CMEG Crop Management Extension Group

Field Crop News

Website Address: http://fcn.agronomy.psu.edu/

August 16, 2006    Vol. 06:16

IN THIS ISSUE:

Weather Outlook — Paul Knight

Expect more dry and comfortable conditions on Wednesday and then becoming warmer with sunny skies on Thursday. The humidity will increase on Friday with partly cloudy conditions. A cool front crossing the region during the weekend will lead to more clouds than sunshine, especially across northern sections (which may turn overcast). Showers and embedded thunderstorms will affect about 80% of the region. Rainfall amounts will average 0.25-0.50 inches with only a few places receiving an inch. Less humid weather will return along with sunshine on Monday. A weak disturbance aloft promises to bring some clouds and scattered (few) thundershowers on Tuesday afternoon. Another spell of very warm weather is likely later next week.

Bean Leaf Beetle Feeding on Soybean Pods — Mena Hautau, Berks County

Scout Now-Bean Leaf Beetle May Be Feeding on Soybean Pods

Check now for pod feeding by bean leaf beetles in your soybean fields. The Japanese beetle and the bean leaf beetle have been feeding on soybean leaves. Soybeans can withstand a lot of defoliation. (For a discussion about evaluating soybean defoliation see http://ohioline.osu.edu/icm-fact/fc-22.html).

However, if bean leaf beetles feed on pods, damage to the beans can occur which reduces bean quality. The threshold for action in the Penn State Agronomy Guide is 5 or more beetles per foot of row (no thresholds named for drilled soybeans) and 30% leaf defoliation.

Here are some resources to review for more information:

Live From Ag Progress Days — Sjoerd Duiker

Ag Progress Days started today, Tuesday 8/15 and will last until Thursday 8/17. This year the Crops and Soils Tent shares its location on the end of E.5th Street with the Conservation Tent. As in past years, farmers brought in hay samples to be evaluated by forage specialists present at the Crop and Soils Tent. The hay samples are exhibited at APD and will also be showcased at the Pennsylvania Farm Show in January. Different exhibits are present in the Crops and Soils tent, among others the Crop Management Association, The Pennsylvania Corn Growers Association, The Nutrient Management Program, the USDA-Agricultural Research Service Pasture Systems and Watershed Management Research Unit, USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Forage and Grassland Council. Pennsylvania No-Till Alliance board members and the recently hired No-Till Coordinator, Jeff McClellan, are present every day from 9-3 to answer no-till questions. You can also exercise your golfing skills in the miniature putting green, set up by the Turfgrass Science Program in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences. Experts from the Crop Management Extension Group are present every day to answer crop and soil management questions. And finally, the Corn Maze is again a highlight that draws young and old. In summary, there is a lot going on in our tent and we encourage everyone to visit us these days.

Late Summer Pasture/Hay Management and Renovation — Jeff Graybill, Lancaster County

The Agronomy Guide states that late summer (end of August) forage seedings in Pennsylvania are generally the most successful. Cool evenings and early fall rains provide an ideal environment for grasses. In addition to establishing grass and legume species during this time we should be looking at and evaluating established pastures and hayfields.

An increasingly popular practice is no-till renovation of existing fields and pastures.  A well maintained no-till drill can attain the proper depth and seeding rates for all common forage grasses.  Renovation can be as simple as thickening up overgrazed areas and areas where broadleaves have invaded to complete renovation in which a glyphosate treatment is used to kill all existing species.  No matter what your practice, most grass species should have 6 to 8 weeks of growth or be 6 to 8 inches tall before a killing frost.

Some advantages of no-till establishment and renovation are erosion control, time/labor savings and ease of establishment.  A two year study at Penn State found that no-till forage (alfalfa) establishment required less than a gallon of diesel fuel per acre, whereas conventional seedbed preparation and planting consumed about 6 gallons.

