Crop Alert: June 26, 2013

This Crop Alert was originally written for and distributed to farmers and other members of the agricultural industry in western New York.

By Bill Verbeten & Mike Stanyard, Cornell Cooperative Extension

Potato Leafhoppers

This yearly alfalfa pest has arrived across western New York on the storms we’ve had in recent weeks. Reports of leafhoppers over threshold are coming in from across the region, however many fields won’t be sprayed because second harvest will occur soon after this latest round of rain on many farms. If first harvest was delayed and 2nd harvest is more than a week away it will be very important to get out in the fields and scout for leafhoppers once it dries out. The re-growth after 2nd cut will also need to be watched closely while it’s small to keep the leafhoppers in check. For more discussion on this topic see Mike’s June 2006 Ag Focus article.

Yellow Soybeans

The soybean fields that have managed to survive the floods have been looking pretty yellow in parts of western New York. In addition to being a bit waterlogged, the soybeans are currently transitioning from their using the energy in their cotyledons for growth to relying on photosynthesis. Furthermore the soybeans are probably just being to form nodules and fix nitrogen, see this video from the University of Wisconsin on the topic of yellow soybeans.

Septoria Brown Spot

We are starting to see some brown lesions on the lower leaves of soybean plants. Septoria brown spot is probably the most common early leaf disease that occurs with wet warm weather, Figure 1. This fungus will start on the unifoliate leaves but can spread upward to the trifoliates. Soybean plants usually can outgrow it and the lower affected leaves will yellow and fall off. Usually not yield limiting unless it spreads to upper trifoliates on small plants.

Figure 1: Septoria Brown Spot on Soybeans

Side-dressing Corn

The rains have washed away much of the nitrogen put down at planting with the corn. Pre-sidedress nitrogen test (PSNT) samples from across the region have come back very low in a number of cases (below 10 PPM). If you take PSNT samples and they come back ≥ 25 PPM (not very likely this year) no side-dress nitrogen is needed. PSNTs between 21-24 PPM should have 50 lbs. N/acre this year with all of the rain (in dryer years 25 lbs. N/acre would be more appropriate). Below 21 PPM (very common this year) higher rates of 75-150 lbs. N/acre are justified. For a recommendation more tailored to your farm see the Cornell Corn N Calculator. For more information on PSNT sampling and recommendations see the Cornell PSNT Factsheet.

When side-dressing nitrogen, it should be injected/knifed in if possible. Dribbling liquid nitrogen on will have lower losses than broadcasting, but more than injecting. Adding a nitrogen stabilizer to side-dress fertilizer will not be worthwhile.

Fusarium head blight update, June 28, 2013

from Gary Bergstrom, Extension Plant Pathologist, Cornell University

Winter wheat in New York flowered primarily at the end of May and first few days of June during a period when the Risk Assessment Tool indicated low risk of FHB. Field observations this week in scattered locations across New York are telling a somewhat different tale. Some level of FHB is now visible in most winter wheat fields in the state, some non-sprayed fields in the range of 5-10% incidence. Even if you checked your fields a week ago, I urge you to check them again as symptom development has increased following the shift from cool to warmer temperatures. If you see significant incidence of FHB you might consider having a pre-harvest test done for DON toxin contamination before shipping your wheat to a flour mill. Much of the small, scattered acreage of spring wheat and barley flowered over the past week or so when the forecast risk of FHB was moderate to severe. Growers can still make an application of Caramba or Prosaro if the spring crop is within 5 days of the start of flowering (first yellow anthers appeared). Most are past that time. FHB symptoms should start to appear in the next week or so; with the high risk of the past two weeks, monitoring of spring grains will be very important this year. Powdery mildew, Stagonospora nodorum blotch, and leaf rust development has been observed on flag leaves of winter wheat; flowering sprays with Caramba or Prosaro appear to have reduced the severity of flag leaf disease to a significant extent. Stripe rust of wheat has been observed at low levels in Tompkins and Monroe Counties and was also recently reported in Grand Isle County, Vermont.

Crop Alert: July 12, 2013

This Crop Alert was originally written for and distributed to farmers and other members of the agricultural industry in western New York.

By Bill Verbeten & Mike Stanyard, Cornell Cooperative Extension

Small Grain Harvest

Across western New York the winter small grains (barley, wheat, rye, & triticale) are starting to be harvested and will continue for the next couple of weeks. The weather conditions have favored the development of fusarium head blight on many fields. Before taking your load of grain to the elevator take a sample from each field in for DON (a.ka. vomitoxin) analysis. For those of you with insurance, be sure to review the Vomitoxin Fact Sheet. Even if your fields were sprayed with a fungicide it’s very important to test for DON before delivering your grain.

