2014 September & October ANR Newsletter

Cooperative Extension Service Nelson County 317 S. Third Street Bardstown, KY 40004 (502) 348-9204 Fax: (502) 348-9270 http://nelson.ca.uky.edu

RON’S RUMBLES Upcoming Events Summer must be just about over.

One of the weather forecasters said this morning that today was going September 16th Fencing School to be the last day in the 90’s this year. I’m not sure I believe that but September 18th Feeder Calf summer is winding down pretty Grading School quick.

So far we’ve had a pretty good year. We got a little dry in early July in most of the county and really dry in the southern third of the county.

That affected corn yields some.

Since mid-July we’ve had pretty good rain over most of the county. I think the county corn average will be some over 150 bushels per acre. Tobacco looks really good if we can get it in the barn and cured.

Early beans should be real good but the jury is still out on the late beans. They look good but were late getting planted and emerging.

We need for frost to hold off for a while to reach maximum potential.

The fall cutting of hay should be good so we should have enough to (Continued on page 2)

September 25 Beef Bash, Princeton Research Center September 29-Whitetail Deer From Field to Table @ Nelson County 6:00p November 1-Central KY Premier Heifer Sale @ Marion County Fairgrounds

Ron Bowman County Extension Agent for Agriculture/Natural Resources

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get through the winter OK. The County Agriculture Investment Program (CAIP) signups are going to be soon. See the article later in the newsletter for information.

If I can be of help give me a call.

Overseeding Pastures in Kentucky written by Ray Smith Overseeding of pastures is an excellent management tool that improves pasture production, forage quality, and ensures a good ground cover the following year without major pasture renovations.

Overseeding consists of planting seed in a field with existing grass cover in order to fill in bare patches and thicken the stand. It can be done over the entire pasture or limited to trouble areas. The best time for overseeding is the fall when weed competition is low and ideal growing conditions exist for cool-season grasses.

Controlling competition from weeds is an important step in overseeding. While herbicides are an effective way of controlling weeds, spraying may also hinder young seedlings, resulting in a failed establishment. Carefully check the label for the recommended waiting period before seeding. In general, weeds are less aggressive in the fall, making it the best time to overseed. Usually, close mowing or grazing can help seedlings establish.

Many overseeding applications fail to establish due to grazing the pasture too soon after seeding. and grazing too heavy the first 6– 8 months.

Proper seeding method is also an important factor in overseeding success. The goal of any seeding method is to place the seed Ÿ to ½ inch into the soil and cover it to achieve good seed to soil contact.

Using a no-till drill is recommended to provide the best chance of success. Harrowing before and after broadcast seeding is another seeding method; however it is much less accurate and effective than (Continued on page 3)

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a no-till drill. Using a cultipacker or roller after the harrow method can help improve seed to soil contact. Finally, frost seeding is an option for overseeding clovers. Frost seeding is broadcasting seed onto the ground during mid to late February and relying on the freeze and thaw cycle to work the seed into the soil. Frost seeding works well with red and white clover, but success is limited with grasses and alfalfa.

Allowing time for seedlings to establish is another critical step in overseeding. Returning livestock to an overseeded pasture too soon can wipe-out any seedlings by grazing or trampling. Ideally, a pasture should have six to eight months of rest after overseeding before heavy grazing resumes; however, a few sessions of light grazing can generally be tolerated by seedlings. Another option is to take a spring hay cutting before returning to full grazing. If it is not possible for animals to be removed from the pasture for six to eight months, consider using temporary fencing and overseeding half of a pasture one year, then the other half the next.

The following recommendations will increase the chances of a successful overseeding application: Apply any needed lime and fertilizer amendments – An up-to-date soil test will indicate the needs of many nutrients needed for both established and growing plants. For more information, contact your local County Extension Agent or consult the UK publication Lime and Fertilizer Recommendations, AGR-1 (www.uky.edu/Ag/ Forage under “Publications”). A low rate of nitrogen at seeding (30 to 40 lbs/acre) will improve the chances of successful establishment.

Use high-quality seed of an improved variety – Use a variety that has proven to be a top performer under Kentucky conditions. The University of Kentucky forage testing program tests the survival of cool-season grasses and legumes under grazing and reports these findings in Forage Variety Trials, www.uky.edu/Ag/Forage.

