Forage Renovation Begins in September

tHis wiLL be our opportunitY to repair drouGHt-damaGed fieLd

by Tim Schnakenberg, Field Specialist in Agronomy Stone County Extension Center, Galena, MO

Pastures and hayfields across a large area of Missouri have suffered the effects of drought in recent years. The greatest challenges have been the droughts that occur in the falls which weakened cool-season forage root systems as they prepared for winter and the next growing season. Fall droughts have also led to lessthan-ideal establishment for new forages in recent years.

Some fields are not what they used to be and have been reduced to a smattering of a few desirable species, a mix of both cool and warm season weeds and in some cases an abundance of Kentucky bluegrass. Fields that revert to bluegrass become less productive and make renovation more difficult. Poor stands this spring often were covered in chickweed, cheatgrass and little barley. This was when reality was setting in for many producers that their stands were truly compromised.

The forage resource is one of the most important for any kind of farm that produces milk or meat and if it is not performing adequately, it needs to be dealt with before the next growing season. Dairy producers need to walk their fields and do an assessment of the ones that are hurt the worst and inventory which ones will need to be renovated starting in September.

September will be the time to drill in forages such as tall fescue, brome or orchardgrass. In some cases, clover and alfalfa may be established during this time. On farms where shorter-term annuals are used, rye, triticale or wheat could be established. It’s usually best to get turnips or fall oats in the ground as early as August.

In some of our cool season fields that have lost the stand, crabrass may have emerged that helped to get us through the summer. Crabgrass may have emerged following the chickweed and cheat explosion in the spring. Some fields may have been planted to sorghum sudangrass or millet. In these cases, the producer would either need to do a complete burndown with glyphosate to successfully plant into it, or delay planting closer to frost to allow weather to do the burndown.

For established stands, the question comes up frequently if we renovate by no-till drilling into the existing stand or by doing a complete chemical burndown prior to planting. That depends on the species of weeds that are in the field. If you are covered up with perennial species such as Kentucky bluegrass, purpletop, panicgrass, broomsedge or nimblewill, a complete burndown is in order. If they are mostly annual species that will be killed by frost such as foxtail, crabgrass or ragweed, you may be fine to drill directly into the existing stand.

In some situations, there may be a desire to completely change forage systems in a field such as converting to a novel-endophyte tall fescue or a warm season perennial crop. These require special planning and timing to get done. Novel fescues can be planted following row crops or perhaps a spray-smother-spray or spray-wait-spray approach should be incorporated to completely rid the field of old Kentucky 31 tall fescue.

Most warm season forages will need to be planted in the spring, but in some cases a fall-planted winter annual crop may be planted ahead of the new forage. There are times when winter dormant seeding could be incorporated. Contact your local extension field specialist in agronomy for proper planting procedures.

Do some soil testing this summer to find out what amendments may be needed prior to planting. This may reveal a need for lime, phosphate or potash that needs to be put on as early as possible. We find that renovation into stands that are low in phosphorus do not always work out so well.

Many stands are inundated with weed species. Some of those may need to be sprayed to keep them under control through the summer. If you spray, be aware of label restrictions that affect how soon you can go back in to plant afterwards. Also evaluate what will be covering the ground following the spray. In some cases, spraying removes the weed but if there is little grass left in the stand, you have just created a hole for the next weed to fill in.

Many times producers want to replant with both grasses and clover at the same time. It’s ideal to have clover mixed into a Kentucky 31 tall fescue stand but it may be a better plan to focus on the grass first in the fall and come back after the grass is established and frost-seed the clover later in the winter. We have seen cases where the clover created too much competition for the grass seedling.

Having adequate moisture this September and October will be crucial for successful renovation. If there is no evidence of a droughty weather pattern breaking when it’s time to plant, it could pay to hold off. If the weather pattern shows signs of rain potential, be sure to stay on schedule. The earlier plantings are usually the most successful in the fall.

Athletic thought leaders share dairy’s story

Midwest Dairy partners with thought leaders who can positively showcase dairy in their professions and community. Through thought leaders, checkoff builds trust and credibility for dairy by consistently providing an already tuned-in audience with valuable, accurate information. For example, Midwest Dairy has successfully partnered with influential athletic thought leaders to become their resource for all things dairy to share with their followers. From high school coaches to professional sports teams, there is an opportunity at all levels.

This year the Kansas City Chiefs Hometown Grant reached youth football coaches, college-level and high school girls flag football players and 10 to 12-year-old girls flag players.

In late April, Midwest Dairy, USA Football, and the Kansas City Chiefs collaborated to provide a nutrition session for youth football coaches presented by Leslie Bonci, sports dietitian for the Kansas City Chiefs and National Dairy Council ambassador. Coaches were welcomed by Harrison Butker, Kansas City Chiefs kicker and Fuel Up to Play 60 player ambassador, who shared how he uses dairy to fuel his performance. The day was full of activity, starting with the youth national flag football regional championship games, an area National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics women’s flag football conference championship game, and ending with a high school girls flag football combine. Messaging about the benefits of dairy for athletes was also shared on the in-stadium Arrowvision jumbo-screen.

All high school girls in attendance received a Chiefs/ Fuel Up to Play 60 logo drawstring bag, including sports nutrition resources and two dairy decals. Additional bags and resources were shared with the ten and 12-year-old girls’ flag teams from the Girls Play Flag Football program.

Midwest Dairy is currently gearing up for the NCAA Men’s College World Series, an event in Omaha, Nebraska, this June. This national event has an annual reach of over 360,000 attendees from across the country, making it a unique opportunity for Dairy to share its story with a large, diverse crowd. This will be Midwest Dairy’s third year with an on-site presence to engage consumers through various opportunities to learn more about dairy’s unique nutritional benefits and sustainably produced features.

Each year we work hard to give baseball fans a new experience. The Midwest Dairy Undeniably Dairy booth is unique compared to others, and we strive to have many activities for all ages. This year we will offer dairy trivia by encouraging attendees to spin the wheel and play Plinko to earn prizes. We will also partner with the Nebraska Extension, which is bringing a smoothie bike for all to try. When riding the bike, it mixes up a cool and refreshing smoothie packed with dairy. Another partner includes YMCA, which will spotlight Esports by bringing two gaming consoles for the Generation Z audience to interact with. Back by popular demand, Jason and Jodi Cast of JJC Jerseys will bring two dairy calves, appropriately named Babe and Ruth, for the crowd to interact with. These calves were a huge hit in past years, and many visitors noted that the College World Series was the first time they had interacted with a farm animal in person and were excited about their genuinely memorable and unique dairy experience. Lastly, the Undeniably Dairy booth will have many dairy snack samples, including chocolate milk and cheese sticks.