|
To: Maine Dairy farmers
From Rick Kersbergen
Herbicide applications in Corn
Timely post control of weeds in corn is critical for maximum yield. Corn is
less resilient than soybeans and early season weed competition can have lasting
impacts. In general, timely POST applications of herbicides to corn should be
between the V2 and V4 stages of corn growth when most annual weeds are less than
4 inches tall. This is true for glyphosate (Round-up Ready) tolerant corn as
well! In addition, corn tolerance to herbicides is almost always better when
the corn is V4 or less. Applications beyond V4 increase the risk of herbicide
injury because of warmer air temperatures and higher humidity.
Nitrogen Testing in Corn
With fertilizer prices as they are, there is no reason NOT to test the nitrate
status of your corn before applying urea or other nitrogen sources as a
sidedress. This test has been around for many years, and while it has some
problems, it is still the best predictor of nitrogen status during the growing
season. If you want to utilize this tool, be aware that sample handling and
speed of analysis is important. You need to contact me or whoever is going to do
the test well in advance so we can be ready! The corn should be sampled when it
is 8-10” tall.
Armyworm outlook
There have been some reports of scattered armyworm outbreaks! While this has
been limited so far, it is critical to scout your grass fields and adjacent
corn. If you have any small grains, you should scout them as well.
Biodiesel workshop, Thursday June 12, 2008 at Highmoor Farm in Monmouth
A mobile
biodiesel processor from North Carolina will be at Highmoor farm for a workshop
on the 12th.
The day long workshop begins at 9:45 (Bring your lunch). Speakers will discuss
small scale bio-diesel production and the production of oilseed crops. Cost is
$6.00. Contact Caragh at 1-800-287-1482 for more information.
Compost Research Facility
The Maine Compost team in association with the University of Maine has opened a
compost research facility at Highmoor farm. They are hosting an open house on
June 24th from noon-4 pm. To RSVP, contact the Knox-Lincoln Extension office at
1-800-244-2104
Rogers Farm Field Day July 10 University of Maine
Visit the research farm to see forage trials, alternative weed control options
and visit with the faculty at the University.
Rain and Hay
Lots of hay
got rained on this past week and there has been some question about how this
affects the hay. This graph will help explain why this is a “depends” type of
question.
Wide Swath Mowing
The research
continues to show the benefits of cutting and drying in a wide swath. Quicker
drying results in more digestible forage and better quality. Open those mowers
and lay it out as best you can. Some farmers are now using swathers to double
and triple windrows before chopping or baling. Conditioning rollers are not
nearly important when making silage, but are important when taking the crop to
dried hay.
How important is getting that first cut done early?
I don’t think
I need to tell anyone how grain prices are impacting your bottom line. The best
way to cut grain costs while maintaining production is to harvest quality
forage,
and maturity is the number one factor in quality.
Not only is quality
important in early cut forage, aftermath yield (2nd, 3rd cuttings) are impacted
as well, with higher yields for both if grass is cut in the boot stage.
-
Need manure
recordkeeping books? Call 1-800-287-1426
-
Want to
find this information on the web?
www.umext.maine.edu/Waldo/Ag
-
We have a
new sustainable agriculture specialist
Ellen
Mallory
at 1-800-870-7270 or 581-2942
-
We have a
new Veterinarian in our diagnostic lab
Anne
Lichtenwalner
at 581-4430
Milk-feed ratio slips further
by
Dairy Herd Management magazine
In May, the
milk-feed price ratio fell to 1.83. That is a 0.06-point loss from April and
0.71 points less than a year ago. That means, a dairy producer could buy 1.83
pounds of feed for every pound of milk sold.
 According to the USDA, the all-milk price used to calculate the May ratio is
$18.20. That is up 20 cents on a monthly and yearly basis.
The corn price retracted 3 cents to $5.12 for May. However, it is still about 47
percent higher than a year ago when it was $3.49 per bushel. The price of
soybeans rose 30 cents for May to $12.30 per bushel. That’s about 73 percent
higher than the May 2007 price of $7.12. Baled alfalfa hay climbed $20 to $177
per ton. That is $32 higher than a year ago.
Whenever the ratio meets or exceeds 3.0, it is considered profitable to buy feed
and produce milk. |
