As noted previously, nitrate levels do not decline after cutting or baling. It is difficult to improve land that is sloped and has poor soil texture and low moisture retention. can be used for pasture, hay and/or erosion control. In haying systems, an average of 14 pounds P2O5 is removed for each ton of dry matter harvested. $75. Although experienced producers can estimate the moisture content by touch, a moisture meter will provide a more accurate reading. The species must be adapted for the soil type, rainfall and other environmental conditions of the location where you intend to produce the hay. The answer to selling or buying round bales of unknown weight and nutritive value is to analyze and weigh the hay. Although the hemicelluloses go into solution during the acid detergent procedure, the hemicelluloses are not necessarily more digestible than cellulose, because hemicelluloses are more closely related with lignin. Since the nutritive value of these crops is generally lower, animals will usually need supplements during the winter or during droughts when fed overly mature forages. A mower/conditioner will help this hay dry more quickly. Proper sampling and testing are required to ensure the hay is safe to feed. Dell - OptiPlex Desktop Computer PC Intel Core 2 Duo - 4GB Memory - 250GB Hard Drive - Windows 10 - 19 inch LCD. In 2008, Texans harvested approximately 4.4 million acres of hay worth an estimated $1 billion. Unlike prussic acid, nitrate levels do not decline after cutting or baling. 1990. For very large lots of hay you should sample at least 10 percent of the baled hay. Even if you have used certain herbicides for many years, check the label each year to see if the product instructions have changed. The actual dry weight of hay is determined by adjusting for moisture content as measured by a moisture probe. Drying agents do not affect forage nutritive value. I found the 12 foot beds the most economical - a 4x4 bed would need x2 16 foot pieces of decking and 4 feet of a 2x4 to make one, or you could double the same materials to make a 4x12. Sampling near ends or bottoms of bales will not give you a representative sample. For additional information on managing prussic acid in forages, refer to Extension publication E-543, “Nitrates and Prussic Acid in Forages.”. Although the hemicelluloses go into solution during the acid detergent procedure, the hemicelluloses are not necessarily more digestible than cellulose, because hemicelluloses are more closely related with lignin. are accounted for. (20 percent waste) = 390,000 pounds of hay. Pearl millet is known to have a strong potential for nitrate accumulation when subjected to stress and/or high nitrogen fertilization. Similar to johnsongrass, sorghum-sudangrass also has a strong potential for nitrate accumulation when subjected to stress and/or high nitrogen fertilization and can produce prussic acid under stress conditions such as drought or frost. Disk mowers have cutting heads with several small rotating cutters. Johnsongrass should be harvested at heading. It tolerates a variety of soil types and grows better in wet soils than any other cool-season annual grass. The Texas AgriLife Extension Service Soil, Water, and Forage Testing Laboratory provides these quick-test kits for nitrate analysis, but the kits contain sulfuric acid and the lab is not allowed to ship them. Soil tests can determine phosphorus levels in forage fields; however, a common symptom of low phosphorous is the decline of desired forage species (e.g., bermudagrass) and the invasion of grasses that require less phosphorus (e.g., bahiagrass). Inhibitors also help reduce leaf loss during baling and can reduce potential rain damage. The optimum nutritive value of a forage plant depends on the target animal. By: Vanessa Corriher, Tony Provin, and Larry Redmon; Assistant Professor and Extension Forage Specialist, Professor and Soil Chemist, Professor and State Forage Specialist; Texas AgriLife Extension Service, Texas A&M University System. A crude estimate of total protein is obtained by multiplying the percentage of total nitrogen by a constant of 6.25. The first step is to correctly identify the weed species, then select the most effective herbicide. Similar to johnsongrass, sorghum-sudangrass also has a strong potential for nitrate accumulation when subjected to stress and/or high nitrogen fertilization and can produce prussic acid under stress conditions such as drought or frost. you will address all nutrient, pH, and salinity limitations. Dwv pipe.It holds 40 gallons, with 18 each 1.5 in. You should collect one composite sample for every 25 to 30 bales from a given field and cutting. In addition to the soil survey, producers can evaluate their land by observing how plants and forages respond to rainfall and prolonged periods of drought. Young, tender, fast-growing plants are more likely to be toxic than mature plants. The most commonly used inhibitors are propionic acid (propionates) and ammonia (applied at about 1 percent of wet forage weight). Tall fescue also tolerates flooded conditions and grows well in soils that are typically too wet for many other forage grasses. Copyright © 1995-2021 eBay Inc. All Rights Reserved. Potash and Phosphate Institute and Foundation for Agronomic Research. Pack the harvested forage into the PVC pipe, then insert the moisture meter into the hay to obtain a reading. Bermudagrass, for example, should be harvested at approximately 15 inches tall if the target animal is a dry, pregnant cow. Ball, D.M, C.S. Range & Pasture Steward.6:2. True proteins are complex structures made up of amino acids. Pearl millet is known to have a strong potential for nitrate accumulation when subjected to stress and/or high nitrogen fertilization. is used primarily for pasture, though it can be used for hay or silage. Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- Best Selling in Exhaust Pipes & Tips. Hay production, therefore, should be reserved for the highest yielding sites. Soil testing is the most important tool in forage production. Plant nitrates are expressed as ppm nitrate-N. To convert ppm nitrate-N to percent, divide by 10,000. Once bahiagrass grows 10 to 12 inches tall, it produces little new growth and loses nutritive value the longer it stands. Millet may require a hay conditioner (a piece of equipment that crimps and crushes newly cut hay to promote faster and more even drying) and more drying days than the fine-stemmed species such as bermudagrass. 1). Though nitrogen recommendations are based on species and yield goals, it generally takes approximately 50 pounds of nitrogen to produce 1 ton of high-protein, warm-season perennial grass hay. According to Extension specialists at Ohio State University (Weiss and Underwood, 1992). Again, proper sampling and testing are required to ensure the hay is safe to feed. Your credit card information is encrypted while traveling the Internet. Research shows that as much as 50 percent of the nitrogen applied as fertilizer and taken up by the forage is recycled through animal defecation into new forage growth within 4 weeks of grazing. Texas AgriLife Extension Service, E-543. The rows should be stored on a well-drained slope, running north and south to maximize east – west sun exposure and help dry them after rains. The species of forage used for hay production will have a large impact on hay nutritive value. Prussic acid in forages can pose a significant risk to grazing livestock, but in well-cured hay, prussic acid is rarely an issue. Dallisgrass, however, produces a lower dry matter yield than some bermudagrass varieties and can be difficult to establish because the seed germinate slowly. infection, which can be toxic to cattle if they eat infected seed heads. Even a 4-inch band on the outer surface of a 6-foot diameter round bale can represent a 21 percent lossof dry matter and nutritive value (Table 7). This increase is called “sweating” or “going through a sweat.” It is mainly caused by microbial activity, though it can include some final plant respiration. Take one composite sample for every 10 to 40 acres. Weed infestation generally increases after drought or when land is not managed properly. Free shipping. $749.00. Figure 7 shows the effect of rained-on hay on animal performance. I ended up just finding a used intermediate pipe. Rain can also shatter leaves off harvested forage and reduce both the crude protein and energy levels of the hay. If you submit more than one sample bag, label them 1 of 2, 2 of 2, etc. One way to get consistent readings with a moisture meter is to use an 18-inch length of 2-inch diameter PVC pipe with a threaded cap on one end. Routine analysis requires approximately 1 pint of the composite soil. Water-holding capacity, influenced by soil texture and slope, is often the main determinant of good land for hay production. Johnsongrass should be harvested at heading. When fertilized according to laboratory recommendations, forage crops such as bermudagrass produce significantly more dry matter and can usually out-compete weed species. Given this cost, a 1,200-pound round bale priced at $45 is a good buy, but if the bale weighs only 700 pounds, it is not. ADF is also used to estimate the total digestible nutrient (TDN) value of forage. Haylage is typically wrapped in plastic to exclude air. This condition limits root development and restricts uptake of water and most plant nutrients, including nutrients from fertilizer applications. Drying agents are typically water-based solutions of potassium carbonate (K2CO3) and/or sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) with an appropriate surfactant to help them spread over the harvested forage. Peter Van Soest (Cornell University) developed the system for analyzing fiber constituents using detergents. Other preservatives may be effective on hay containing 20 to 25 percent moisture, but many have not been scientifically tested. Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- Top picked items. can be used for grazing or for hay. Safety and nutritional considerations make it critical that you bale hay at the appropriate moisture content. ), so it is critical to match the nutritive value of the hay to the nutrient requirements of the target animal. is a warm-season annual that grows rapidly and produces high yields and high nutritive value hay. is a short-lived perennial that can last 2 to 3 years. Mechanical methods are generally less effective and more costly than chemical controls (Table 4). View cart for details. has high nutritive value and is well adapted to sandy soils. You will want a species with multiple year yields, high nutritive value, winter hardiness, persistence, and disease resistance. If the soil has a shallow clay layer within 12 inches of the surface, however, it may not need additional potassium fertilizer because potassium is available in the clay layer. When using a spade/sharpshooter, dig a V-shaped hole and take a 1-inch slice from the smooth side of the hole; then take a 1- x 1-inch core from the middle of that slice. involves baling forage with 45 to 55 percent moisture content, then putting the bales into airtight storage. Georgia Agricultural Research. Under these conditions, anaerobic (non-free oxygen requiring) bacteria reduce the forage pH and preserve the forage in a more or less “pickled” state. As long as the forage moisture content is above 40 percent, hay will continue to respire (burn up carbohydrates), leaving less energy for the livestock that ultimately consumes the hay. Air-drying the samples before sending them to the laboratory will improve the nitrate-nitrogen analysis. The low pH inhibits mold and respiration losses that typically occur in high-moisture bales.