Feed aggregator

As October approaches and harvest starts, don’t forget about thistles plaguing your pastures. Fall, specifically October and early November, is a key time to chemically control thistles in pastures. This is an ideal time to control biennial and perennial thistles. Proper identification of thistles is key to picking the proper chemical control.

With droughty conditions across the state and late season moisture regenerating stands of alfalfa, is there still an opportunity to take October alfalfa cuttings? And which stands could handle a late season cut?

Thursday, October 1, 2020 KEY RECOMMENDATIONS:

• Alfalfa needs 6 weeks of growth, uninterrupted by grazing or haying
• Fall grazing should maintain 8 inches of stubble height; Winter grazing should maintain 4 inches of stubble height
• Bloat risk can be reduced by making sure livestock are full prior to grazing
• Feed additives such as poloxalene and ionophores can limit bloat risk, but require regular consumption to be effective

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Thursday, October 1, 2020

This article was originally published in the Aug. 30, 2020 edition of In The Cattle Markets.

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Thursday, October 1, 2020

Animal manures can be a valuable asset or a “pain in the assets”.  During winter of 2020, 957 farmers and their advisors shared their perspective on the benefits and barriers to manure use. A previous article (part 1) focused on perceptions of manure’s benefits.

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Extension educators report on what they are seeing in the fields this week in the Seward, York, Hitchcock, Hayes, Frontier and Red Willow counties

The Crop Residue Exchange continues to expand to better connect livestock producers with available forage resources. (Photo by Troy Walz) The Crop Residue Exchange came online in August 2017 and was designed to increase the convenience and accessibility of grazing crop residues. This online exchange assists corn and other crop producers to market crop residue to cattle producers. This interactive, online tool helps farmers and cattle producers connect and develop mutually beneficial agreements to use crop residue and forage cover crops for grazing.

Thursday, October 1, 2020

• There are 8 lbs of grazable dry matter per bushel of corn.
• Leaf and husk make up 39.6% of the dry matter in corn residue.
• Intake on corn residue fields will be close to 2% of bodyweight.
• Check questionable fields for excessive corn before grazing.

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Nebraska corn was 65% mature, well ahead of average, and 10% harvested as of Sept. 21 according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Soybean dropping leaves was 82%, well ahead of average, and 10% harvested. Dry bean harvested was 62% and sorghum was 49% mature.

Photo credit; UNL Entomology High numbers of woolly bear caterpillars are reported in some soybean fields in south central Nebraska. Pay particular attention to late maturing soybean fields. These act as a magnet for woolly bear caterpillars and many other insects; especially those that can fly, such as grasshoppers, bean leaf beetles, and southern corn rootworm beetles.

A webinar scheduled for noon on Oct. 1 will present the findings of a recent University of Nebraska-Lincoln study on the impact of the Nebraska agricultural production complex.

Thursday, October 1, 2020

When some forages are frosted, the potential for bloat, toxicity, and nitrates may increase for grazing cattle.

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Thursday, October 1, 2020

A review of articles on hunting leases. 

Landowners seeking additional income options for their operation might consider leasing out their land for wildlife activities. The potential income can be considerable. Leases could be for hunting, fishing or birding.

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Thursday, October 1, 2020

What control options are available for late season flies on pastured cattle?

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Thursday, October 1, 2020

The goal of any grazing operation is to introduce the cow or calf to forage in adequate quality and quantity for their needs.  A majority of cattle operations in Nebraska use pasture or native range for grazing during the growing season and crop residues or harvested purchased feed for the remainder of the year. Alternatives may include grazing cover crops in the production of traditional commodity crops, irrigation of grazed forages, and introduction of grasses into existing crop rotation and crop residues. 

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Based on September 1 conditions, Nebraska's 2020 corn crop is forecast at 1.78 billion bushels, down slightly from last year's production, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Area harvested for grain, at 9.45 million acres, is down 4% from a year ago. Average yield is forecast at 188 bushels per acre, up 6 bushels from last year.

The middle to end of September is a good time to establish cover crops by broadcasting seeds into corn or soybean before harvest. Broadcast interseeding before harvest allows cover crops to capture more sunshine, growing degree days and rainfall than drilling after harvest.

Extension educators report on what they are seeing in the fields this week in the norther Panhandle, Saunders, Sarpy and Douglas counties.