Chris Teutsch: Producing High Quality Hay in a Changing Climate

Producing High Quality Hay in a Changing Climate

Chris Teutsch Univerity of Kentucky Grain and Forage Center of Excellence, Princeton, Kentucky

I am not a climatologist, so I am not going to debate climate change or what factors might be impacting it. However, I will tell you what I learned from Matthew Dixon’s (Meteorologist at UK Ag Weather Center) presentation at our fall grazing conferences. In a nutshell, our climate in Kentucky is trending toward warmer and wetter. In fact, since 1895, 5 of the 10 wettest years on record have been in the last decade (Table 1). Let that soak in for a minute (pun intended). Statewide we are seeing increases in rainfall patterns of 2 to 4 inches in many parts of the Commonwealth (Figure 1). If you are interested in watching the video from Matthew’s presentation, it is available on our KYForages YouTube Channel.

Kentucky Top Ten Wettest Years on Record (1895 - 2020)

Rank Year Total Normal Dep. % Norm 1 2011 64.35 50.38 13.97 128 2 2018 63.74 50.38 13.36 127 3 1950 62.63 50.38 12.25 124 4 1979 62.58 50.38 12.20 124 5 2019 61.32 50.38 10.94 122 6 1935 58.38 50.38 8.00 116 7 2015 58.31 50.38 7.93 116 8 2020 58.11 50.38 7.73 115 9 1989 57.74 50.38 7.36 115 10 1972 57.08 50.38 6.70 113

Data courtesy of Midwestern Regional Climate Center cli-MATE toolkit: https://mrcc.purdue.edu/CLIMATE/

Table 1. Commonwealth of Kentucky’s wettest years on record for the period of 1895 to 2020

Figure 1. Annual precipitation change for the most recent and previous 30-year periods (1991 to 2020 and 1981 to 2101). Image courtesy of Cooperative Institute for Satellite Earth System Studies. Available at https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/noaadelivers-new-us-climate-normals Table 2. Baling days in the various region of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. A baling day is the day following three consecutive curing days

The good news is that with proper grazing management, we should be able to grow more grass, extending our grazing season. The bad news is that it is becoming increasingly hard to make good quality dry hay. In the month of May, we have seen a net loss of baling days (Table 2). A baling day is the day that follows three consecutive curing days. Typically, we will have 5 or 6 baling days on average in May. This has decreased by 1 to 2 days, depending on your location in the state. This equates to a 20 to 30% decrease in baling days. The question becomes how to do we make high quality hay with even fewer haymaking days? The answer is simple, we need to shorten the time between when we mow a hayfield and when it is baled. But how we do that is not so simple. In the remainder of this article, I want to outline factors impacting hay quality and talk about what we can do from a practical standpoint to improve the quality of hay that we are producing in the Commonwealth.

Available Bailing Days* Lexington

May June July August Sept Annual 00-21 Avg 5.5 6.5 6.2 8.2 12.5 38.9 17-21 Avg 4.0 5.0 6.2 7.0 13.2 35.4 Deviation -1.5 -1.5 0.0 -1.2 0.7 -3.5

Bowling Green

May June July August Sept Annual 00-21 Avg 6.4 7.4 6.7 9.2 11.7 41.4 17-21 Avg 5.2 7.4 8.4 6.0 11.0 38.0 Deviation -1.2 0.0 1.7 -3.2 -0.7 -3.4

Paducah

May June July August Sept Annual 00-21 Avg 5.8 9.1 10.3 10.7 13.0 49.0 17-21 Avg 3.8 8.0 11.2 10.0 14.0 47.0 Deviation -2.0 -1.1 0.9 -0.7 1.0 -2.0

*Based on 4-day window Data courtesy of Midwestern Regional Climate Center cli-MATE toolkit: https://mrcc.purdue.edu/CLIMATE/

Factors Impacting Hay Quality In table three I have outlined some of the major factors impacting hay quality. Out of all these factors, the single most important one is stage of maturity at harvest. It also seems like the one that we would have the most control over, right? So, the question becomes why are we aren’t we doing a better job at harvesting at late boot to early head stage? Like most difficult questions, there are several factors that impact our ability to harvest hay at the correct stage of maturity. These include off farm employment, forages and livestock are often secondary enterprises on full-time farms, old and poorly maintained equipment, and lastly, but most importantly poor curing conditions combined with heavy first cuttings. Practical Considerations for Improving Hay Quality In this section, I would like to challenge you to think about simple and practical ways that you might improve hay quality on your farm. Below you will find a list of practical suggestions to help you get this dome. • Fertilize and lime according to soil test. A balanced fertility program is essential for optimizing hay yield and quality.