High-quality seed has high rates of germination and is free of contamination from weed seed. Remember, quality seed will produce a pasture that lasts for years; “cheap seed” will only lead to headaches.

Plant enough seed – Seeding rates are determined by the grass 3

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mixture to be planted. See Table 1 for the recommended seeding rates for common forage plants.

Table 1. Common seeding rates and optimum seeding dates for pasture plant species Species

Rate lb/A (seeded alone)

Rate lb/A (in mixtures)

Optimum Seeding

Endophyte-free or novel endophyte tall fescue

20 – 25

10 – 15

8/20 – 9/20

Orchardgrass

15 – 20/td>

10 – 15

8/20 – 9/20

Kentucky Bluegrass

15 – 20

10 – 15

8/20 – 9/20

Perennial Ryegrass (Endophyte-free)

20 – 25

5 – 10

8/20 – 9/20

Use the best seeding method available – Using a no-till drill is recommended for overseeding, as discussed previously.

Control competition – Close mowing or grazing prior to overseeding will reduce existing grass and weed competition.

Allow immature seedlings to become established – In addition to limiting grazing of an overseeded pasture, also limit herbicide applications at critical times. Typically, seeding grasses should not happen until six to eight weeks after spraying and wait an additional six to eight weeks before spraying a newly overseeded stand.

With clovers the waiting period for seeding after spraying can be six or more months with some herbicides. Always follow herbicide labels.

Allow immature seedlings to become established – In addition to limiting grazing of an overseeded pasture, also limit herbicide applications at critical times. Typically, seeding grasses should not happen until six to eight weeks after spraying and wait an additional six to eight weeks before spraying a newly overseeded stand.

With clovers the waiting period for seeding after spraying can be six or more months with some herbicides. Always follow herbicide labels.

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Other Considerations When Overseeding - Perennial ryegrass is a short-lived, cool-season grass that has exceptionally high seedling vigor and is often used to thicken up troublesome areas. If perennial ryegrass is seeded at high rates (above 20%) it will outcompete other grasses, which will result in bare spots as perennial ryegrass dies out in two to three years. Perennial ryegrass can be infected with an endophyte similar to that of tall fescue, therefore only endophyte-free perennial ryegrass should be seeded.

Purchase seed well in advance of overseeding. High quality seed is in high demand in the fall and may not be available at that time.

Store seed in a cool, dry area to maintain germination levels. Always store in a container that is rodent proof.

Late Summer Nitrogen Applications to Pastures- Will it Pay in 2014? written by Greg Halich We are close to the point where some livestock farmers would normally start to apply nitrogen to tall fescue pastures to boost production levels and stockpile for fall and winter grazing. Since there are many factors that will impact the profitability of this practice, the question at hand is: Under what set of conditions will applying nitrogen to pastures pay this year?

Soil moisture conditions are extremely variable throughout the state right now, with some areas having good to excellent soil moisture and other areas in moderate drought. There are lots of reports of soil moisture conditions changing from good to bad in as little as a five mile distance all through the state. Areas with good soil moisture will have the best response to nitrogen applications.

The price of nitrogen was evaluated on an elemental basis between $0.55-0.75 per unit ($370-500 per ton ammonium nitrate and $505690 per ton urea with urease inhibitor), with application rates of 40 and 80 units/acre. Three response rates (low, medium, and high) were evaluated corresponding to various soil moisture and fertility conditions.

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Farm size and management practices were assumed to be typical Kentucky conditions: 30 cow herd with late winter/early spring calving. Waste rates were estimated at 25% for both hay feeding and grazing. Forage quality was estimated at 55% TDN for hay and 65% for stock-piled fescue. Machinery and labor costs were estimated at $0.09 and $0.29 per cow-day for grazing and hay feeding respectively. P and K from the hay were assumed to be recycled back into pastures at a 50% rate at $.40/lb for P2O5 and $0.40/lb for K2O. A range of hay prices were evaluated to determine which prices, if any, would result in profitable nitrogen applications this year. Results appear in the table on page 4. In general, there appear to be considerable opportunities for profitable nitrogen applications this year, mostly in fescue stands with a low clover content (less than 15%). Assuming a medium response rate and nitrogen priced at $.65/unit ($600/ton urea with urease inhibitor), hay prices at or above $60/ton generated moderate to high cost savings. With the low response rate, these stands generated low to moderate costs savings with hay priced at or above $80/ton. With a high response rate, these stands generated high cost savings with just about all combinations of nitrogen and hay prices.

