If You Have Grass Left, Grow Now, Graze Later

University Extension

Small pockets of Missouri pastures may have gone unscathed by 2023 drought. Those lucky enough to have grass should consider stockpiling tall fescue, says University of Missouri Extension state forage specialist Craig Roberts.

Stockpiling is the process of building forage supplies by letting grass go ungrazed until frost. Stockpiled forage can then be grazed by livestock until late winter. The stockpiling process begins in mid-August and takes planning and patience, says Roberts. It also needs the right amount of nitrogen fertilizer and rain.

Stockpiling saves labor, time and money by reducing the need to feed hay throughout the winter. Stockpiling lets producers take cows to the feed instead of the feed to the cows.

A recent study by MU Extension agricultural economist Wesley Tucker shows that stockpiling can save producers considerable money this fall. With current nitrogen prices, Tucker estimates forage producers may be able to stockpile fescue for as little as one-third to one-half the current cost of hay. “If the weatherman is right and we actually have a decent fall for once, investing in our fescue stands may pay big dividends this year,” says Tucker.

Not only that, but stockpiled tall fescue contains more crude protein and energy than most other options. Roberts says stockpile contains 12.5% crude protein compared to typical-quality tall fescue hay at 7.5% CP. A 2003 study by MU forage specialist Rob Kallenbach and others showed that delaying grazing until late winter reduces ergovaline amounts. The waxy leaves of tall fescue stay green until mid-October when growth slows. Missouri’s No. 1 forage got to the top spot because of its persistence, resistance to disease and insects and long growing season. On the downside, Kentucky 31 fescue can cause health and production problems in livestock without proper management.

Pure stands of fescue work better for stockpiling than stands with heavy clover mix.

Roberts gives the three-step recipe for stockpiling:

1. Reset pastures in late summer by clipping or grazing.

2. Fertilize pastures between Aug. 1 and Aug. 15. Rates vary based on soil type and conditions. The MU Extension news release “Apply fall nitrogen now to boost forage stockpiles” (http://muext.us/n5739) has MU Extension nutrient management specialist John Lory’s recommendations. Because nitrogen increases toxins, Lory recommends nitrogen rates below 60 pounds per acre in order to prevent excessive amounts of toxin in the fall growth. If the pasture is novel-endophyte tall fescue, producers can fertilize at high rates of nitrogen with no risk of toxicity.

The earlier you fertilize in August, the better forage responds. Keep in mind that higher nitrogen rates also increase risk of endophyte problems on Kentucky 31 fields. MU research has found that stockpiled fescue can potentially yield 15-25 pounds of dry matter per pound of nitrogen applied. Remove cows from pastures before applying nitrogen and close the gates until the first hard frost.

3. Defer grazing until the first hard frost – around mid-November in Missouri – to build the stockpile. Delaying grazing after mid-November does not further increase tonnage. Strip graze in small intervals through late March for best utilization.

For more drought resources, go to https://mizzou.us/DroughtResources or visit your local MU Extension agronomy or livestock specialist.

For more information on management of tall fescue, visit the Alliance for Grassland Renewal at https://grasslandrenewal.org.

Forage Meeting at Bethany August 10th

A forage meeting from the University of Missouri Extension will be held Thursday, August 10 at the BTC Bank Administration Building, 3604 Miller St, Bethany starting at 6:30 p.m. Spring forage production has been less than half and this meeting is designed to help producers manage their livestock when forage supplies are limited.

Topics include feeding options and costs, pasture recovery and reseeding, herd management, cover crops for forage, harvesting, improving and storing forage, forage economics and making good corn silage. Regional Extension field specialists will be presenting various topics. The meeting is free.

To register, contact MU Extension in Harrison County at 660-425-6434 or Harrisonco@missouri.edu or MU Extension in Gentry County at 660-425-5610. 

To register on-line:     https://extension.missouri.edu/events/managing-your-livestock-when-forage-is-limited.  

For more information, contact Wayne Flanary, Field Specialist in Agronomy at 816-279-1691 or Shawn Deering, Field Specialist in Livestock at 660-425-5610.

If you have a disability and need accommodations for participation, or you need materials in an alternate format, please notify Amie Schleicher or Wayne Flanary as soon as possible so that necessary arrangements can be made. Please also inform the organizers if you need to share emergency medical information, you need special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, or if you have dietary restrictions relative to refreshments provided.

MU Extension is an equal opportunity/access/affirmative action/pro-disabled and veteran employer.

University Extension Offers Drought Resources

University Extension

Drought. You’re either in it, preparing for it or recovering from it.

That’s how University of Missouri Extension specialists describe the sentiments of farm families facing yet another year of uncertainty.

“Missouri stands at the precipice of its fourth significant drought in six years,” says Rob Kallenbach, associate dean of the MU College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources.

“Water scarcity threatens agriculture, ecosystems, businesses and communities,” says Kallenbach, who oversees agriculture extension specialists in 114 counties. “The University of Missouri’s extension programs offer science-based solutions to mitigate the impact of drought.”

In 2012, the MU Extension developed a Drought Resources webpage at https://mizzou.us/DroughtResources and has continued to add articles and publications to it to help guide farmers and ranchers. Specialists across all disciplines meet weekly to develop resources and discuss ways to help Missourians keep livestock and crop operations going.

Just as importantly, they try to help those who are in mental distress because of the financial and emotional hardships farm families face.

MU Extension health and safety specialist Karen Funkenbusch says MU Extension has resources to help. She sees stress and anxiety daily in the furrowed brows of farmers who are often reluctant to talk about their troubles.

“These are farmers who pride themselves on their independence,” Funkenbusch says. “They are used to taking care of others as they feed our nation. Those in the agricultural community often put unrealistic pressure on themselves to control things beyond their control – like the weather.

“When that happens, we need to provide them a safe place to share the pressures they are facing. We talk about how we can take care of our livestock and our crops during drought, but we often overlook the importance of caring for ourselves and others, mentally and physically.”

