What’s Happening on the Farm
It=
216;s
getting chilly here in the North Country and we have donned sweatshirts and
various types of vests. Soon
we’ll be adding Carhartt jackets, hats, mittens, warm socks, etc. to =
our
outfits! But this is just the=
kind
of weather the cows enjoy. An=
d how
about an update on our girls - they produced 90 lbs of milk on their DHIA t=
est
day in September; pretty good, although we’d like to see it closer to=
95
lbs. We have been brainstorming, trying to figure out ways to increase
production. Fat is running about 3.6% and protein is 3.0%. The SCC is hover=
ing
around 200,000 – another area which we’d like to improve. Early=
in
the summer the SCC was in the low 100,000 range, and then climbed to around
200,000 by July and August when we had some cases of Klebsiella mastitis.
Currently there are now only a couple of clinical mastitis cases in the her=
d.
We’ve had a large percentage of heifers calving in lately, but our
milkers have been patient with them in the parlor. The fresh cows are in
general doing very well – no milk fever for months and very few DAs a=
nd
cases of ketosis. Something m=
ust be
going well in the dry cow pen!
=
;
We have a new student at the farm –
—
—
=
;
LAST CHANCE
The Heart’s Delight Farm Heritage Exhibit at =
Miner
Institute will be closing for the season at the end of October. The exhibit is open fr=
om 9
a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays. Near=
ly
4,000 photos along with videos, maps, and blueprints were used to tell the
story of the lives of William and Alice Miner, and to provide documentation=
of
the huge farm’s development—thousands of acres of cropland and =
800
employees. It will take about=
an
hour to do the exhibit justice. The
exhibit is located adjacent to the Farm Office. We are located about one mile west=
of
I-87 (exit 41), 15 miles north of
=
;
Forage Lab Notes: ADFd
Curiosity got to me a while back and I began wonde=
ring
about ADF digestibility and how it compares to NDF digestibility. It’s
long been accepted that ADF is a good indicator of plant maturity and energy
value of a forage. Acid detergent fiber has long been considered to be inve=
rsely
related to the energy content of a feed. The greater the ADF value, the low=
er
the energy value. Many predictive energy equations are based on ADF; for
instance, net energy of lactation (NEl). But what about the digestibility of
ADF itself? Given its inverse relationship with energy value, one might thi=
nk
that ADF is relatively indigestible or much more slowly digested compared to
NDF.
=
Latel=
y we
have been running sequential analyses of our forage samples. Traditionally,
ADF, NDF and in vitro analyses begin with a separate sub-sample of f=
eed
for each analysis. Sequential analyses use the same sub-sample and carry the
resulting residue through all of the analyses. For instance, to determine A=
DF
sequentially, we run the forage sub-sample through the NDF procedure, calcu=
late
NDF, and then run that NDF residue through the ADF method. For ADFd we incu=
bate
the sub-sample in vitro, then run NDF to determine NDFd, then take t=
hat
residue and run an ADF to determine ADFd. The ADFd value is then expressed =
as a
percentage of the sequential ADF value, not the ADF determined from an orig=
inal
sub-sample. Our thinking is that sequential analyses may provide insight to
parameters that better predict forage quality and digestibility.
=
The <=
span
style=3D'mso-bidi-font-style:italic'>chart depicts a number of forage
types that we have determined both NDFd24 and ADFd24 hour values. Interesti=
ng
to note is that ADFd is nearly equal to NDFd across this range of samples.<=
span
style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'>
![](3D"2006_10_files/image001.gif")
=
We ha=
ve yet
to thoroughly examine the data, but of note is that ADFd24 tracks very clos=
ely
to NDFd24 across this diverse set of forages. This indicates that cellulose
digestion is the primary determinant of forage digestibility. ADF is compri=
sed
primarily of cellulose, lignin, ash and some nitrogenous compounds. Neutral
detergent fiber differs from ADF by including hemicellulose along with slig=
htly
more ash, lignin and nitrogenous compounds than are found in ADF. If ADFd a=
nd
NDFd are nearly equal, it suggests that the digestion of hemicellulose is
similar to that of cellulose.