Key considerations;

Soil fertility: Fertility management is a key factor whether you are preparing an existing field for winter or renovating a field.  Soil testing, applying lime, Phosphorus and Potash will increase growth, recovery rates and winter hardiness.  One ton of dry hay will remove 15–20 lbs of Phosphorus and 45–60 lbs of Potash.  Fall is an excellent time to replace these nutrients.  Manures also make an excellent fertility source and can be applied as a top dress before or after no-till seeding.  In addition to P & K, consider applying some Nitrogen as a starter to help get your grasses up and running.  Lime is an excellent source of Calcium and Magnesium in addition to alleviating acidity.  Watch for surface acidity in pastures and fields with frequent N and manure applications.

Species selection:  Select a species adapted to your soil types and management practices.  Consider your end use, intended markets, desired yield, quality and longevity amongst others.  Improved varieties will make a difference in situations where disease has been a problem and high productivity is sought.  Consider planting mixed species where you have variable soils.  Most seed companies have pre-mixes for specific situations and conditions.

Weed Control:  Clipping pastures in late August will provide a cosmetic benefit, however many broadleaves and grass weeds have already set viable seed.  Clipping in conjunction with topdressing will help thicken up stands in preparation for a final cutting, additional grazing and over wintering.  Chemical control to eliminate problem perennials is most effective late summer and early fall.  Finally, if total renovation is your plan a glyphosate or gyphostate with 2,4-D or a similar product (for difficult perennials) will provide a clean field ready for your no-till grass seeding.

Round Bale Silage: Sort by Storage Potential — Paul Craig, Dauphin County

The use of round bale silage has become increasing popular across the Northeast United States. The adaptability of this silage production system to smaller dairy and livestock farmers makes baleage a popular choice on many English and Amish farms. These producers have discovered that baleage has the potential to minimize harvest losses and thus provide a higher quality feed. In addition the investment cost for baleage equipment is significantly less verses the cost of a silo or bunker and the related harvest equipment.

Unfortunately there are some disadvantages with baleage. One is in marketing compared to dry hay. The higher moisture content of baleage leads to handling and transportation issues. Perhaps the greatest disadvantage is the fact that not all baleage is equal and that significant storage losses can take place.

Storage length of round bale silage is an issue. Some baleage will keep for a year or more but other baleage will be lucky if it maintains its quality for 3 months. Proper management of different cuttings of baleage is critical if you do not want to be surprised by what you find in your wet bales next April.

Most baleage producers recognize this storage difference and identify each cutting with spray paint and then separate different cuttings in storage areas. Some producers simply make a massive pile of bales and then are frequently surprised during feedout. Experience has taught many producers that there are key factors during baling and wrapping that can significantly improve the storability of wet bales.

Good silage making practices are important for round bale silage. Moisture of the crop is critical. Ideal moisture levels for baleage is 40 to 60% for grass crops and 40 to 55% for alfalfa and other legume crops. If you have a mixed stand use the legume guidelines. Baleage made at moistures less than 40% or greater than 60% can still make good baleage but longer term storage will suffer. Drier baleage will keep 3 to 6 months but wetter baleage should be fed ASAP.

Since the forage is not chopped when round baling, the particle size is larger and air exclusion is more challenging. In addition forage length affects the ability of silage microbes to access plant sugars. This results in slower and possibly incomplete fermentation compared to a silo. Low levels of pH, 4.0 to 5.0 are vital to ensuring long term storage.

Preventing air from leaking into the bale is also important. Make sure bales selected for feeding next year have at least 4, preferably 6 layers of covering with a high quality plastic.

Rained on hay that is ensiled is not a good choice for long term storage. Rain “washes out“ the readily fermentable sugars from the forage. This results in poor fermentation and poor keeping quality.

Contributors: State Specialists: Dr. Sjoerd Duiker, Dr. Erick De Wolf, Dr. Douglas Beegle.  Extension Educators: Susan Alexander (Jefferson County), Kevin Fry (Armstrong), Mena Hautau (Berks), Andrew Frankenfield (Montgomery), Mark Madden (Sullivan), Dwane Miller (Schuylkill), Paul Craig (Dauphin)

Editor: Jeffrey Graybill, Extension Educator, Lancaster County

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