One in five people will experience mental illness during their lifetime, she says. Those numbers increase during times of uncertainty that affect the livelihood and lifestyle of farm families. The effects ripple through multiple generations of families and through rural communities where people are closely connected.

Funkenbusch notes resources available to Missouri farm families:

• The MU Psychological Services Clinic, through its Coping With Stress on the Farm program, offers free, confidential teletherapy sessions for farmers and ranchers and members of their immediate families. Learn more at http://muext.us/PSCFarmRanch, or contact the clinic at adpsc@missouri.edu or 573-882-4677.

• Missouri Department of Agriculture’s AgriStress Helpline also offers free, confidential help to farmers and their families. Call or text 833-897-2474 to speak to a health care professional. The helpline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Learn more at https://agriculture.mo.gov/stress.php.

• MU Extension, through a North Central Region Farm and Ranch Assistance Network federal grant, is part of Iowa Concern, which provides stress counselors, an attorney for legal education, information and referral services for farm families. The toll-free number is 800-447-1985.

• The 24-hour Suicide & Crisis Lifeline provides free, confidential services. If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 or go to https://988lifeline.org.

• Veteran farmers needing support may contact the Veterans Crisis Line, which offers 24/7 confidential crisis support for veterans and their loved ones. Dial 988 then press 1.

Find other resources in the MU Extension 2023 Mental Health Toolkit at http://muext.us/MentalHealthToolkit2023 (PDF).

MU Extension specialists like Funkenbusch and representatives of the state’s Show-Me Farm Safety program will be on hand in the Agriculture Building at the Missouri State Fair to listen and provide printed material with available mental health resources. The 2023 fair runs Aug. 10-20 in Sedalia.

The beginning of 2013 brings drought relief to Missouri

Last year’s high temperatures and long-term drought conditions left Missouri with a major soil-moisture and surface-water deficit. But as the adage goes, “Don’t like Missouri weather, just wait and it will change.”

 

At the beginning of the year there were worries that 2013 could be Missouri Drought – The Sequel. That might have been the case, but everything changed at the end of January.

 

“We saw a pattern change toward the end of January, with widespread precipitation that affected our state,” said Pat Guinan, climatologist for University of Missouri Extension. “That put a pretty good dent in the drought situation across our state.”

 

Even though many areas saw 1-2 inches rain, we still had a way to go in surface-water recovery. Then came February.

 

“We saw two major winter storms impact our state with a lot of snow; 15 to 20 inches of snow fell over most of northern and central sections, which was water in the bank,” Guinan said.

 

It wasn’t just snow. It was wet, heavy snow. While these snowstorms caused major headaches for motorists, road crews and people affected by extended power outages, that dark cloud had a very bright silver lining. It brought much-needed water. Generally, 10 inches of snow equals about an inch of water. Guinan took core samples of these two snow events to determine the amount of water and found about 3 inches of liquid water.

 

February’s snow also allowed many Missourians to experience a rare weather phenomenon: Thundersnow.

 

“Highly unusual to experience one thundersnow event, so for two to occur in a five-day period is something I’ve never seen before,” Guinan said. “We had the right dynamics. All the ingredients were in place for some heavy snow, and the instability associated with those storms led to thundersnow.”

 

Then there was another 1-1.5 inches of rain in early March, Guinan said. This continued to improve the soil-moisture levels and surface-water supplies in Missouri.

 

The timing of the precipitation also helped improve the soil-moisture deficit. Because these events occurred before the arrival of spring, there have been minimal evaporative rates.

 

“We’re in the winter season, so vegetation is still dormant, temperatures are not so high and day lengths are not as long as they are during the summer,” Guinan said. “So anything that has fallen has helped to recharge those moisture supplies, both above and below the ground.”

 

All this rain and snow has been a boon for much of the state, but not all of Missouri shared the bounty.

 

“When it comes to the drought situation, the southeastern third of the state has seen some significant improvement. But northwestern parts of Missouri have been missing out on some of these heavy precipitation events,” Guinan said. “Outside Missouri there still drought problems. West of Missouri things deteriorate quickly across the Plains from South Dakota to Texas.”  

 

Looking ahead, it appears that March will be a bit wetter and cooler than normal. This is certainly a different scenario from last year.

 

“March 2012 was a March that acted like the month of May. We saw record warmth in March of 2012,” Guinan said.

 

All this snow, rain, low temperatures and lack of evaporation means parts of Missouri are heading into the spring drought-free.

 

“At least according to the Drought Monitor map, about the southeastern two-thirds of the state is already drought-free,” Guinan said. “With more forecasted precipitation events on the horizon, we’re going to see even more improvement across the state.”

MCA Backs Blunt's Quest for Agriculture Disaster Relief

Senator Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), Ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee of Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies, along with Senator Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) introduced legislation that would extend agriculture disaster assistance programs.

"Agriculture supports 16 million jobs across America, and Missouri has the second highest number of farms nationwide. This drought has taken a devastating toll on farm families in Missouri and nationwide, and I won't stop fighting for this critical disaster relief until we get farmers and ranchers back on their feet again," said Blunt

This program expired at the end of the 2011 Fiscal Year and were not part of the nine month Farm Bill extension. The bill would backfill the programs for 2012 and extend them through 2013 while Congress works to pass a long-term Farm Bill. Without an extension many ranchers and farmers will be left with no support to recover from severe fires and drought that swept the country last year.

The Missouri Cattlemen's Association (MCA) and the National Cattlemen's Beef Association worked close with Sen. Blunt to stress the need for this legislation. Additionally, MCA and several statewide agricultural organizations sent a letter to Missouri's congressional delegation on Jan. 8, 2013, to request that the members of Congress and their colleagues look for opportunities to provide relief to farm and ranch families in Missouri and throughout the country.

Alfalfa in forage system extends feed in drought

Another drought year ahead or not, adding more forages to the grazing mix helps during the annual summer slump, says a University of Missouri Extension forage specialist.




