Cutting height can severely affect forage crops if they are cut too low when being harvested. Penn State Extension Educator Dwane Miller explains in a blog why cutting heights are so important.�

Perhaps the grass is growing fast enough now that the thought of overgrazing isn’t even on the radar. Unfortunately, for many, that situation will change rapidly in the coming weeks. Ask almost

Let’s face it, there are lots of keys to making high-quality forage, but few are more important than a fast dry down. Other than drying, only bad things happen to a forage crop between cutting and

Tall fescue gained popularity in the 1940s and 1950s, but that was before farmers knew about its potential for toxicity.Infected with endophytes that produce toxic ergot alkaloids, tall fescue can red

Every forage producer knows that legumes provide a source of nitrogen for grasses that either grow with them or after them. Depending on the legume density, the amount of nitrogen made available can r

Hay & Forage Grower is pleased to announce that C.J. Weddle has joined the team as our 2020 summer editorial intern. She will enter her senior year at Mississippi State University in the coming fa

Are you tired of the weather extremes that seem more common with each passing year? Your forage crops could use a break, too.Cool, cloudy weather patterns, such as those we experienced last week acros

Working as an extension agent or crop consultant, you eventually get the question, “When it is too late to plant (fill in the blank) in the spring?”Every state extension service has their “recom

Widespread frost and freeze events have occurred across a broad swath of the middle and upper U.S. in the past week. Some fields had already accumulated significant growth.Frost damage to alfalfa will

Photo: University of MinnesotaWhat horse owners refer to as a pasture often ranges from a primary nutrient-supplying source of forage to nothing more than an exercise lot with a scarcity of grazeable

This is an important time of year for almost all pasture managers. If mistakes are made, they come back to haunt us for the rest of the growing season and perhaps beyond that.Rangelands in the Great P

Baring a repeat of 2019, it’s safe to say that a lot of first cutting alfalfa and/or grass will be made during the next month

Looking into your crystal ball to predict future forage grassland productivity is difficult at best. Yet, such a prediction is needed to adequately stock pastures and know when the right time is to mo

Although using a companion crop to establish alfalfa is not as widespread as it used to be, it’s still a common practice in many regions of the U.S. Generally, a small grain such as oats is used

Every year across the country, hay fires cost farmers thousands of dollars in damages to buildings, hay, and equipment. With the right precautions, the risk of loss can be reduced. There are seve

During these days when bad news seems to strike like a tsunami — day after day, wave after wave — there is a bit of positive economic news for crop producers. It comes in the form of lower

As the weather gets warmer and pasture grasses begin to get green, horse owners become eager to start grazing. However, starting too soon can be damaging to the health of your horses and your pastures

For many forage producers, spring is a preferred seeding time or is perhaps the only time of year when land is available to establish new stands

Uncovered hay that is stored outside will lose both dry matter and nutrients. How much do these losses amount to? Research conducted by the University of Georgia (UGA) shows that up to 60 pe

The current COVID-19 situation has all but put a halt to every planned in-person group activity, including educational events. As such, innovative distance learning techniques have been used as