If you are harvesting a small grain for the malting, distilling, or fodder specialty markets you need to make some adjustments to your harvesting and drying procedures. Harvest the fields as early as possible in order to have smooth kernels that will have better germination and growth. Slow down your combine field speed and reel speed in order to not damage the kernels. Finally dry at very low heats (only up to 5-10F above the air temperature) in order to not reduce germination and change protein quality.

Soybean Aphids

Reports from Growmark representatives in Seneca County and our own observations in Ontario County are revealing that some soybean fields are over the threshold of 250 aphids per plant. The R1 stage (first visible flowers) is occurring even though the soybeans only have 3-5 trifoliates in many wet fields. On June 10 in Niagara County, we observed many winged aphids that were just starting new colonies on plants that had an insecticide seed treatment at planting. These seed treatments only have systemic activity for 45-60 days after planting. Soybeans planted in May are reaching this end point and should now be scouted weekly in order to monitor future aphid populations.

Japanese Beetles

These beetles began to emerge on July 1 and we are starting to see them congregate and feed in soybean fields. Their leaf feeding usually begins on larger the top leaves. They feed on the green tissue between the leaf veins resulting in a skeletonized appearance, Figure 1. Economic threshold for treatment is greater than 20% defoliation from first flower to pod development (R1-R5).

Figure 1: Japanese Beetle Feeding

Northern Corn Leaf Blight

We have received confirmation from Gary Bergstrom that Northern Corn Leaf Blight has been found in a corn field in northern Livingston County. Finding this foliar disease prior to tasseling is concerning and all fields should be scouted. Look for large tan lesions on leaves that taper on each end, Figure 2. The recent temperatures, rainfall, and humidity have provided perfect conditions for infection. Fungicides are available if the infection becomes severe. For more information on corn diseases and their management check out Cornell professor Gary Bergstrom article.

Figure 2: Northern Corn Leaf Blight

Forage Yield Monitor Field Day: 

Monday, July 15th come check out the Forage Yield Monitor Field Day at Gary Swede farms in Pavilion from 10 AM-noon. See the attached announcement for more information.

Aurora Farm Field Day: 

Thursday, July 18th from 9 AM to 3 PM at the Musgrave Research Farm (CUAES) 1256 Poplar Ridge Road Aurora, NY. See the attached announcement for more information.

Crop Alert: July 19, 2013

This Crop Alert was originally written for and distributed to farmers and other members of the agricultural industry in western New York.

By Bill Verbeten, Cornell Cooperative Extension

Corn Fungicides

Corn reached the tasseling stage (VT) across western New York, Figure 1, and a number of farms have applied fungicides to their corn acres this past week. The yield response to fungicides is quite variable in corn and is dependent on variety susceptibility, weather conditions, tillage system, and rotation. With this year’s cool-wet weather and the pre-tasseling observation of Northern Corn Leaf Blight in Livingston County, con-tinuous corn fields with reduced tillage have a higher likelihood of responding to fungicides this year. For more discussion on this topic see Professor Gary Bergstrom’s presentation. Fungicides can be applied up to the blister stage of corn (R2), but it’s important to remember that a response is not likely in every situation.

Figure 1: Corn Near Tasseling Stage

Spraying Soybean Weeds

Soybean fields are progressing across the region with many of the fields reaching R1 (the first flowers) the past couple of weeks. In most situations the canopy of the soybean fields have not closed yet. Be sure to get out and scout your fields to determine if you need a second pass of herbicide application. Also continue to watch for soybean aphids (250+ per plant is the threshold) as the seed applied insecticides do not control insects beyond 45-60 days after planting.

Small Grain Harvest

High wheat yields (90+ bu/A) with high test weights (55+ lbs/bu) from across the region are coming in. Continue to test for DON before delivering the grain as this year has been very favorable for Fusarium head blight development. Triticale (grain) fields are beginning to be harvested and rye harvest will begin soon as well. Some of the oat fields have also been harvested, but most are at least a week or two away from coming off the fields. Spring barley plants are also starting to dry down but still have soft kernels and green awns, Figure 2, putting them a couple of weeks from harvest.

Figure 2: Malting Barley

Potato Leafhoppers

Most farms in western NY took second cut haylage or hay this past week (although some have taken 3rd cut and others barely have finished 1st cut). Potato leafhoppers are now well-established across our region so monitor the regrowth closely the next couple of weeks and spray if over threshold, Table 1.

