– Christine Gelley– OSU Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator, Noble County, Ohio (originally published in Farm & Dairy)

If knapweed is ignored in year two, you can experience a population explosion in year three!

Recently one of my regular Extension clients passed away. His name was Joe. Joe farmed on the border of Noble and Monroe Counties and regularly attended programs that may benefit his farm and family. He was an admirable man and leaves behind a respectable legacy. Though his life’s impact goes far beyond scouting for spotted knapweed, it is one of the things I will coin with his name in my programs for years to come.

Joe attended our first public spotted knapweed information program in Summerfield, Ohio and went home and started to watch for this damaging and aggressive weed. It didn’t take long for him to find some nearby and Continue reading →

– Victor Shelton, Retired NRCS Agronomist/Grazing Specialist

Cereal rye can be some great early spring forage!

It has been a few years since I mentioned one of my uncle’s usual spring declarations. He used to talk about grass being in head by May 5, and he usually was correct. It probably will be pushing it to get there this year. Forages have been nipped a bit by cold spells, but certainly moisture is not lacking in this part of the country. Some areas could possibly have some reduced yield in spots because of freezing of new growth, but I don’t see that as too much of an issue and in fact, for quite a bit of the state forage growth is in full swing.

The northern part of the state appears to be still waiting for spring to fully appear. Wet and cold conditions have kept them from doing much grazing on new growth.

I am pleased so far by the forage stands and their early growth. Most producers have already started grazing. I know of several producers who are still grazing or just started grazing fall planted annuals. Their main hesitation was Continue reading →

– Stan Smith, OSU Extension PA, Fairfield County (originally published in the Ohio Cattleman Magazine)

If precision fertilizer application is appropriate for corn fields, why not hay fields?

Few can deny that year in and year out feed costs remain the single largest expense for a cow herd. In a typical year, feed costs can easily represent 50 to 70 percent of all costs in the operation with most of that expense being in the form of pasture or hay.

At the same time much has been said this winter about the extraordinary increases in the costs of production of corn, soybeans and most every crop we grow in Ohio. Accepting that, we realize likewise, the cost of maintaining, harvesting, and utilizing the basis of our beef cow ration – hay and pasture – are experiencing similar increases in cost. The question is, as we consider our alternatives are we treating those forages with the same respect as our row crops and carefully scrutinizing expenses and the management factors that can optimize the performance and productivity of our forages?

Let’s take a closer look at a few of those cost and Continue reading →

– Mark Sulc, OSU Extension Forage Specialist

Alfalfa field damaged by excessive wetness during winter and spring. Source: J. Stachler

I’ve been hearing reports from around the state of forage stands that look poor, especially where flooded soil conditions developed over the past few months. Alfalfa fields that were cut mid- to late fall also are looking rough compared with stands where the last cutting was taken by early September and no fall cutting was taken.

In anticipation of questions about how to manage these forage stands that look rough coming out of the winter, I’ve outlined some ideas in this article to consider.

The first step is to . . .

Continue reading Dealing With Winter Injured Forage Stands

– Haley Zynda, Extension Educator, Agriculture and Natural Resources, Wayne County, Ohio State University Extension

A mixed stand of forage offers several benefits!

Pastures are really greening up in this area of Ohio and producers are antsy to turn livestock out to enjoy the lush greenery. Winter annual weeds are still thriving, patiently waiting for their summer counterparts to start germinating. Perhaps you also frost-seeded clover into pastures to improve feed quality and to cut down on nitrogen applications. If that’s the case, weed control this year will be a different story.

Having a mixed stand, whether for hay or pasture, has several benefits. As mentioned earlier, including legumes like white or red clover or alfalfa, can reduce nitrogen needs for the field. If the field is comprised of at least 25% legume, then the nitrogen fixing capability of the legume should be able to handle the nitrogen needs of the rest of the stand. In a world where nitrogen costs $1/lb, legumes are coming to the rescue.

Typically, mixed stands will also have a greater longevity than a pure stand of grass or legume. Pure alfalfa fields have a lifespan of about 5 years if managed correctly, and orchardgrass tops out at about 4 years. In a research plot out in the Central Grasslands Research Extension Center, a 50-50 mix of alfalfa and meadow brome was planted in 1988 and is still going strong as of October 2021. The plot still produces at Continue reading →

– Mark Sulc, OSU Extension Forage Specialist

Alfalfa showing spring growth in central Ohio on March 22, 2022.

With the onset of recent warm temperatures, forage stands are beginning to green up. Wet soil conditions and widely fluctuating temperatures have presented tough conditions for forage stands this winter. This is especially true of taprooted legumes like alfalfa and red clover. Many forage stands suffered significant fall armyworm feeding damage late last summer and into the fall, so those stands should be carefully evaluated this spring as they greenup. It is time to start walking forage stands (especially in southern and central Ohio) to assess their condition so decisions and adjustments for the 2022 growing season can be planned if necessary.

Forage stand evaluation can be performed when 3 to 4 inches of new shoot growth is present. Select random sites throughout the field and count the plants in a one-foot square area. Check at least 4 to 5 random sites in each 20- to 25-acre area. Random sampling will give . . .

Continue reading Time to Assess Forage Legume Stands

– Mark Loux, OSU Extension Weed Specialist

Look for this weed in the rosette stage now so you’re not surprised by the bloom this spring.

Reminder about the potential for spring infestations of cressleaf groundsel in wheat, forages, and hayfields.  This weed, poisonous to livestock, is a winter annual that emerges in the fall and flowers in the spring.  It’s most likely to occur in new stands that are seeded the previous summer/fall.  Growers are often not aware of this weed’s presence until it does flower, at which point the only course of action is to destroy the first cutting of hay to avoid risk of poisoning.  Fields should ideally be scouted and treated in the fall when groundsel is easier to control.  Where that didn’t occur, scout now and treat when it’s still small.  More information on cressleaf groundsel can be found in a previous C.O.R.N. article, fact sheet, video, and slides.