Illegally bagged seed: more pain than gain
From American Agriculturist, May 10, 2017 âBrown baggersâ more pain than gain Buying cheaper seed isnât worth the aggravation that follows â especially if itâs illegal. Thatâs why state ag secretaries and commissioners warn against buying and selling âbrown bagâ seed almost every spring. If itâs not tested for purity and germination and doesnât carry your stateâs…
May 25, 2017: Many Southeastern NY hay fields past ready for harvest
Cornell University Cooperative Extension Hay harvest has been in full swing this week and crops have continued to advance in maturity. Orchardgrass and bluegrass were in early heading stage and both grass and legumes grew rapidly. Grass fields have passed the target NDF and we recommend harvest of grass core acres as quickly as possible.…
Why you shouldn’t plow down your cover crop too early…
What a difference a month makes! This organic corn field in Trumansburg, NY was interseeded last July with a crimson clover and annual ryegrass cover crop. This was the field on April 15: Here’s the same field only a little more than a month later – May 24… The moral of the story? Give your…
How do I know when to graze mixtures?
Tim Fritz, President and Owner Alfalfa with Milkway grass mix Mixtures bring yield stability to a forage field as each species and variety has its own strengths and weaknesses. These factors include: soil adaption, climate adaptation, disease resistance, harvest timing, yield distribution over the seasons, nutrient needs and contributions to soil health, and of course…
Thoughts from Tim Fritz on tough times, Spring 2018
Kingâs AgriSeedsâ core mission is to provide high quality forages and cover crops to our farm community. The dairy industry in particular is currently in severe distress. 2018 is starting out to be a brutal year. Not only are the prices being received lower than a rough 2017, but there are several cases of dairy…
Are Nurse Crops Needed? Factors to Consider in Spring Cool Season Perennial Seedings
The King’s AgriSeeds Agronomy Team You may be wondering how necessary it is to plant a nurse crop, such as oats, with your perennial grass or alfalfa seedings this spring. Hereâs the scoop: The main function of spring nurse crops is for weed control. Fall nurse crops, on the other hand, also serve as a…
Diamonds in the Rough: Products to get to know better
By Joy Beam Summer Feast: 88% Wonderleaf Millet 12% T-Raptor Hybrid Brassica Diversity has certainly been one of the latest fads in forages: adding more and more species to your cover crop or pasture mix for increased production and soil health. But past a certain point, more is not necessarily better, nor is it always…
The Carbon Cycle
By Harold Schrock Carbon. This is arguably the most important physical factor in all of life, and is the primary nutrient needed for plant growth. There are several aspects of carbon that effect farmers. In plants this material makes the bulk of the dry matter, in soils it is the bulk of the organic matter…
Seed Coatings – What does OC, CT and YJ mean???
At Kingâs AgriSeeds we use a number of different seed coatings, both Conventional (CT) and OMRI-approved (OC), to improve seedling establishment and growth. As you look at our price sheet you will see another seed coating Yellow-Jacket (YJ). All of these coatings may come across as a little confusing, weâd like to take a minute…
Diversify Your Hay Portfolio
By Joy Beam – King’s AgriSeeds, New Jersey Regional Coordinator Have you ever considered the depth of your hay fields portfolio? Just as diversity in business helps limit risk, diversifying your hay fields helps you weather the all-too-familiar challenges that come with making hay. With many different forage species available, hay programs can easily be…
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