Table 1. Potato Leafhopper Threshold for Alfalfa Fields

Financial Assistance Program

From the USDA

We are asking for your help in publicizing as quickly as possible to all producers within your areas about the recently announced 2013 Financial Assistance Program (FAP) for producers in the Targeted States. The FAP funding will be provided to producers in the identified Targeted States who purchase buy-up insurance policies for the 2013 crop year with acreage reporting or inventory value reporting dates prior to September 30, 2013. The identified targeted states in the Raleigh Regional Office’s region are Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and West Virginia.Bulletin MGR-13-008, provides the program details. The Risk Management Agency (RMA) will provide a fixed premium reduction of $225.00 per crop policy for eligible producers. CAT policies are not eligible for this financial assistance.

Thank you for your assistance in getting the word out about the 2013 FAP to producers in the Targeted States. As always, please don’t hesitate to give the Raleigh Regional Office a call at (919) 875-4880, should you have any questions

Crop Alert: July 26, 2013

This Crop Alert was originally written for and distributed to farmers and other members of the agricultural industry in western New York.

By Bill Verbeten, Cornell Cooperative Extension

Late Season Nitrogen on Corn
With the extremely wet weather in 2013 there has been an interest in applying nitrogen in corn around the tasseling growth stage (VT). Work from Iowa and Indiana both at research stations and commercial farms has shown a 5-10 bu/A response to applying 30-60 lbs/A of nitrogen. If you apply nitrogen make sure it’s with drop nozzles that will get down through the canopy.

Fungicide Effectiveness on Corn & Soybeans
If you have an interest in applying fungicides to corn or soybeans check the efficacy tables on the NWNY Dairy, Livestock, & Field Crops Team’s website at Soybean Fungicide Table and Corn Fungicide Table.

Small Grain Harvest Update
The wheat continues to come in across western NY. Intensive management wheat farmers harvested between 80-100 bu/A with test weights of 55+lbs/bu. Less intensive management systems, flooded fields, and lodged fields have come in around 40-60 bu/A. DON levels have been surprisingly low given the weather conditions, continue to send a sample in before you deliver a load of grain. Some oats have been harvested, but most will probably come off during the next couple of weeks. Most of the approximately 300 acres of spring malting barley in western will be harvested in the next few days.

Late Summer Forage & Cover Crop Plantings
Many forages will be planted in August and early September. New seedings of alfalfa, clover, and grasses should establish well these next couple of months. It’s too late to plant sorghum-sudangrass or other warm season grasses for fall silage or grazing. Oats (2 bu/A) with some nitrogen (about 50 lbs/A) will give good tonnage for a late September-early October harvest. Winter triticale should be planted in September---fields planted in October last year did not yield as well as the those in Sept.

Cover crops planted in August (mostly after wheat) and September (after soybeans and corn silage) will be more productive than later planting dates. Small grains and clovers have performed well in western NY. Some varieties of radish are good cover crops (grow quickly, winterkill, and do not produce seed), but others are not and all require some nitrogen at planting.

For more information on these topics see the August 2013 Ag Focus for the articles by Mike Stanyard and Bill Verbeten. If you do not receive Ag Focus, please contact Cathy Wallace: 585.343.3040 x138 or cfw6@cornell.edu

Triticale Silage Survey
If you grew winter triticale silage in 2013 please take a couple of minutes and fill out this 10 question survey. Thank you to all of you who have sent in forage analyses from your triticale silages. The preliminary results from the statewide nitrogen rate trials (44 farms, 15 in western NY) generally have shown a yield response to applying nitrogen fertilizer in the spring. More specific recommendations that take into account manure history, soil types, and forage quality will be available over the winter.

Hay, Pasture, & Silage Fertility for Grasses and Legumes

With the arrival of spring many farmers are applying or are getting ready to apply fertilizer to their hay fields, silage acres, and pastures. Nitrogen application will be on most peoples lists, but adding some phosphorous  potassium, sulfur, lime, and perhaps a little boron will probably be worth the investment on many acres. While this blog post will focus on general recommendations to responses to different fertilizers in forage fields, it's very important to regularly soil test (and maybe tissue test) in order to have the best recommendations based on the nutrients already in the soil on individual fields.