Rob Kallenbach, Columbia, advocates more alfalfa, although the legume called “the queen of forages” has fallen out of favor with some farmers.



Planting alfalfa can boost production on any pasture-based livestock farm, Kallenbach says.



“Yields in 2012 were an eye-opener for those who had alfalfa in their forage mix,” he adds. “Alfalfa kept growing long after other crops had dried up and died. The deep-rooted legume was noticeably greener.”



Drought brings renewed interest in establishing the protein- and nutrient-rich legume.



Kallenbach admits alfalfa is a picky plant. “It likes deep, rich, well-drained soils. Alfalfa won’t tolerate wet feet.”



But the legume responds well to good management, especially when lime, phosphorous and potash levels are kept up to soil-test recommendations. “Alfalfa pays well for extra attention. With a little care, it grows more tonnage per acre.”



In addition, the legume fixes enough nitrogen for its own use. That cuts fertilizer costs.



Almost every farm big enough to maintain a livestock herd has some land that will grow alfalfa, Kallenbach says. A 1,000-acre farm with 300 cows will have 80 or 100 acres suited for alfalfa.



While he favors the prime legume, every farm can benefit from clovers, red and white, and lespedeza seeded into grass pastures. Those legumes extend grazing into the summer slump.



Clover’s big advantage is ease of establishment. The legumes can be frost-seeded into grass pastures in February. However, grasses must be grazed down short before seeding. That allows seedlings to get started in the spring. Tall grass makes too much competition.



Kallenbach’s main message: Diversify forage beyond toxic tall fescue, Missouri’s dominant pasture forage.



Warm-season grasses also hold up well in what are the usual summer dry spells. They can extend the grazing season.



“Last summer the drought-tolerant species delayed need to start feeding hay,” Kallenbach says. “However, in extreme droughts nothing keeps growing without rain. The cool-season grasses dry up early.”



Grazing provides less expensive feed than baled hay. A dry-weather grazing plan requires advance planning. Many producers started feeding baled hay in July last summer because of grass shortages.



Summer grazing also comes from annual warm-season grasses such as sorghum-sudan and pearl millet. However, they must be planted when there is moisture in the soil. “If you wait until going into a drought, it’s too late to plant supplemental forages,” Kallenbach says.



All forages benefit from managed grazing. With rotational grazing, dividing large pastures into grazing paddocks, less forage is lost to trampling. The rest periods in management-intensive grazing boost production of forage per acre.



Forage that cows waste in continuously grazed pastures could have been used to replace high-priced baled hay.



Dry-weather grazing may become the new norm, according to some climatologists looking at long-range forecasts.



Mixed-species pastures with managed grazing may become part of the survival of beef herds in Missouri.



For Kallenbach, better grazing plans include alfalfa. It has a bright future on more Missouri farms, he says. Even if drought doesn’t come, alfalfa producers have high-tonnage forage to be grazed, baled or put up as balage.



If not needed on the home farm, alfalfa becomes a highly marketable feed. Someone, somewhere, will need it and be willing to pay big bucks for it.

Worth County Declared Federal Drought Disaster Area

U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill praised an announcement today that several counties in Missouri will receive federal resources thanks to a disaster designation by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“Folks in Missouri see the effects of this drought everywhere they look—from lost and damaged crops, to navigation challenges on our rivers,” said McCaskill, who has successfully fought for resources to help Missouri’s affected communities. “So this declaration is good news for our farmers, and the livelihoods of folks whose jobs are affected by these severe conditions.” The designation will make farm operators eligible for emergency loans provided by the Farm Service Agency.  Farmers in eligible counties will have eight months to apply for the loans. 

The counties designated at primary disaster areas include: Andrew, Atchison, Audrain, Bates, Caldwell, Callaway, Clinton, Cole, Cooper, Daviess, De Kalb, Dunklin, Gentry, Grundy, Harrison, Henry, Lafayette, Lincoln, Linn, Livingston, Moniteau, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Nodaway, Pettis, Pike, Ralls, Ray, Warren, and Worth.

Counties designated as contiguous disaster areas include: Adair, Benton, Boone, Buchanan, Butler, Camden, Carroll, Cass, Chariton, Clay, Franklin, Gasconade, Holt, Howard, Jackson, Johnson, Macon, Marion, Mercer, Miller, New Madrid, Osage, Pemiscot, Platte, Randolph, St. Charles, St. Clair, Saline, Shelby, Stoddard, Sullivan, and Vernon.

Recently, McCaskill offered an amendment to a disaster aid bill that would provide disaster assistance for Missouri’s ranchers after this summer’s historic drought—the most recent of her efforts to pass this much-needed assistance. McCaskill has also helped lead a bipartisan effort, along with fellow Missouri Senator Roy Blunt, successfully urging the Army Corps of Engineers to take action to ensure continued navigation along the Mississippi River, after concerns that low river levels combined with the Army Corps’ plan to divert flow into that river might hurt the region’s economy.

McCaskill was also a leader in helping to pass a strong bipartisan Farm Bill in the Senate that provided critical tools to Missouri’s rural communities to deal with natural disasters. The U.S. House of Representatives failed to act on the Farm Bill, instead forcing an extension of current policies.

Cropping system strategies to mitigate drought

Producers can take steps to reduce the impact of drought, should we face another shortage of rainfall in 2013, says a University of Missouri plant scientist.

 

Strategies to mitigate drought include diversifying crops and varieties, said Rob Myers, adjunct associate professor at the MU College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources.

 

“Something to look at is adding other cool-season crops to the rotation, like winter wheat or canola, to help our overall cropping system better withstand drought as we move forward,” Myers said. “Among the summer annual crops, sunflowers and milo are drought-tolerant options.  Sunflowers can be planted early like corn or double-cropped after wheat.”

 

Some new corn and soybean hybrids are advertised as drought-resistant, but Myers says that some new drought-resistant varieties may not be Missouri-specific.

