NRHC stressedpastures11

							NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
Purdue Cooperative Extension Service – Hancock County
Contact: Roy Ballard, ANR Educator
317/462-1113 X225
rballard@purdue.edu


January 25, 2011



                                          What Lies Beneath?
Greenfield— Some avid movie fans may think based on the title that this will be an article on a 2000
horror movie. While it’s not the topic the content could be almost as scary for area farmers and perhaps
even turf owners who can read between line lines of the “script”.

The “star” of this scary “movie” or should we call it the “bad actor” is not some over paid Hollywood
personality but the weather…No…not the weather we are having today or even this winter but that of
last spring and summer.

This “movie” is set in a pasture, hayfield and maybe even your home lawn and the “plot” focuses on the
impact of that weather on the yields/performance that you might expect from those areas in the 2011
growing season.

The heavy rainfall that delayed hay harvest in the spring of 2010 for many, and dry weather that
followed in the late summer and fall may have led producers to allow animals to overgraze pastures and
reduced fall regrowth is the villain in this story.

So what does “lie beneath” that snow cover? Is it a field full of dormant but healthy forage plants ready
to burst into growth with the first warm sunny days of spring or is it a scene of death and desolation
inhabited only by bare soil and scary destructive weeds that will grow in to fill the voids?

At this point the well-being of the 2011 forage crop will depend on whether producers alleviate some of
the stresses caused by past management concerns.


Regardless of the weather, forage growers need to take the time to identify the stresses on their hay and
pasture crops season to season so they can eliminate some or all of those issues in the best interest of the
existing plants.


                             · 802 North Apple St. · Greenfield, IN 46140-1338 ·
                                    (317) 462-1113 · FAX: (317) 462-2424
                                      www.extension.purdue.edu/hancock
              Purdue University is an equal opportunity/equal access/affirmative action institution.
First and foremost producers need to look at soil types and take soil samples.

One great resource that you can take advantage of from the comfort of your home office is the Web Soil
Survey (WSS). The WSS is a Web application that provides farmers, agencies, Technical Service
Providers, and others with instant electronic access to relevant soil and related information needed to
make wise land use & management decisions in a logical step by step process. The Web Soil Survey is
available at http://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app/

Soil samples should be air-dried and sent to be tested at a certified lab of your choice for pH,
phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, cation exchange capacity and organic matter. A basic test should
cover all of these different measurements. A list of certified labs is available at
http://www.agry.purdue.edu/ext/soiltest.html

 Any measures of the test that come back at critical levels or less- especially pH-should be given
immediate attention.

Different crops have a different pH level at which they grow best. The cool-season grasses, really prefer
a pH of 6.2-7. Most of the legumes we grow, such as alfalfa, really need a pH closer to 7. In some
cases…but not all…this may require a lime application. Find out before you apply anything!

Proper soil pH ensures nitrogen fixation in legumes and affects the availability of nutrients to the forage
crop. A pH that is off ultimately could result in less desirable forages growing in fields.

It is vital that growers evaluate the stands in their fields. Determine what is in the pasture and whether
it's more forages or weeds. If a pasture has been overgrazed and an abnormally large amount of soil is
showing, overseeding might be an option.

Forage production is not a static process. It’s more of a motion picture than a snapshot. It's the dynamics
of growing crops that are important. Do a good job of scouting. Look at the well-being of the crop as it
grows. Understand why the crop might not meet your objective as it grows. Be diagnostic about things
and take care of the issues in some fashion so the crop can be as productive as possible as the season
progresses.

More information about managing forages is available in the Purdue Extension Forage Field Guide at
https://mdc.itap.purdue.edu/newsearch.asp The guide is $7.

In response to the forage issues of 2010 and the effects of short and low-quality forages on livestock,
Johnson and Purdue Extension beef specialist Ron Lemenager hosted a free webinar that is archived and
accessible to anyone at http://www.thebeefcenter.com .