Nitrogen (N)

A lot of nitrogen fertilizer is generally put down on hay fields and pastures. For every ton of grass harvested about 40 pounds of nitrogen is removed and every ton of legume removes 80 pounds of nitrogen. Fields that contain only grasses can use 150-200 lb/acre of nitrogen throughout the growing season. Generally nitrogen applications are split 75-100 lb/acre at spring green up, and 50 lb/acre after each cutting. Fields with legumes that are less than 50% of the stand usually respond to between 30 and 75 lb.acre of nitrogen throughout the growing season. Nitrogen application applications are generally not needed for pastures or fields that have more than 75% legumes, unless irrigation is used and there is high yield potential (greater than 4 tons per acre per year), Table 1.

Table 1. Nitrogen Application Rates to Forage Fields Based on Legume Content and Yield Potential

Adapted from Utah State University Extension

Many farmers have questions about treating their nitrogen fertilizers to reduce the losses to the environment after application. Three types of these nitrogen "efficiency enhancers" or stabilizers" are on the market: ›nitrification inhibitors, urease inhibitors, or slow release fertilizers. 

Nitrification inhibitors slow the growth of Nitrosomonas bacteria which change ammonium (NH4+) to nitrate (NO3-). N-Serve (DowAgroSciences) and Guardian (Conklin) are widely used for this and generally provide 4-10 weeks of protection for fall or spring applied nitrogen for grain crops. They are not labeled for pasture, hay, silage use. 

Urease inhibitors prevent ammonium from volatizing into the atmosphere. Agrotain (Koch Agronomic Services) is the most widely used, and generally provides 10-14 days of protection. This is ideal for nitrogen applications to pastures, hay, and silage in the spring because of the unpredictability of rainfall that would incorporate surface applied urea or other nitrogen fertilizers.

Slow release nitrogen fertilizers have a protective outer coating that requires microbial activity and moisture to break them down over time to release the nitrogen. Sulfur coated urea or ESN (Agrium), Osmocote (Scotts), and IBDU (Nu-Gro) all have been shown to be effective slow release fertilizers for many crops including pastures and forage fields. These products should only be used as a partial supply for forage nitrogen needs as they often are not immediately available to the plant. Combining a slow release nitrogen fertilizer with regular nitrogen fertilizer (urea, UAN, etc.) treated with a urease inhibitor would maximize nitrogen protection while still having some nitrogen available to the plant. Ammonium sulfate is not as vulnerable to nitrogen losses as urea and other fertilizers and would be a good choice for fertilizer pastures, hay and silage fields.

Phosphorous (P2O5 or P)
Responses to phosphorous fertilizers application are highly dependent on soil test levels. If soil tests are in the  "very low", "low", "medium", or "high" ranges for phosphorous, fertilizer should be applied. Soil tests and phosphorous fertilizers are almost always reported as P2O5 and not actual phosphorous. One pound of P2O5 is equal to 0.44 pounds of actual phosphorous. Original methods of analysis were only capable of measuring the oxide forms of phosphorous (P2O5) and potassium (K2O). This form of reporting analyses has continued to this day and most recommendations are made using P2O5 and K2O (not actual phosphorous and potassium content). Most phosphorous is applied as MAP (monoammonium phosphate), DAP (diammonium phosphate), super-phosphate, or a blended fertilizer.  The amount of phosphorous fertilizer that is needed increases as soil test levels of phosphorous decreases and are described in Table 2 for established forage stands. 

Table 2: Phosphorous Application Rates to Forage Fields Based on Soil Test Levels

Adapted from Cornell Cooperative Extension's Guide for Integrated Field Crop Management

Newly established pastures, hay fields, and silage stands should have an additional 20-30 lb/acre P2O5 for all soil test levels including "very high". Additionally if growing alfalfa in a high yield potential environment (>5 ton DM/acre) the phosphorus application rates in the above table should be doubled.

Potassium (K2O or K)
Forage stands, especially those with legumes, require high levels of potassium to remain productive and potassium recommendations are often based on the percentage of legumes in the stand. Additionally alfalfa stands require more potassium than clover or trefoil fields. Furthermore, different soil types have a large range in their capacity to supply potassium to crops. As a result, potassium applications can range from 0 to over 250 pounds per acre of K2O. A pound of K2O is 0.83 pounds of actual potassium. Table 3 describes the application rate of potassium based on soil tests and yield goals for alfalfa.

Table 3: Potassium Application to Alfalfa Fields Based on Soil Tests and Yield Goals

Adapted from Alfalfa Fertilization

If an alfalfa stand is more than three years old, potassium application should be increased by 20% to help prevent winter-kill  Potassium applications to alfalfa are often split after first and third cuttings in order to reduce tissue K test levels to help prevent milk fever, reduce fertilizer loss (potassium leaches), and prevent salt injury. Potassium applications to grass and clover fields should be reduced by at least half of the recommendation amounts for alfalfa in Table 3 because alfalfa has much higher potassium requirements compared to other forage plants. Different soil types also vary greatly in their ability to supply potassium to forage plants. Sandy soils often need twice as much potassium as clay soils because they have lower cation exchange capacity. Loamy soils fall between sands and clays in their ability to supply potassium to soils. 