 

“I think in many cases those new varieties are worth looking at,” Myers said. “In other cases, maybe they’ve been developed for other regions of the country, so farmers need to understand when looking at those varieties how and where they were developed.”

 

Yield stability is needed to get through a drought year. Myers suggests looking for varieties that are high-yielding for multiple environments over multiple years. Myers says farmers should also look at different maturities.

 

“A lot of our droughts tend to build up as the summer goes on,” he said. “If we can get varieties of corn and soybeans that mature a little early, and combine that with early planting dates, we can get the critical flowering and seed-set period into a time when the soil might not be quite as dry as it might be later in the summer.”

 

While early planting dates are generally better, Myers says a mix of planting dates and maturities can be beneficial.

 

“We may have a year like last year, where the hurricane came through and provided some rain at the end of August,” Myers said. “What we saw was the beans that were later maturities did a little better because they were still filling seed when we got that late rain. My colleague Dr. Bill Wiebold, state soybean specialist for MU Extension, has done a good job of pulling together this data and other drought impacts with corn and soybeans.”

 

Cover crops can also be helpful in mitigating drought conditions. Not only do they provide a cover in the fall through the spring, they also provide some residue that better blankets the soil going into the cropping season, he said. Cover crops also build organic matter in the soil, improving rainfall infiltration and soil moisture-holding capacity.

 

Drought places a lot of stress on plants. Crops will fare better during drought if they don’t have to deal with other sources of plant stress at the same time.

 

“Just like us as human beings, if we’re stressed and tired we are more likely to pick up a cold or get sick,” Myers said. “We’ll have fewer problems down the road by having varieties with good insect and disease resistance, so that they’re not being stressed by those pests while they are also suffering from moisture conditions.”

 

For more information, contact your local MU Extension center or go to www.extension.missouri.edu/drought.

Crop insurance protected revenue for covered farmers during drought

Farmers covered by federal crop insurance may not only have had their losses covered and avoided financial devastation during this year’s drought, but might have made more money than they had predicted in March, said a University of Missouri Extension economist.

 

“Insured farmers had a pretty good year,” said Ray Massey earlier this month at the MU Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources Annual Conference at the MU Bradford Research Center.

 

In 2012, approximately 70 percent of Missouri farm acres were revenue-protected by the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC), Massey said. Another 13 percent had insurance based on yield protection.

 

“In a tough year like 2012, crop insurance is the difference between financial hardship and getting the crop into the ground next year,” said FCIC manager William J. Murphy.

 

Over a 10-year period in Missouri, $1.80 in federal crop insurance indemnities was paid out for every $1 paid in premium by farmers, said Ron Plain, MU Extension economist and professor of agricultural economics at MU’s College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources. “For the state of Missouri, it’s a good investment.”

 

Massey said most farmers did not take crop insurance until after 1990, when participation was a prerequisite to take part in other federal programs.

 

The federal government subsidizes crop insurance to give farmers an incentive to purchase it and to reinsure insurance companies that might have large losses from years like this one.

 

The USDA Risk Management Agency sets the costs, which vary by the level of coverage the farmer chooses. Because the cost is the same from agent to agent, Massey recommends that farmers choose an agent based upon their service.

 

Farmers who receive indemnities totaling more than $200,000 should expect to be audited by FCIC, he said.

 

For more information:

• Missouri Crop Resource Guide: Marketing and Risk Management: crops.missouri.edu/marketing.
• Information on APH and T yields: crops.missouri.edu/marketing/insyields.htm.
• USDA Risk Management Agency: rma.usda.gov.
• Missouri Department of Insurance: insurance.mo.gov.
• “Crop Insurance in Missouri,” MU Extension publication MP749: extension.missouri.edu/MP749.
• USDA drought assistance page: www.usda.gov/drought.

About the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation

FCIC, administered under the USDA Risk Management Agency, decreases production risk associated with adverse weather conditions, fire and pests in addition to price risks associated with fluctuating commodity markets.

 

Federal crop insurance is a public-private partnership that allows farmers to manage risk while shielding taxpayers from farm disaster bailouts by guaranteeing farmers a percentage of predicted crop revenue.

FSA Announces Changes to Crop Reporting Dates

Worth County USDA Farm Service Agency announced a change in crop acerage reporting dates for the 2013 crop year. All perennial and biennial forage crops must now be reported by November 15th. The new deadline for reporting fall-seeded small grains is December 15th.

In past years, producers had until the end of June to report their acerage for wheat and other small grains, and until the end of July to report their hay and pasture acerage. The new reporting date is much sooner than the prior dates.

All 2013 perennial and biennial forage acres, such as pasture acreage intended for haying or grazing, must be reported to the FSA by the November 15th deadline. All fall-seeded small grain acreage, such as winter wheat, barley, and oats, must be reported by December 15th. For 2012, the reports will be accepted up until December 17th as December 15th falls on a weekend.

Included in the upcoming reporting dates are crops that were planted as cover crops. Cover crops help to protect the soil during winter months and help preserve our nation's water resources.

Many producers are learning more about cover crops and the benefit cover crops have to their operation. After the drought, cover crops can prove to be a valuable asset for retaining soil moisture, as well as providing an additional source of feed for livestock. Cover crops can also help in retaining nitrogen in the soil for next year's crops, instead of letting it slip away into our streams. The change in crop acreage reporting dates was the result of a combined effort of FSA and the Risk Management Agency to make acreage reporting easier and standardized for crop insurance and FSA purposes. All acreage must be reported for a farm, including crops on non-cropland such as hayed or grazed grassland and other cover crops. Reporting acreage ensures producers are compliant with current and future FSA farm programs, including disaster assistance.

To make an appointment to report your crop and forage acreage, contact the Worth County office at (660) 564-3341 or visit online at www.fsa.usda.gov.

Beef-herd owners learn to use fall grass to supplement poor-quality drought hay

Don’t waste good grass growth this fall, a University of Missouri nutritionist tells cow-herd owners. Use it as supplement for low-quality hay.

