All posts in Forage

This article was originally posted on Field Crop News  Written by Joel Bagg. First-cut forage yield expectations are quite variable, with some drier areas and winter damaged, older, and fall harvested stands showing reduced yield potential. There is some concern about rebuilding forage inventories to adequate levels. Many new seedings were planted with cereal and cereal-pea mixtures to supply summer forage. (Forage Production From Spring Cereals and Cereal-Pea Mixtures ) Demand for sorghum and sorghum-sudan seed is up. (Forage Sorghum-Sudan Grass) Many are planning to follow winter wheat harvest with summer seeded annuals. Harvest of dairy haylage is likely to be in full swing by the week of May 27th in southern Ontario. Dairy producers generally target harvesting first-cut alfalfa…

This article was originally posted on Field Crop News Written by Joel Bagg. Alfalfa winterkill is particularly severe in the Ottawa Valley and New Liskeard areas. There are many options to consider for emergency forage, depending on the calendar date, urgency for short-term feed, and forage yield and nutrient quality requirements. Refer to “Forage Options When Alfalfa Winterkill Strikes”  when forage supplies are extremely tight, and forage acreage needs to be increased to rebuild inventories. If winterkill is identified early, usually the best option is to replace the winterkilled stand by seeding a new forage stand in a new field in the crop rotation.  Corn can follow the winterkilled alfalfa to take advantage of the 110 lb/ac N credit and the…

This article was originally posted on Field Crop News. Written by Joel Bagg. Scattered reports are coming in from across the province of alfalfa winterkill in some of the higher risk older stands and fall harvested stands. Extensive winterkill has occurred in eastern Ontario, from Arnprior south, east to Quebec and west to about Brockville. There  are reports of 75% winterkill in some of these areas, particularly on flat, heavier clays in the Ottawa Valley. This winterkill includes some new seedings, as well as orchardgrass. A cool, wet spring has delayed green-up and spring seeding, further complicating how to manage the situation. Forage inventories are exceptionally low for this time of year, and record high hay prices continue to be…