Sulfur (S)
The air is simply cleaner now than it was 20 years ago, Figure 1. This means that most pastures, hay fields, and silage stands in the Northeast and Midwest will respond to 15-25 pounds per acre of actual sulfur. Each ton of grass or legume removes about 5 pounds of sulfur. Ammonium sulfate, potassium sulfate, and gypsum are excellent sources of sulfur during the growing season because the sulfur is immediately available to the plants. Elemental sulfur (S2) cannot be absorbed by plants and must be converted to sulfate (SO4-2) before plants can use it. However, when establishing an alfalfa stand either elemental sulfur or the other fertilizers will provide the sulfur needed in the 2nd and 3rd years after establishment (University of Wisconsin). 

Figure 1: Change in Sulfur Deposition in the United States 1994 to 2011

From National Atmospheric Deposition Program

Boron (B)
While only needed in small amounts, boron can greatly increase the establishment and persistence of legumes. On sandy soils 1 lb/acre per year of actual boron  should be applied, while on clays and loams only 2 lb/acre over the course of 3 years. Response to boron application will also be more likely in dry years and where no manure is applied to field.

Other Micro-Nutrients
The likelihood of a response in yield or quality to other micro-nutrients in pastures, hay fields, or silage stands  will be very low in most situations. Fields with high soil pH (>7.0), low pH (<6.0), low organic matter (<1%), muck soils, sandy soils, and fields without a history of manure application may respond to micro-nutrient applications when grain crops are grown, but legumes usually only respond to sulfur, boron, and occasionally small amounts of molybdenum and grasses respond to sulfur. Manganese can be applied as dolomitic lime if the soil levels are low, but is generally not a concern. 

Lime
Managing the soil pH is critical to managing nutrients in forage systems. Generally soil pH should be maintained between 6.0 and 7.0. Keeping soils in this range will maximize the availability of nutrients to grasses and legumes, Figure 2.

Figure 2. Availability of Soil Nutrients Based on pH

From Pennsylvania State University

The Rhizobia bacteria that fix nitrogen from the air for legumes generally require a pH close to 7.0 to function well. Some soils are naturally alkaline (>7.0, i.e. the Great Plains) or acidic (<6.0 Southeastern US) and consequently some plants are easier or more difficult to grow in these regions. Applying nitrogen fertilizer and growing plants make soils more acidic over time because acids are formed in the soil as ammonium (NH4+) is converted to (NO3-) and as plant roots exude acids to take up nutrients. Liming recommendations should be made based on soil test pH, the soil's buffering capacity (higher in clays-lower in sands), and the calcium carbonate equivalent values of the lime. A future blog will discuss this topic in-depth.

Bottom Line.
1. Adding nutrients to soils are critical for harvesting high yields of pasture, hay, and silage.

2. Applications of nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, sulfur, lime, and for legumes boron are often necessary for forages to maximize yields.

References
Alfalfa Fertilization
Ketih Kelling, University of Wisconsin

Cornell Cooperative Extension's Guide for Integrated Field Crop Management
Forage Production Section-Jerry Cherney, Cornell University

Fertilizer Management for Grass and Grass-Legume Mixtures
Rich Koenig, Mark Nelson, James Barnhill, & Dean Miner, Utah State University Cooperative Extension

National Atmospheric Deposition Program
University of Illinois

Will Alfalfa Respond to Sulfur in Wisconsin?
John Peters and Keith Kelling, University of Wisconsin

Winter Small Grain Silage Fertility

Many farmers planted winter triticale, winter rye, or winter wheat last fall in order to take a spring harvest to make up for the low haylage yields in 2012. Applying enough nitrogen at green-up will be crucial to raising the yield potential from 2 to 4+ tons of DM per acre. Supplying enough spring nitrogen will also increase crude protein from about 14% to nearly 20% DM if the silage is harvested by the flag leaf stage (Feeks 9, Figure 1) The application rate of spring nitrogen needed for high yielding, high quality winter small grain silage may range from 0 to nearly 100 lb. per acre depending on the previous crop in the rotation, and the field manure history.

