How Do I Handle My Hay Fields and Pastures in Severe Drought?
By David Hunsberger, King’s AgriSeeds First we need to clarify what sort of perennial forage stand we are managing. The answer will be different for pure or very dominant legume or grass swards. Alfalfa and hay fields with high concentrations of alfalfa hay. After 30 days or so most alfalfa stands will want to start…
Small Grains, The Backbone of Many a Rotation
You may look at most small grains – oats, rye, wheat, triticale, barley, spelt – and think of either grain or forage. As it happens, small grains also make excellent cover crops. They are easy and economical to establish and grow, great at building soil, and helpful for uptaking excess nutrients. Get them in the…
Cover crops and no-till – a physical defense against soil-borne disease
You may often think of cover crops as a way to prevent erosion and add diversity to your rotation, but they have another less obvious but very tangible benefit – they can create a physical barrier against soil insects and diseases. Foliar diseases in corn can be greatly reduced where cover crops and no-till/reduced tillage practices are…
Annual Clovers for the South
Winter annual clovers have a great advantage in the realms of cover cropping and forage – they grow more high quality forage and fix more nitrogen than perennials in a shorter time span. All of them are high in protein. Annual clovers grow faster and contribute unique advantages to the rotation. Remember to inoculate any untreated seed with clover…
Tackle Herbicide Resistant Weeds with Cereal Rye
Palmer amaranthPhoto credit: Penn State One central strength of many cover crops is their allelopathy – their tendency to exude chemicals from the root system that inhibit the germination and growth of other plant species. In doing this, the crop creates conditions to favor itself and eliminate competition – an excellent survival strategy. In other words, the…
Get Help for your Dairy – Grants Available through CDE’s On Farm Resource Team Programs!
Using a team approach to provide greater insight into your business decision making process can lead to improved profitability, enhanced performance and future opportunities. It can also smooth the road for transition to the next generation or transform into a new business model. The Center for Dairy Excellence leverages funds provided through the Commonwealth of…
First-of-Kind Cover Crop Study
This is a research site in November 2011, approximately 3 months after cover crop planting. (Courtesy of Penn State Agriculture) Original article by Morning Ag Clips Planting a multi-species mixture of cover crops — rather than a cover crop monoculture — between cash crops, provides increased agroecosystem services, or multifunctionality, according to researchers in Penn…
Finance Programs 2016-2017
Our Pre-Pay Program kicks off in September with 8% credit for all prepay. 8% continues through October and then drops by one percentage point each month through February. Contact your local dealer today to learn more about our Pre-Pay Programs. PROGRAM PERIOD CASH DISCOUNT SEPTEMBER 1 – OCTOBER 31 8% NOVEMBER 1 – NOVEMBER 30…
New York Dairy Farm Runs on MC 5250
We started using Master’s Choice hybrids 3 years ago and now we are basically all Master’s Choice. We also appreciate the quality and yields of the King’s forage products. The products do not disappoint us. It makes farming a little more pleasant when you can deal and work with people who care about you. The corn pictured is…
Planting Green into a Cover Crop to Keep Soil Life Active
Planting corn green into hairy vetch. The planter cut through the young living crop easily. Even a short time without living roots in the soil can impact your farm ecosystem. If you practice no-till religiously, you are probably quite familiar with this concept. Although at King’s we generally don’t preach no-till orthodoxy, we do…
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