Wisconsin Alfalfa Yield and Persistence (WAYP) Program 2017 Summary Report PDF Version Program Objectives: To verify the yield and quality of alfalfa harvested from production fields over the life of the stand beginning with the first production year (year after seeding). To quantify decreases in stand productivity of alfalfa fields as they age. 2017 Overview: […]
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Red Clover Harvest Management by Daniel W. Wiersma and Jennifer Bolen Introduction Red Clover is widely grown throughout the United States and Canada. Red Clover is often grown in areas with low soil pH or fertility, and poor soil drainage. Traditionally, red clover is cut twice a year when it is at 50% bloom or greater. With this harvest system farmers end up cutting too late to […]
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Silo Gas and Silo-Filler’s Disease Safety Notes Increased nitrates as a result of the dry growing season are a concern not only for livestock but for humans as well. Weeds and corn are naturally high in nitrates. Nitrate levels in corn are extremely high after a rain following a dry period. High levels of nitrates […]
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Dry Round Hay Bale Storage Costs by Brian Holmes Introduction Round bale storage economics depends on a variety of issues. Investments in structures need a longer time to yield beneficial returns, while low capital systems can be used for a short period before they pay off. If a person will be in the hay storage business […]
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Alfalfa Yield and Stand by Dan Undersander, Forage Agronomist University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension The single factor most affecting profitability of alfalfa is yield. This can be seen in the graph at the right which depicts economic data from the Green-Gold program (a third party verified measured yield and quality program) the Wisconsin Forage council used […]
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Forage Quality of First Cutting Due to Wet Spring by Dr. Dan Undersander University of Wisconsin – Extension Frequent and above average rainfalls can make haymaking nearly impossible. In addition, the rainy weather meant many cloudy days with little sunshine for photosynthesis to provide energy for growing forage and the cool weather also slowed growth. This combination […]
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Cutting Alfalfa Very Frequently by Dan Undersander, UW-Extension Forage Agronomist There has been some interest in cutting alfalfa frequently to get very low fiber for dairy rations. We had a study in 2000 and 2001 where we compared 20 alfalfa varieties with and without wheel traffic. We cut at 21-day and at 35-day intervals. The yield data […]
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Effectiveness of Equipment to Speed Hay Drying by C. Alan Rotz, Agricultural Engineer USDA-ARS, Pasture and Watershed Management Research Unit University Park, PA 16802 High quality forage is recognized as an important requirement for maintaining maximum production of cattle, particularly in dairy production. Adequate roughage is needed in diets to provide good rumen function, but as more […]
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Fine Tuning Your Alfalfa Cutting Height to Maximize Forage Yield Summary of 2000 and 2001 data by Ron Wiederholt – Clark County UWEX Daniel W. Wiersma – Pioneer Hybrids International Introduction Current recommendations regarding cutting height of alfalfa are designed to maximize yield while maintaining high quality forages and stand longevity. Forage growers frequently cut forages at a […]
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Diurnal Variation in Forage Quality Affects Animal Preference and Production H.F. Mayland, USDA-ARS, 3793 N 3600 E, Kimberly, ID 83341 email: mayland@kimberly.ars.pn.usbr.gov phone: 208-423-6517 G.E. Shewmaker, Univ. Idaho, Twin Falls, ID 83303-1827 D.S. Fisher, USDA-ARS, Watkinsville, GA 30677-2373, and J.C. Burns, USDA-ARS, Raleigh, NC 27695-7620 Introduction In 1993, we began to evaluate animal grazing preferences among eight tall fescue […]
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