October 11, 2006

 

FALL FREEZE

 

We may soon get a hard freeze. The main concern with this freeze will be its affect on the management of forages, especially sudangrass and sorghum-sudan hybrids. Alfalfa does NOT become toxic after a fall freeze. Alfalfa can be harvested after mid-October, with minimal risk of winter-kill, regardless of whether a hard freeze occurs before then. The following information from Brian Lang summarizes issues related to managing forages in the fall.

 

Alfalfa usually requires 24 F to completely kill its topgrowth.  Temperatures above 24 degrees F will cause visible damage, but the plant will continue to grow using the remaining leaf area. The main reason not to harvest alfalfa after a light frost is that the harvest would remove all of the leaf area, and the plant’s continued development would be entirely at the expense of root reserves.  To optimize plant development and its over-wintering ability, allow the plant to grow until a killing frost or mid-October; which ever comes first.  If no killing frost occurs by mid-October and a harvest is desired, harvest the forage.  The short daylengths and cold autumn temperatures will minimize the use of root reserves prior to the “soon-to-come” killing frost.

 

There is an old, persistent false-hood around that alfalfa becomes toxic following a frost.  Alfalfa does not contain any “toxic” compounds that arise from exposure to frost.  However, alfalfa can cause bloat, and immediately after a frost alfalfa’s bloat potential is higher than normal. An over-simplified and very brief explanation for this is: Bloat is largely caused by a rapid release of soluble proteins into the rumen.  Alfalfa has considerable amounts of soluble proteins.  As cattle eat alfalfa, their chewing action breaks up plant cells and slowly releases the soluble proteins into the rumen.  If the cattle eat recently frosted alfalfa, they eat already-broken cells from the frost which rapidly releases soluble proteins (not a slow release), which increases the chance of bloat.  Once the frosted parts of the plant dry, alfalfa’s bloat potential is back to normal.

 

Sudangrass and sorghum-sudan hybrids require 28 F for a killing frost, however even a “light” frost requires special management. Prussic acid accumulates in the frosted tissue within a few hours after thawing and wilting. A “light” frost may damage just the tops of plants. If this occurs, delay grazing or harvest a few days after frost to allow the prussic acid to dissipate from the plant tops.  Livestock can be returned to frost injured sudangrass (18 inches or taller) and sorghum-sudan (28 inches or taller) after 5 to 7 days.

 

Sometimes a “light” frost enhances development of young shoots from the base of the plants. If this occurs, delay sending livestock to graze this forage since these new shoots would be high in prussic acid. Ideally, wait for the new shoots to get to a proper grazing height, but more than likely a complete killing frost will occur before that would happen.  Once a complete killing frost occurs, wait at least 10 days (wait until the frosted tissue is drying out) before grazing or harvest.

 

If haying the forage, the curing process decreases the prussic acid content as much as 75%, which removes the feeding concern.  However, haying these forages this late in the season is nearly impossible because of poor dry-down conditions. If green-chopping the forage, chop only as much forage as the cattle will consume in 4 to 5 hours. Never green-chop the forage and let it sit on the wagon overnight.  If ensiling, harvest at proper moisture for your storage structure to ensure good fermentation. This takes a minimum of 4 weeks.  The fermentation process will reduce the prussic acid content.  Since immature plants can contain higher prussic acid levels, leave this forage ferment for at least 8 weeks before feeding.  Never allow horses to graze sorghums or sudangrass at any time.

 

 

FOR YOUR CALENDAR

 

Planning for the 2007 crop year is in full swing.  To assist producers and those who work with producers through the planning process, Iowa State University (ISU) Extension will be conducting several meetings for producers and those who work with producers.  I'll provide a brief overview of several; more details are available at http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Pages/eccrops/meet.html. In addition, these and other agricultural educational opportunities in east-central and southeast Iowa do or will soon appear on the ISU Extension calendar at http://dbs.extension.iastate.edu/calendar/ShowCalendar.asp?Category=1%7CAgriculture+and+Natural+Resources&County=Cedar&CountiesScope=Admin.

 

November 21, 2006 - Ag Chem Dealer Update

Quality Inn & Suites Highlander Conference Center, Iowa City

 

Greg Tylka, Marlin Rice, Mike Owen, John Sawyer, Jim Fawcett, and Virgil Schmitt will be featured at this year’s dealer update. This all-day meeting is designed for dealers and consultants, but producers are more than welcome.  Information on weed, insect, and disease management will be provided as well as a nitrogen management update.  The fee is $40.00 prior to November 14 and $60 thereafter, including meals, breaks, and materials.  Continuing Instruction Course credit for Commercial Pesticide Applicators will be available.  In addition, Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for Certified Crop Advisors (CCA) will be available.  Online registration is available at http://www.aep.iastate.edu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=13&Itemid=34. 

