Pay Attention to Hay Moisture Content

         Rory Lewandowski, Extension Educator Wayne County

           The goal in haymaking is to preserve forage quality in a form that can be used by livestock at a later date.  Each year however, dry matter and forage quality is lost due to spontaneous heating in hay that is caused by baling at too high of a moisture content.  Generally all bales left to air dry after baling at 15 to 20% moisture undergo some degree of heating beginning a couple of days after baling and continuing for a week to 10 days after baling.  The heat that is generated is a result of plant respiration and microorganisms on the hay consuming carbohydrates (sugars and starches).  In general, if temperatures do not exceed the 130 to 140 degree F range, quality damage is minimal.  However, if internal hay temperature exceeds 175 degrees F, then combustion and fire can occur.

Wayne Coblentz at the U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center in Madison Wisconsin examined the relationship between moisture content at baling, size of bales and forage quality using a heating degree days concept.  Heating degree days are calculated by subtracting 86 from the maximum internal bale temperature measured in degrees F, for each day of storage.  The difference is summed each day until bales reach the point where the difference between internal bale temperature minus 86 is zero.  His research basically showed that small square bales, baled at 20% or lower moisture accumulated a low level (200 or fewer) of heating degree days.  As bale size and diameter increased, baling at a moisture content of 20% resulted in more heating degree days accumulated and a higher risk of spontaneous heating leading to more significant quality losses.

Quality losses begin to increase dramatically as heating degree days exceed 300.  Quality losses include an increase in fiber concentration and a decrease in energy concentration due to heating.  For example, at 300 heating degree days the increase in neutral detergent fiber (NDF) was about 2 percentage units compared to the initial NDF concentration and the decrease in energy concentration was about 1 percentage unit.  At 600 heating degree days the increase in NDF was 7 percentage units and the decrease in energy concentration was about 5 percentage units.  Coblentz found that concentrations of NDF could increase by as much as 11 percentage points as a result of spontaneous heating.  The increases in NDF are a result of cell sugars being oxidized during microbial respiration.  So the fiber components increase because the cell soluble concentration decreases.  The other consequence of heating is that energy density as measured by total digestible nutrients is decreased because the sugars and cell solubles are 100% digestible while the fiber components are less digestible.

It is important to understand that some heating loss occurs in any bale made at 15% or greater moisture during the growing season, but heating losses increase as bale moisture content increases and/or as bale size increases.  Heating losses can be minimized by baling small square bales at 20% or lower moisture content, 18% or lower moisture content for large round bales and 16% or lower moisture content for large rectangular bales.  For legume hay production, these lower moisture contents are problematic because of increased leaf shatter and the associated forage quality loss.  In that case, in order to minimize heating losses and minimize leaf loss, it may be necessary to utilize a preservative or plastic wrap to permit baling at higher moisture contents.

TALL FESCUE: RENOVATION OR ERADICATION?

            Rory Lewandowski, Extension Educator Wayne County

            Mark Sulc, Extension Forage Specialist

            Many cow/calf beef enterprises across the state utilize tall fescue as their primary pasture forage.  In most instances, it is Kentucky 31 endophyte infected forage, and while this is a great option for a late fall and winter stockpiled forage, there are some significant downsides to using this forage during the growing season, particularly summer.  The endophyte is a fungus, specifically Neotyphodium coenophialum and it is responsible for multiple livestock disorders including fescue foot, bovine fat necrosis and fescue toxicity.  Fescue toxicity is the most common disorder and is associated with poor animal performance characterized by reduced feed intake, decreased weight gains, lowered milk production, lowered reproductive performance and rough hair coat.

            Last summer’s drought may have inadvertently created an opportunity for some beef cattle graziers to reevaluate the tall fescue mix in their pastures.  Pastures that were overgrazed during the drought and into the fall period are likely to have “holes” where desirable grass species have dropped out and where weeds may have or will be filling in.  Even those endophyte infected tall fescue pastures could be thinned out; although it is likely the tall fescue will recover and survive.  However, these pastures can benefit from renovation.