 

Justin Sexten, with MU Extension, says high-quality grass can replace high-priced grain to be fed with poor hay. All it takes is wise use of a single-strand electric fence.

 

In talks across the state, Sexten tells beef producers how to cut costs on winter feeding. The “after-drought” meetings help herd owners keep their cows.

 

Sexten urges cattle producers to look at low-cost alternatives, such as byproduct feeds.

 

Producers have learned to stockpile pasture growth for grazing after frost stops growth for the winter.

 

There’s never enough stockpiled forage, Sexten says. The best use is to parcel it out as a supplement to improve use of available hay.

 

Nutrient quality of fall stockpiled pasture will be higher than most hay baled during the prolonged summer drought. Quality tests show low levels of crude protein and energy in hay.

 

Sexten says hay that tests less than 7 percent crude protein needs supplemental feed to keep cows’ rumens working efficiently.

 

Forage tests on stockpiled fescue grass show 15 to 17 percent crude protein. That’s more than what’s needed to maintain cows, Sexten says.

 

Sexten outlines a plan he will use with the cow herd at the MU Beef Research Center, Columbia. Like most producers this year, he has plenty of poor-quality hay that needs supplements.

 

He also has a good stand of fall stockpiled grass.

 

Starting the first of November, instead of turning cows into the pasture, he will fence off a strip of fresh grass each day for cows to graze. A movable electric fence will be used.

 

The fresh grass provides needed supplemental nutrients. Low-quality baled hay will be unrolled near the grass strip. After the cows eat the preferred grass, they will eat the less nutritious hay.

 

The process is repeated each day.

 

Cows take poor-quality forage into their rumen, the stomach for digesting fiber. However, microbes in the rumen that digest fiber must have at least 7 percent crude protein to keep working. Protein supplement can come from grain, byproduct feeds or grass. The grass also contains high levels of energy, which poor hay lacks.

 

The use of a hot-wire fence in management-intensive grazing improves efficient use of pasture grasses.

 

Tall fescue, the most widely used grass in Missouri, is well-suited for stockpiling for winter feed.

 

This past summer most Missouri pastures grew little grass during the prolonged drought. However, in many locations pastures revived with fall rains starting with remnants of Hurricane Isaac.

 

“With high-quality stockpiled grass, cows should not be turned into an undivided pasture,” Sexten says. “Without controlled grazing, cows waste about 40 percent of the grass. They’ll walk on it, sleep on it or worse. With restricted grazing, they’ll eat most of the grass without stopping to do those other things.

 

“It would be a terrible waste to turn cows in on such high-quality feed.”

 

Sexten teaches forage nutrition at the three-day grazing schools at the MU Forage Systems Research Center, Linneus, Mo. That school trains the trainers for regional grazing schools held across the state each year.

 

The grazing schools also teach producers how to both measure and estimate the amount of dry-matter content available in an acre of grass. This allows calculation of forage rations to meet livestock nutrient needs.

 

For information on grazing schools, contact county MU Extension centers or USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service offices.

 

Winter meetings and grazing schools are an extension of research from the MU College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources.

Drought Meetings for Agricultural Producers

In response to the drought, the University of Missouri Agricultural Specialists of Northwest Missouri are planning a series of meetings for agricultural producers to be held at seven locations in our region during the first two weeks of November. Meetings will be held in Albany, Cameron, Maryville, Trenton, St. Joseph, Chillicothe, and Mound City.

Each meeting will start at 10 AM, and end by 3 PM. There will be a $10 charge for lunch and handout materials. It is requested that you pre-register three days before the meeting you choose to attend so we can have an accurate count for lunch.

So why have a meeting on the drought? What kind of topics will we address? Our overall goal is to help agricultural producers in their decision making process for the coming year.

Livestock producers, for example, are seeking ways to find feed for their cattle. Unfortunately, water supplies are also short in many instances. Most row crop producers experienced low corn and soybean yields, and often did not cover expenses.

As we move forward into the next year, there is a high risk that the drought will continue. Even if we receive sufficient rainfall, there is a shortage of forage, with high grain prices impacting livestock producers. Row crop producers may deal with herbicide carryover injuring next year’s crops along with the impact of nutrients left in the soil.

The MU Agricultural Specialists will be addressing topics such as the winter and long-term weather outlook, managing the beef herd through drought, using available forages, early spring forages to get us to spring grasses, water systems, temporary feed storage, no-till, financial impacts of drought and how to adjust, impact of drought on perennial plants around the farmstead, herbicide carryover, fertilizer carryover, aflatoxin, and other county Extension resources.

We are entering a period of uncertainty for agricultural producers. Even if the drought ends, the ramifications of our dry summer will follow us into 2013. If the drought continues, the decision-making process for 2013 will be even more complex. This meeting will be a good opportunity for agricultural producers to seek options as we move through this period of uncertainty.

Meeting locations and contact information can be found at: http://extension.missouri.edu/nwregion/hort/current/drought3.shtml. If you do not have access to the web, please feel free to give Tim Baker, Horticultural Specialists, a call at 660-663-3232 or your local Extension Office. Again please RSVP if you plan to attend.

High prices offset some crop yield loss, say MU agricultural economists in report

Despite drought, Missouri net farm income could reach almost $2.8 billion for 2012. That ranks above the average for 2004 to 2011, but below 2011, which hit a record-breaking $3.33 billion.

 

While outlooks are for low crop yields, commodity prices went up in face of short supply. Higher prices are expected to propel net farm income to $4 billion in 2013.

 

“Sharply higher prices help offset a much smaller crop,” says agricultural economist Scott Brown, coauthor with Daniel Madison of “Missouri Farm Income Outlook 2012.”

 

The economists used yields from the USDA September Crop Production Report. Missouri yields are down more than U.S. yields.

 

While harvest isn’t over, Missouri corn yields are expected to be the lowest since 1999. Soybeans yields are the smallest since 1995.