=
Also =
to
note is a possible effect of digestibility: As both NDFd and ADFd decrease,=
the
difference between the two tends to increase. Not sure what this all means =
just
yet, but we will continue to look at sequential analyses, NDFd and ADFd in
conjunction with lignin and other phenolic compounds that influence forage
digestibility.
—
=
;
FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK
DDG in the North
Country
This =
week
Ev and I met with a consultant involved with the ethanol industry in easter=
n
=
;
Major
nutritional considerations when deciding whether or not to feed DG are:
=
1.
Can you feed either wet or dry DG?
If
you can feed wet DG you will save money on drying costs. Additionally, wet =
DG
seem to improve the production of milk fat and protein more than dry DG. Gi=
ven
how milk is priced, feeding wet DG to boost milk component output would be a
profitable feeding strategy.
2.
Variable nutrient content.
We
know that considerable variability can exist among ethanol plants and within
the same plant over time, but there are well-managed plants out there that =
do
an excellent job of tracking the nutrient content of their DG products. In
fact, the consultant we talked with this week showed us nutrient data from =
a
3.
Impact on milk fat production.
Many
nutritionists still are leery of feeding DG because of the fear that it will
depress milk fat. In fact, low milk fat can be observed when DG are fed, and
it‘s likely related to the total intake of unsaturated fat in the die=
t.
High-fat DG are often incorporated into diets that already contain whole
cottonseed and perhaps other fat sources, and predictably milk fat drops. B=
ut
recent research at
4.
Like
all corn protein sources, corn DG will be deficient in lysine, which is the
first limiting amino acid for milk protein production. But the good news is
that we have feeding knowledge and technology today to formulate diets to
fairly easily overcome this problem.
=
;
A maj=
or
issue, perhaps the biggest, is the idea that ethanol byproducts contain so =
much
phosphorus that they will never fit into your nutrient management plan.
Let’s consider a few points: First, current lab analyses of DG being
produced indicate P levels of about 0.80% of dry matter or less. That is
certainly higher than corn grain (~0.30%), but what does it mean for total
ration P content? The latest issue of Journal of Dairy Science had a
paper form
=
;
The b=
ottom
line here: Given all of the positive nutritional and economical attributes =
of
DG (wet or dry), plus the fact that their supply will become more plentiful,
don’t automatically assume that they will not work within your nutrie=
nt
management plan.
—
=
;
SOIL INSECTICIDE USE: Is this trip necessary?
Corn =
insect
control alternatives have changed. A few years ago we had “buck an
acre” planterbox treatments for seed maggots and (in some cases)
wireworms, and soil insecticides for corn rootworms and various other bugs.=
We
still have a planterbox treatment except it’s now $4.00/acre, and we
still have several granular soil insecticides. However, now we have
company-applied seed treatments that at the low rate controls everything a
planterbox treatment does, and at the high rate also controls moderate
infestations of corn rootworms. We also have corn hybrids that are genetica=
lly
resistant to corn rootworms and a bunch of other nasty bugs.
=
;
This =
raises
two questions: If you can use seed pretreatments for moderate levels of
rootworms and resistant hybrids for severe infestations, why would you use a
granular soil insecticide? And if you’re considering buying a new corn
planter, should you spend the extra money for insecticide hoppers? (The com=
bination
of rotten milk prices and what for many has been a miserable crop year has =
some
dairy farmers thinking survival rather than buying shiny new steel, but thi=
s,
too will change.)
=
;
Seed =
corn
pricing plans differ widely between companies, but you can get rootworm
protection as cheap or cheaper with seed pretreatments or resistant hybrids=
vs.
the labeled rates of granular insecticides. Now that some seed companies are
using low-rate seed pretreatments on all their seed corn, the per-acre
difference in price between the low and high rates will be considerably less
than that of a soil insecticide. Recommended soil insecticide application r=
ates
don’t vary according to population. However, with seed pretreatments =
and
genetically resistant hybrids where insect control is built into (or onto)
every seed, the higher your population, the greater the insect protection c=
ost
per acre. Note: This is not a reason to reduce your current plant
population.
