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March 16th, 2020

Considering Alfalfa?

By: Chris Basham

When considering planting alfalfa as a new stand many questions can be asked to help narrow the wide array of alfalfa varieties down to a chosen few. Many alfalfa varieties on the market today have excellent yield and quality, and come with a very good disease package. So how does a grower decide?

The key to decision making is having clear goals for the final product. Alfalfa is the best source of high quality forage for most livestock producers. That being said, not all alfalfas are created equal.

Are you going to sell hay, or feed hay to livestock yourself?
If you are selling hay, know your customer’s and nutritional requirements. Nutrient requirements for dairy cows versus beef cows can be substantially different. Reduced lignin alfalfa varieties such as Entree RL alfalfa offer reduced lignin levels and higher digestibility to produce more milk/ton making it very popular with dairy producers.

How will you manage your alfalfa from planning to seeding?

Soil test the area to be seeded to ensure proper ph and other nutrient levels are at or exceeding alfalfa growing requirements. Chose varieties with dormancy ratings recommended for your area.

How will you harvest?

Harvesting on a regular 28-30 day cycle is optimum for quality, but due to weather or other issues that time frame may not be feasible. In that instance, Entree RL offers high quality through an extended harvest window.

How many years will the stand be utilized in your rotation?

The average lifespan of a good alfalfa rotation is approximately 3-5 years. Depending on the variety utilized, quality and tonnage will be reduced in a longer rotation. If deciding to extend the field’s rotation, grasses and clovers can be utilized to improve the stand, and be sure to seed Eldora II or Hybriforce 3400 to get premium yields, quality and longevity.

Do you have pest or weed control issues?

HopperNot can be used if you have leafhopper issues and L-446 RR alfalfa can be seeded if you want the flexibility of using Round-up for weed control.

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March 5th, 2020

Can You Say Festulolium?

By: Doug Hanson

Festulolium is the name for a hybrid forage grass developed by crossing Meadow Fescue or Tall Fescue with Perennial Ryegrass.  ProHarvest Seeds has selected two unique varieties with varied benefits.  Fojtan takes on the characteristics of Fescue while our Hostyn variety takes on more of a Perennial Rye Grass appearance.  Therefore, Fojtan is best for thickening hay fields and for fast grass in newly seeded hay fields.  Hostyn will work best in pasture and baleage or chopping systems. 

Fojtan 

• Earlier spring growth than tall fescue

• High quality, close to that of ryegrass

• Very persistent (4 years)

• Tolerates drought and periodical flooding

Hostyn

• High seedling vigor, comparable to annual ryegrass

• Very early spring growth

• Very high yield

• Better persistence than ryegrass

Click. Here to view our Festulolium Lineup! 

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February 28th, 2020

Evaluating Thin Alfalfa Stands

By: Chris Basham

What to look for??

Slow green-up

The most obvious indication of winter injury is slow green-up. Compare other stands in your area and on similar soils to evaluate the timing of green-up. If stand takes longer to green-up , it’s time to check for injury.

Budding growth pattern

Spring buds are formed in the fall of the year. If there is injury to alfalfa’s roots, only the living portion of the crown will produce new shoots. The new shoots will emerge early and winter-killed buds will be replaced by new shoots in the spring. This could cause asymmetrical growth patterns resulting in shoots of different lengths on the same plant causing the field to look uneven.

Root Damage

Examine roots at 4 to 6 inches deep. Healthy roots will be firm and white in color. If after the first thaw, winter injured roots will have a grayish, water-soaked look. Once water has left the root, the tissue becomes brown, dehydrated and stringy.

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April 4th, 2019

How to Work on Improving your Forages

By Doug Hanson, ProHarvest Seeds 

Forage & Cover Crop Lead

It is often said that a properly fertilized pasture or hayfield is the cheapest forage you can buy.  With current land values and high input costs (seed, fertilizer, diesel fuel) it is important to get the most out of land that has been dedicated to forage production.  Finding 1200# round bales for $25 to $30 per bale is no longer practical.  With forage values ranging from $120 to over $200 per ton it is important to manage forage production with the same intensity as corn and soybeans.

Pastures

Pastures will increase production with added fertility.  I like to use 200 pounds of ammonium sulfate in either spring or fall.  Mid to late August is the best time in Illinois.  Spring fertilizing can be done in late February through mid March.  This is also around the same time that wheat is being fertilized.  This will provide around 40 pounds of nitrogen and it will also provide some sulfur.  Legumes will respond to Sulfur like grasses respond to Nitrogen.  Ammonium sulfate can be used in the granular or liquid forms depending on availability from your supplier.  It is often the cheapest source of N on the market.  This can change from year to year and by supplier location.  ESN (encapsulated Urea) or comparable types of time released products are another good source of Nitrogen.  You will need to check with individual suppliers if you want Sulfur mixed in with your ESN. 

Pastures will perform best if they have some legumes with the grasses.  Legumes can make up as much as 35% of the pasture.  I think this is too high for most beef producers.  I would recommend more in the 20 to 25% range with good management. 

