First Cutting Updates - Week of May 8th, 2017
Betsy Hicks, Area Dairy Specialist
South Central New York Dairy & Field Crops
May 10, 2017
UPDATES FOR THE WEEK OF MAY 8th, 2017:
Comments from Janice: We measured slow growth with the wet and cold conditions of the last week. Our protocol is to measure the tallest alfalfa in the stand, but in older alfalfa and wetter fields, the alfalfa tends to be more uneven. Keeping this in mind, our field scale measurement should be ground-truthed as you plan for harvest. Grasses will be headed by next week so if you are harvesting grass or mixed stands for dairy quality they will be ready to mow in the next stretch of decent weather. Some lodging is beginning in alfalfa over 20". No buds are observed yet in alfalfa. If you have mixed grass/alfalfa stands, refer back to the chart of percent of alfalfa vs grass (attached) and what height alfalfa is to determine when to harvest the field for peak quality. If you need help determining what percent your stand is, contact me at 607.391.2672 or jgd3@cornell.edu.
Comments for Southern Counties (Broome, Tioga, Chemung, S Cortland): Most fields saw no more than 2" growth in alfalfa, although some of the valley ground with favorable drainage and a southern slope did see more. In general, higher elevations and wetter fields only saw 1" of growth with the cool weather. Even so, predictions for harvesting 50/50 mixed grass/alfalfa stands are stating dairy quality harvest should begin by the middle of next week and grass stands should be harvested now. Fields in general are drier here than in the counties to the north. Some farms that have pure grass fields and some mixed fields to the east of our region have started harvest on fields that have dried out enough to drive on.
Comments for Northern Counties (Tompkins, N Cortland, Onondaga): In general, most all fields saw no more than 2" growth in alfalfa. Fields are very wet across the northern counties and will likely have some rutting around wet spots if they are to be harvested for dairy quality. Predictions for peak grass quality is to harvest now, 50/50 mixed grass/alfalfa stands are predicted to be peak at the end of next week, only a couple days behind the more southern counties.
Weather conditions for the coming week look like rain Saturday and Sunday, with warmer weather closer to 70 degrees next week. I know you all are frustrated with not being able to get corn in the ground, but the focus needs to be on harvesting hay crop at peak quality! Please let us know conditions you observe while harvesting, and any comments back about the alfalfa height project are appreciated! We also welcome any sample results you would like to share, so forward them on me, bjh246@cornell.edu. You can also post harvest pictures on our team's Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/SCNYDairyandFieldCropsTeam/ and use the hashtag #harvest2017.
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 and 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 for the month of May will have a table of the locations around the region where we have measured the alfalfa height, as well as the elevation. 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. We now cover six counties throughout South Central NY, including Tioga, Chemung, Broome, Tompkins, Cortland and Onondaga. Other teams and associations throughout the state are also measuring fields. For more information, contact that county's association to find out if fields are being measured there.
Alfalfa Heights - Week of May 8th, 2017 (pdf; 226KB)
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USDA Contract Freezes and Terminations: Legal Action Steps for Farmers
For Farmers with Signed EQIP and CSP ContractsThis resource is written for farmers and ranchers nationwide who have a signed contract with USDA NRCS under the EQIP or CSP program for environmental improvements but have concerns that their contract is frozen, under review, or terminated, and who are uncertain of their rights to receive reimbursement as well as their ongoing obligations under the signed contract.
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A downloadable factsheet is available at our BUSINESS tab on the top of our webpage.
Additional Information: www.farmcommons.org
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USDA NAD Appeal https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/general-information/staff-offices/office-hearings-and-appeals/national-appeals-division/nad-appeals
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Manure has all seventeen essential plant nutrients and can increase yield beyond what can be obtained with fertilizer only. In this project, Value of Manure, we evaluate the nitrogen fertilizer replacement value (how much N can we credit to manure?) and yield differences as a result of manure application.Complete Project Details: https://nydairyadmin.cce.cornell.edu/uploads/doc_1125.pdf
Manure history and field management (cover crops, crop rotation, etc.) impact soil nitrogen (N)- supplying capacity. In the project, Power of Manure, we evaluate the N supply, soil microbial biomass, and crop N uptake efficiency as a result of different manure histories, field agronomic management, and soil types.
Complete Project Details: https://nydairyadmin.cce.cornell.edu/uploads/doc_1126.pdf
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
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Housed on Soundcloud Channel is CCE Dairy Educators
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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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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
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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