Forage And Livestock Town Hall
DR. ANTHONY OHMES
JACKSON, MO.
MU Extension Town Hall Forage and Livestock is on Thursday at 12 pm (noon). You can register for the forage crop town hall forum at the IPM website: https://ipm.missouri.edu/.
Wheat
Annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) is a troublesome weed of wheat and corn. Management this time of year is to scout wheat fields for problem edges or areas to manage next season. I have seen ryegrass in many cases begin along field edges and move through the field with harvest equipment. Early season identification and timely application of labeled herbicides are both necessary to effectively manage this weed. For identification information, refer to the MU weed ID guide web link (https://weedid.misso uri.edu/weedinfo.cfm?w eed_id=160) or download the MU Weed ID App. For additional MU Weed Science resources visit the website: https://extension2.missouri.edu/programs/weed-science
Forage
Summer annual weeds
Summer and perennial broadleaves are the predominant weed types in pasture/hay fields. Start walking pasture and hay fields to identify summer annual weeds, such as cocklebur, ragweed and pigweed. Timely application of herbicides to small actively growing weeds will provide a higher percent efficacy on summer annuals. Summer is also a time to monitor for problem perennials such as sericea lespedeza. MU Weed Science has information on their website on Weed Management in Pastures. The MU IPM Weed and Brush Control Guide 1031, along with the MU Weed ID guide (also available as an app) are resources for weed identification.
Hay sampling
Timely harvest of cool season grass hay in SE Missouri is a challenge and this season has been no exception. Rains have delayed harvest or have fallen on cut hay, leading to over-mature or rain damaged hay. Avoid baling hay when moisture is too high. Round bale moisture at baling, for example, should not be above 18 percent. Wet hay runs the risk of loss through mold and excessive heating. Consider stockpiling fescue this fall to extend grazing season. This year it will be important to test forage in order to have information needed to accurately balance animal rations. When taking hay samples, avoid end bales, be sure to get a core sample and not a grab sample.
For more information, call Pat Miller at 417-448-2560 or e-mail her at MillerPD@misouri.edu. ∆
DR. ANTHONY OHMES: Agronomy Specialist, University of Missouri