Hot, dry weather conditions are taking a toll on crop fields in the Upper Midwest – not to mention many other parts of the country. In these heat-stricken regions, producers are facing two challenge

With the first day of summer in the rearview mirror, temperatures are only expected to accelerate. Forage production, on the other hand, will likely slow down. This is when summer annuals can take the

Large square balers have come a long way over the past 40 years of their existence. Improvements like larger sizes, better performance on wet hay, and weight and moisture sensors have added prec

Summer weather can ruin our favorite foods – take a melted ice cream cone for instance. Hot, humid air can also ravage the quality of livestock feed, but these consequences can be much more serious

As the saying goes, the grass is always greener on the other side. But is the grass always mowed on the other side? Deciding whether or not to mow or clip pastures can leave farmers stuck on the

Despite their name, spuds aren’t the only thing potato leafhoppers snack on. They also have an appetite for alfalfa. The insects feast on forage in the summer, and this season’s weather patterns

If the early bird gets the worm, the early producer gets the high-quality hay. This time of year, hay is being stored for winter feed, and a timely cut is key to optimizing cattle nutrition and perfor

Leprechauns and pots of gold aside, four-leaf clovers aren’t the only lucky legume. Many members of the Trifolium genus, such as red and white clover, have powerful properties that make them a

Cool-season grasses are the star of the show during the spring and fall, but these forages tend to get stage fright during the hot, dry summer months. Planting summer annuals can mitigate the effects

Moisture is often used to combat fire, not ignite it. The latter is true for hay and straw, though, in barns housing bales with high moisture levels.When hay is baled at more than 20% moisture

Amber FriedrichsenAmber Friedrichsen is serving as the 2021 Hay & Forage Grower editorial intern. She currently attends Iowa State University where she is majoring in agriculture and lif

Spring is a time for new life, including a new growing season for warm-season perennials such as bermudagrass and bahiagrass. To effectively transition cattle to grazing these grasses, consider practi

Soil pH is often the first metric to be considered when assessing a soil’s ability to support economic crop production. The acidity of a soil impacts both nutrient sufficiency and potential toxicity

Poultry litter is a commonly used nutrient source for pastures in many parts of the United States

Drought is never a certainty, but having a plan to deal with it should be. Without a plan, your options to react if a drought occurs become limited

There’s never been a haymaker who couldn’t improve on their craft. The opportunities to enhance forage yield, quality, and persistence are nearly endless

The National Alfalfa & Forage Alliance (NAFA) reminds alfalfa growers that USDA reopened the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2 (CFAP 2) as a component of the administration’s Pandemic Assistance

Touting the benefits of harvesting high-quality forages is nothing new. By doing so, feed costs are minimized, and milk production is maximized

The positive benefits that legumes provide to pastures and animals are well known. Still, some graziers cite reasons for not maintaining a significant legume presence in their pastures

Teff grass has always been one of those fringe warm-season grass options, but it has gained in popularity over the past 10 years