 

 

November 29-30, 2006 Integrated Crop Management Conference and Expo

Iowa State Center Complex, Ames

 

This two-day meeting is designed for dealers, consultants, and progressive producers.  There will be 36 workshops offered, of which you can select 12.  The fee is $225, which includes CCA CEUs, meals, breaks, and materials.  Commercial Pesticide Applicators may receive Continuing Instruction Course credits for an additional $10.  Information and on-line registration will be available in late October at :

http://www.aep.iastate.edu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=14&Itemid=35.

 

 

January 4, 2007 – Crop Advantage Series

Clarion Hotel, 33^rd Ave, Cedar Rapids

 

January 5, 2007 – Crop Advantage Series

Southeastern Community College, West Burlington

 

These all-day meetings are designed for progressive crop producers, but dealers and consultants are more than welcome to attend.  The opening sessions will feature Palle Pederson with managing Soybeans for High Yields and Marlin Rice with Corn Rootworm Management.  Elwynn Taylor will also be a keynote at West Burlington and a session presenter at Cedar Rapids with the 2007 Crop Weather Update.  Following the opening sessions, a series of concurrent workshops will be offered; participants may select which workshops they wish to attend.  The fee is $30 ($40 if less than 7 days before the meeting), including meals, breaks, and materials.  Private Pesticide Applicators may receive Continuing Instruction Course credit if they attend a pest (weed, insect, or disease) management session some time during the day, attend a special one-hour session at the end of the day (3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.), and pay the additional $15 fee for Continuing Instruction Courses.  In addition, Continuing Education Units will be available for Certified Crop Advisors for an additional fee of $25.  Information on these conferences will be posted at http://www.aep.iastate.edu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=15&Itemid=36.

 

Quad Cities Farm Show, January 14 - 16, 2007 in Rock Island.  Illinois Extension will again be coordinating the educational seminars.  For more details, see http://qccaexpocenter.com/farm.html.

 

Corn & Soybean Classic, January 25, 2007, in Moline, IL.  This is an all-day opportunity for those of us in eastern Iowa to get the perspective of the folks from the University of Illinois.  If you historically appreciated the Bi-state Crops Clinics in the Quad Cities, you should consider this opportunity, which is designed for producers, dealers, and consultants.  The fee will most likely be $35, which includes meals, breaks, and materials.  Continuing Education Units for Certified Crop Advisors will be available.  As information becomes available, it will be posted at http://www.ipm.uiuc.edu/.

Hawkeye Farm Show, February 28 - March 2, 2007 in Cedar Falls.  ISU Extension will again be coordinating the educational seminars.  As details are finalized, they will appear at http://www.farmshowsusa.com/Mains/HMain.htm.

Muscatine Island Truck Growers Association Annual Meeting, March 1, 2007 in Fruitland.  The Muscatine Island Truck Growers Association owns the ISU Muscatine Island Research and Demonstration Farm near Fruitland and is intimately involved in guiding research activities at the farm.  While the meeting is designed for members, all producers, dealers, and consultants are invited to attend to see the results of research conducted at the farm.  This will have a combination of horticulture (fruits, vegetables, etc.) and agronomy (corn, soybeans, forages, small grains) oriented presentations.  As information becomes available, it will be posted at http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Pages/eccrops/meetmusc.html.

Southeast Iowa Agricultural Research Association Annual Meeting, March 1, 2007 in Iowa City.  The Southeast Iowa Agricultural Research Association owns the ISU Southeast Research and Demonstration Farm near Crawfordsville and is intimately involved in guiding research activities at the farm.  While the meeting is designed for members, all producers, dealers, and consultants are invited to attend to see the results of research conducted at the farm.  As information becomes available, it will be posted at http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Pages/eccrops/meetserc.html.

Northeast Iowa Experimental Association Annual Meeting, March 14, 2007 (tentative) at the farm near Nashua.  The Northeast Iowa Experimental Association owns the ISU Northeast Research and Demonstration Farm near Nashua and is intimately involved in guiding research activities at the farm.  While the meeting is designed for members, all producers, dealers, and consultants are invited to attend to see the results of research conducted at the farm.  As information becomes available, it will be posted at http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Pages/eccrops/meetnerf.html.

In addition, there will, of course, be the normal
Private Pesticide Applicator Continuing Instruction Courses http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Pages/eccrops/pcic.html,
Commercial Pesticide Applicator Continuing Instruction Courses http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Pages/eccrops/ccic.html,
Private Pesticide Applicator Training for the Test http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Pages/eccrops/ppat.html, and
Commercial Pesticide Applicator Training for the Tests http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Pages/eccrops/cpat.html.

If you have any questions, comments, suggestions, etc. on any of these, please feel free to contact me.  Likewise, if you have ideas of other efforts that are needed, again please feel free to contact me.