Cost savings occurred less frequently in the mixed fescue-clover stands. With a medium response rate, hay prices needed to be at or above $100/ton to generate even low cost savings. With the high response rate, hay prices needed to be at least $80/ton to generate low cost savings. Additionally, any potential savings in the fescue-clover stands need to be balanced against the potential loss of clover due to N applications. As a consequence, it is advised to target pastures with the highest fescue content before considering nitrogen applications to these mixed fescue-clover stands.

In terms of current soil moisture conditions, this means that in areas with at least decent soil moisture conditions, mostly pure stands of fescue should provide good opportunities for applying nitrogen and stockpiling forage for late fall and winter grazing. In areas that are starting to fall into drought conditions, it is probably better to wait until mid-August to see if conditions improve.

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As noted above, hay quality was assumed to be medium-quality, mixed hay with a 55% TDN. There is a lot of hay put up in Kentucky that has a much lower feed value. For each 5% reduction in TND (e.g. going from 55% to 50%), add $6-9/acre in cost savings for 40 unit applications and $10-15/acre for 80 unit applications. Use the lower part of this range for the medium response rate and the higher part of this range for the high response rate.

For more detailed results, consult the publication “Profitability of Nitrogen Applications for Stockpiling Tall Fescue Pastures – 2014 Guide” that can be found at:http://www.ca.uky.edu/agecon/ index.php?p=169 A publication that goes into details on the production side is: AGR162: Stockpiling for Fall and Winter Pasture http://www.ca.uky.edu/ agc/pubs/agr/agr162/agr162.pdf

Will Corn be a Viable Option for Backgrounders This Fall?

Dr. Jeff Lehmkuhler, Beef Extension Specialist, University of Kentucky As fall approaches, many beef producers are making plans for weaning this year’s calf crop. With record high calf prices, many calves will be marketed without being weaned or preconditioned.

This provides an opportunity for the backgrounding segment of our industry. However, with the high investment in the feeder calf, folks will be looking for options to reduce inputs. Feed costs are the first area to consider and this year may offer some savings for some operations that have access to corn below elevator cash bids.

Last week’s Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s market report had next day cash corn bids of $3.40-$3.85 which calculates to $120$140/ton range. Soybean hulls from the state were $150 FOB while dried distillers grain was $155 at Hopkinsville, KY. Corn gluten feed in the Midwest was reported in the $140-$160 range FOB. These prices are not what most folks will be quoted when calling the local feed mill or dealer. Cash bids for new corn are often much lower than the price of corn to be sold as feed due to handling, shrink loss, 8

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and mark-up added to ensure a profit margin. These prices of commodities serve as benchmarks and can be used to make adjustments in the feeding program. As of today, corn is a viable energy source in relation to the other coproduct feedstuffs.

Feeding starch-based energy supplements to cattle consuming a forage-based diet has been shown to lower rumen pH and have a detrimental impact of forage digestion. This reduced forage digestibility can lead to lower intakes and decrease overall energy available to the animal. Nutritionists often referred to this phenomenon as a negative associative effect. This doesn’t mean that one can’t feed corn in forage-based rations. One simply has to limit how much starch is offered if the goal is to maximize fiber digestibility.

There are other factors such as forage quality, protein available in rumen and rumen degradability of the feedstuffs. There can be situations in which one would be willing to sacrifice some fiber digestion and feed higher rates of starch-based supplement. This may be when corn is relatively cheap, hay is low quality, hay stores are short, alternate fiber-based coproduct feedstuffs are more costly, and the target rates of gain are moderately high. Sound familiar? This appears to be the situation this fall.