Figure 1: Growth Stages of Winter Small Grain Silages

Photo from Cornell Agronomy Fact Sheet 56

Fertility Management at Planting

Typically rates of 10-20 lb. of nitrogen per acre are applied at planting for wheat that is grown for grain. Fall nitrogen rates for small grains grown for silage are currently being re-evaluated across NY with support from the New York Farm Viability Institute (grant summary). Too much fall nitrogen leads to excess fall growth, leaving the small grains more vulnerable to damage over the winter. If the small grain is greater than 6 inches tall going into the winter, the crop will likely be partially or completely damaged by snow mold. Placing enough phosphorus with the small grain seed at planting is also critical for winter survival and spring growth if the fields do not a have a history of manure. Work by Peter Johnson in Ontario has shown that mixing 100 lb/acre of MAP with the wheat seed had higher yields (92.5 bu/acre vs. 82.9 bu/acre) and better winter survival (85% vs. 35%) than wheat without phosphorous. 

Spring Fertility Management Depends on Field History

One of the most common planting situations for winter grain silage last fall was after corn silage. The amount of spring nitrogen needed will depend on the amount manure applied before planting the small grain. Winter grain silage fields with high manure rates (>5,000 ga/acre) may still respond to a small nitrogen application at green-up (20-30 lb/per acre). Fields where 3,000 to 5,000 ga/acre of manure was applied may respond to up to 50 lb/acre of nitrogen. If little or no manure was applied at planting than small grain silage yields and quality may respond up to 75-100 lb. of nitrogen per acre. Manure nitrogen content can vary greatly from farm to farm and should be taken into account before deciding how much nitrogen fertilizer should be applied to small grain silages in the spring. 

Small grain silage following a haylage field that contained over 50% alfalfa or clover and had at least 6 inches of growth will probably not require much spring nitrogen fertilizer. Lodging can occur from over fertilization of nitrogen without responses to yield or quality. In these situations farmers may still want to apply 20-30 lb. nitrogen per acre at green-up as the nitrogen from the previous legume will not start to mineralize and become available to the small grain until temperatures increase later in the spring. The nitrogen from manure and soil organic matter will also not start to become available until the temperatures rise. If fields were mostly grass and did not receive manure, then at least 75 lb. per acre of nitrogen should be applied.

Small grain silage planted after soybeans, field peas, or snap beans will likely to respond to a middle range of nitrogen rates (40-60 lb. per acre) as there will be some legume nitrogen that should be available to the small grain silage.

Small grain silage planted after a small grain will likely require between 75 & 100 lb. of nitrogen per acre. Yields of small grain silage following a small grain will likely be lower due to higher disease, insect, and weed pressure compared to the other scenarios described above.

Currently a state-wide effort in New York is underway to fine-tune these general recommendations for nitrogen application to small grain silages. This blog entry will be updated as appropriate. The Google Map for the Winter Small Grain Silage Nitrogen Study 2013 is now online at https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&gl=us&ie=UTF8&oe=UTF8&msa=0&msid=200860025394836250060.0004d93b822cfdf9fcd98&t=h&z=9&vpsrc=1. Photos will be uploaded from now until these trials are harvested in May 2013. Click on the individual markers for more information and photos from each on-farm location.

Spring Applications of Phosphorous, Potassium, and Sulfur
Small grain silages may also benefit from applications of other nutrients besides nitrogen in the spring. While fertilizer response rate trials studying phosphorous, potassium, and sulfur have not yet been conducted on small grain silages, results from previous research on winter triticale, rye, barley, and oats grown for grain will likely meet all the nutrient requirements of silage

Bottom Line

1. Managing nitrogen fertility can increase winter small grain silage yields from 2 to over 4 tons of DM/acre.

2. The amount of nitrogen fertilizer needed is very dependent on field history.

References:

Phosphorus Response in Wheat Production
Peter Johnson, Ontario Ministry Agriculture and Food

Winter Forage Triticale

Tom Kilcer, Jerry Cherney, Karl Czymmek, Quirine Ketterings Cornell University
Cornell Agronomy Fact Sheet 56

Managing Forage Inventories

This blog entry is a follow up to "Taking Forage Inventories", an article written for the AgFocus monthly newsletter from January 2013 and "How to take forage inventories" from the February 2013 issue of Progressive Dairymen. Many farmers will be short on hay and silage in the coming months and tough management decisions will need to be made in 2013. Most management options available boil down to one of four areas: 1) reducing on-farm losses of forage, 2) buying replacement hay or silage, 3) feeding alternative forage sources, and 4) selling animals to match forage inventories. Prior to making these decisions, a forage inventory should be taken in order to determine how long current stocks of forage will last.

