How To Make Western Quality Haylage Despite Northeast “Quality” Weather & Making The Transition
Posted Aug 25, 04 in Crop Management
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to mow hay in the morning and chop it that same afternoon? Some farmers around western New York no longer wonder about it because they are doing it. Lawnel Farms in York, New York has a good handle on how to make hay in one day. Generally the mowers start around 11 am. The windrows are then tedded out into a thin layer of hay, once the ground between the windrows has dried. This operation alone removes approximately 4% of the moisture. In most cases this field is then ready to be merged and chopped by 2:30 or 3:00 pm. Lawnel uses the Miller Pro merger that picks up roughly 30 ft. of width. This merger can pick up that thin layer of hay left by the tedder. Once the hay is merged, the chopper finishes the job. Through the adoption of this system, very little hay was rained on during 1st cutting. Lawnel Farms will usually only mow what they can handle in a day. Therefore, hay is not left on the ground when those “scattered showers” pop up. But as the old saying goes, “You have to see it to believe it.”
That is why Western New York Crop Management Association is hosting a Hay Mowing and Conditioning Demonstration Day on August 25, 2004. This event is geared toward making high quality haylage during challenging weather patterns. We will demonstrate the equipment described above, as well as a number of other less expensive pieces of equipment for smaller sized operations, including smaller mowers, rotary rakes, and mergers. Tom Kilcer of Cornell Cooperative Extension in Rensselaer County will speak about research he has done comparing spread swath windrow hay making versus narrow windrow haymaking. The event will be held at one of Lawnel Farms’ fields on the corner of River Rd, and Mt. Pleasant Rd., just east of State Rte. 36, in the Town Of York. Registration for the event will begin promptly at 9am. Lunch will also be provided at no charge.
After lunch we will also visit Thornapple Farms before heading back to the hay field for the final merging and chopping demonstrations. At Thornapple Farms we will view the results of Zone-Building on root development and growth, by view root pits in fields that were vertically tilled with a Zone-Builder. The only way to truly assess the benefits of a practice such as Zone-Building is to dig a root pit, and see just how deep the roots grew. We will also see how Thornapple Farms uses BMR Corn in combination with conventional varieties to improve the overall quality of their corn silage.
So if either of these topics pique your interest, please RSVP to Lori or Bonnie in the WNYCMA office at 585-237-5831, because we need a tentative head count for lunch.
***Please note that plans are subject to change due to the “fabulous” weather of Western New York. We may stay in the hay field for lunch, depending on how fast the hay dries.***
Please see the enclosed map and agenda for more detailed information about the locations and timing of each event. In the event of rain we will look at the equipment, and then head to our lunch location where Mr. Kilcer will give his presentation. We will then serve lunch, and head to Thornapple Farms to view the root pits.
Once the days events are finished, David DeGolyer and David Shearing will be leading an optional tour to Dueppengiesser Dairy Co. to view some more root pits comparing conventional tillage with Zone-Tillage, with an Aerway attachment. Let us know if you are interested when you RSVP.
Overall, we are trying to demonstrate several innovative practices that dairy producers can utilize to reduce costs and improve forage quality and yield, in the challenging climate of Western New York. With narrow margins in today’s dairy economy, every dollar saved goes directly to your bottom line. So please don’t hesitate to call with any questions or comments, and we look forward to seeing you on August 25th.
The picture above is an example of Lawnel Farms’ Tedding operation. The tedder was used at a neighbors’ farm where second cutting had been rained on. Instead of waiting a few days for the windrow to dry out, and taking the chance on another shower, the hay was almost dry that day, and was actually chopped the very next morning.
The picture above is an example of the OxBo/Miller Pro Merger. You can see its full width pickup head. It will pick up a 30 ft. swath of hay.
Wet Weather and PSNTs
Posted Jun 17, 02 in Crop Management
I answered the phone in the office today with, “Western New York Crop Management, can I help you?” The grower on the other line said, “Yeah Ryan, if you can make the rain stop.” That statement seemed to echo the sentiment of every grower in Western New York this spring. It is no secret that this spring has been unusually rainy, making it difficult to plant corn, and chop first cutting haylage. So what does this wet weather mean for the rest of the growing season? The main concern for the upcoming weeks is the loss of nitrogen. Whether nitrogen was applied in the band, or supplied through manure applications, the excessive rainfall after planting has certainly caused a loss of nitrogen.
It will be crucial to take many PSNTs (Pre-Sidedress Nitrate Tests) in the coming weeks, to assess the need for additional nitrogen fertilizer. Although it won’t be necessary to test every field, it is important to test a variety of fields, involving many different situations. A typical sampling plan should include a number of fields where nitrogen was supplied by manure applications, a few fields where nitrogen was placed in the band, or preplant broadcast applied, and a few fields coming from sod. As in most years, the most critical fields to sample will be those fields relying on nitrogen from manure applications. Manure nitrogen can be variable under the best of conditions. Wet conditions in particular have a profound effect on nitrogen fertilizer availability. So by taking a good cross section of fields we can better assess the nitrogen needs to keep the corn crop healthy, and maximize yield despite these adverse conditions this spring. Please contact your CMA consultant to discuss a sampling plan.
