Legumes

A list of meetings for Row Crop and Forage producers.

With the first freeze of the fall just around the corner, remember that a frost can result in potential hazards for certain forages. When a plant freezes, changes occur in its metabolism and composition that can cause toxicity issues for livestock. A few issues to be on the lookout for are discussed in this article.

Although fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) is a native pest to North America and a chronic pest in the southeastern US, reports of fall armyworm activity and outbreaks are unusually high this year. There are numerous reports of heavy fall armyworm activity coming out of Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, and other states. In Maryland, there have been cases reported across much of the state so far, including Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Charles, Calvert, Frederick, Howard, Montgomery, Prince George’s, St. Mary’s, and Washington counties. Weather conditions have allowed fall armyworm to flourish this year, so producers are encouraged to be on the lookout for potential problems.

When it comes to something like mowing or clipping pastures, there are certainly two sides to the fence: those that think mowing or clipping pastures is just something that has to be done, and those that think it is a waste of time and fuel and offers little benefit. In truth, the reality is that both sides are right—the need to mow or clip is usually site and time-specific and will depend on several factors. Sometimes the decision is easy, and sometimes the decision is less clear, so what are the arguments for or against mowing or clipping?

It’s the time of year when our alfalfa fields are just waking from winter slumber, or at least we hope they are. We are hopeful that a combination of favorable moisture and thoughtful management will have fields greening up with a strong stand. Unwelcome are brownfields or something close to it. Fortunately, this doesn’t happen often. Yet, when it does, the decision of what’s to follow is painful but an easy one to make — time to put this field out of its misery and plant something else.

With August upon us, we may still be feeling the heat of the summer at the moment but whether or not we’re ready, cooler temperatures are just around the corner and it’s time to be thinking about winter feeding strategies. Using harvested forages for winter feed represents a substantial expense for livestock operations. For many grazing operations, stockpiling can be an effective strategy to extend forage resources further into the fall and winter season, reducing the costs associated with harvesting and storing feed and providing high-quality pasture for fall and winter grazing.

Fortunately or unfortunately, people are creatures of habit. Over the years, we’ve developed behaviors and habits that will stick with us for a lifetime. This applies to our daily routines and the choices we make, both good and bad. Whether it’s not getting enough sleep, skimping on the sunscreen, or neglecting to floss on a daily basis, we often find ourselves guilty of making the same mistakes again and again. Unfortunately, this same phenomenon also holds true when it comes to grazing livestock. As you make plans for the upcoming growing season, here are a few of the more common grazing mistakes that we often fall prey to. Let’s do our best to break that habit and avoid these mistakes moving forward.

With a new growing season comes new opportunities, one of which is the opportunity to do a better job with making hay. With spring being a busy time of year, hay-making is often one of the lower priorities on the long list of things to do, but this means that all too often much of the hay that is made is moderate to lower in quality. In many cases, making better quality hay can significantly reduce the need for supplemental feed purchases and help keep adequate condition on animals. Below are some practical considerations for improving the quality of your hay this year.