Reducing On-Farm Losses of Forage
Silage and hay can be lost at many points from the field to the cow. See the December 2012 blog entry for a more in-depth discussion of Reducing Hay and Silage Harvesting Losses. Many steps can also be taken to minimize forage losses during storage and feed-out. Unfortunately for farmers many of the decisions that contribute to storage and feeding losses have already been made. However, maintaining at least 6 inches of feed-out a day from bunkers and bags, keeping hay stored out of the elements, and patching holes in the plastic covering silage can help reduce storage losses. A future blog post will discuss Reducing Hay and Silage Storage Losses in more detail. Large amounts of forage can also be lost at feeding. One example is that a lot of hay is often wasted because animals are fed with inefficient feeders. Well designed feeders greatly reduce the feed that is wasted. Reducing Hay and Silage Feeding Losses will also be discussed in more detail in a future blog post.

Buying Replacement Hay or Silage
This option for filling short forage inventories has already occurred on many farms, and farmers have paid record high prices across the nation for that hay and silage. In some areas there simply is not any feed left to buy. Many hay and silage pricing tools and auction prices are reported on-line to assist farmers in arriving a a fair local price for buyer and seller. The Weekly Hay Market Demand and Price Report for the Upper Midwest is one of most widely viewed sources. It quotes multiple hay auction prices for a wide variety of hay qualities and bale types. Archived prices are also listed on this website. Buying forage online is very risky proposition, especially if there is no off-line connection between buyer and seller. Only pay after hay has been delivered and verified by lab test or inspection that is the quality claimed by the seller.

Feeding Alternative Forage Sources
Most farms will seriously examine alternative forage sources in order to bridge the gap before the 2013 crop can be harvested.

Small Grain Silage
Many farms planted oats for silage last summer and harvested them last fall. Winter triticale, winter wheat, and winter rye have been planted across the country either as cover crops or for grain.  Research from Cornell University (Winter Triticale--A Cropping Opportunity and Winter-Forage Small Grains to Boost Feed Supply: Not Just a Cover Crop Anymore!) has demonstrated that 2-5 tons of DM  of 15%+ crude protein (CP) and less than 60% neutral detergent fiber (NDF) are attainable from winter small grain silage. Timely fall planting, sufficient nitrogen fertility in the spring (75-100 lbs per acre of total nitrogen from legumes, manure, or fertilizers), and harvest at the flag leaf stage (no seed heads emerged) are necessary to achieve high yields and quality. Work from the University of Wisconsin has shown that when harvest of winter wheat, winter rye, and winter triticale is delayed until the boot stage, yields are consistently 3 tons of DM per acre, but CP content declines to 12-14% (Winter Cereals for Spring Forage). A feeding trial from the University of Minnesota demonstrated that winter triticale silage with nearly 18% CP was equal to alfalfa silage in dry matter intake (DMI), fat corrected milk production, and milk composition when fed as the sole forage in the ration to dairy cows compared to alfalfa silage (Alternative Field Crops Manual: Triticale).

Work from Iowa State has shown that 1.0+ ton of DM of spring planted oat silage that has 20-22% CP, 52-54% NDF, and 75% total digestible nutrients (TDN) can be grown if harvested at the boot stage. Delaying harvest can increase yields up to 3 tons of DM per acre, but forage quality declines rapidly (Oats for Forage). The introduction of oats bred for forage production has increased the yield potential of spring planted oats to 2-3 ton DM per acre, and oat silage yields are generally higher for late maturity grain varieties than earlier maturity varieties (Pea and Small Grain Mixtures). 

Fibrous Byproducts
Adding fibrous byproducts to rations can greatly extend forage inventories. By-Product Feedstuffs in Dairy Cattle Diets in the Upper Midwest by Randy Shaver, University of Wisconsin provides a great description of the feeding values of beet pulp, brewers dried and wet grains, corn gluten feed, cottonseeds, distillers dried and wet grains, hominy, malt sprouts, soy hulls, and wheat by-products. Generally these byproducts can replace between 10-30% of the forage without decreasing DMI or milk production. Dr. Shaver's paper also discusses high-protein and unusual by-products that can be fed to cattle. Farmers should consult with their local nutritionist to evaluate if these products or others can be incorporated into their rations.

