Hay

Cattle grazing field — Cattle grazing cereal rye cover crop near Tecumseh. (CropWatch file photo)

Pasture and Forage Minute: Planning Cover Crops, Testing Hay Quality and Nitrate Management

September 12, 2023

Tips on selecting and planting cover crops, managing nitrate risks while grazing annuals, and preparing hay samples for testing.

Loading corn silage — Silage harvesters can put out impressive volumes of chop, often overwhelming the packer with too many loads before they can get a proper pack. Remember, the speed of chopping should be determined by the packing speed, not the silage chopper.

Pasture and Forage Minute: Considerations for Corn Silage, Last Cutting Alfalfa and Forage Inventories

August 29, 2023

Best practices for packing and covering corn silage, timing the last fall alfalfa cutting, and taking inventory of fall and winter feed supplies.

Grasshopper in field — With continued drought, producers may see grasshoppers moving from field edges into crops. Frequent scouting of fields will be critical in the coming weeks, particularly in alfalfa and late summer-seeded grasses, which are more susceptible to feeding damage..

Pasture and Forage Minute: Managing Grasshoppers, Pasture Weeds and Wet Hay

August 23, 2023

Insights on late summer grasshopper and pasture weed control, and options for producers putting up hay in wet conditions.

Hay stack — Uncertain forecasts make harvest decisions difficult for hay producers, but it's important to keep in mind that the more hay is worked, the more leaf shatter occurs and the lower quality we end up with — especially for alfalfa.

Pasture and Forage Minute: Kernel Processing for Silage, Hay Harvest and Storage Considerations

August 9, 2023

Nebraska Extension Educator Ben Beckman reviews methods of kernel processing for quality corn silage, reducing hay loss during storage and adjusting for adverse weather during hay harvest.

Corn silage harvesting — Target silage storage moisture content should be 65%-70% moisture, as drier silage can overheat and spoil, and higher moisture content may cause loss of nutrients.

Pasture and Forage Minute: Corn Silage Harvest and Storage, Rejuvenating Thin Alfalfa

August 3, 2023

Extension educators share recommendations on strategies for silage harvest and storage, and ways to improve thinning alfalfa fields to delay the need for a complete reseeding.

Pasture and Forage Minute: Nebraska Grazing Conference, Summer Annual Forages and Pricing CRP Hay

July 17, 2023

Make plans to attend the 2023 Nebraska Grazing Conference, tips to help make sure summer annual grass hays are dry and of good quality, and how to price CRP hay.

Grasshopper in meadow — Grasshoppers tend to thrive in dry, hot conditions while outbreaks can be severely limited by cool, wet spring weather, and as such, producers in eastern Nebraska might see an increase in outbreaks this summer, while western Nebraska grasshopper populations may be reduced.

Pasture and Forage Minute: Grasshopper Control, Sub-irrigated Meadow Hay Harvest

July 7, 2023

Extension insights on grazing strategies to accommodate weather changes, grasshopper scouting and treatment recommendations, and tips for getting the most out of sub-irrigated meadow hay harvest in Nebraska.

Poison hemlock — Extremely toxic to both animals and humans, poison hemlock can be found statewide in Nebraska and is most toxic right before the fruits mature. (Photo courtesy Oregon Department of Agriculture)

Pasture and Forage Minute: Low Hay Stocks, Grazing Shifts, Toxic Pasture Plants

June 13, 2023

With the lowest level of hay stocks since 1974, extension educators stress the importance of taking inventory of feed and hay resources, and to begin planning for next year's needs right now.

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