The ending of the movie is up to as the farmer…You will write the script from here. Regardless of what
lies beneath the snow today you can choose to write an ending of hope and carefully directed regrowth
                             · 802 North Apple St. · Greenfield, IN 46140-1338 ·
                                    (317) 462-1113 · FAX: (317) 462-2424
                                      www.extension.purdue.edu/hancock
              Purdue University is an equal opportunity/equal access/affirmative action institution.
or one of survival of the fittest where weeds will prevail at the expense of the desirable forages for years
to come.

The good news is that this may be an opportunity to improve and reseed pastures and hayfields for
improved growth of species that you prefer.


When it comes to forages I am not the most accomplished “producer/director” but as you have questions
or concerns, please feel free to contact me and I will make the connections with the “Academy Award
winners” in the forages “division” at Purdue.

At the risk of one more bad analogy…Now’s the time to make “lemonade” out of the “lemons” we have
been handed.


                                                      -30-




Additional information as space permits…


New Weed Guide Available Online

2011 Weed Control Guide for Indiana (WS-16) is now available. You can access the Guide on line at
the Purdue Botany and Plant Pathology Web site at http://www.btny.purdue.edu/Pubs/ws/ws-16/ or if
you would rather have your own printed copy of this large publication, you can order it by calling 614-
292-1607.

The 194 page guide contains the latest in weed control recommendations for not only corn and soybeans
but also small grains, legumes and permanent grass pastures and CRP. There is also a lot of
supplemental information that should be very useful.



*********************************************************************************

Whether you are a current market gardener wanting to hone your skills in anticipation of the 2011
market season, an experienced home gardener seeking ways to grow in a more sustainable manner or a
farmer seeking ways to diversify the farm for you or a family member there are a number of educational
opportunities coming up for you.
                             · 802 North Apple St. · Greenfield, IN 46140-1338 ·
                                    (317) 462-1113 · FAX: (317) 462-2424
                                      www.extension.purdue.edu/hancock
              Purdue University is an equal opportunity/equal access/affirmative action institution.
2011 Growing For Market- Next Steps for Market Vendors Series- The Purdue School for Direct
Marketers is a 3 part webinar series to be offered at 21 sites across Indiana. This series will focus on
how to be a more efficient and profitable marketer of farm products sold directly to the consumer.
Wednesday Evenings- February 2, 9, and 16, 6:30 p.m.-9:00 p.m. Eastern

2011 Growing Green- Sustainable Vegetable Culture for Pleasure and Profit - The Purdue School for
Sustainable Vegetable Production is a 5 part webinar series to be offered at 22 hosted sites across
Indiana to focus how to increase yields and profits from the culture of vegetables in a manner that is
respectful of the environment and resources used. February 8, 15, 22 and March 1, and 8, 9:30 a.m.-
11:30 a.m. Eastern

Farming and Agribusiness 2011- This meeting will be held at Central Indiana Power, 2243 E. Main
Street, Greenfield, IN 46140. Hosted by the Community Foundations of Hancock, Rush and Shelby
Counties. To be held on Wednesday, February 23, 2011 at 8:30 AM. Topics will include Succession
Planning for the Family Farm and Farm Tax Strategies and Charitable Giving Using Grain.

To make reservations for this program, please contact the Hancock County Community Foundation at
(317) 462-8870 or e-mail kaddison@hccf.cc

For any additional information on any of these programs you may contact Roy Ballard, Purdue
Extension Educator, ANR for Hancock County at 317-462-1113 or by e-mail at rballard@purdue.edu

Also…look at the website at http://www.ag.purdue.edu/counties/hancock/pages/default.aspx




                             · 802 North Apple St. · Greenfield, IN 46140-1338 ·
                                    (317) 462-1113 · FAX: (317) 462-2424
                                      www.extension.purdue.edu/hancock
              Purdue University is an equal opportunity/equal access/affirmative action institution.