outline what’s new in 2008 weed control refresher common questions about interpreting and using...

Outline

• What’s New in 2008• Weed Control Refresher• Common Questions about Interpreting

and Using Forage Quality Data• Potential research/demo projects.

Common Questions about Interpreting and Using Forage

Quality Data

How good is this hay?

Crude Protein = 13.5%

Crude Protein and Hay Quality

Crude Protein and Hay Quality

• CP is the most overrated measure of quality! Total N x 6.25 = CP, %

• Tells you nothing about the form nitrogen is in Protein (AA), Bound Protein, Nitrates etc.

• Tells you very little about energy content• Protein requirements are (typically) easily

met• Somewhat related to maturity• Important- just overemphasized

• CP is the most overrated measure of quality! Total N x 6.25 = CP, %

• Tells you nothing about the form nitrogen is in Protein (AA), Bound Protein, Nitrates etc.

• Tells you very little about energy content• Protein requirements are (typically) easily

met• Somewhat related to maturity• Important- just overemphasized

Common Questions about Interpreting and Using Forage

Quality Data

High Quality Forage: Forage that is highly digestible (i.e., high TDN) and capable of being consumed in large amounts (i.e., high DMI).

• RFQ = TDN * DMI/1.23http://www.caes.uga.edu/commodities/fieldcrops/forages/questions/rfq.html

NDF and NDFd

HORSES?

The Plant CellThe Plant Cell

PectinsHemicelluloseCelluloseLigninSilica

ProteinOilMineralsSugarsOrganic Acids

Easily Digestible

Neutral Detergent Fiber

Total Digestible NutrientsRelative Forage Quality (RFQ)

Metabolizable Energy

TDNRFQ


Reading Forage Quality Data

What can you make out of Crude Fiber?

• Crude fiber is not an accurate measure of total fiber Much of the lignin and hemicellulose

is lost during the analysis. Even cellulose is not totally

recovered in the CF fraction.




The Plant CellThe Plant Cell

PectinsHemicelluloseCelluloseLigninSilica

ProteinOilMineralsSugarsOrganic Acids

Neutral Detergent Fiber

Total Digestible NutrientsRelative Forage Quality (RFQ)


What can you make out of Crude Fiber?




• Most testing labs no longer report CF. It is required on tags of purchased

feeds.




• Most testing labs no longer report CF. It is required on tags of purchased

feeds.

Feeding the Dairy Herd:http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/livestocksystems/DI0469.html

• Section: Feed Nutrientshttp://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/livestocksystems/components/DI0469-03.html

Forage Quality Question

On the forage reports, it lists:Net energy.... lactation

maintenance gain

Metabolizable energy

What is the practical significance of these variables?Is there a target range for these variables?

Energy Fractionation

GrossEnergy

DigestibleEnergy

MetabolizableEnergy

NetEnergy

Maintenance

Growth

Milk

Other

Loss infeces

Loss inurine & gas

Loss asheat

Forage Quality Question

On the forage reports it lists:Net energy....lactation

maintenance gain

Metabolizable energy

What is the practical significance of these variables?Is there a target range for these variables?

http://www.nap.edu/catalog/nrs/

What is the value of forage quality information?


$60/1000 lb roll51% TDN

$65/1000 lb roll58% TDN

A)

B)

Scenario: Dry Cows• Bale A cost:

No supplement; $65/bale

• Bale B cost: 56 lbs of supplement/1000 lb

bale $4.20 supp. + $60 = $64.20 + labor



$60/1000 lb roll51% TDN

$65/1000 lb roll58% TDN

A)

B)

Scenario: Lact. Cows• Bale A cost:

No supplement; $65/bale

• Bale B cost: 180 lbs of supplement/1000 lb

bale $13.50 supp. + $60 =

$73.50 + labor

In this case, the feeding of one bale paid for the forage

test.

Outline

• What’s New in 2008• Weed Control Refresher• Common Questions about Interpreting

and Using Forage Quality Data• Potential research/demo projects.

Demonstration Projects - 08


Perennial legumes for Coastal Plain pastures.

• Tri-state effort (MS, AL, GA) to establish and evaluate perennial legumes (white & red clovers) for persistence in the region.