 

Corn prices in the 2012-13 market year are estimated to top $8 per bushel, up from near $6.50 for 2011. Soybean prices are estimated at $16 per bushel for 2012-13, up from $12.45 last year.

 

Wheat, a fall-planted crop, missed most drought damage. Yields were the highest since 2003, bringing the best cash receipts since 1989.

 

Crop receipts for 2012 are projected at $5.5 billion out of Missouri farm receipts total of $9.95 billion.

 

“Drought impact on livestock producers will bring more harm—and last longer,” Brown says. “Many beef and dairy producers will liquidate part of their inventory to combat high feed prices.

 

“Some will sell animals to get through the winter,” he says. “There is simply not enough hay to feed them.”

 

Missouri beef cow numbers are expected to decline for the seventh consecutive year in 2013. Likewise, the Missouri dairy industry will continue a long-term contraction.

 

“Most meat and milk prices will go higher, but there will be a lag,” Brown says. As herds are sold, more meat becomes available. Livestock farmers face multiyear production cycles, from breeding to marketing.

 

“The relative profitability advantage enjoyed by crop producers since 2008 is expected to persist through next year,” he says.

 

While projected net farm income drops in 2012, it bounces back to record-setting levels in 2013. That depends on assumed normal weather and trend-line yields.

 

If farm receipts boom in 2013, Brown urges caution. Expenses jump by almost 70 percent relative to 2004. “Average returns increase for most producers, but risks continue to grow.”

 

Inventory adjustments play a big role in the change from 2012 to 2013. “Short crop years tend to have a large negative inventory adjustment to totals,” Brown says. “Bumper crops have a large positive figure.”

 

While 2012 has been challenging, Brown says, no long-lasting downturn is expected.

 

“Perhaps the largest lasting effect will be reductions in the cattle industry,” he says. “A lot depends on weather.” Fall rains can grow grass that will offset need for winter hay.

 

Brown also cautions that the report’s overall averages can mask financial hardships faced by individual farms. Drought was spotty in many localities.

 

“On average, Missouri agriculture remains amazingly resilient.”

 

For a copy of the seven-page report, go to web.missouri.edu/~browndo.

 

The report comes from a new analytical center, the Integrated Policy Group in the Division of Applied Social Sciences. All are in the MU College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources.

 

Sidebar: Drought was a doozy

 

Exceptionally hot, dry weather with extreme lack of rain hit Missouri farmers hard in 2012, cutting net farm income.

 

The MU authors of the “Missouri Farm Income Outlook 2012” gave background on that drought, the driest in six decades, back to 1953.

 

When looking at May, June and July, important months in the growing season, the shortage of rain was compared to a 30-year average, 1981 to 2010. Of 111 counties with complete rain records, every county had at least 20 percent less rain than normal. Half of Missouri counties had 40 percent, or less, of normal rainfall.

 

Drought occurs somewhere in Missouri almost every year, but in 2012 the drought hit statewide.

 

The results are an estimated corn yield of 75 bushels per acre. That’s down 45 percent compared to the 2004-11 average. Only Kentucky has a worse state average. Soybean yields in 2012 are projected at 38 bushels per acre, down 29 percent from the previous eight-year average.

 

Those two crops made up 45 percent of total cash farm receipts in 2011 in the state.

Drought has Missouri cattle ranchers struggling to feed their livestock

Committee members heard a tearful testimony from cattle ranchers on Tuesday, Sept. 11, begging for aid from the drought to help keep their businesses alive.

In a House Agriculture Policy Committee meeting, Missouri farmers addressed their grievances toward the recent drought.

The drought has caused hay prices in Missouri to skyrocket up to $85 per bale. Farmers complained that without the adequate amount of resources from local producers, cattle farmers will not be able to keep their cows healthy enough for sale.

Wendy Cantrell of the Miller County Regional Stockyard gave her testimony, informing the committee of the failing livestock business.

"Very few people know what you all are talking about, they just don't have a clue," Cantrell said. "They come in to me and they're 60 years old and they have tears in their eyes and they say 'I've gotta sell, I have no other choice, I've gotta sell.'"

Many legislators have been worried about the production of soybeans and corn due to the drought, focusing less attention on the business of selling livestock.

Missouri is not seeking a waiver for federal ethanol guidelines

(Missouri Digital News) -- Despite the large number of livestock in Missouri that eat corn, the state is not one of the seven states that have petitioned for a waiver to the federal ethanol mandate.

As a severe drought continues to affect Midwest farmers, the nation's corn crop yield could be as much as 60 percent below normal value this year. Every year, 35-40 percent of the corn crop is diverted to ethanol production, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The cost of corn has risen dramatically due to low production rates.

Except for certain circumstances, all gasoline offered in Missouri must contain 10 percent ethanol, according to the Missouri Renewable Fuel Standard Act passed in 2006. The exceptions include: premium gasoline, aviation fuel, E75-E85 fuel ethanol and when ethanol-blended gasoline is the same price or cheaper than un-blended gasoline.

A federal mandate passed in 2005 established requirements on the amount of ethanol that has to be blended each year. This year, 13.2 billion gallons of ethanol have to be blended into gasoline nationwide.

On Aug. 30, the Environmental Protection Agency began a 30-day open-comment period about the mandate. During the comment period, the public can give feedback on the possibility of granting waivers to ease the requirements for states claiming they cannot meet the demands of the mandate because of the drought.

Many livestock groups have been struggling from the mandate because the price of corn has risen so dramatically, according to the National Cattleman's Beef Association's website.

In drought, watch fall-calving cows early, says MU vet who studies nitrates

Owners of fall-calving cow herds should start watching early as calving time approaches, says a University of Missouri veterinarian.

 

Drought stress and high nitrate levels in a cow’s forage ration can trigger early calving, stillbirths and abortions.

 

“Nitrates may be causing itty-bitty calves,” says Tim Evans of the MU Veterinary Diagnostic Lab, Columbia.