I like to add white clover seed and sometimes red clover, if a pasture needs legumes, when I am fertilizing in the spring.  Three to four pounds of a good white clover (not Dutch white) is more than enough.  If using red clover I would go with 8 to 12 pounds.  A mix of 3 pounds white and 5 pounds red is a good way to hedge your opportunity.  I have seen years where one clover will do better one year, and the other type will do better the next.  Therefore, this reduces risk and provides more variety in the pasture.

Hay Fields

Two hundred pounds of ammonium sulfate applied to a grass Alfalfa mix hay field is an excellent way to increase hay tonnage and create more healthy roots.  The Alfalfa will respond to the sulfur and it will respond to the Nitrogen early in the season before Nitrogen fixation takes place.  The grasses will respond to the Nitrogen.

If a hayfield is under performing it is best to add grasses or red clover in the fall.  It will compete against the existing plants better and will have minimal weed pressure.  If you realize after first cutting that a field suffered a high percentage of winter kill it is going to be too late to help the hay field for the rest of the summer and it will probably be economically wise to terminate the field after the first cutting.  Terminating the hay field and planting it to a high-quality summer annual could yield anywhere from 6 to 10 tons of good quality feed.  If you add your first cutting tonnage to that number you will see why summer annuals can really help meet a farms forage needs.  Some popular summer annuals to use are Brown Mid-Rib (BMR) Forage Sorghum, BMR Sorghum Sudan Grass, Sudan hybrids and Hybrid Pearl Millet.  Teff grass can definitely be an option if you want dry hay, but it is more difficult to get established.

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March 3rd, 2015

"In order to increase our chances at profitability, cattle producers must reduce feed costs and this can be done most effectively through aggressive management of our forages. The best returns from pasture fertilization will depend on effective utilization through well-managed livestock and forage programs"

- Doug Hanson, Seed Specialist/Forage Seeds Lead

Click here to read the full article on fertilizing forages from the Jan./Feb. 2014 IL Beef Magazine.

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March 2nd, 2015

Recommendations for Frost Seeding

Evergraze White Clover is a high yielding, easy to establish ladino white clover.  This variety works great in close grazing situations and is very persistent in dry conditions.  Click here for the Evergraze tech sheet.  Ladino white clover is seeded at approximately 4 to 6 pounds per acre.

Freedom Red Clover is an excellent companion to most cool season grasses for both grazing and haying. Freedom has reduced stem pubescence and large leaves that make it ideal for grazing and hay production. Click here for the Freedom Red Clover tech sheet. Red clover is seeded at approximately 8 to 10 pounds per acre.

To increase diversity, try our new Red and White Clover Mix. This is a blend of Evergraze and Freedom Red Clovers. Frost seed at 8 pounds per acre to maximize production.

The Quick-To-Grow Mix is a combination of fast establishing grasses and clovers that can be frost seeded in existing pastures and hay fields. This blend is great for filling in bare spots or high traffic areas. Click here for the Quick-to-grow tech sheet. Quick-to-grow is frost seeded at 10 to 20 pounds per acre. It can also be planted at 30 to 40 pounds per acre for a fast growing, 3 to 4 year pasture.

We have updated our website! Head over and check it out!

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June 4th, 2013

A summer annual in your rotation is a great way to provide relief for your permanent pastures. Sorghum Sudan grass, hybrid Sudan grass, or a hybrid pearl millet are all great products. If you manage your grazing times, you can get much more return per acre with an annual in the rotation. With a little moisture and heat, a summer annual can easily make up for your summer slump.

Factors:

• Average seed cost per acre will between $40-$80 with a yield ranging from 3 to 8 tons of dry matter, depending on proper management and fertility.

• “Turn-out” time on these grasses will be at a height of 18 to 24 inches; around 30 to 40 days after planting.

• Summer annuals can grow at astounding rates, as much as 2 inches a day. These grasses can support much higher stocking rates than most permanent pastures.

Check out these links for other pasture management topics.

http://web.extension.illinois.edu/oardc/eb275/

http://hayandforage.com/grazing/making-most-pastures-after-drought

http://hayandforage.com/grazing/assess-forages-and-cattle-drought-threatens

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May 20th, 2013

Every year people ask us what options they have with a thin hay field in May. It is being asked with a lot more concern this year than it has been in years past. Here is the best option for a field that is in its last year or two of production. Take the first cutting for hay, let it grow back enough to burn it down with a herbicide and then plant it to a summer annual. I recommend one of the following summer annuals: Sorghum Sudan Grass, Forage Sorghum, Sudan Hybrid, Hybrid Pearl Millet. They all fit different needs and can provide an excellent source of very good quality forage. Here are some facts to think about.

• A hay field will produce approximately 40% to 50% of its tonnage in the first cutting. That means you will only get 2 to 3 more tons of forage the rest of the year from the hayfield.

• By harvesting the first cutting in May, terminating the field and planting the summer annual in June, you will be able to produce 8 to 12 tons of forage.

What are my options if I want to keep my hay field?

We only have one option to improve a hayfield after first cutting and keep the hayfield. That option is TeffGrass. I have had excellent experiences with Teff and I have had disasters with it. Teff grass can be inter-seeded at about 5 pounds per acre. If properly established it can produce an additional 1.5-3 tons of forage. It can be difficult to establish, but it is worth it when you do.