First Cutting Updates - Week of May 8th, 2018
Betsy Hicks, Area Dairy Specialist
South Central New York Dairy & Field Crops
May 8, 2018
The team has spent the last two days gathering alfalfa heights around the region to give information about targeting first cutting. See the attached report for fields in Broome, Chemung, Cortland, Onondaga, Tioga, and Tompkins counties.
Comments from Janice Degni, SCNY Field Crop Specialist:
"For the most part younger alfalfa stands came through the winter well. In the fields that we've checked with 50 percent or less alfalfa the alfalfa is less vigorous and growing much more slowly. This year there is lot of variability of growth within the field. We measure the tallest stems, but there can be as much as 2 inches of difference in the stems from the same taproot or nearby plant. The stands on heavier soils are coming a little more slowly. We see the mix of winter annual weeds, for example chickweeds and purple deadnettle. Dandelions are in bloom. I've seen a little alfalfa weevil feeding, which appears as notches in the leaves. It's something we will keep an eye on. Usually first cutting breaks up the insects' life cycle and there is no need for treatment.
Don't be caught off guard by grass stands. Grass is growing quickly. Many alfalfa stands measured close to 12" this week. If the target height for harvesting clear grass stands is 14" you should be watching them closely. The predicted warm days will quicken their pace to boot stage. We have a little leeway with mixed stands with harvest targeted at 22 inches of alfalfa height. For clear alfalfa we are looking for 28" of growth."
An overall assessment of first cutting growth from fields we measured:
Many stands of alfalfa are too short to give adequate predictions for pure grass stand harvest - especially those at higher elevations. That being said, many lower elevation fields have alfalfa measuring 11-12", and predictions for harvest of nearby pure grass fields look like this weekend for peak quality. 50/50 mixed grass/alfalfa stands predictions are saying harvest in ~2 weeks, but time and weather will give us a better prediction next week for mixed stands. Weather looks like rain on Saturday, but a decent stretch of weather to start next week out. Look for our next report on Wednesday, May 16th. In the meanwhile, stay safe out in the fields and update the team with any conditions you encounter that would be of interest.
Alfalfa height has been proven to be a reliable indicator of NDF values in the field for alfalfa, alfalfa/grass mixed and all grass stands. Results will be compiled and posted/sent out on a weekly basis. To receive weekly email/text updates, please contact us at 607.391.2673 with your preference of email or cell phone number and mobile carrier. The email will contain the report as an attachment, the text update will contain a link to view the report on our website. To be removed from this list, email Betsy at bjh246@cornell.edu.
The numbers that are indicators for using alfalfa heights for NDF content are as follows:
• 100% grass stands should be cut when nearby alfalfa is 14 inches tall, to achieve 50% NDF
• 50/50 mixed alfalfa/grass stands should be cut when nearby alfalfa is 22 inches tall, to achieve 44% NDF
• 100% alfalfa stands should be cut when alfalfa is 28 inches tall, to achieve 40% NDF
Predicted days to cut are based on daily NDF increases for grasses of 1.0% point, 50/50 mixed alfalfa/grass stands of 0.8% points, and alfalfa of 0.5% points.
Predictions are adjusted for the coming week's weather.
• Typically NDF increases about 0.8 to 1.2 per day for grasses, with cooler weather being the lower end of the range and warmer weather being the higher end.
• For alfalfa, NDF increases about 0.4 to 0.7 per day, also dependent upon warm/cool weather.
The weekly email will have a table of the locations around the region where we have measured the alfalfa height, as well as the elevation, and target date for harvest. Even if your fields aren't measured, you can use the location and elevation as a guide to conditions that may be similar to your own.
Alfalfa height reporting Sheet 5.8.18 (pdf; 275KB)
- alfalfa heights for Broome, Cortland, Chemung, Onondaga, Tioga and Tompkins Counties
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Farm Participants Needed for Bale Grazing Grant!
Information on the Project:- Approximately 10 acres total needed to bale graze two different bale densities
- "Core" farms will graze two winters, "Demo" farms will graze one winter.
- Payments for both "Core" farms and "Demo" farms
- Baseline soil sampling by bale grazing team
- Forage measurements in early season by bale grazing team
- Late season clipping if residual not trampled down by farm
Interested farms can enroll for this winter or next.
Looking for 2-3 dairy farms to enroll! If interested, please reach out to Betsy Hicks, 607.391.2673 or bjh246@cornell.edu
Cornell Cow Convos - New Podcast
On-going podcast, New episodes released on the last Thursday of the month.Guest speakers, CCE Dairy Specialists.
Housed on Soundcloud Channel is CCE Dairy Educators
Topics:
- Preventative healthcare for cows
- The trend of beef on dairy
- What to look forward to in the new year for dairy
- Socially grouping or pair-housing calves
Dairy Acceleration Program Funds Available
Funds available for the
- organization of financial records/benchmarking up to $1,000
- continued business planning (for farms awarded in a previous year) up to $2,500
- business planning up to $5,000
2018 Drug Residue Prevention Manual
For more than 30 years, the U.S. dairy industry has focused educational efforts on the judicious use of antibiotics through the annual publication of a Best Practices Manual. The 2018 edition of the National Dairy FARM Program: Farmers Assuring Responsible Management? Milk and Dairy Beef Drug Residue Prevention Manual is the primary educational tool for dairy farm managers throughout the country on the judicious and responsible use of antibiotics, including avoidance of drug residues in milk and meat.The manual is a quick resource to review those antibiotics approved for dairy animals and can also be used as an educational tool and resource for farm managers as they develop on-farm best management practices necessary to avoid milk and meat residues. Visit the Manual and Form Library to download copies of this important tool!
