Forage Managemnt This Late Summer and Fall

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1 AG NEWS Meade County Extension Service 1041 Old Ekron Road, Brandenburg, KY Fax Forage Managemnt This Late Summer and Fall S E P T E M B E R More often than it should happen, I see farmers cutting alfalfa hay during the month of October. Sometimes I ll see farmers pulling no till drills through pasture fields in November. I do realize that in some instances a farmer has to manage to his situation and not so much what is recommended. However, some forage management practices should be followed regardless or the mismanagement will end up costing more money down the road. For alfalfa stands, a producer invests over $200/acre initially and should be expecting several years of a high yielding high quality forage. Alfalfa is a heavy user of soil nutrients. Each ton of alfalfa hay may remove 15lb. of phosphate and 6lb. of potash. Therefore, this fall additional phosphorous and potash may need to be applied for next season s crop. Also, alfalfa needs a rest period between September 15 and November 1. As the day length gets shorter alfalfa starts storing energy for next spring s regrowth. If alfalfa is cut during this rest period it may be slower to regrow next spring or even cause a thinning of the stand. It s better to not cut at all than to risk damage to the stand. Late summer, early fall is an excellent time to interseed pasture and hayfields with coolseason grasses. If interseeding into existing vegetation seed orchardgrass and fescue at the 10-15lb/acre rate. If seeding as new field alone, seed at the rate of 20lb/acre. If using annual ryegrass sow at the rate of 15-20lbs/acre when interseeding and 20-30lb/acre when seeding alone. Whatever method being used for interseeding just keep in mind seed needs to come in good contact with bare soil and should not be sown any deeper than 1/2 inch. Also, seeding of coolseason grasses should be done by October 1. Sincerely, Andy Mills Meade County Extension Agent for Agriculture & Natural Resources

2 Preparing for the Winter Wheat Planting Season Carrie Kno, Extension Agronomist Princeton, University of Kentucky The optimal planting window for winter wheat in Kentucky is quickly approaching: October Prior to the physical planting of wheat, farmers must make several critical decisions to maximize wheat grain yield and profitability the following June. The first is variety selection In Kentucky there is an annual risk of Fusarium Head Blight (caused by Fusarium graminearum) infection of wheat. This disease not only reduces yield, but it also produces a toxin in the grain (vomitoxin or deoxynivalenol) which can result in considerable price reduction when delivered to the grain elevator. The best way to reduce the risk of Fusarium Head Blight is to grow a moderately resistant variety. If the seed representative you are buying your seed from does not know how resistant a variety is to Fusarium Head Blight, it is best to choose another variety with known resistance. Seeding Depth Seed depth and seeding rate are also very important. The optimal planting depth for wheat seed is 1 to 1.5 inches with good seed-to-soil contact. These depths help reduce the risk of winter injury and heaving. Heaving occurs during periods that soil freezes and thaws. During these freeze/ thaw cycles the wheat seed can be pushed closer to the soil surface causing plant injury and possibly death, which can ultimately reduce plant stands and grain yield. When soil conditions are extremely dry at planting, wheat seed can be planted up to 2 inches deep to access soil moisture. Do not plant wheat seed greater than 2 inches. Seeding Rate The optimal seeding rate for winter wheat in Kentucky is 35 seeds per square foot. Some farmers prefer to use pounds of seed per acre. When using pounds per acre, seed size is critical. Wheat seed size varies considerably and be determined by counting the number of seed per pound (usually on seed tag). Seeding rates based upon weight alone can result in plant populations that are too high or too low, depending on seed size. Seeding rates that are too high result in high plant populations that are prone to lodging (falling over in the field) and have lower grain yield. Seeding rates that are too low may result in low plant populations and reduced yields. Example 1: Seeding rates in pounds per acre for three winter wheat seed lots with different seed sizes. The desired plant population per acre is 1,524,600 seeds per acre: 35 seed per square foot x 43,560 square foot per acre Seed Lot 1: 10,000 seed per pound = lbs per acre Seed Lot 2: 11,000 seed per pound = lbs per acre Seed Lot 3: 12,000 seed per pound = lbs per acre Seed germination of the seed lot is another critical consideration prior to wheat planting. To be sure that the optimal plant population of plants per square foot is achieved seeding rates must be adjusted for seed germination at planting. To adjust your seeding rate for the seed germination rate, divide your desired plant population by the germination rate of your seed. Example 2: Adjusting winter wheat seeding rate for seed germination. Desired seeding rate of 35 seed per square foot Seed germination rate of 92% 35 seed per square foot 0.92 = 38 seed per square foot Many winter wheat fields are no-till production systems, where the residue from the previous crop remains on the soil surface at the time of wheat planting. In Kentucky, most winter wheat follows corn. Proper seeding depth and rate is especially important and challenging in no-till production systems. Ensuring that residue from the previous crop is uniformly distributed throughout the field will help with uniform wheat planting and emergence, which is necessary for high wheat yields the following summer. Fall Nitrogen Applications The final consideration for this season s winter wheat planting is fall fertility. In most years fall nitrogen applications are not necessary for wheat. However, this year we have had considerable rainfall and even flooding of fields that do not typically flood. These conditions likely depleted much of the nitrogen that would usually be available to the wheat crop in the fall. If you are in an area that received excessive rainfall or your fields were flooded at least once this season for several days or longer, you may want to consider a fall nitrogen application of about 20 to 30 pounds N per acre. Do not exceed 40 pounds per acre. For more information consult A Comprehensive Guide to Wheat Management in Kentucky.

