Forages

You are invited to the 2024 Ohio Forage and Grasslands Council Annual Meeting

Dear Past, Present, and potential Ohio Forage and Grasslands Council Members,

You are invited to attend the 2024 OFGC Annual Meeting that will be held on Friday, February 9, 2024, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Deerassic Park Education Center in Cambridge, Ohio. We encourage all Ohioans with an interest in forage production to attend. We hope you will consider attending and renewing your OFGC membership. The mission of OFGC is to enhance the profitability of Ohio Farmers through the use of forage and grassland resources.  Your membership will invite you to several forage-related field days throughout the year, automatic membership to the American Forage and Grassland Council, and a free subscription to Progressive Forage Grower magazine. Official Registration and Flyer with Speaker Details Continue reading →

Alfalfa Weevil is in the County

For those of you who have Alfalfa in the county, be on the lookout for Alfalfa weevil. These are pictures shared with me last week.  A few weeks ago in the CORN Newsletter information was shared about scouting for this pest.

Alfalfa fields should be scouted weekly for weevils until at least the first harvest.  Follow-up scouting may be needed after the first harvest in heavily infested fields.

Spot problem fields early by checking alfalfa tips for feeding damage – small holes and a tattered appearance.  Fields that have a south-facing slope tend to warm up sooner and need to be checked for weevil earlier.

Green alfalfa weevil larvae (the main feeding stage) at various growth stages, and brown adults. Photo by Julie Peterson, University of Nebraska.

Here is a video about scouting weevils in alfalfa:  https://forages.osu.edu/video Continue reading →

Ohio Forage and Grasslands Council Conference, February 18

Registration for this annual conference is due February 11

The Ohio Forage and Grasslands Council Annual Conference will be held in person on February 18, 2022, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Beck’s Hybrids at 720 US 40 NE, London, Ohio. The program theme is “Foraging for Profit.” All Ohioans involved in forage production and feeding are invited to attend.

The keynote speakers will be Greg Braun, Victor Shelton, and Bob Hendershot. All three are retired NRCS Grassland Conservationists from Kentucky, Indiana, and Ohio respectively. The program is being sponsored by the Logan County Land Trust with generous support from the James Forsythe Milroy Foundation.

Additional featured speakers include Dr. Marilia Chiavegato, Assistant Professor at Ohio State University, and two of her students, Ricardo Ribeiro and Marina Miquilini, who will provide a University Forage Research Update. Several producer talks will also be presented including Hay Producer, Glen Courtright from South Charleston, Ohio; Dairy Producer, Jason Hartschuh from Sycamore, Ohio; and Sheep and Goat Producer, Shawn Ray from Cumberland, Ohio. To finish the program Greg Braun, Victor Shelton, and Bob Hendershot will be lead a discussion entitled “Hot Topics in Forages and Grazing.”

Additional details of the program and online payment are available at https://ohiofgc.square.site/. Registration is due by February 11, 2022. For more information, contact OFGC Executive Secretary- Gary Wilson at osuagman@gmail.com or 419-348-3500.

Don’t get Burned by Hopperburn—Check Alfalfa for Potato Leafhoppers

By:  Andy Michel, Mark Sulc, Curtis Young, CCA, Kelley Tillmon

alfalfa leaf hoppers on dimePotato leafhopper (PLH) adults arrived in Ohio during the last week of June and the first week of July. Since then, the eggs have hatched and we are now seeing late-stage nymphs and adults infesting alfalfa fields.  A few fields are showing the typical “hopper burn”, which is a triangular yellowing from the center of the leaf to the leaf margin. The more mature the crop of alfalfa is since the last cutting, the more the hopper burn symptoms will be showing. Hopper burn will also become more pronounced in areas of the state that are short on rain or are predicted to become drier because the alfalfa will not be able to outgrow the feeding activity of PLH.  Scouting now and making appropriate management decisions based on the scouting can help avoid serious damage to the crop. Continue reading →

Forage Planting – How to Do It Well

By:  Mark Sulc and Jason Hartschuh, CCA

The window of opportunity for spring forage seedings has been very tight the past three years. Are you ready to roll?

Early spring provides one of the two preferred times to seed perennial cool-season forages, the other being late summer. The outlook for this spring is for probabilities of above-average precipitation in April and May. Planting opportunities will likely be few and short. An accompanying article on preparing now for planting along with the following 10 steps to follow on the day you plant will help improve chances for successful forage establishment.

