For readers like me with kids in school, spring break season is here. Plans for the week off may have been months in the making, which could include picking out a vacation destination, arranging travel and lodging, purchasing tickets for a trip to the zoo or a spring training baseball game, or seeking out places to hike and spend time outside. Without some planning, though, spring break can come and go and just be another week. Forage management warrants planning akin to a spring break trip, setting goals, and agreeing upon strategies with your team to rise above just another average season.

Setting goals is easier said than done, especially with many teammates involved. The agronomist and crop consultant help set the stage for success by designing a fertility and crop protection plan. The field and cropping teams initiate soil preparation and planting and then help manage the crop through the season. The herd manager, feeding team, and nutritionists like me are responsible for successfully feeding out the crop over the next year. And farm owners or directors are key decision-makers at the table who bring everyone together in agreement. Only with everyone in alignment can we then begin laying out strategies for executing shared goals.

Map it out

Goals can vary whether forage is intended for beef or dairy. For example, with dairy, a goal may be improving alfalfa protein levels without hurting stand life with aggressive cutting schedules. Considering this, we can begin to discuss strategies to work toward the goal. Since protein in alfalfa is largely dependent upon the leaf-to-stem ratio, understanding plant physiology puts us in a better position to develop strategies to improve that ratio.

Besides cutting earlier to capture shorter stems and more leaves, we can elevate the leaf-to-stem ratio by improving soil fertility or trace mineral feeding and promoting plant health to retain more leaves. We can also manage raking, merging, and chopping to avoid leaf loss. These strategies need to be discussed and implemented throughout the season.

Seed orders are likely completed at this point in the year; however, seed genetics remain a key influence of forage yield and quality. Genetics also influence disease resistance and winterhardiness. Simply asking your seed consultant for silage-type corn hybrids or good forage genetics leaves room for improvement — think about capturing more information on seed and genetic potential this year, perhaps by collecting samples at harvest for comparison. This strategy can be part of a long-term goal to evaluate crop genetics by building a performance database year after year.

Be proactive

Field preparation efforts are likely getting underway as well. Preventative planter and equipment maintenance, seedbed and soil preparation, and fertility management are imperative for a successful season. Cover cropping or alternative soil health practices may also be part of your seasonal plan.

Make sure your team is on the same page about planting, fieldwork, and fertility, and don’t assume everyone understands the objectives. I’ve experienced disconnects among cropping teams in this area. Ensure you’re talking through your agronomic goals, along with your vision for crop quality and yield.

This is also a good time to establish crop protection plans. More growers are opting for predetermined fungicide applications to promote plant health and limit the risk associated with plant disease later in the season. There are many options and chemistries available for intended purposes; do not assume all fungicides are equivalent. Consult with your agronomist as to what diseases your farm is targeting.

There are readily available fungicide impact reports provided by independent university researchers, and the Crop Protection Network is a great hub to find resources in this space. On the website, there are several tools available to help your farm run different “what-if” projections and determine your return on investment.

Learn from the past

There is no shortage of what-if scenarios, including managing through untimely rain events, wind or storm damage, or even cropping around holidays. We can’t plan for the unexpected; however, there are likely several examples your farm has experienced in years past that you can refer to.

For instance, discuss how you will manage forage harvest if there is unexpected rain in the forecast relative to the rainfall amount and timing. Of course, this topic could be the subject of a column on its own.

Preseason meetings are a great time to seek out input from key teammates. Your farm can uncover new ideas and generate added buy-in from employees when their voices are heard. Don’t underestimate the value associated with these conversations as your cropping team sets the stage for a successful forage season. Dairy and beef farming economics continue to change, and our forage objectives can be responsive to the current farming economy. Make this a great season ahead.

This article appeared in the March 2026 issue of Hay & Forage Grower on page 9.

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