Available Bailing Days* Factor

Species

Impact on Forage Quality Importance

Legumes > Grasses Medium Life Cycle Annuals >Perennials Minimum Photosynthetic Pathway Cool Season > Warm Season Minimum Temperature Low Temp > High Temp Minimum Fertilization High Fert > Low Fertilization Moderate for Crude Protein Time of Day Late Afternoon > Morning Minimum Stage of Maturity Vegetative > Reproductive High Rainfall during Curing No Rain > Rain Moderate to High Leaf loss during harvest High Loss > Low Loss Moderate to High Storage conditions Covered > Uncovered Moderate

Data was adapted from Understanding Forage Quality by Don Ball and Colleagues.

Table 3. Factors impacting hay quality

Phosphorus, potassium, and lime should be applied according to soil test results. Avoid using “complete” fertilizers such as 10-1010. These fertilizers commonly over apply phosphorus and under apply potash. • Apply nitrogen early to promote rapid spring growth. Applying 80 lb N/A in mid- to late March will promote early growth in hay meadows, resulting in higher first harvest yields with improved crude protein values. • Harvest at the boot stage. The single most important factor impacting forage quality is stage of maturity at harvest (Table 4).

Hayfields should be mowed as soon as the grass reaches the late boot-stage. The boot stage occurs when the sheath of the flag leaf swells just prior to the emergence of the seed head. By making the first cutting in a timely manner, we will have time to make a leafy second cutting just prior to the summer months.

Stage of Maturity Crude Protein

%

Dry Matter Intake Digestibility Average Daily Gain

lb/day % lb/day

Late Boot 13.8 13.0 68 1.39

Early Bloom 10.2 11.7 Seed Forming 7.6 8.6 66 56 0.97 0.42

Adapted from AGR-62, Quality Hay Production by G.D. Lacefield, J.C. Henning, M. Collins and L. Swetnam. UK Cooperative Extension Service, Lexington

Table 4. Impact of stage of maturity on the yield and digestibility of grasses and legumes. Harvest when the grass reached the boot stage

• Mow early in day. Some studies have shown that sugars tend to be highest in late afternoon, making this the optimal time of day to cut. However, in high rainfall environment like Kentucky, maximizing curing time is the highest priority. Therefore, hay should be mowed in mid to late morning after the dew has dried off. • Use mower-conditioner. Conditioning the stems allows for moisture to escape at a faster rate. This shortens curing time and improves your chances of avoiding rain. Conditioning is especially important on first cutting grasses, summer annual grasses, and legumes, all of which tend to have larger stems. • Set swath on mower-conditioner to the widest possible setting.

Maximizing the swath width decreases curing or wilting time by exposing a larger portion of the forage to direct sunlight. • Rake or ted at 40-50% moisture content. Raking and tedding

the forage while it is still pliable helps to reduce leaf loss and maintain forage quality. Once the moisture content is below 40%, leaf loss increases, especially in legumes such as alfalfa and clover. • Bale at 18-20% moisture. Baling in this moisture range inhibits mold growth and reduces heating. Avoid baling hay that is excessively dry due to high levels of leaf loss and hay that is above 20% moisture due to heating and potential hay fires. • Store under cover and off the ground. Protecting hay from weathering helps to reduce dry matter losses and maintain forage quality. Much of the weathering damage is a result of the hay bale wicking moisture up from the ground. So, storing hay off the ground can greatly reduce deterioration.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 36

This month’s FEATURED EVENT is Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference in Bowling Green on February 24 at the Warren County Extension Office. More information at https://forages.ca.uky.edu/ and clicking on “UPCOMING EVENTS”.

This month’s FEATURED VIDEO is: is Long-term weather

trends and implications for grazing operations in the

mid-south by Matthew Dixon. This video can be found in the KYForages YouTube Channel (https://bit.ly/3Gyb2FO).

This month’s FEATURED PUBLICATION is "Understanding Forage Quality” by Don Ball and colleagues. It can be accessed at https://forages.ca.uky.edu/files/foragequality. pdf or by visiting your local extension office.