            We are now past the point where frost seeding and broadcasting seed is a viable option.  April is a good month to do some no-till drill pasture renovation work.  One of the commonly employed strategies to reduce the effects of fescue toxicity is dilution with other species in the pasture.  Endophyte infected tall fescue pastures can benefit from renovation when other species, particularly legumes, are added to the pasture mix.  Generally red and white clover can work well as legume species in a tall fescue stand.  The goal should be to establish a 30 to 35% clover mix evenly distributed throughout the fescue pasture.  The no-till drill should be adjusted to insure that seed is not placed more than one-quarter to one-half inch deep.

If weeds are present or the tall fescue sod is vigorous then something must be done to reduce this competition and give the new seedlings a chance to establish.  The most effective option may be the use of a chemical herbicide.  Always read and follow the label directions regarding rates and possible intervals between application and planting a new crop/seed.  Gramoxone can be used as a burndown to provide time for the new seeding to become established.  Non-chemical methods include mowing at very short heights or grazing the cover down tight to suppress the grass sod.

There may be situations where eradication of an endophyte infected tall fescue pasture is a better option than renovation and the dilution strategy.  Right up front I will say that this is not an easy task and in order for this to be successful it takes a commitment of time and management.  According to some tall fescue management fact sheets from the University of West Virginia and the University of Arkansas, this is a process that will take 1 to 2 years and requires steps to kill the endophyte infected stand, prevent the reintroduction of endophyte infected seed and then continued to management of the new seeding.  This process is more likely to have success if there is a pasture field where some tillage machinery can be used.

Although there are variations to this process, if eradication is going to start in the spring, these steps should be followed:

·         Soil test to determine if lime, phosphate or potash needs to be added to bring the field to critical soil levels.  Those levels are a soil pH of 6.5, a phosphate level of 25 ppm and a potash level of 120 ppm or according to the formula of: 75 +(2.5 x C.E.C.).

·         Kill the existing tall fescue sod.  Generally glyphosate is the most commonly used herbicide for this purpose.  If the sod can’t be sprayed until late April or early May, then the pasture must be clipped to prevent any seed head formation.

·         If lime or fertilizer is needed to correct soil deficiencies, till the field and incorporate the lime and fertilizer 6-8 inches deep.

·         Plant a warm season annual crop such as pearl millet, sorghum x sudangrass or sudangrass when the soil temperature reaches 60 to 65 degrees F.  These are vigorous, tall growing forages that will act to smother out any fescue that might germinate.  These crops can be used for summer grazing. Another option would be foxtail millet, which would make a single hay crop by late summer (and would not require killing after the single hay crop)

·         In late August or early September kill off the summer annual using glyphosate (not necessary if foxtail millet is used). This glyphosate application is another opportunity to kill any surviving tall fescue plants.

·         Till the field and prepare a seedbed to plant a winter annual crop such as winter wheat or winter rye.  No-till planting is also appropriate.  This crop can provide some late fall grazing.

·         The next year, depending upon the spring, take a final grazing pass or remove the winter annual as wet wrapped baleage.  Take time to walk over the field.  If any fescue is observed, apply another application of glyphosate.  In mid to late April plant the field with a perennial pasture mix that includes grass and legume species.

After this time period removed from tall fescue seed head production, any tall fescue that emerges from old seed in the soil should no longer contain a viable infective fungus.  A fact sheet on endophyte toxins from Oregon State University says that the fungus will lose its viability if stored for 18 or more months.  Other sources say 12 months is enough for the fungus to lose its viability in stored seed.

     Finally, even if eradication is successful, the grazier must continue to manage to prevent endophyte infected seed from being re-introduced into the field from machinery and/or animals carrying viable seed in their digestive tracts from endophyte infected fields. Infected tall fescue can also be reintroduced by feeding hay of endophyte-infected tall fescue containing seed heads with viable seed.

           

References:

Aldrich-Markham, S., Pirelli, G., Craig, A., Oregon State University “Endophyte Toxins in Grass Seed Fields and Straw Effects on Livestock”

Ball, D., Schmidt, S., Lacefield, G., “Tall Fescue Endophyte Concepts”

Jennings J., West C., Jones, S., University of Arkansas, “Friendly Endophyte-Infected Tall Fescue for Livestock Production”

Rayburn E., West Virginia University, “Tall Fescue Management”

OHIO FORAGE & GRASSLANDS COUNCIL CONFERENCE!

