AGRONOMY

Croplan Enewsletter May 2012

GET READY...SET...GO!!
Now is the time to start thinking about and preparing for 1st crop alfalfa har- vest. By cutting at the right time, high yield and forage quality will be maxim- ized. With warmer than normal March temperatures followed by a “cool” April, many producers are asking when to start 1st crop harvest. <...read more...>

Harvesting Alfalfa in 2012

Dr. Dan Undersander - University of Wisconsin

Alfalfa growth started early this spring. We will likely harvest 2 to 3 weeks early to get dairy quality hay across most of the Midwest. There are a growth couple factors have not been adequately recognized. The first is that we were dry generally across the Midwest during late March and early April. Alfalfa needs good soil moisture for early root development during this time. The drought reduced root growth and means that first cutting yields will be less than they might be otherwise. The second factor is the cool weather that has occurred during the last two weeks of April. While frosts have generally not killed stems, overall growth has been reduced. The cool and wet weather has also increased some leaf diseases. <...read more...>

Agronomic Update

By Ryan Bode - TSM

Greetings:
Welcome to Spring!  I think…
Coming off a record setting March for temperatures, April seems to be back to normal and planters are already rolling or poised to soon hit fields.  Soil conditions in most areas of my territory are great and should result in good seed beds for planting.  We have had some nice rains to replenish the depleted soil moisture profile!  In this update, I want to touch on the germination process of corn.  Understanding this process will be important as you evaluate stands over the coming weeks. <...read more...>

Frost Damaged Alfalfa

By Croplan Genetics

Recent cold temperatures have many producers asking questions about their alfalfa crop development. The very warm March conditions produced unprecedented early spring alfalfa growth, in the upper Midwest.
1. Field evaluation on is necessary to determine how vulnerable early alfalfa growth was to frost. If frosted, how will it affect our production and stands for the rest of year? What are my options if I have stand loss? If frost damage is present, should I cut it? <...read more...>

Frosted Alfalfa

By Dan Undersander, UW Extension Learning for Life

Alfalfa has started growing extraordinarily early this year. The amount spring growth is unusual when we are still having some freezing nights and has caused many management questions among farmers.
Alfalfa is tolerant of cold temperatures. To make the best management decision we must understand the growth and biology of alfalfa. A few alfalfa growth principles in mind: <...read more...>

"Fallow Syndrome" - Increase Starter P for Corn and Wheat

By Agvise Laboratory

Excessive rainfall and flooded fields resulted in millions of unseeded acres in 2011. As spring seeding approaches, it is very important to remember the special fertility needs of fields that did not get seeded last year. “Fallow Syndrome” is a problem that occurs after soils have been water logged for some time with little or no plant growth. Healthy soils have high populations of beneficial fungi that help plants take up nutrients like phosphorus and zinc from the soil. One important Microorganism is vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizae (VAM). This fungus actually grows inside host plant roots and gets carbohydrates/energy from the plant. <...read more...>