FENCING TIP

Grounding system. For an electric fence to work properly, current from the fence must travel though the animal into the ground and back to the energizer. The grounding system works as an “antenna” to collect this current and complete the circuit. Most of the problems associated with low voltage on an electric fence are caused by a poorly constructed grounding system. Grounding systems should have a minimum of 3 galvanized grounding rods, 10 feet apart, 6 feet in the ground, all connected with a single galvanized wire running from the energizer. For very large energizers or very dry conditions more grounding rods may be needed.

FORAGE MANAGEMENT TIPS

• Continue grazing stockpiled tall fescue if available. • Begin frost seeding with 6-8 lb/A red and 1-2 lb/A ladino white clover on closely grazed pastures. • On pastures with lower fertility, consider adding 10-15 lb/A annual lespedeza to the above recommendation. • Consider applying 40-50 lb/A nitrogen in mid- to late-

February on some pastures to promote early growth. • Service and calibrate no-till drills. • Apply any needed lime and fertilizer. • Make plans to attend the Alfalfa and Stored Forage

Conference in Bowling Green, KY on February 24, 2022.

• Do not cut hay fields too close. If not properly adjusted, disc mowers can cut very close to the soil surface and this can cause significant as damage to coolseason grass stands. Do NOT mow perennial cool-season grass stands closer than 3-4 inches. • Apply nitrogen following the first cutting. Following a timely first harvest, apply 60 lb N/A to stimulate regrowth.

With adequate rainfall, a second harvest can be made approximately 30 days after the first harvest. • Allow hayfields to go into summer with some regrowth. Make sure to allow cool-season hayfields to go into summer with at least 5-6 inches of regrowth. This will shade the crown of the plant, moderating its temperature, and reduce soil moisture losses. • Apply nitrogen in late summer. As the temperatures moderate in late summer and early fall, apply 60 lb N/A to stimulate fall growth. This growth can be grazed or harvested as needed. • Allow plants time to replenish carbohydrates in the fall. Make sure and time fall hay cuttings to allow stand to regrow and replenish their carbohydrates prior to winter dormancy. Bale Silage The single largest opportunity for decreasing the period between mowing and baling is the use of bale silage. This method of hay preservation allows us to cut one day and bale and wrap the following day. This tool has most potential for improving hay quality since it allows us to harvest at the correct growth stage (Table 3). I think that it is important to recognize that this method is not perfect. There is an increased cost for wrapping the bales of around $20 per ton of dry matter. Then we need to get rid of the plastic wrap in an environmentally sound manner. I know what you are thinking, and it is my Dad’s favorite go to, but burning the plastic wrap is not a viable option. One of the advantages of wrapping bales that we don’t talk enough about is that that we have eliminated the need for building a hay shed. If you are interested in learning more about the use of bale silage to improve forage quality on your farm, watch for the next issue of Cow Country!

MAYHAVEN FARM

EVERYTHING BEGINS WITH A SEED.

Let us help you choose the right one.

2022 Mayhaven Farm Seed Days

All seed, twine, silage wrap, mineral and other farm supplies are discounted for big savings. Let us help you develop a seeding plan for your farm that lowers your cost and insures availability of vital inputs.

Call, text, email or stop by the farm February 14 through March 4.

Mayhaven Farm 2000 Ky Hwy 643 Waynesburg, KY 40489

Jim: (606) 669-1651

Trevor: (859) 339-0088 mayhavenfarm@gmail.com

27th Annual Bulls & More Sale

12:30 p.m. • March 5, 2022 • Bradford, TN

BoPat Exclusive 0118

Sire: Musgrave 316 Exclusive MGS: EXAR Upshot 0562B

BoPat Cavalry 0131

Sire: T/D Cavalry 761 MGS: Basin Resolve 31U1

BoPat Deborah 806

Sire: Baldridge Bronc MGS: AAR Ten X 7008 SA Has a 11/16/21 bull calf by T/D Jackpot 955. Will sell bred to T/D Double Vision 9714.

Selling 45 Angus Bulls 35 Registered Angus Females

Sale Managed by:

BoPat Farms

140 Milan Hwy • Bradford, TN 38316 Larry Patterson • 731-420-2697 Peyton Pruett • 731-988-8470 e-mail: bopat@tennesseetel.net