for similar yields to traditional farming methods, according to Iowa State University research.
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Late summer alfalfa management key to strong spring stands
Good seedbed preparation and late summer management are among the biggest factors that determine a successful, high-yielding alfalfa crop.
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Research: Side-dressing manure for the nitrogen value
The 2011 spring is a reminder of how few days you may have to complete all your spring work; there may not be an opportunity for manure application. Ohio State University has been successfully testing a dragline system of manure application as a side-dress application on corn. This can increase the application window of manure and apply nitrogen at a critical time for the corn plant. This can offset the cost of nitrogen fertilizer, replacing it with manure applications that were going to occur anyway.
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How late can you plant corn for silage?
Planting corn for silage extends the planting window. Here are the factors to consider.
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