April 2 2015
When output doesn't match between machines, hay harvest efficiency goes down the tubes
March 30 2015
by Corey Geiger, Managing Editor Having been applied to crops and farm fields for over 40 yearsHaving been applied to crops and farm fields for over 40 years in some 160 countries around the globe, glyphosate...
March 30 2015
In a matter of weeks, equipment will hit fields across the Midwest and Northeast. While hybrid decisions are already locked in for the planting season, there's still time to evaluate planting densities,...
March 16 2015
Corn rootworm stands as one of the most expensive threats to U.S. crop farmers. The larvae gnaw on the roots of cornstalks, stunting plant growth and costing growers an estimated $1 to $2 billion per year
March 10 2015
Last year, the United States saw another drop in farm acres and number of farms, but productivity filled the gap. Our nation's farmers are faced with the continuous challenge of doing more with less. The...
Feb. 23 2015
Effluent planning can be done now to make harvest easier this year Growing up on a small dairy farm, silage effluent wasn't something I was overly aware of other than it smelled, and I tried not to get...
Feb. 10 2015
The author is a nutrition and management consultant with Progressive Dairy Solutions based out of California. Once a modernized and well-maintained forage harvester is set up and operating properly, it...
Jan. 26 2015
Given the long-term price projections for grain and oilseed prices, there definitely could be more acres of cropland dedicated to hay and alfalfa in future years, projected Joe Outlaw with Texas A&M University....
Jan. 19 2015
The nation's major dairy states led the pack for both corn silage and alfalfa forage harvest. Producers in Wisconsin put up 15.7 million tons of corn silage, while California stored 10.9 million tons of...
Jan. 12 2015
An invasive pest from Asia, the brown marmorated stink bug was first identified in Pennsylvania in 2001. Since that time, it has spread throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. The bug causes damage to a variety...
Jan. 5 2015
Western dairy producers, especially those in California, have been squeezed by high feed prices; perhaps none more than those for alfalfa hay. With the state's ongoing drought, competition from other crops...
Dec. 4 2014
Forage digestibility can be a game changer. For dairymen who were banking on the harvested tons to add some breathing room back in their forage budget, a crop like 2014's provided little relief
Nov. 20 2014
Haste makes waste. An idiom that's long been applied to children completing their household chores is just as relevant to our corn silage harvest and storage. Occasionally, in the haste to stay ahead of...
Nov. 13 2014
"In the best-case scenario, we'll lose only 2 to 3 percent of our harvested forage tons to fermentation shrink," noted John Goeser, Rock River Laboratory, at the Penn State Dairy Nutrition Conference
Nov. 6 2014
This year's harvest marks two very different ends of the spectrum. Some dairies have been blessed with an abundance of forage to feed over the coming year
Sept. 8 2014
Forages are at their highest quality when first cut. After that, quality begins to deteriorate quickly. Therefore, the goal should be to minimize quality losses during both harvest and storage. A method...
Sept. 2 2014
Across the Midwest, dairymen have noted that last year's crops are not feeding as well as anticipated. While this alone may cause a slight dip in the bulk tank's volume, those harvesting haylage in 2014...
Aug. 25 2014
As we quickly approach harvest season, cornstalk nitrate testing may be something you want to consider adding to your regular fall routine
July 15 2014
A field covered in black soil looks good, but there's much more to soil quality than what meets the eye. Soil testing can help farmers properly manage nutrients, saving both money and the environment....
May 5 2014
The pre-sidedress nitrate test (PSNT) uses a soil nitrate measurement to predict the need for sidedress-N on corn. The sidedress-nitrogen (N) recommendation is based on research that correlates soil nitrate...