• Cost-share program (CIG) 75% of establishment costs Up to ~$110/A (Don’t hold me to that)

• Needs: Good cooperator, ready access to equipment, perennial

grass in good condition (good stand, weed control, fertility, etc.)

Willing to allow field day/pasture walk.


• Tri-state effort (MS, AL, GA) to establish and evaluate perennial legumes (white & red clovers) for persistence in the region.

• Cost-share program (CIG) 75% of establishment costs Up to ~$110/A (Don’t hold me to that)







• Site Options:


• Site Options:



Calibrate and evaluate the variability of drills and seeders.

• Some drills (no-till, et al.) result in over application. High seed costs are here to stay.


• Some drills (no-till, et al.) result in over application. High seed costs are here to stay.




• Size of some forage seeds and mixtures create inaccuracy.


• Size of some forage seeds and mixtures create inaccuracy.

Revisiting Some Old Friends

Revisiting Some Old Friends

Old N Fertilizer ProductsOld N Fertilizer Products

Photo courtesy of Dr. Ray Smith, TAES

The effect of annual clover addition on ‘Coastal’ bermudagrass yields.

The effect of annual clover addition on ‘Coastal’ bermudagrass yields.

Treatment 1965 1966 1967 1968

-------------- dry lbs/acre -------------- Crimson; 200 lbs N/Acre 22500 22300 17500 24500Arrowleaf; 200 lbs N/Acre 24000 21600 16500 27100No Clover; 200 lbs N/Acre 17100 19800 15400 21600

No Clover; 0 N 7700 6600 3500 6200Location: Starkville, MS Source: Knight, W.E. 1970. Agron. J. 62:773-775.

Research Projects - 08Research Projects - 08

Sodseeding winter annual legumes into bermudagrass (and bahiagrass) hayfields

• Evaluate the benefit of annual legume addition to WSP hayfields.

• Funding? Seed will be made available to provide uniform conditions Producer/County may have to provide for other costs





• Evaluate the benefit of annual legume addition to WSP hayfields.

• Funding? Seed will be made available to provide uniform conditions Producer/County may have to provide for other costs






• Treatments (4 replications): Arrowleaf, crimson, and check plot 4 levels of N fertilization (100, 150, 200, and 250 lbs

N/acre)

• No poultry litter applied to area

• Take yield measurements before each harvest. Clippers, 1 ft2 or m2 quadrat, scales (1 - 0.1 g)

• Send samples to Hancock or dry on your own.


• Treatments (4 replications): Arrowleaf, crimson, and check plot 4 levels of N fertilization (100, 150, 200, and 250 lbs

N/acre)

• No poultry litter applied to area

• Take yield measurements before each harvest. Clippers, 1 ft2 or m2 quadrat, scales (1 - 0.1 g)

• Send samples to Hancock or dry on your own.


Developing better estimates of bale weights.

• Bale weight = f(density and volume) 5’ x 5’ bale ~= 100 ft3 (π r2 * h) Density runs ~ 9 - 12.5 ft3

• Factors that will need to be accounted for: Forage species Quality (fiber strength) Variation between sites within a bale

• Overcome variation with a large, diverse sample size


• Bale weight = f(density and volume) 5’ x 5’ bale ~= 100 ft3 (π r2 * h) Density runs ~ 9 - 12.5 ft3

• Factors that will need to be accounted for: Forage species Quality (fiber strength) Variation between sites within a bale

• Overcome variation with a large, diverse sample size



• Commitment: Obtain data and weights on 50 or more bales

Forage, baler model, bale size, visual density, penetrometer reading from several locations, true bale weight, dry matter sample, ….

• Requires: Scale for dry matter readings (1 - 0.1 g) Large scale for weighing bales

Can borrow my scale Obtain/own soil compaction tester

Granger, Nasco, etc.


• Commitment: Obtain data and weights on 50 or more bales

Forage, baler model, bale size, visual density, penetrometer reading from several locations, true bale weight, dry matter sample, ….

• Requires: Scale for dry matter readings (1 - 0.1 g) Large scale for weighing bales

Can borrow my scale Obtain/own soil compaction tester

Granger, Nasco, etc.

QUESTIONS?QUESTIONS?

www.georgiaforages.com1-800-ASK-UGA1

www.georgiaforages.com1-800-ASK-UGA1

outline what’s new in 2008 weed control refresher common questions about interpreting and using...

Documents