Photo: It is impossible to tell by looking at frost-damaged sorghum-sudangrass what the prussic acid levels may be. Silage Corn In fields where rootworm Bt hybrids have been used for three or more consecutive years, resistance among corn rootworm populations is suspected. Producers can no longer rely solely on Bt rootworm hybrids for protection against rootworm injury. See the 2020 Canadian…
Caution! Members of the sorghum family – sorghum, sudangrass, and hybrid sorghum-sudangrass – contain dhurrin, a glucoside that breaks down to release hydrocyanic acid, also known as prussic acid (hydrogen cyanide, HCN). A sudden disruption of growth such as frost, drought or cutting, causes prussic acid to be released inside the plant at a more rapid rate. High prussic acid…
Christine O'Reilly September 21, 2020 297 Comments Off on Managing Jointing and Non-Jointing GrassesChristine O’Reilly, Forage and Grazing Specialist, OMAFRA Grass doesn’t just happen and not all species grow the same way. Understanding how different grass species grow enables producers to make good management decisions that maximize forage production in their hay fields and pastures. Jointing and non-jointing grasses respond differently to cutting, which directly affects productivity and persistence. In an established stand,…
Photo: Many winter wheat fields were planted to an annual forage crop after harvest this year. Premiums for summer-seeded New Forage Seeding insurance are due to Agricorp September 15. Silage corn growers should check fields for rootworm resistance to Bt hybrids Scouting for corn rootworm injury in silage fields is important to detect potential resistance to rootworm Bt traits and…
Key Points: Rotating out of corn is the most effective way to reduce populations of Bt-resistant corn rootworm. To replace silage corn for 2021, establish fall rye or winter triticale immediately after 2020 silage corn harvest. After the cereal silage comes off in mid-May, establish sorghum-sudangrass and take two cuts. An energy source will need to be supplemented; producers should…
Photo above: Potato leafhopper damage (called “hopper burn”) is frequently mistaken for insufficient water. To maximize the forage yield of fall cereals next spring, research from New York state suggests planting fall rye or winter triticale 10-14 days before the optimal winter wheat planting date (Figure 1). September 1st is the deadline to report summer-seeded New Forage Seeding acres…
Southwestern • According to AAFC, Lambton, Huron, Perth, Bruce, Grey, Dufferin, Wellington, Waterloo, and Halton counties had average amounts of precipitation for the month of June. The rest of the region had below-average amounts of rainfall. • First cut was fully underway the first week of June. • There have been many reports of true armyworm in fields in the…
Christine O’Reilly, Forage and Grazing Specialist , OMAFRA The soil health benefits of having a perennial forage in the crop rotation are better than any cover crop, because its living roots are in the soil for much longer. Hay prices have been strong over the last couple of years, and there is always a market for high-quality hay. A feasibility…
Cool conditions in the first half of the month slowed forage growth across the province. Victoria Day – the weekend before May 24th – was early this year, with the holiday falling on May 18th. This further affected perceptions of crop development, as many dairy farmers aim to start first cut based on the long weekend. Supplies of sorghum-sudangrass seed…
Photo: Orchardgrass accumulates anthocyanins during sunny days and cold soil conditions when photosynthesis outpaces root development. Turning purple is temporary; it will grow through this. Winter Conditions Most of the province had average amounts of precipitation over the winter. Areas of Chatham-Kent, Lambton, Huron, Grey, Bruce, Temiskaming, Cochrane, Rainy River, and Kenora received below-average winter precipitation. Overall, reports of winterkill…
Photo: Scouting a few days after a spring frost is a good way to assess the severity of any damage. Good agronomy is very important for achieving good yield and quality in forage crops. While good agronomy includes a fertility plan, seeding techniques, and harvest management, it also relies on proactive decision-making. The only way to know what is happening…
by Maja Menegotto, Undergraduate Student Experiential Learning (USEL) program student What is a Falling Plate Meter? A falling plate meter is a tool that can be used to estimate dry matter yield within grazing pastures (Rayburn and Lozier, 2003b). To do this, an acrylic plate is lowered against a metre stick in the center of the plate, onto the grass….
Cereals, soybeans, and silage corn are all being harvested, or will be soon! That bare ground provides an opportunity to boost forage inventories by double cropping with a winter cereal, while getting all the benefits of a cover crop in the rotation. Why use winter cereals as forage? It’s a cover crop that makes money the year it is grown….
Save the date! Forage Focus 2019 will be held December 5th 9:30 am – 3:30 pm EST at the Stratford Rotary Complex. Registration will open soon. Ontario Forage Council is looking for remote location hosts to receive the live stream in northern and eastern Ontario. If interested in hosting, contact Patricia Ellingwood at 1-877-892-8663. The OntarioHayListings.ca website is a free classifieds database…
The OntarioHayListings.ca website is a free classifieds database for producers looking to buy or sell hay and straw. Southwestern According to AAFC, the northern tip of the Bruce Peninsula, as well as Essex, Chatham-Kent, Lambton, Middlesex, Elgin, Oxford, Norfolk, Brant, Haldimand, and Hamilton received average or above-average precipitation for the month of July. The rest of the region experienced below-average amounts of…