 

Evans wants the word out, he says, even though there have been many alerts about dangers of nitrates in drought-stricken feeds, particularly cornstalks, sorghum-sudangrass, millet and even fescue pastures.

 

While many crop-and-cow farmers may recognize nitrate dangers, those who have not seen a drought this severe or are part-time farmers may not know the dangers, Evans says.

 

“We received a sample of millet hay that was just off the charts,” Evans says of samples submitted for nitrate testing. “Test results vary widely, from less than 100 parts per million to over 30,000 for the millet.” The latter was twice the level considered toxic.

 

Forages with less than 2,500 ppm nitrates are considered safe to use. “But I don’t know what you could do with the toxic millet,” Evans says.

 

While cows can die from eating high-nitrate rations, the unseen economic impact will come from lost calves. Nitrates can cause premature births and abortions as the oxygen supply to the fetus is reduced.

 

“Cows in late gestation are at high risk,” Evans says. “The unborn calf depends on oxygen in the mother’s blood flow. Such stress can trigger labor.”

 

In the cow’s rumen, where forage digests, nitrates can convert to nitrites, which are deadly. Nitrites change hemoglobin that normally carries oxygen. The color of blood turns from red to chocolate brown as the blood cells take on toxic nitrites.

 

Hypoxia, a shortage of blood oxygen, might kill a fetus but show mild symptoms, such as lethargy, in the cow.

 

“When blood oxygen drops, that starts a cascade of events leading to parturition,” Evans says. In earlier stages of pregnancy, that stress leads to abortion or stillbirth. Later, premature births may result in tiny calves that need extra care to survive.

 

At higher risk are anemic cows. “When you stack stresses, the risk of loss increases,” Evans says.

 

The main point, Evans says: “You won’t know the nitrate content in forage unless you test.” A test is a small investment to prevent loss of cow or calf.

 

Evans recommended testing forages going into silos or plastic bags. Now he urges testing silage coming out, before feeding.

 

The ensiling process can reduce nitrate content 25 to 50 percent. Reduction depends on effectiveness of the ensiling process and on how long the process is allowed to work.

 

“Sixty days is safer, but 45 days is iffy,” Evan says. “Again, the only way to know is to test.”

 

A good many forage samples have tested 10,000 ppm, in the “danger” zone.

 

If ensiling reduces nitrates to below 5,000 ppm, the “caution” level, the producer will need nitrate-free forages to mix in the ration to dilute toxicity.

 

A nitrate level above 2,500 ppm should not be fed to pregnant cows or very young calves. Nonreproductive cattle, including steers, can be fed higher levels.

 

Any forage with more than 15,000 ppm nitrates should not be fed under any circumstance, he warns.

 

The rumen can adapt to higher levels of nitrates. However, that takes a gradual buildup as rumen microbes adapt to high-nitrate feeds.

 

A guide on safe use of toxic forages was written by Evans with Rob Kallenbach, MU Extension forage specialist. The guide is available online at vmdl.missouri.edu. Click on “Nitrate Facts” in the right column.

 

Details on samples and testing are listed there.

Farmers must deal with rain to harvest corn that grew in deep-drought season

The Missouri corn crop can’t get a break from the weather. Drought slowed growth most of the season. Now moisture from remnants of Hurricane Isaac delay harvest of that corn.

 

This may not be the year to let the crop dry in the field, says Bill Wiebold, University of Missouri Extension agronomist. Early harvest can pay, even it increases costs.

 

“Timely harvest is essential to harvest as much yield as possible, even if it means more drying and aeration costs,” Wiebold says.

 

Delays can lead to broken stalks and dropped ears from a drought-weakened crop.

 

“Poor stalk quality leads to increased preharvest and harvest losses,” Wiebold adds.

 

In August, USDA estimated the Missouri corn yield at 75 bushels per acre.

 

Wiebold, using a 30-year-yield trend line, calculated the 2012 Missouri corn yield should have made 141 bushels per acre. “That’s a yield drop of 47 percent,” he says.

 

Harvest will verify actual yield.

 

“With that drop in production, farmers may be cautious to sink additional expenses into the crop,” Wiebold says.

 

“Harvesting a larger portion of the low yields may outweigh additional costs associated with early harvest,” he says. “Timely harvest as soon as fields are dry enough to withstand combine and wagon traffic is important to reduce harvest losses.”

 

There are many reasons stalk quality drops following a droughty growing season, Wiebold says.

 

Some disease-causing fungi, such as charcoal rot, grow well in heat on drought-stressed cornstalks.

 

Also, potassium builds stalk quality, but uptake was reduced on dry soils.

 

Stalk diameters of plants are smaller this year. The lateral expansion was limited by reduced turgor (water pressure) in the plant cells, Wiebold says.

 

Many corn plants died early, allowing fungi to attack the dead cells and break down cellulose and other structural strengths.

 

The results can be cornstalk breakage below the ear. “It will be difficult to gather those ears into the combine,” Wiebold says.

 

While rains were needed, storms increase stalk breakage and delay harvest. Gulf air masses meeting a series of cold fronts bring more moisture while temperatures remain high.

 

High dew points result in fog and damp plant tissue. That stimulates growth of fungi, which further weakens cornstalks.

 

All the corn that can be harvested, stored and dried will likely be worth more than any prices seen before, Wiebold says.

 

“The harvest should be worth the extra effort.”

Farmers and Ranchers Should Visit with NRCS About Conservation Plan Requirements

As one of the worst droughts in more than 30 years continues to grip Missouri, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) reminds producers to work with their local NRCS office to remain in compliance with their current conservation plans on highly erodible land.

Drought conditions affect yields, which affect the amount of cover left on a field following harvest.  Producers who have conservation plans for highly erodible cropland need to maintain a certain level of crop residue to remain in compliance with their conservation plans.  The drought could make meeting that requirement difficult for some producers.

State Conservationist J.R. Flores says NRCS is providing some flexibility in its program requirements to assist producers affected by drought.  Producers unable to meet residue requirements due to drought conditions may be eligible for a conservation compliance variance.

