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.