Monitoring First Cutting Harvest Timing

8 years ago

By Joe Lawrence, Cornell University

First cutting can represent a significant portion of your total hay crop for the year and has the potential to be very high quality feed if harvested at the correct timing. To help you monitor that timing there are tools available.

Monitoring Programs

Several Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) teams statewide (New York state) offer weekly monitoring programs in the month of May and provide field updates in many areas of the state. See the list of 2017 programs below and contact your local CCE specialist to receive these weekly updates.

Alfalfa Height

Alfalfa height is a great indicator of harvest timing for alfalfa and grass fields. The graph below can be used to identify the optimum alfalfa height for harvest based on the percent grass in the stand.

Mixed Stand

A key to utilizing this information is an accurate determination of the percent grass in the field. Due to the growth habits of the crops it often appears that there is a higher % alfalfa than there actually is. It is very important to walk fields and get a representative view of the percentage in the entire field. Given that our eyes often tell us there is more alfalfa there than there actually is be prepared to harvest earlier than anticipated if the sample comes back with a higher percentage grass.

Harvest Preparation

Have everything in place to roll when fields are ready to be cut.
- Harvest Team & Equipment
- Storage site
- Be prepared to stop planting corn when the hay in ready to harvest
- Consider everyone’s safety during this busy season

Minimize the Harvest Window

Minimizing the time between cutting and chopping is very beneficial to forage quality
“Hay in a Day” can improve forage quality and allow for quality harvest in narrow weather windows.
- True wide swathing is a swath that is laid out at > 80% of cutter bar width
- Removing conditioners from the mower will accelerate dry down to silage moistures
- Strive for a uniform swath with no clumps

Storage

Proper Dry Matter Content at Harvest
Consider the use of inoculants, especially for forage destine for feed out in warm months
Bunk Silos/Drive Over Piles – Packing Weight, Packing Weight, Packing Weight and COVER

2017 CCE 1st Cutting Monitoring Programs

Central NY Dairy and Field Crops Team

Chenango, Fulton, Herkimer, Montgomery, Otsego, Saratoga & Schoharie Counties

Kevin Ganoe, [email protected], 315-866-7920 x230

David Balbian, [email protected], 518-312-3592

Website: https://cnydfc.cce.cornell.edu/topic.php?id=18

Delaware County CCE

Delaware County

Dale Dewing, [email protected], (607) 865-7090

Paul Cerosaletti, [email protected], (607) 865-7090

Website: https://www.ccedelaware.org/ag/

North Country Regional Ag Team