"NRCS understands that yields are down all across the state," Flores says.  "For this reason, producers may have more difficulty maintaining the required crop residues.  One option producers can consider to alleviate the stress on the land is to plant cover crops following the fall or spring operation."

Flores says, highly erodible fields that have been grazed or baled in 2012 would also be eligible for this variance, however the variance would not apply to irrigated fields that had sufficient water available to produce near normal yields.

Producers who have conservation contracts also may not be able to implement practices or conservation enhancements in accordance with their current conservation contract schedule.  Producers are urged to visit with their local NRCS staff as soon as possible if they find themselves in this situation.

Cost effectiveness of ammoniating low-quality forages

Because of this year’s drought, U.S. cattle farmers are facing a short feed supply.  Farmers searching for affordable feedstuffs should consider ammoniating low-quality forages, like corn stalks, to supplement their feeding programs, says a University of Missouri agriculture business specialist.

 

“Ammoniating low-quality forage produces several benefits,” said Whitney Wiegel. “Ammoniation increases the digestibility and crude protein content of forage. It also improves intake and inhibits mold development in high-moisture roughage.”

 

Farmers who choose to ammoniate low-quality forage (forages with less than 50 percent total digestible nutrients) can expect digestibility to increase 8 to 18 percent depending on the type of forage ammoniated and its initial digestibility level, he said.

 

Ammoniation can also increase crude protein content by 4.5 to 11 percent and improve dry-matter intake by more than 30 percent.

 

“Because intake is one of cattle producers’ biggest concerns when it comes to meeting cows’ nutritional requirements with forage, dry-matter intake is probably the greatest benefit of ammoniation,” Wiegel said.

 

While there are many benefits to ammoniation, a farmer must also consider the added costs of ammoniating forages. “With regard to material costs, the main items required are anhydrous ammonia, polyethylene sheeting, tubing and tractor fuel,” he said. Farmers may also wish to include the cost of labor in their calculations. “Of all the costs, the cost anhydrous ammonia will undoubtedly be the greatest.”

 

To add further detail to the cost analysis, Wiegel describes a typical scenario:

 

Using a 40- by 100-foot sheet of black polyethylene, which costs $180, a farmer can ammoniate about 70 large round bales. If each bale weighs 1,000 pounds, the farmer has 70,000 pounds of forage. If the bales are 85 percent dry matter, the farmer has 59,500 pounds of dry matter. If the recommended amount of anhydrous to use is 3 percent of the dry-matter weight, the farmer needs to use 1,785 pounds of anhydrous.

 

“The price of anhydrous ammonia in this example is $720 per ton, which means that it costs $643 to purchase the recommended amount of anhydrous,” Wiegel said. If tubing supplies cost $50, tractor fuel costs $38, and labor costs $180, the total cost of ammoniation is $1,091, or $31 per ton of forage.

 

Will the increase in quality be worth the extra cost of ammoniation?

 

“To quantify the value of improved quality, reference values for TDN and crude protein must be obtained,” he said.

 

In this scenario, Wiegel assumes that a pound of TDN from corn is worth 15 cents and a pound of crude protein from soybean meal is worth 31 cents (based on an $8 per bushel corn price and a $537 per ton price for soybean meal).

 

If ammoniation improves TDN by 5 percent and crude protein by 8 percent, an equivalent of 100 pounds of TDN and 160 pounds of crude protein are added to a ton of forage through ammoniation.

 

Using the reference values of 15 cents per pound of TDN and 31 cents per pound of crude protein, ammoniation increases the value of forage by $55 per ton on a dry-matter basis, or $47 per ton with forage at 85 percent dry matter.

 

“Compared to ammoniation costs of $31 per ton, the value added to forage, $47 per ton, is enough to justify the decision to ammoniate low-quality forage,” he said.

 

For more information about ammoniating forages, contact your local MU Extension center.

 

“There are several important considerations in ammoniating forages, so please seek advice before ammoniating forages for the first time,” Wiegel said.

Be Informed Before Using Soybeans for Forage

Many Missouri producers are asking if it is safe to use soybeans for livestock forage. The topic was brought up repeatedly by attendees at the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia.
Tim J. Evans, toxicology specialist at the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine, answered inquiries on the subject by researching the chemical mechanism of action of a commonly used herbicide, Cobra.
“Current drought conditions have caused farmers to consider grazing, baling or ensiling soybeans for livestock consumption,” said Evans. “As is routine, much of the soybean crop has been sprayed with herbicides, especially Cobra, which contains lactofen and petroleum distillates. It is important that farmers be aware of what is known and what is unknown about this product before letting animals consume soybean plants to which this product has been applied.”
Lactofen is classified as a diphenyl ether (nitrophenyl ether) contact herbicide, which acts by destroying plant cell membranes. Lactofen is considered slightly toxic following ingestion and has been associated with liver disease and other abnormalities in rodents following chronic exposure to relatively high doses. Naphthalene and other compounds in Cobra can also be associated with animal illness.
“With the information currently available, and apparently without specific testing for the safety of feeding Cobra-treated soybeans to animals, the manufacturer must include information on the label pertaining to the consumption by livestock of treated crops,” said Evans. “The label states that animals should not be allowed to graze on previously treated green forage or stubble. It states that treated soybean silage (ensiled soybeans), as well as treated hay and straw, should not be fed to cattle.”
Evans emphasized that the label also clearly states that hay or straw from treated plants should not be used for animal bedding.
Farmers, livestock producers and veterinarians are encouraged to be familiar with the manufacturer’s label instructions and livestock withdrawal times, as well as the material safety data (MSDS) sheets, for Cobra and all other commonly used, commercially available herbicides. It should also be noted that some herbicides can enhance some plants’ palatability and ability to accumulate nitrate.
Producers can read about the effects of other herbicides and pesticides on crops that may eventually be used as animal feed on the MU Integrated Pest & Crop Management website at ipm.missouri.edu/IPCM/index.cfm?ID=388.