The Ohio Forages and Grasslands Council Annual Meeting will be held February 8, 2013 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Ohio Department of Agriculture in Reynoldsburg, OH. The program focuses on “Adapting to our Changing Climate” featuring Dr. Chris Teutsch, the Forage and Livestock Specialist at Virginia Tech's Southern Piedmont Research and Extension Center near Blackstone, Virginia. An Ohio native and an outstanding speaker, Dr. Teutsch has very practical advice on how to make pasture and forage systems more resilient to weather extremes.

Do you know how often we face water deficits for pasture production? Come and find out --- the statistics may surprise you! Dr. Teutsch will discuss management that will improve pasture production by more than 33% while also increasing drought tolerance of pastures through a stronger plant root system.

You will also learn how to plan ahead for filling in the cool season grass summer slump and other periods of forage deficit with alternative forages. This is a timely topic as we look back at the drought of 2012 and look forward to how to prepare for weather extremes in the future.

Dr. Teutsch will host two sessions during the day. The conference will also feature a panel of beef, sheep and dairy producers who will share how they manage and utilize forages in their operations.
Other topics will include how nutrient management plan standards affect livestock producers, how to produce and utilize late season oat forage, and research on alfalfa fertilization in Ohio. In addition, this year’s winners of the Ohio State Grazing Essay Contest and Ohio Forage & Grasslands Council Awards will be announced!

For more details of the program and a registration form, click here. Print the form, fill it out and mail it to the address indicated before February 1st.

2012 Forage Performance Trial Results

Results from the 2012 Ohio Forage Performance Trials are now available online at http://hostedweb.cfaes.ohio-state.edu/perf/. The report includes yield trials of commercial varieties of alfalfa, red and white clover, tall fescue, and annual ryegrass n tests planted in 2008 to 2012 across three sites in Ohio: South Charleston, Wooster, and North Baltimore. There is also a downloadable pdf file for easy printing of the results, as well as downloadable Excel files.

Forage yields were very respectable despite the dry summer, although our testing sites received more rainfall than many areas of Ohio in 2012. Yields averaged from 5.8 to 6.5 tons/acre for alfalfa, 5.6 tons/acre for red clover, 2.4 tons/acre for white clover, 5.7 tons/acre for tall fescue, and 6.3 tons/acre for annual ryegrass (planted in September 2011).

The results demonstrate the importance of selecting adapted varieties with a proven yield record across locations. In our trials in 2012, individual alfalfa varieties varied in yield from 14 to 20% depending on location. Improved red clover varieties yielded up to 53% more than common (VNS) medium red clover. White clover varieties differed in yield by as much as 12.6%, tall fescue varieties differed by up to 7% yield, and annual ryegrass varieties differed by up to 42% yield.

Links to forage performance trials in other states are included on the Ohio Forage Performance Trials website. One very useful link is an interactive website to compare alfalfa varieties across many locations (including Ohio data). It is important to consider yield not only close to home, but across several environments, because every year presents different weather conditions. Varieties with good yield performance across multiple environments are likely to produce more stable yields across soil types and years on your farm.

South Central Ohio Grazing School

The  "Pasture for Profit" will be held the evening of December 4 and 6, 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm and concludes on Saturday, December 8, 2012 9:00 am until noon.  The program will be held at the Jackson Agricultural Research Station, OARDC, 019 Standpipe Road, Jackson Ohio 45640.

 

The topics to be covered at the three day grazing school include; What is MiG and What are Your Goals and Objectives of Your Grazing System?, Evaluating Your Resources, Understanding Plant Growth, Grazing Economics, Forage Species Selection, Grazing Systems and Contingency Plans for the Good, Bad and Ugly, Paddock Layout and Design, Pasture Soil Fertility.  Saturday, the last day of the school will include a farm visit to view grazing management practices, including fence and livestock watering systems in the field.

