Harvesting Summer Annual Grasses for Hay
It is difficult to put up good quality hay – hay that is dry and will not heat or mold – from summer annual grasses like sorghum-sudan hybrids, pearl millet, and forage sorghums. Obviously, this type of hay, which is also called cane hay, is challenging to bale or stack for most growers, mostly due to its stems.
Growers Report Oats Not Performing As Expected
For the past couple of weeks, I’ve been bombarded with questions about why oats are short and heading out early. I’m still looking for the answer.
Oats are becoming more and more popular as an inexpensive, reliable forage. The crop tends to thrive during cool, wet springs, such as we had this year from mid-April through May, which further begs the question as to why they’re so short.
Successfully Seeding Forages Into Wheat Stubble
The first and most important step of double-cropping forages after wheat harvest is establishing a good stand? So what’s the trick to getting good stands? Well maybe, it’s planting no-till immediately after combining the wheat.
July 15 Deadlines Approaching For Annual Forage Insurance
Fertilizing Cool-Season Pastures in May
Most pastures have good soil moisture from spring rains. Fertilizing now might help you take advantage of that moisture for increased grass growth.
Getting the Most Forage Value from Your CRP
With prior approval from your county FSA office, some Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres can now be periodically used as pasture or hay. If that is in your plans, take steps to make it work for you.
Take Advantage of Spring Moisture to Boost Pastures, Alfalfa
Most of us have more moisture in our soil profiles this spring than we’ve experienced in a long time. Following are some suggestions for how to take full advantage of this promising condition to better your pastures.
Consider Double Cropping Forages on Crop Ground
Can’t make money on your crop ground and need more pasture? Double cropping annual forages may be a better option.