  1. Check now to make sure soil pH and fertility are in the recommended ranges.  Follow the Tri-state Soil Fertility Recommendations (https://forages.osu.edu/forage-management/soil-fertility-forages).  Forages are more productive where soil pH is above 6.0, but for alfalfa, it should be 6.5 – 6.8. Soil phosphorus should be at least 20 ppm for grasses and 30 ppm for legumes, while minimum soil potassium should be 100 ppm for sandy soils less than 5 CEC or 120 ppm on all other soils. If seedings are to include alfalfa, and soil pH is not at least 6.5, it would be best to apply lime now and delay establishing alfalfa until late summer (plant an annual grass forage in the interim). Continue reading →

Beef Newsletter

From Stan Smith, OSU Extension

Dear Ohio BEEF Cattle Producers-

Six new articles have been posted in this week’s issue number 1235 of the Ohio BEEF Cattle letter: http://u.osu.edu/beef/

Last week we offered suggestions for seedbed preparation and planting the new forage seeding. This week, Christine Gelley offers detail on forage seed selection. And, it may be March Madness for college basketball enthusiasts, but it’s spring training for Major League Baseball, and the bulls still waiting in the bullpen to get the call!

Articles this week include:

  • Selecting Forages for Your New Seeding
  • Taking the Bull from the Sale Ring or Winter Storage, Making Him the Athlete He Needs to Be
  • Minerals for Beef Cattle
  • Livestock and Grain Producers: Dealing with Vomitoxin and Zearalenone
  • Weighing the Options
  • March 1, 2021 Cattle on Feed Inventory up 1.6% from 2020

Continue reading →

Precautions for Feeding Frosted and Drought-Stressed Forages

Hay bales in the field

Livestock owners feeding forage need to keep in mind the potential for some forage toxicities and other problems that can develop this fall. High nitrates and prussic acid poisoning are the main potential concerns. These are primarily an issue with annual forages and several weed species, but nitrates can be an issue even in drought-stressed perennial forages. There is also an increased risk of bloat when grazing legumes after a frost.

Nitrate Toxicity

Drought-stressed forages can accumulate toxic nitrate levels. This can occur in many different forage species, including both annuals and perennials. Several areas in Ohio have been dry of late. Corn, oat, and other small grains, sudangrass, and sorghum-sudangrass, and many weed species including johnsongrass can accumulate toxic levels of nitrates. Even alfalfa can accumulate toxic nitrate levels under severe drought stress.

Before feeding or grazing drought-stressed forage, send in a forage sample to be tested for nitrates. Most labs now offer nitrate tests, so it is likely that you can get a forage nitrate test by your favorite lab. Several labs are listed at the end of this article that does nitrate testing. This list is for your convenience and no labs are intentionally omitted. Check your chosen lab’s website or call them and follow their specific instructions about how to collect and handle the sample. The cost is well worth it against the risk of losing animals.

See the following references for more details:

Nitrates in Cattle Sheep and Goats (University of Wisconsin Extension) https://fyi.extension.wisc.edu/forage/nitrate-poisoning-in-cattle-sheep-and-goats/

Nitrates and Prussic Acid in Forages (Texas Cooperative Extension) http://forages.tamu.edu/PDF/Nitrate.pdf

Nitrate accumulation in frosted forages. Freezing damage slows down metabolism in all plants, and this might result in nitrate accumulation in plants that are still growing, especially grasses like oats and other small grains, millet, and sudangrass.  This build-up usually is not hazardous to grazing animals, but green chop or hay cut right after a freeze can be more dangerous. When in doubt, test the forage for nitrates before grazing or feeding it. Continue reading →

Scout now for cressleaf groundsel in hayfields, or pay the price in May

Cressleaf GroundselBy Mark Sulc, OSU

Some hay producers have been unpleasantly surprised in the past when cressleaf groundsel infestations became evident in their hay fields in May prior to first cutting.  Cressleaf groundsel in hay or silage is toxic to animals, and infested areas of the field should not be harvested and fed.  Groundsel is a winter annual, emerging in late summer into fall when it develops into a rosette that overwinters.  Growth restarts in spring, with stem elongation and an eventual height of up to several feet tall.  The weed becomes evident in hayfields when it becomes taller than the alfalfa/grass and develops bright yellow flowers in May.  The problem with passively waiting until this point to discover that the hay is infested with groundsel is that: 1) it’s too late to control it with herbicides; and 2) hay from infested areas has to be discarded instead of sold or fed, and large plant skeletons are still toxic even if herbicides were effective on them.  Groundsel plants finish their life cycle in late spring, once they flower and go to seed, so it should not be a problem in subsequent cuttings. Continue reading →

Fall Forage Management Tips

Alfalfa Field

By Mark Sulc, OSU Extension

Fall is a great time to take care of some very important aspects of managing forage hayfields and pastures. Below is a list of things that when done in the fall can help avoid big headaches this winter and next spring or even next summer.