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ProDairy Forage Management
Are you prepared to change your routine this spring?By: Joe Lawrence, Cornell CALS PRO-DAIRY and Ron Kuck, Cornell Cooperative Extension North Country Regional Ag Team
While spring tasks vary by farm, there are many "rites of spring," and they are often completed in a fairly rigid sequence. Depending on the farm, these often include fixing fence, spreading manure, planting new seedings, planting corn and harvesting first cutting, and are often performed in this order.
We are optimistic that the upcoming turn in weather will allow these task to be accomplished in a timely manner, but at this point it is time to ask yourself: Are you willing to change your spring routine?
In addition to adverse weather it is no secret that everyone is facing extremely tight economic times, and dealing with forage inventories of poor digestibility forages from 2017. This combination of factors makes it more critical than ever to be ready to tackle the task that will have the most impact on your business at the proper time.
Recent reference articles on dealing with tough times:
• Key Opportunities to Optimize 2018 Crop Production Efficiency
• Resources for Dealing with Spring Weather Delays
First Cutting
The number one focus should be on timely harvest of first cutting.
• Park the corn planter when a field of first cutting is ready for harvest.
o Monitoring 1st cut harvest timing
• Approach harvest by the acre, not by the field. Be ready to skip over a field that has passed its optimum harvest stage.
o Dynamic Harvest Schedules
• Strategically plan feed storage to best utilize forage inventories for the right group of animals.
o Strategic Forage Storage Planning
o When More is Better
Corn Planting
The window for planting for silage is generally wider than for grain, which is why first cutting can and should take priority over corn planting. However, in the event of extreme delays in planting corn, performance will diminish with late plantings. If corn planting progresses into late May or early June, begin to consider alternative options for those acres. Previous research from Cornell and Penn State suggest a 0.5 to 1 ton/acre per week decline in silage yield for planting after mid to late May.
Multi-Tasking
First and foremost during a time of year that can be very busy and stressful, taking every precaution to keep your team safe is critical.
The idea of fitting all of this work into a condensed time period, and still getting key tasks completed before critical deadlines can seem impossible, but year after year many find unique ways to get it all done. Consider working with neighbors, custom operators or renting equipment to accomplish these key tasks on time.
If you currently utilize custom operators, now is a good time to set up a time to meet with them and make sure you are on the same page to get tasks accomplished in the time-frame needed. Make sure that your expectations and goals are clearly defined. They will also be under stress to fit their work into a condensed period and meet their customers' expectations, so defining expectations and pre-planning how to most efficiently get the work accomplished when the custom operator arrives can go a long way to increase the chances for success.
While spring tasks vary by farm, there are many "rites of spring," and they are often completed in a fairly rigid sequence. Depending on the farm, these often include fixing fence, spreading manure, planting new seedings, planting corn and harvesting first cutting, and are often performed in this order.
We are optimistic that the upcoming turn in weather will allow these task to be accomplished in a timely manner, but at this point it is time to ask yourself: Are you willing to change your spring routine?
In addition to adverse weather it is no secret that everyone is facing extremely tight economic times, and dealing with forage inventories of poor digestibility forages from 2017. This combination of factors makes it more critical than ever to be ready to tackle the task that will have the most impact on your business at the proper time.
Recent reference articles on dealing with tough times:
• Key Opportunities to Optimize 2018 Crop Production Efficiency
• Resources for Dealing with Spring Weather Delays
First Cutting
The number one focus should be on timely harvest of first cutting.
• Park the corn planter when a field of first cutting is ready for harvest.
o Monitoring 1st cut harvest timing
• Approach harvest by the acre, not by the field. Be ready to skip over a field that has passed its optimum harvest stage.
o Dynamic Harvest Schedules
• Strategically plan feed storage to best utilize forage inventories for the right group of animals.
o Strategic Forage Storage Planning
o When More is Better
Corn Planting
The window for planting for silage is generally wider than for grain, which is why first cutting can and should take priority over corn planting. However, in the event of extreme delays in planting corn, performance will diminish with late plantings. If corn planting progresses into late May or early June, begin to consider alternative options for those acres. Previous research from Cornell and Penn State suggest a 0.5 to 1 ton/acre per week decline in silage yield for planting after mid to late May.
Multi-Tasking
First and foremost during a time of year that can be very busy and stressful, taking every precaution to keep your team safe is critical.
The idea of fitting all of this work into a condensed time period, and still getting key tasks completed before critical deadlines can seem impossible, but year after year many find unique ways to get it all done. Consider working with neighbors, custom operators or renting equipment to accomplish these key tasks on time.
If you currently utilize custom operators, now is a good time to set up a time to meet with them and make sure you are on the same page to get tasks accomplished in the time-frame needed. Make sure that your expectations and goals are clearly defined. They will also be under stress to fit their work into a condensed period and meet their customers' expectations, so defining expectations and pre-planning how to most efficiently get the work accomplished when the custom operator arrives can go a long way to increase the chances for success.
NYSERDA Agriculture Energy Audit Program
NYSERDA offers energy audits to help eligible farms and on-farm producers identify ways to save energy and money on utility bills. Reports include recommendations for energy efficiency measures.Eligibility
Eligible farms include but are not limited to dairies, orchards, greenhouses, vegetables, vineyards, grain dryers, and poultry/egg. The farms must also be customers of New York State investor-owned utilities and contribute to the System Benefits Charge (SBC). Please check your farm’s current utility bills to see if your farm pays the SBC.
Energy Audit Options
You can request the level of energy audit that best fits your farm’s needs. NYSERDA will assign a Flexible Technical Assistance Program Consultant to visit your farm and perform an energy audit at no cost to you.
For more information and the NYSERDA Agriculture Energy Audit Program Application click here
For more information and the NYSERDA Agriculture Energy Audit Program Application click here