ITHACA, N.Y. - Feeding live stock on pasture is an increasingly important component of animal based farming in the northeastern United States. Producers who have successfully used grazing systems cite lower costs and greater profitability as primary reasons for switching from confined feeding systems. Profitable grazing management is a knowledge-based system in which expertise and skilled manage- SEEDING-YEAR ALFALFA HARVEST MARVIN H. HALL Extension Forage Specialist Penn State Yield and persistence were once the primary concerns of producers and cutting at full flower was a com mon practice. However, with the advent of multi disease resistant varieties which have a broad range in dormancy levels, producers now have considerable flexibility in choosing a harvest management strategy to meet their needs. Harvest of alfalfa which is spring seeded without a companion crop should not be delayed in an attempt Medium Fall Qyj | Dormant • Produces top tonnage yields of high quality forage, • Exceptional winterhardiness and stand persistence. • Very solid multiple-pest resistance package, including high resistance to Phytophthora root rot, Verticillium wilt and bacterial wilt • Attractive field appearance with strong regrowth PIONEER HI-BRED INTERNATIONAL, INC. Eastern Sales Area, Mount Joy, Pennsylvania . www.pioneer com/usa PIONEER® brand products are provided subject to the terms and conditions of purchase which are part of the labeling and purchase documents ®SM TM Trademarks and service marks, registered or applied for, of Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc , Des Moines, lowa, USA Grazing Workshop Proceedings Available ment can to some extent replace energy, chemical, and dollar inputs. "Grazing In the Northeast," NRAES-113, is a new publication from the Northeast Regional Agricultural Engineering Service (NRAES) that surveys this knowl edge base, assessing current grazing technologies, research directions, and education needs for shaping a prosperous future for dairy, beef, and sheep operations. ' The 218-page publication is the to improve persistence. Young alfal fa stands (seeding year) are capable of persisting under more severe har vest management practices than older alfalfa stands. Cutting of alfalfa 40 days after seeding does not lower stand persis tence compared to cutting 80 days after seeding. Timing of the first harvest after seeding, however, does affect alfalfa yield and quality. Harvesting the newly seeded alfalfa between the bud and 10 per cent bloom stage of development produces the greatest dry matter and harvesting later results in less nutrient yield per acre. If soil fertil ity is optimum, the stand appears healthy, and a highly-disease resis- 2 Nothing Outlasts It. 'Nothing Outyields It. High hay prices have dairy producers across the northeast US talking about planting more acres to alfalfa this spring, Talk to your Pioneer Sales Representative today about two exceptional Pioneer® brand alfalfa varieties still available In addition, ask how Pioneer ® brand microbial inoculants for use on alfalfa silage and hay will help you produce the most high quality feed per acre. CO A~7 l LI Medium Fall 004/ Lrl Dormant .JS2L- • Rated “resistant” to potato leafhoppers (for optimal stand establishment, new seedings may require treat- • Outstanding forage yield performance under leafhopper pressure. • Excellent winterhardiness • Strong resistance to several major alfalfa diseases PIONEER* BRAND PRODUCTS Foraging Around, Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 18, IMi-Page proceedings of the Grazing m the Northeast Workshop held in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, on March 25-26, 1998. It includes 12 papers that address the following topics: assess ing current technologies, research directions, and education needs in grazing; the pasture resource in the Northeast; pasture production; nutrition of grazing dairy and beef cattle; developing sustainable inte grated animal and plant systems; farm infrastructure in support of tant variety of alfalfa was seeded, then harvesting at the bud stage should be considered as harvest management option. When a companion crop is spring seeded with the alfalfa, harvesting of the companion crop dictates the timing of the initial alfalfa harvest. Alfalfa seeded during late summer or early fall is usually well estab lished by the following spring and can be subjected to the same harvest regime as established alfalfa. Cutting alfalfa for the first time at a stubble height greater than 3 to 5 inches does not improve persis tence but does lower yield. Yield reductions of approximately 35 per cent are reported when alfalfa is cut at 9-inch compared to 3-inch stubble height. ment if leafhopper pressure is severe) grazing management; profitability of pasture systems; nutrient and manure management in pasture systems to protect water quality and land resources; integration of water quality and land resource protection in whole farm systems; effects of well-managed grazing on the farm family, rural community, and land scape; and grazing research and extension activities in the region. "Grazing In the Northeast," NRAES-113, was edited by Charles R. Krueger, professor of agronomy, Penn State, and Harry B. Pionke, Pasture Systems and Watershed Management Research Laboratory, USDA-Agricultural Research Service. Authors of the papers include experts in forage manage ment, forage agronomy, agricultural and resource economics, ruminant nutrition, dairy and animal science, conservation planning, soil science, and sustainable agriculture. The workshop and the proceedings were organized by the Northeast Pasture Research and Extension Consortium with the objectives of disseminating information on recent grazing research and extension pro grams with an emphasis on the northeast region and identifying critical research and extension needs 217 The book will be welcomed by those with substantial experience in graz , ing, pasture research, or pasture education, including experienced gra ziers, agribusiness suppliers, NRCS staff, researchers, land extension spe cialists. "Grazing In the Northeast: Assessing current Technologies, Research Directions, and Education Needs," NRAES-113, is (priced at $3O per copy (plus shipping and handling). The shipping and han dling charge is $5 for a single copy within the continen tal United States. If ordering more (than one copy or if ordering outside the U.S., please contact NRAES for shipping rates. Orders from outside the U.S. must be prepaid in U.S. funds. Major credit cards are accepted, and checks should be made payable to NRAES. For infor mation about quan tity discounts, or for a free publications catalog, contact NRAES by phone at (607)255-7654, by fax at (607)254- 8770, or by e-mail at NRAES @ C 0 R - NELL.EDU. NRAES also main tains a Web site at http://rcwpsun.cas.p
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