  • One of the most important things to do now is to pull soil samples and get a soil test. Ask for the 2020 Tri-State Fertility Recommendations to be applied to the results. Apply fertilizer to correct any soil deficiencies and replace nutrients that were removed in hay and silage. Fall is a great time to apply both P and K to prepare established forage stands for winter. Soil sampling and testing are especially critical in preparation for making new forage seedings next spring or summer. Now is the time to apply lime to raise low soil pH levels for next year’s seedings. Soil preparation now will also help you be ready to plant when the first break in the weather comes next spring. Many headaches with forage stands can be greatly alleviated with proper fertility levels. Deficient fertility leads to weak forage stands that are susceptible to stresses (including winter injury) and especially weed invasion. Links to additional soil fertility resources can be found at https://forages.osu.edu/forage-management/soil-fertility-forages. Continue reading →

Late Season Forage Harvest Management

Alfalfa Harvest

The best time to take the last harvest of alfalfa and other legumes is sometime in early September in Ohio, for the least risk to the long-term health of the stand. These forages need a fall period of rest to replenish carbohydrate and protein reserves in the taproots that are used for winter survival and regrowth next spring.

 

Many forage producers around the state have been cutting this past week and are continuing into this week. It will be ideal if this is indeed the last harvest of the season. But some growers might try to squeeze out another late cutting, and others have fields that are not quite ready for harvest right now. Like most farming decisions, there are trade-offs and risk factors to consider when making a fall harvest of forage legumes after the first week of September. This article reviews the best management practices and risk factors affecting fall cutting management. Continue reading →

Short-Season Forages for Late Summer Planting

Figure 1. Early November growth of Italian ryegrass (left) and oat+winter rye (right) after mid-September planting in Ohio

By Mark Sulc, Bill Weiss

Short-season forages planted in late summer can be sources of highly digestible fiber in ruminant livestock rations. There are several excellent forage options that can be considered for no-till or conventional tillage plantings in the late summer or early fall planting window. These forages can be a planned component of the overall forage production plan. They can be utilized on land that would otherwise sit idle until next spring, such as following wheat or an early corn silage harvest.

Oat or Spring Triticale silage
These cereal forages can be planted for silage beginning the last week of July and into early September. Dry matter yields of 1.5 to 3 tons per acre (about 5 to 5.5 tons at 30 to 35% DM) of chopped silage are possible if planted in late July to early August. Harvesting between late boot, or early heading, will optimize quality. Yields will be lower for plantings made in early September, in which case late autumn grazing would be a more viable option.

The potential feed value of oat silage can be similar to mid-bloom alfalfa.  As a grass, maximum inclusion rates in diets for animals with high nutritional demand (e.g. lactating cows) are less than those for alfalfa, but it is a very acceptable feed.

Spring Triticale is the biotype of the hybrid cross between cereal rye and wheat (there is also a winter biotype that acts like winter wheat). In our research, oat averaged slightly higher fall yields than spring triticale, but this varied across years. If cut at the proper maturity, spring triticale forage has a higher feed value than oat, similar to early-bloom alfalfa. Seed cost for spring triticale is usually higher than oat, but it is later maturing than oat or barley and will maintain its forage quality for an extended harvest window. Continue reading →

Late Summer Establishment of Perennial Forages

Preparing a firm seedbed for foragesBy Mark Sulc

The month of August provides the second window of opportunity for establishing perennial forage stands this year. The primary risk with late summer forage seedings is having sufficient moisture for seed germination and plant establishment, which is a significant risk this summer given the low soil moisture status across many areas.

The decision to plant or not will have to be made for each individual field, considering soil moisture and the rain forecast. Rainfall/soil moisture in the few weeks immediately after seeding is the primary factor affecting successful establishment.

No-till seeding in August is an excellent choice to conserve soil moisture for good germination. Make sure that the field surface is relatively level and smooth if you plan to no-till seed because you will have to live with any field roughness for several years of harvesting operations.

Sclerotinia crown and stem rot is a concern with no-till seedings of alfalfa in late summer and especially where clover has been present in the past. This pathogen causes white mold on alfalfa seedlings and infects plants during cooler rainy spells in late October and November. Early August plantings dramatically improve the alfalfa’s ability to resist the infection. Late August seedlings are very susceptible to this disease, with mid-August plantings being intermediate. Continue reading →