November 24, 2020
• The U.S. milk pipeline continues to run full. Production during October was 2.3% above one year ago and followed the previous month when production was also up 2.3%. There are currently 43,000 more dairy cows than there were in October 2019.
• Cattle and calves on feed for the U.S. slaughter market totaled 12 million head on November 1 (feedlots with 1,000 or more head capacity). The inventory was 1% above one year ago and is the highest November 1 inventory since tracking began in 1996. Marketings of fed cattle during October totaled 1.87 million head, which was slightly below 2019.
• The Kansas Forage and Grassland Council and Kansas State University will host a Winter Forage Conference on December 10 in Great Bend. The event will feature both a live and virtual format.
• Here are some tips from South Dakota State University to control Canada goldenrod, Canada thistle, and perennial sow thistle by employing targeted grazing strategies.
• Cornell University will be offering an online forage management course that begins on January 15 and runs through March 15.
November 17, 2020
• The National Alfalfa & Forage Alliance (NAFA) announced that their Alfalfa Variety Ratings 2021 booklet is now available. You can also find it in your November issue of Hay & Forage Grower.
• USDA continues to lower corn production expectations. In their November Crop Production report, corn grain production was pegged at 14.5 billion bushels, which was down 1% from the previous forecast but up 7% from 2019. The average U.S. corn yield is expected to be 175.8 bushels per acre, 2.6 bushels lower than the October estimate.
• Here are some quick tips from Texas A&M AgriLife Extension on fertilizing winter pasture.
• Cornell University has made available their 2020 New York and Vermont Corn Silage Hybrid Trial Results.
• S&W Seed Company, which is based in Longmont, Colo., recently announced that it has agreed to commercial terms with Calyxt Inc., headquartered in Roseville, Minn., for the exclusive license of an improved quality alfalfa seed in the U.S. and other select geographies. The new trait will be branded as IQ Alfalfa (IQA).
November 10, 2020
• Alfalfa exports from the U.S. during September were down 28% from 2019, totaling 176,832 metric tons (MT). Total alfalfa exports from January through September are running 6% ahead of 2019, according to USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service.
• The lower year-over-year U.S. alfalfa export total during September was the result of all major trade partners importing fewer alfalfa tons. China was down 10%, Japan was down 22%, Saudi Arabia was down 44%, South Korea was down 54%, and United Arab Emirates was down 68%. Except for Saudi Arabia, U.S. export totals to these countries were also lower than the previous month.
• Total year-over-year exports of hay other than alfalfa were down 18% during September. For January through September, exports of nonalfalfa hay are down by 1.7% in 2020 compared to 2019.
• The University of Nebraska is hosting a crop residue exchange website where crop producers in Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, and South Dakota can list fields that they have available for winter grazing. The site makes it easier for cattle producers who are looking for additional grazing acres
• The University of California-Davis is sponsoring a two-day Alfalfa Pest Management Virtual Workshop on December 3 and 4. Click here for program agenda and registration details.
November 3, 2020
• The National Alfalfa & Forage Alliance recently launched a new initiative called Regeneration Nation to promote the many benefits of growing alfalfa. To learn more, go to regeneration-nation.org.
• Farmers and researchers have teamed to form Grassland 2.0, a regional project to reimagine agriculture in a way that maximizes the economic, environmental, and societal benefits of well-managed livestock grazing. Check out the Grassland 2.0 website for more information.
• If you didn’t hear, the 2021 Cattle Industry Convention and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Trade Show has been postponed until August 10 to 12. It will still be held in Nashville, Tenn.
• Here’s some new information from the University of Florida that addresses seeding cool-season grasses into existing stands of perennial peanut and bermudagrass or bahiagrass.
• Harvesting cornstalk bales comes with both value and cost.