Alkali Treated Straw or Corn Stalks
Beef producers have long used various methods of treating straw, corn stalks, or corn cobs with a alkali product in order to increase the digestibility these materials for their cattle. Recent work from the Nebraska University (Digestibility of Crop Residues After Chemical Treatment and Anaerobic Storage) has shown a 10 to 15% increase of in vitro DM digestibility after treating with sodium hydroxide or calcium oxide and storing in sealed plastic for 30 days. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension Midyear Husker Beef Nutrition Conference June 20, 2012 also discussed this topic in great detail (Use of Corn and Residues in the Future for Beef Cattle). See the video "Demonstration of treatment of corn stalks and wheat straw" for some practical ways to implement this practice on farm. Residue digestibility can be increased 15-60% according to Shane Gadberry's, University of Arkansas outline of treating residues with calcium oxide, sodium hydroxide, ammonia and urea (Treating Corn Stalks and Other Crop Residues to Improve Feed Value) depending on the material and treatment method. Generally, these treatment processes involves grinding the material, rehyrdating the residue to 50% moisture, applying calcium oxide or sodium hydroxide at 5% DM of residue weight, and then storing in a silage bag for at least 7 days. Urea is applied at 3% DM of residue weight after the residue has been brought to 50% moisture and stored for at least 21 days in a sealed bag. Ammonia is pumped through a pipe into a sealed stack of hay or straw at 3% of DM weight and left for at least three weeks prior to feeding. Safety is big concern with these practices, and precautions need to be taken when handling these materials. Rehyrdrating the residues also requires large quantities of available water. Results from a feeding trial at the University of Wisconsin where corn stover was treated with CaO and partially replaced corn grain in dairy diets are available (Lime-treated corn stover: How to do it and it's feed value).

Poor Quality Hay
Already many cattle have been consuming feed that normally would make their farmers cringe. Poor quality hay (i.e. an old pasture that has the feeding value of straw) fed in small amounts may buy farmers some time before finding better hay or buying an higher quality feed/byproduct. Feeding bad hay should be avoided at all costs. It is one of the most risky management decisions to make when short on forage. Foreign material, the presence of harmful alkaloids, and unknown residual compounds are just a few of the risks of feeding bad hay to cows.

Selling Animals To Match Forage Inventories
While no farmer wants to consider this option, it will need to be on the table on many farms in 2013. Beef farmers in the South and Great Plains have already liquidated much of their herds in recent years prior to the drought of 2013. Cull prices for dairy cows have been strong in recent months and farmers should consider removing the least productive and efficient animals before cull prices fall. This can be a very difficult decision, but seriously considering it, along with the other options will help farmers make it through until forage inventories are replenished.

Bottom Line
1. Taking forage inventories and discussing management options now is necessary across the US.

2. Farmers will be able to manage short forage inventories by a combination of reducing on farm forage losses, buying replacement hay or silage, feeding alternative forage sources, and/or selling animals to match forage inventories.

References:
Alternative Field Crops Manual: Triticale.
E.A. Oelke, Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics, University of Minnesota
E.S. Oplinger and M.A. Brinkman, Department of Agronomy and Cooperative Extension, University of Wisconsin.

By-Product Feedstuffs in Dairy Cattle Diets in the Upper Midwest 
Randy Shaver, Dairy Science Department, University of Wisconsin

Digestibility of Crop Residues After Chemical Treatment and Anaerobic Storage
Adam L. Shreck, Crystal D. Buckner, Galen Erickson, Terry Klopfenstein, Michael J. Cecava, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Lime-treated corn stover: How to do it and it's feed value
Dave Combs, University of Wisconsin

Oats for Forage
Steve Barnhart, Department of Agronomy, Iowa State University

Pea and Small Grain Mixtures
Dan Undersander, University of Wisconsin

Treating Corn Stalks and Other Crop Residues to Improve Feed Value
Shane Gadberry Associate Professor, Animal Science, University of Arkansas

Use of Corn and Residues in the Future for Beef Cattle
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension Midyear Husker Beef Nutrition Conference on the use of corn residues.June 20, 2012.Agricultural Research and Development Center, Mead, NE.

Weekly Hay Market Demand and Price Report for the Upper Midwest
Ken Barnett, University of Wisconsin-Extension

Winter Cereals for Spring Forage
Edward S. Oplinger Extension Agronomist, University of Wisconsin

Winter-Forage Small Grains to Boost Feed Supply: Not Just a

Cover Crop Anymore!
Tom Kilcer, Advanced Ag Systems
Shona Ort, Quirine Ketterings, and Karl Czymmek, Nutrient Management Spear Program, Dept. of Animal Science, Cornell University, PRODAIRY, Dept. of Animal Science, Cornell University

Winter Triticale--A Cropping Opportunity

Tom Kilcer, Advanced Ag Systems