Pasture and Forage Minute

Grazing a small, relatively weed-free portion of pasture hard this fall can reduce grass competition and help legumes such as clover and alfalfa establish next spring, improving forage quality and supplying nitrogen. Ben Beckman, Nebraska Extension Forage Systems Educator.

Pastures and hay meadows provide higher quality feed, are more productive, and require fewer inputs when they have good forage legumes growing in them. Ben Beckman, Nebraska Extension Forage Systems Educator.

Cheatgrass, sometimes called downy brome, or wild oats, is an annual weedy grass that can be a problem in pastures, particularly in central and western Nebraska. Samantha Daniel, Nebraska Extension Crops and Water Educator.

With recent rains and cooler weather, cool-season pastures like brome, bluegrass, and fescue could put on some extra growth. That’s good news — but it also raises the question: do we graze it now or save it for later? Ben Beckman, Nebraska Extension Forage Systems Educator.

Late summer is often when annual grasses like foxtail, sandbur, and barnyardgrass become especially noticeable in pastures. They commonly show up where grass stands are thin, animal traffic is heavy, or overgrazing has left open space. Ben Beckman, Nebraska Extension Forage Systems Educator.

Did you spray thistles this past spring or summer? If so, it may be worth revisiting those areas. New plants or regrowth may have shown up, and late September through early November can be a good time for thistle control in pastures and hayland. Ben Beckman, Nebraska Extension Forage Systems Educator.

As temperatures cool this fall, don’t be too quick to shut irrigation off on alfalfa, especially if the soil profile is dry. Ben Beckman, Nebraska Extension Forage Systems Educator.

As we move into fall, many producers may be looking at harvesting forage from summer annuals like sorghum-sudan, forage sorghum or millet. While these crops can provide valuable feed, making dry hay this time of year can be challenging. Ben Beckman, Nebraska Extension Forage Systems Educator.

There are a couple of leasing options for producers and landowners. Verbal leases are a common form of lease agreement. However, if someone is considering terminating a verbal lease, there are some dates and rules to remember. Shannon Sand, Nebraska Ag Economics Extension Educator.

Drought can leave dryland corn with little grain potential but still considerable forage value. Before writing those fields off, grazing may be one way to capture some value with livestock. Ben Beckman, Nebraska Extension Forage Systems Educator.

Silage is a cornerstone feed for livestock across Nebraska. Knowing its value is critical for making sound management decisions, whether budgeting for your own operation or selling to a buyer. Ben Beckman, Nebraska Extension Forage Systems Educator.

While dry conditions can result in high nitrates in annuals, drought isn’t the only thing that may cause nitrate issues. Grazing forages that have high nitrates can be successful, but how it is done can mean the difference between life or death. Samantha Daniel, Nebraska Extension Crops and Water Educator.

Timing the last fall cutting of alfalfa can be difficult. Producers need to balance the value of another harvest against stand health, winter survival and vigor next spring. Ben Beckman, Nebraska Extension Forage Systems Educator.

December 1 may seem like a long way off, but it’s just around the corner. Before we know it, it will be time for family to visit, holiday preparations to begin, and producers to make decisions about Pasture, Rangeland, and Forage insurance, commonly called PRF. Shannon Sand, Nebraska Ag Economics Extension Educator.

Silage harvest for fully irrigated full-season corn usually begins 45 days or 800 GDD’s after the tassel / silking growth stage. However, growing conditions and the season length of the plant itself can make predictions based on the calendar fuzzy at best. Ben Beckman, Nebraska Extension Forage Systems Educator.

August always seems to be a time when certain weeds become quite noticeable in pastures. That is especially true of areas that have had abundant summer rains and in pastures that have relatively thin grass stands, where animals congregate, or if some overgrazing has occurred. Samantha Daniel, Nebraska Extension Crops and Water Educator.

If grazing is one of your goals for a fall cover or forage crop, planting date matters. Every week we wait now means less growing season and less fall production. While seeding early is best, some species handle later planting dates better than others. Ben Beckman, Nebraska Extension Forage Systems Educator.

High value silage depends on maintaining chop quality throughout harvest. Do you know how to reliably monitor your silage quality? Ben Beckman, Nebraska Extension Forage Systems Educator.

In previous years, portions of Nebraska have seen significant numbers of fall armyworm caterpillars feeding on alfalfa, brome regrowth in pastures, and newly seeded small grain crops such as wheat, triticale, and rye. While reports of armyworm damage have not yet been received this year, it is a good idea to keep an eye out for this insect. Samantha Daniel, Nebraska Extension Crops and Water Educa...

Corn silage success rests on proper harvest, packing, and storage practices. When we need a boost, adding an inoculant at harvest can help improve fermentation and storage, but we need to know what products to use to get the best result. Ben Beckman, Nebraska Extension Forage Systems Educator.

When mother nature fails to provide rain, knowing forage water use is important for both dryland and irrigated crops. Forages vary greatly in water-use efficiency (the amount of forage produced for each inch of water used), and knowing ahead of time is important. Ben Beckman, Nebraska Extension Forage Systems Educator.

Do you have a thinning, low-producing alfalfa stand but aren’t quite ready for a complete reseeding? These stands can sometimes be rejuvenated by interseeding grasses to increase hay production in subsequent years or convert the field to pasture. Ben Beckman, Nebraska Extension Forage Systems Educator.

Corn silage harvest may seem like a long way off, but preparation for a successful harvest begins now. Improper silage storage and fermentation can result in losses up to 20% prior to feeding. Plan your storage now to keep excessive storage losses from happening to you. Ben Beckman, Nebraska Extension Forage Systems Educator.

Common mullein is an invasive biennial weed that can spread rapidly into pastures. Due to recent mild winters, mullein winter survival has been high. Samantha Daniel, Nebraska Extension Crops and Water Educator.

There is a saying “take half and leave half” with regard to grazing. However, with the weather events this past year, some producers are concerned about long-term overgrazing since this can reduce grass production and profits for years. Shannon Sand, Nebraska Ag Economics Extension Educator.