June 13 2023 Water quantity may be top of mind as drought conditions persist across a large part of the country, but water quality issues deserve attention as well
May 30 2023 Symbiotic nitrogen fixation is like a business deal between alfalfa and rhizobia bacteria. Alfalfa lets rhizobia live in nodules on its roots and provides the bacteria with nutrients produced during p
May 9 2023 Chopping small grains in the spring is one way to bolster silage supplies for the rest of the year, but doing so can invoke a lot of questions and options
May 2 2023 Forage stands can tell a story about previous pasture management. Although the story may start at the beginning of the growing season, strategic grazing and timely harvests throughout the summer can d
April 25 2023 Don’t be fooled by the white flowers scattered across pastures and sprinkled along fence lines — they could be poison hemlock. This biennial weed grows quickly in the spring and can pack a...
April 18 2023 Warmer weather is drawing insects that overwinter out of dormancy, and alfalfa weevils are no exception. Start scouting these insects now to limit the damage they can do to plant leaves before f
April 11 2023 Cereal rye, winter triticale, and winter wheat make a good menu for stocker calves and cows on spring pastures. These three species of small cereal grains bring similar forage quality to the tab
April 4 2023 Forages that were subject to drought conditions last year are like athletes returning from the injured list. Even though these plants are starting to grow and turn green, they require careful ma
April 3 2023 When the summer sun sets over northwest Illinois, the crew members of Silver Streak Ag Services LLC cut their engines and climb down from their tractor cabs. Their job might not be done — in fact,...
March 28 2023 In areas where temperatures are hovering around the freezing point, alfalfa heaving may become a prominent issue. This uprooting of plants as a result of repeated freezing and thawing cycles may be an
March 21 2023 Concerns and documented cases of wheat pasture bloat are starting to swell as fields of wheat and small grains green up in the Southern Plains. This disease, also known as frothy bloat, causes excessi
March 14 2023 Energy level and crude protein content tend to be the primary forage quality characteristics producers refer to when feeding livestock; however, forage fragility is another key factor to consider when
March 7 2023 Whether it’s frozen water tanks, slick driveways, or frosted windshields, ice can instigate a number of problems on farms in the winter. While some of these problems are simply solved wh
Feb. 28 2023 Hay inventories are dwindling across the country, but they are especially low in Texas. In fact, farmers in the Lone Star State are currently facing a historic hay shortage. According to th
Feb. 21 2023 Even if the skies are clear and the radar doesn’t show any storm cells, it can still be challenging to ensure cut forage is dry enough to chop or bale. To make the drying processes more complex,...
Feb. 14 2023 Planting small cereal grains in the spring can jumpstart the grazing season or bolster hay and silage supplies. No matter what the end goal of these cool-season species may be, now is the time t
Feb. 7 2023 Spring calving season can be stressful enough without calf scours making animals sick and compounding medical costs. That is why the Sandhills Calving System was designed to limit the spread of calf s
Feb. 1 2023 Most farm fires are created by accident. Electrical sparks fly, engines run too hot, and wet hay spontaneously combusts. However, there is one instance when fires are planned for and set intentionally
