2019 Kansas Summer Annual Forage Hay and Silage Variety Trial results now available
Summer annual forage performance tests are conducted each year by the Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station. The yield results of the 2019 tests are available online. Results are from 3 locations and split into hay and silage categories.
Forage options for freeze-damaged wheat
Late spring freezes have resulted in some level of damage to a portion of the Kansas wheat crop. Producers must soon decide whether to keep the crop for grain or possibly use it as forage.
Alfalfa management: Deciding on last cutting this fall
Alfalfa will stop growing after the first hard freeze. The timing of the last two cuttings impacts the winter survival and influences stand productivity the following year.
Tips for fall planting of alfalfa
Kansas has 568,324 acres of alfalfa, which is a very important leguminous crop for dairy and livestock industry in the state. Late summer and early fall are often the best times to plant alfalfa in Kansas. When sowing alfalfa, there are several recommendations to help establish a healthy stand.
Annual Forage Insurance Update and Examples
Annual Forage (AF) insurance is a rainfall index product similar to Pasture, Rangeland, and Forage Insurance (PRF). Alfalfa and perennial range can be insured under PRF. If you grow annual crops for forage (this includes annual crops used for grazing, haying, grazing/haying, grain/grazing, green chop, grazing/green chop, or silage), AF can be used to help insure against reduced forage yield due to less precipitation than normal during the producer-selected growing season. When rainfall falls below a set amount, a payout is provided.
Managing the prussic acid hazard in sorghum
While sorghum is a valuable forage crop, sorghum species can produce prussic acid, which can be toxic to livestock. The potential for toxic levels of prussic acid is affected by several different factors. If proper management occurs, sorghum can be a safe and beneficial forage crop.
Biomass production and nutrient uptake of drought-damaged corn
Many farmers across Kansas must make a decision on how to get the most from their drought-damaged corn this year. A number of factors should be considered when assigning a value to drought-damaged corn. Nutrient removal from the field is one key aspect since biomass can export significant amounts of nutrients.
Tips for fall planting of alfalfa
Alfalfa is a very important legume crop for dairy and livestock industry in the state. Late summer and early fall are often the best times to plant alfalfa in Kansas due to less weed pressure than spring planting. Available moisture at planting is crucial for alfalfa establishment.
Filling the forage gaps after a challenging summer
In forage-based systems, the forage budget is the key component of livestock production. This hot, dry summer has resulted in farmers needing to adjust their forage plans for their operation. Learn the best options for minimizing any forage gaps heading into the fall and winter.
Alfalfa management: Deciding on last cutting this fall
Alfalfa will quit growing after the first hard freeze. In Kansas, this could happen as early as October 1 or as late as November 1. The last cutting prior to dormancy should be made so there will be 8 to 12 inches of foliage, or 4 to 6 weeks of growth time, before the first killing frost.
Small grain forage options for this fall
In 2022, forage production was limited during the summer, and filling the gaps during the fall/winter will be a challenge. Small grain forages can be a profitable option for producers. They can be planted in the fall and either terminated or grazed out in the early spring.
Value of forage insurance during drought
Over two-thirds of all Kansas counties are experience extreme or exceptional drought. Cattle producers can take several actions to mitigate the impact of drought, including purchasing forage insurance, or Pasture, Rainfall, Forage (PRF) insurance. In this article, we discuss what the PRF is and report PRF payouts to-date by drought status for all 105 Kansas counties.
Want more forage? Kill some cedars
Eastern redcedar is the only evergreen tree native to Kansas and is a major component of an alarming wave of woody plant expansion in grasslands. During drought years, rangeland grasses may go dormant but cedar trees often stay green and continue using water. Controlling the growth of cedars in pastures is important, especially during a summer drought like we saw in 2022.
2022 Kansas cool-season forage performance tests
The results of the 2022 Kansas Performance Tests for cool-season annual forage varieties are available online. Results are available for both yield and nutrient value for the cool-season forages. Annual forage performance tests are conducted each year by the Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station.