Can corn be used in forage-based programs? Recent research from Iowa involving steers grazing bromegrass and being provided supplemental energy at 1% of body weight in the form of soyhulls, a 20%/80% blend of corn and soyhulls or 40%/60% corn and soyhulls revealed an 8% increase in performance or about 0.2 lb/d increase in daily gains when corn was fed with soyhulls when compared to soyhulls alone. Similar findings were noted by Oklahoma researchers in which Angus steers grazing dormant native range were provided either corn/soybean meal, soyhulls/soybean meal, dried distillers grains or a cottonseed meal/soybean meal supplement. Steers supplemented with a low rate of a 40% protein cottonseed/soybean meal supplement gained 0.44 lb/d while those receiving soyhulls/soybean meal, corn/soybean meal or dried distillers grains gained 0.81, 1.03 and 0.86 lb/d, respectively. The reported supplement conversion (pounds of supplement per pound of additional live weight gain) was numerically lowest, most efficient, for the corn/soybean meal supplement. The level of corn fed (Continued on page 10)

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in this study was 0.67 % of body weight. Brazilian researchers compared beet pulp to corn supplemented at 0.6% of body weight and observed no differences between source of energy when steers were grazing warm-season grass pastures. These recent studies with corn support the option for using it in forage-based programs.

The next question to answer is how much? The level of corn supplementation reported to have no impact on fiber digestibility is 0.25% of body weight. However, others have shown that levels up to 0.7% had minimal impacts when corn was offered and 0.8% when barley was the source of supplemental energy. The levels of supplement from the research discussed above falls within these ranges.

Providing supplemental energy from corn may be a viable option this year to lower feed costs. A 600 lb steer could receive 1.5 to 4 pounds of corn daily and potentially have minimal impacts on fiber digestibility. Often forages require additional supplemental protein in addition to energy reducing the actual level of corn needed.

A scenario in which 600 lb feeders require 1% of body weight in supplement to provide adequate energy will be used to compare possible supplement mixes. It is also assumed that the supplement should contain 16% crude protein and the mineral and vitamins would be provided separately free-choice. A $25/ton mark-up on feed is added to the plant prices reported earlier and corn price is increased by $0.70/bu from elevator cash bids. A 55:45, near 1:1, soyhull/corn gluten feed mix would cost $175/ton. A 60:40 corn and dried distillers grain mixture would provide similar protein at $10/ton less. The same savings would be seen by moving a traditional 2-way mix of soyhulls and corn gluten feed to a 3-way mixture with corn while the crude protein would be lower. This doesn’t include the increased gain and efficiency that may be observed when feeding corn in comparison to other feedstuffs.

If you are considering to utilize corn this year in place of other feedstuffs such as corn gluten feed or soyhulls, call your local extension office to obtain additional information to develop a cost effective supplement program.

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Fall 2014 Wheat Planting Decision Kentucky grain farmers have just started harvesting corn and are getting to the point where they will decide how much wheat to plant this fall. In Kentucky, wheat is almost always planted in the fall following the harvest on corn ground, and then double-cropped with soybeans in early summer after the wheat harvest. This allows for two crops in one year. However, soybeans planted after the wheat harvest are more susceptible to summer drought, which means average yields are lower for these double-cropped soybeans. In Kentucky, this yield reduction typically averages around 20%. As a consequence, the majority of soybeans planted in KY are fullseason plantings rather then double-cropped.

A major change this year, compared to the last few years, is that we have had significant price declines in all three grains. The following information includes estimated returns comparing doublecropped wheat/soybeans with full-season soybeans for the 201415 crop, and the likely implications for Kentucky grain farmers.

In this analysis, I account for additional costs associated with the double-cropping including fuel, machinery repairs and depreciation, labor, hauling, etc. I’m using 2014 new crop CME future’s prices on August 25, 2014 and adjusting for a typical new crop basis.

This results in new crop prices of $10.20/bu for soybeans, $5.70/bu for wheat, and $3.90/bu for corn.

Finally, I’m evaluating two regions with different agronomic characteristics. The first region is along the southwest tier of counties near Hopkinsville, which traditionally does a lot of double-cropping.

The second region is along the northwest tier of counties (Ohio Valley region) that has some of the best yields for corn and soybeans, but traditionally plants less wheat. Cash rent is assumed to be $250/acre for both these regions (note: this will vary substantially, but is done here for illustrative purposes only). Net profit is estimated after subtracting out all variable and fixed costs represented by an efficient operation. Major assumptions are: $3.40/gallon fuel, 20 mile one-way grain hauling, $.42/unit N, $.45/unit P, and $.40/ unit K. Southwest Tier Assumptions: 70 bu wheat 35 bu double-cropped soybeans 11

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44 bu full-season soybeans This results in the following net profits per acre: -$92 double-crop -$73 full-season soybeans So there is a $19 difference in favor of the full season soybeans.