 

The $30 fee includes refreshments and a large notebook of reference material.  To register, make your check payable to Jackson SWCD, 2026 Fairgreens Road, Jackson, OH 45640. For further information, contact the Jackson SWCD at 740-286-5208 or the Vinton County SWCD at 740-596-5676.  Registration deadline is November 29, 2012.

USING ALFALFA AND GRASS HAYFIELDS AFTER FROST

Some Thoughts and Considerations

            Rory Lewandowski, Extension Educator Wayne County and Crossroads EERA

  We have had some frost over the past week and one question that comes up is the use of alfalfa and/or grass hayfields following a frost.  Management after a frost depends upon several factors.  Was there a frost or a killing freeze? Is the hayfield a legume or a grass stand? What are the needs and goals of the hayfield’s owner.

Temperature is a consideration.  A frost may burn the top of the plant, but growth will still continue from the green, unburned leaf area.  A killing freeze for alfalfa is generally defined as a temperature in the 24 to 25 degree F range over a period of at least 4 hours.   After a killing freeze, alfalfa is done growing and the plant can be cut for mechanical harvest, grazed, or left to overwinter.

          This year, because of the drought, livestock producers need all the forage they can get so many livestock owners are cutting hay fields regardless of the calendar or weather forecast.  Alfalfa is the forage we generally hear a lot about regarding fall management.  One reason for that is because alfalfa regrows by mobilizing and using carbohydrate root reserves to produce new leaf growth after a cutting.  At some point, there is enough new leaf area that sugars manufactured by photosynthesis meet the plants growth needs plus have surplus to put back into root reserves.   If management during the growing season has left low levels of root reserves and now the plant is cut in the late fall, burns more reserves to start growth, but the growing season ends before the plant can grow enough leaves to restore those root reserves, then there is risk of the plant dying over the winter.  The reason the recommendation is made to not cut alfalfa between about mid-September until a killing frost is to protect those plant root reserves.

          So, does this mean that all the alfalfa we have seen around the state that has been cut before a killing frost is going to die over the winter?  No, while some stands will be hurt by this management, other stands will not, or only be impacted in a minimal way.  That is because there are other factors that play a role in determining winter kill.  Factors that affect winter kill include cutting date in the fall which I have mentioned, but there is less winter kill risk when a fall cutting is taken on a young vs. an old alfalfa stand, and less risk when the stand is planted on a well-drained site.  In addition soil fertility is important.  Stands that have maintained good soil fertility, especially soil potassium levels and that have kept soil pH close to that 6.8 level have reduced risk of winter kill.  Finally growers who use improved genetic varieties with good disease resistance and over wintering levels have reduced risk.

          Sometimes the question is asked if too much top growth can lead to smothering over the winter.  In alfalfa this is not an issue because the leaves will dry up following a killing freeze, become brittle and drop off the plant.   The stem that remains standing is not a concern for smothering the stand.  Tall grass plants however can mat down.  This mat can provide a habitat favorable for disease development that could thin out the stand.  For this reason, it is recommended that a grass hay field with tall growth be cut or grazed before winter. 

          With our shorter days and cooler temperatures it becomes very difficult to get a cut legume or grass to dry down enough to bale as a dry forage.  Wrapping wilted forage or harvesting as baleage is the best mechanical option.  Grazing a hayfield is usually a more economical option as compared to mechanical harvest.  Use of temporary electric fencing can facilitate the grazing use of a hayfield.  While forages such as alfalfa, clovers and cool-season perennial grasses do not produce toxic compounds after a frost, bloat can be a concern when alfalfa or clovers are grazed after a frost. 

          The risk of bloat is higher one to two days after a killing frost and when livestock are grazing a pure or mostly pure legume stand.  The safest management practice is to wait a few days after a killing frost before grazing pure legume stands.   At that point the forage will begin to dry from the frost damage.  If animals are not accustomed to grazing high legume content stands, it is a good idea to feed some dry hay before turning into the legume field, or move animals into the legume field in the late morning or early afternoon after they have been grazing another pasture so that they are not entering with an empty rumen.