Alternative Crops to Corn Silage
Posted Jun 15, 02 in Crop Management
Across western New York, approximately 30 percent of the planned corn acres have not been planted. The question that arises is ‘what is the best strategy for dealing with the remaining acreage?’ A short season variety could still be planted this week, and, with favorable weather conditions, it will mature for corn silage harvest. After this week, especially in the southern tier and western Wyoming County, alternatives should be sought. If your farm is in one of the warmer regions, for example Ontario County or northern Livingston County, you have another two weeks to plant an 80-90 day corn variety.
If conditions remain wet and there is no possible way to plant the corn within the recommended time frame, a new plan will need to be developed. To determine the best plan of action, you must first take inventory of the existing corn silage in the bunk and compare it to the feeding rate to gauge the number of days’ supply on hand. Next, conservatively estimate the corn yield of the planted acreage. If the remaining inventory and the anticipated corn yield will meet the needs for the coming year, that is fall 2002 through late fall 2003, the remaining acres should be summer seeded in late July. If the calculation comes up short, an alternative crop to corn silage should be considered.
A crop that has been getting some press is BMR sorghum sudangrass. Under university research, BMR sorghum sundangrass has shown high quality fiber digestibility (dndf approximately 75 percent, ivtd 85 percent and crude protein 18 %, when harvested at 34 inches tall). In other words, this crop has nearly the same NEL as corn silage and a higher protein if managed right. The yield, if soil conditions are relatively dry, is 3.5 – 4.5 tons DM/acre (about 10 to 13 tons at 35 % DM) for the year. However, if we continue to stay wet, the crop suffers. In 2000, our most recent wet year, several members tried BMR sorghum sudangrass, most of which was planted on marginal fields. With the subsequent wet summer, the BMR yield was very poor, but, within the gravel areas of the field, the yield was excellent.
After discussions within our staff and consulting other experts, we are recommending a combination of BMR sorghum sudangrass and annual Italian rye grass. Italian Ryegrass is a winter annual grass. When seeded at this time of year, it acts as a biennial. In other words, it will stay vegetative this summer and fall and the plants that survive the winter will head out next spring. The theory is the same as planting an alfalfa and grass mixture. In a wet year, the grass will yield well while the alfalfa, especially in wet spots, will die. During a dry year, the grass will go dormant and alfalfa will grow. With the seed mix of BMR sorghum sudangrass and Italian ryegrass, we will hedge the bet. If it stays wet, Italian ryegrass will aggressively grow, but, if conditions change and we have a dryer summer, BMR will do well. If you are interested in this approach, the following excerpts from “Successfully Growing Brown Mid-Rib Sorghum-Sudan for Dairy Cows in the North East” by Tom Kilcer, Cornell Cooperative Extension in Renesselar County, may be helpful:
Seeding Rate: 50-60 lbs/acre of BMR Sorghum Sudangrass if clear seeded, 15-20 lbs/acre of Italian Ryegrass if clear seeded. Our recommendation for the combination is 45 lbs BMR and 12 lbs Italian rye grass.
Seeding Depth: Shallow for both crops. Treat it like a seeding.
Planting Method: Cultipack seeders do an excellent job. Airflow requires a firm seedbed and rolling the field after seeding. Rolling with the teeth down or light disking incorporation has resulted in stand failure.
Chemicals: No chemicals are needed. With the high rate of seeding, rapid growth will crowd out the weeds.
Fertilizer: P & K similar to corn silage. 100 lbs either through manure or chemicals will grow the first crop. The second cutting will require another 100 lbs of N. Manure can be top dressed for the N needs, providing a good place to apply manure during the summer.
Harvest: For energy similar to corn silage, harvest the BMR at 36 inches tall. (The rye grass will not head out this year.) At this stage, the BMR crude protein is at 15 –16 %. If the feed is properly fermented, the prussic acid from any harvest is not a problem. A simple forage test will indicate if there is a problem. When cut, the crop is 85% percent water. It must be dried to 70 % moisture for proper fermentation. Wet slop will continue to ferment until the energy drops from .72 to .35 NEL (about equal to sawdust). Harvesting at 36 inches will speed drying. Cut it high (4-6 inches) to avoid rocks and speed the drying process. Wide swathing and then double raking will greatly speed drying and harvest. The quicker it can dry from 85 percent to 70 percent and be harvested, the higher the forage quality.
As you are considering planting corn on heavy ground, keep one thing in mind: even though it feels like May 17, it is June 17. Realistically, unless we receive a lot of heat you will likely be harvesting this corn in October. You will also likely be counting on a killing frost to get this corn dry enough for a good fermentation. The input cost for this corn silage will be the same as what they were a month ago and the yield potential might be two-thirds of what it would have been. With an alternative crop you have less input per acre, a better chance of getting good quality under the dry conditions of August, and nearly the same yield potential.
If you are seriously considering alternative crops, which you should be, please contact your CMA consultant for additional information.
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