Heavy rains last summer, a dry fall and the usual harsh winter conditions are all reasons why there may be more than the usual number of pastures in need of a reboot for 2016. “A lot of...

At last week’s two-day Southeast Hay Convention in Moultrie, Ga., there was a lot of alfalfa-growing discussion. “We’ll either talk you into it or out of it,” said Dennis Hancock, Georgia’s...

The recent run of warm temperatures may have some people in the mood to grease up the drill and get an early start on seeding alfalfa. “For most situations, the risks of planting early...

photo by Dennis HancockBermudagrass, a staple forage in Southern forage programs, comes in a couple of primary flavors: common and hybrid. From a productivity standpoint, hybrids are the preferred option but they possess a physiological trait uncommon to most forage species — little or no viable seed is produced. Hybrid varieties such as Coastal, Tifton 85, Tifton 44 and Jiggs must be established by sprigging, the process of planting green plant material (including...

Though hay stocks were whittled down from a winter of feeding and export shipments, it apparently wasn’t enough to prompt an upward January price trend. Just the opposite occurred. The recent USDA Agricultural Prices report pegged the January all-hay price at $137 per ton, $5 per ton less than the December average price and $12 lower than one year ago. January alfalfa hay prices retreated by $3 per ton from December to $147 per ton. This was $23 per ton less than...

Anyone who has grown and harvested alfalfa has seen the effects harvest machinery wheel traffic can have on a stand. Visually, it’s most noticeable a week to 10 days after harvest in the form...

Using livestock manure at appropriate rates on crop fields offers many advantages to the user, the soil and society. It makes all the sense in the world. Abusive overapplication of manure...

It’s no secret that alfalfa fixes significant amounts of nitrogen (N) that benefits a subsequent grass crop and reduces or eliminates the need to purchase N fertilizer. The amount of available...

“Accurately measuring pasture forage intake, whether warm or cool-season annuals, remains one of our greatest challenges,” says Nicolas DiLorenzo, beef specialist for the University of Florida...

Kay Ledbetter, Texas A&M AgriLife Communications Farmers in the South no longer can take for granted a healthy, productive sorghum crop — even for forage. While researchers and plant...