Page 8-Foraglng Around, Lancaster Farming, Saturday, July 15, 2000
WET SEASON MEANS WE NEED
TO MAKE THE MOST
OUT OF EVERY ACRE
Janet Fallon
Agronomist
Northeast Agway
Ag Products
Last year, many
Northeast farmers
endured moderate
to severe drought
stress. As a result,
many entered the
2000 growing season
with inadequate
forage inventories
and high hopes that
we would have a
better growing
season with more
moisture.
Well, we got more
moisture all right.
Many farmers were
unable to plant all of
their corn, first cut
ting hay was har
vested very late and
much of it got rained
on at least once
before it was baled
or chopped. We had
very heavy alfalfa
weevil pressure in
many areas. Leaf
hopper came in
early but the beating
rains kept popula
tions down-
...perhaps the only
good thing about
this heavy rainfall
which also washed
away large areas of
newly planted corn
and new seedings
and prevented
timely application of
post emergent weed
control.
Waterlogged con
ditions resulted in
higher than normal
losses of applied ni
trogen, increasing
the demand for
sidedressed N...but
continued wet con
ditions made it diffi
cult to do that as
well. All this rain
also washed away
hopes for a “good
crop year.”
Many farmers
planted soybeans or
Agway 44 sorgo x
sudangrass when it
got too late to plant
corn. Some will
plant more wheat
this fall than they
originally planned
on. Others will put
in summer seed
ings...anything to
keep land produc
tive and put feed in
their bunkers. We
need to make the most out of every
acre we were able to get planted.
Here are a few things to consider as
we approach harvest season.
Alfalfa and alfalfa grass stands
balanced fertility helps perennial
forages perform and persist over the
long haul. Be sure to topdress good
stands of alfalfa or alfalfa grass mix
tures with P and K after the last
harvest to improve winter survival
and get it off to a fast start next
spring...especially if it wasn’t top
dressed earlier in the season. Boron
and other micronutrients may be
needed as well. Weigh the risk asso
ciated with a late fall harvest vs how
badly you need the feed right now. It
is a field by field decision.
Sorgo x sudangrass or sudangrass
follow the minimum height
guidelines for greenchop or pasture
to avoid problems with prussic acid
poisoning (30-inches for sorgo x su
dangrass and 18-inches for sudan
grass). If frosted, wait until frosted
tissue is paper brown and any new
growth reaches the minimum height
mentioned above. If ensiled, allow
six-eight weeks in the silo before
feeding to allow prussic acid to dis
sipate.
Winter wheat plant certified
seed during the first week or two
after the Hessian Fly Free date.
Plant a week or two earlier and
apply 40 pounds of N per acre in ad
dition to recommend fall rates if fall
pasture is needed...which it may be
in some areas.