The double-cropped soybean yield would have to increase to 37 bu before wheat/double-crop soybeans were as profitable.

Northwest Tier Assumptions: 65 bu wheat 38 bu double-cropped soybeans 50 bu full-season soybeans This results in the following net profits per acre: -$90 double-crop -$12 full-season soybeans So there is a $78 difference in favor of the full season soybeans.

The double-cropped soybean yield would have to increase to 46 bu in this case before the wheat/double-crop soybeans were as profitable.

Given the current market conditions, double-cropping doesn’t look attractive in 2014-15, particularly in northwest Kentucky. An important note is that this analysis doesn’t account for potential payments from the new ARC and PLC Farm Bill programs. The program rules are not yet finalized but based on my best understanding there would a high likelihood for a $10-25/acre ARC payment for soybeans (at $10.20/bu) and a low likelihood of any ARC payment for wheat (at $5.70/bu). This would further reduce the attractiveness of planting wheat this fall. Price target rates for the PLC program are $8.40/bu for soybeans and $5.50/bu for wheat, which are both below the current expected prices for 2015.

Another important result from this analysis was that all projected net returns were negative in these examples using a $250/acre (Continued on page 13)

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land rent, primarily due to the steep drop in commodity prices (potential payments from the new ARC and PLC Farm Bill programs will improve these net returns). Thus there will be pressure to reduce land rents in 2015 unless commodity prices increase significantly over the next year.

To change the assumptions above to your specific conditions and evaluate your expected profitability, please refer to Department of Agricultural Economics Budgets/Decision Aids website at: http:// www.ca.uky.edu/agecon/index.php?p=29 The Corn-Soybean Budgets and Wheat Budgets are the first through third listed on the site, and can be downloaded or opened directly from this page. Greg Halich can be contacted at Greg.Halich@uky.edu or 859-257-8841. ~ Greg Halich

Conservation District Cost Share Program The Nelson County Conservation District will be accepting requests for cost share funding under the Kentucky Soil Erosion and Water Quality Cost Share and Environmental Stewardship Program through September 30, 2014.

These annual cost share funds are administered by conservation districts with priority given to animal waste problems and agricultural district participants where pollution problems have been identified.

Practices available for funding are: Vegetative Filter Strips, Integrated Pest Management, Pesticide Containment Facilities, Sinkhole Protection, Heavy Use Area Protection, Rotational Grazing System, Water Well Protection, Animal Waste Utilization, Forest Land Erosion Control System, Strip Intercropping System, Stream Crossing, Conservation District Environmental Grant, Cropland Erosion Control System, Pasture & Hayland Erosion Control, Streambank Stabilization, Agriculture Waste Control Facilities, Closure of Ag Waste Impoundment, Riparian Area Protection, On-Farm Fallen Animal Composting and Precision Nutrient Management Incentive.

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The Kentucky Soil Erosion and Water Quality Cost-Share program is funded through the Tobacco Settlement Funds and the Kentucky Department of Agriculture.

For more information on the Kentucky Soil Erosion and Water Quality Cost Share program, visit the Nelson County Conservation District located at 2001 Buchannan Blvd., Bardstown, Ky. 40004.

You may also call the District office at 502-348-3363, extension 3.

County Agricultural Investment Program Cost Share The Nelson County Conservation District has been approved Nelson County Agricultural Development funds for the County Agricultural Investment Program (CAIP).

C.A.I.P. is designed to provide farmers with incentives to allow them to improve and diversify their current production practices.

The County Agricultural Investment Program covers a wide variety of agricultural enterprises in its ten investment areas, including Agricultural Diversity (horticulture, aquaculture, timber); Large Animal (beef, dairy, equine); Small Animal (goats, sheep, swine, bees, rabbits); Farm Infrastructure (hay, straw & commodity storage, greenhouses, livestock, equine & poultry facilities, on farm composting); Fencing & On-Farm Water; Forage & Grain Improvement; On-Farm Energy; Poultry and Other Fowl; Technology & Leadership Development and Value-Added & Marketing.

Starting September 15 you can call to make an appointment to apply. Applications will be taken September 29-October 3 and October 14-17. For more information and application sign-up appointments, please call Gale Hundley at 502-348-3363, extension 104.

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Bardstown, KY 40004

317 South Third Street

Nelson County

University of Kentucky

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