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4 Scarecrow Decorating Contest The Meade County Extension Homemakers are sponsoring a scarecrow decorating contest as part of the Great Pumpkin Pursuit on September 17, 2016 at Roberts Family Farm. Entries will be accepted in three categories: Business, Group (friends, family, church, youth, organization) and Individual. You may decorate your scarecrow however you like. Be creative, but please keep them tasteful! The committee reserves the right to eliminate a scarecrow from the contest if it is deemed inappropriate. Scarecrows should be hand made and not purchased from a retailer. Please keep in mind this is a scarecrow decorating contest. A winning entry will be chosen for each category. The winning entry in each category will receive $50. In addition, a Viewer s Choice Award will be chosen by festival attendees. Voting will close at 1:00 p.m. with the winning entry being announced at the event. The Viewer s Choice Award winner will receive $50. Scarecrows should not be taller than 8 ft. or wider than 5 ft. elements (rain, wind, sun). They should be made to withstand outdoor Scarecrows will be displayed at Roberts Family Farm and should be placed between the hours of 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Friday, September 16, Committee members will be on hand to assist you. Scarecrows will be attached to a post, which will be provided, so please bring wire or rope to secure your scarecrow to the post. Scarecrows can be removed from the event after 3:00 p.m. or left at the Farm. Registration forms must be completed and returned to the Meade County Extension Office, 1041 Old Ekron Rd, Brandenburg, KY no later than 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 14, 2016 or to amills@uky.edu Scarecrow Decorating Contest Registration Form Contact Person Phone Number Name listing for sign Category Individual Group number of participants Business number of participants The Meade County Extension Homemakers will provide a post to attach each scarecrow and signage listing your group, business or name of individual. Don t forget to bring rope or wire to secure your creation to the provided post. The Meade County Extension Homemakers will not be held responsible for materials or item used to decorate the scarecrows or any damage; theft or vandalism to scarecrows at any time. However, volunteers will be on hand to monitor activity during the event.

5 Thursday, September 22, :00 am CT UK Research & Education Center Princeton, Kentucky This exciting field day will offer many demonstrations, commercial exhibits, educational exhibits and more. You ll have opportunities for hands on activities and,of course, the chance to visit with other Kentucky beef cattle producers, UK personnel and administration as well as KCA staff and leadership. The table below maps out tours and demonstrations. If there is enough interest, we will be taking a van to this event. Call the office by September 16th if you would like to ride along. (270) Back Corral Field/ Hay Barn Calan Barn Dry Lots/ Cattle Exhibits Overview Walking Wagon Bus 1 Bus 2 Walking (Meet at Tent) 8:30 am Registration 9:00 am Cattle Handling and Care/BQA Update Kevin Laurent KBN Activities Becky Thompson Black Vulture Control Dr. Matt Springer UAV s Potential for Livestock Dr. Josh Jackson Can Se Form Modulate Fescue Dr. Jamie Mathews Selenium and female reproduction function Dr. Phil Bridges Considerations for Confinement Cattle Management Dr. Jeff Lehmkuhler UKREC Breeding Programs Dr. Les Anderson/Ben Crites 10:00 am The Veterinary Feed Directive and Anaplasmosis Control Dr. Michelle Arnold Electronic Identification Dr. Morgan Hayes New Strategies for Dealing with Fescue Glen Aiken Using Cover Crops and Annual Forages to Extend the Grazing Season Dr. Ray Smith Meats Research at UK Dr. Gregg Rentfrow Do you know what s under the hide? Dr. Darrh Bullock Environmental Factors Affecting Beef Production- Overview Dr. Steve Higgins 11:00 am Cattle Handling and Care/BQA Update Kevin Laurent KBN Activities Becky Thompson Black Vulture Control Dr. Matt Springer UAV s Potential for Livestock Dr. Josh Jackson Lean to Finish Metabolism Shifts Dr. Jamie Mathews Selenium and male reproduction function Dr. Phil Bridges Considerations for Confinement Cattle Management Dr. Jeff Lehmkuhler UKREC Breeding Programs Dr. Les Anderson/Ben Crites 12:00 noon Dr. Nancy Cox, Warren Beeler, Dave Maples 1:00 pm The Veterinary Feed Directive and Anaplasmosis Control Dr. Michelle Arnold Electronic Identification Dr. Morgan Hayes New Strategies for Dealing with Fescue Glen Aiken Using Cover Crops and Annual Forages to Extend the Grazing Season Dr. Ray Smith Meats Research at UK Dr. Gregg Rentfrow Do you know what s under the hide? Dr. Darrh Bullock Environmental Factors Affecting Beef Production- Overview Dr. Steve Higgins UKREC Breeding Programs Dr. Les Anderson/Ben Crites 2:00 pm New Fescue Variety- Lacefield MaxQ II Dr. Tim Phillips Black Vulture Control Dr. Matt Springer UAV s Potential for Livestock Dr. Josh Jackson Can Se Form Modulate Fescue Dr. Jamie Mathews Selenium and female reproduction function Dr. Phil Bridges Considerations for Confinement Cattle Management Dr. Jeff Lehmkuhler

6 Meade County Cooperative Extension Service 1041 Old Ekron Rd Brandenburg, KY NONPROFIT ORG US POSTAGE PAID BRANDENBURG, KY PERMIT #49 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED Congratulations to Ms. Taylor Hobbs for winning the Commissioner s Trophy at the 2016 Kentucky State Fair. Taylor was the showmanship champion of the Market Steer and Heifer Showmanship division. This is quite an accomplishment to win at the Kentucky State Fair. The College of Agriculture, Food and Environment is an Equal Opportunity Organization with respect to education and employment and authorization to provide research, education information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function without regard to economic or social status and will not discriminate on the bases of race, color, ethnic origin, creed, religion, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information, age, veteran status, or physical or mental disability. Inquiries regarding compliance with Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Educational Amendments, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and other related matter should be directed to Equal Opportunity Office, College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Kentucky, Room S-105, Agriculture Science Building, North Lexington, Kentucky