Hay
Fragrant Fill-In
What smells like maple syrup and could be used as a short-notice replacement crop after an alfalfa stand fails? Fenugreek shows potential, says a Wisconsin...
Insight From Blind Samples
Hay growers, buyers and forage testing labs have been at odds over the accuracy and consistency of test results for years. Last fall, two farmer groups,...
Alfalfa Hay
Should Insect Thresholds Be Lowered?
Given the current high hay prices, growers should scout for alfalfa insects diligently. But should they treat at lower-than-recommended economic thresholds?...
Tissue Tests Measure More
Hay growers can get a better idea of how fertile their alfalfa fields are if they have plants tested rather than soil. That's especially important considering...
Bullish On Hay
Ervin Gara III and Dennis Brown know they could make more money growing other crops this year, but they're increasing their alfalfa acres instead. Gara,...
Grass Hay
Switchgrass Grown For Ethanol Has Energy Surplus
Switchgrass grown for biofuel production yields significantly more energy than is consumed in the production and conversion into cellulosic ethanol, says Ken Vogel, a USDA-ARS geneticist in the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) agronomy and horticulture department...
Marvelous Mix
Bob March was looking to maximize pasture for his beef cattle, hoping to get more fall and spring grazing and reduce his need for hay. After years of...
Cool-Season Grasses Rated For Grazing
Thirty-two improved grass varieties and grass/legume mixtures were graded for their yield and quality in grazing plots at the University of Findlay (OH)...
Other Forages
Carbo-Loaded
High-sugar perennial ryegrasses are said to supply more energy to the rumen, converting more of the grass protein to meat and milk. High-sugar grasses...
Land Re-Enrolls In CRP Contracts
An estimated 23.2 million acres are expected to be re-enrolled into Conservation Reserve Program contracts out of 27.8 million acres eligible for retirement between 2007 and 2010, according to...
Oats Lengthen Alfalfa Stand Life
Tom Barcellos, Tipton, CA, gets an extra year out of aging alfalfa fields by interseeding oats. "We plant 25 lbs of oats per acre in a weakening third- or fourth-year conventional alfalfa stand...