=
;
Howev=
er,
there’s a fly or two in the ointment—and isn’t there alwa=
ys?
One involves soil pests other than seed insects and rootworms, particularly
nematodes. Insecticide pretreatments aren’t labeled for nematode cont=
rol,
and rootworm resistant hybrids won’t control them either. Most soil
insecticides aren’t labeled for nematode control (Counter is an
exception). We don’t know how serious nematodes are in
=
;
Then
there’s insect resistance: Soil insecticides have been used in corn
production since the 1950s with no reports of insecticide-resistant corn
rootworms. That’s because a soil insecticide only kills some of the
rootworm larvae. It kills the larvae feeding close to the row, while roots =
near
the center of the rows are too far from the insecticide band and rootworm
larvae can chow down. That’s not what happens with
rootworm-resistant corn, and it’s why in university trials the root
ratings on hybrids with this trait are usually better than any soil
insecticide treatment. As rootworm resistant corn becomes more common, it w=
ill
be extremely important to faithfully observe required refuges—=
which
is the portion of your corn that doesn’t contain seed with this trait.
You can still use the “rootworm rate” of insecticide pretreatme=
nt
on this portion.
=
;
Bottom
line: When it’s time to trade corn planters, think twice before buying
one with insecticide hoppers.
=
—=
=
;
Vet’s Corner: Ear-Notch BVDV-PI Test=
ing
Biose=
curity
and protection of dairy herds from importing contagious disease have been
popular topics for the past decade. Convenient, inexpensive diagnostic tests
have been made available and yet, it has not become standard procedure to t=
ake
advantage of diagnostic tests.
Despite the availability of lab tests, our practice has found four f=
arms
in the past half year with new BVDV infestation brought in by purchased
animals. If these herd additions had been “notched” to remove t=
he
carrier before mixing with the herds, many abortions, unsuccessful breeding=
s,
and respiratory problems would have been avoided.
=
;
When =
a BVDV-PI
carrier exists in a dairy herd, virus is constantly shed, which can cause
respiratory disease and abortion in herds with complete vaccination program=
s.
Our experience has been that when BVDV-PI carriers are eliminated from prob=
lem
herds, abortions stop and reproductive performance improves in less than two
months.
=
;
Comme=
rcially
available ear notchers are used to excise a 1 x 2 cm biopsy specimen of tis=
sue
from the bottom margin of an ear. The specimen can be stored in 10% formali=
n or
frozen and sent to the lab. Our practice collects a week’s worth of
notches and sends them in on Mondays. We usually have results at the end of=
the
week. At the lab the tissue undergoes a special staining process and is
examined for the presence of BVD virus. Positive reactor cattle are reteste=
d to
assure accuracy, but we have never had a false positive. Immediate shipment for slaughter is
advised to end viral shedding in the herd. This spring, PCR testing of the =
ear
notches was offered by a few labs. For the cost of running four individual
tests, pieces of the notches from up to 50 head can be commingled to find a
single carrier. If PCR is positive, the individual notches are run to find =
the
carrier. If PCR is negative, the buyer saves on lab costs and is encouraged=
to continue
testing on future purchases. This offer is particularly valuable when scree=
ning
large numbers of purchased cattle.
=
;
In th=
e past
four years we have found PI carriers during various types of disease
investigations. Poor conception rates, heifer respiratory disease, and calf
scours can have the presence of a BVDV-PI carrier as the underlying cause. =
Ear
notch testing is a standard part of investigations in these syndromes.
—
Northwest Veterinary Associates,=
Inc.
=
;
Calf Pen Recommendations for Naturally Ventilate=
d Calf
Barns DURING WINTER
Hutch=
es are
often recommended as the preferred housing for preweaned calves, but many d=
airy
producers continue to build calf barns in part to provide some relief to
caregivers from cold weather, snow, and rain. I can appreciate this approach
after spending a couple of winters in the
=
Unfor=
tunately,
calf pens within well-ventilated barns often become microenvironments with =
poor
air quality, according to
=
Incre=
ased
ventilation rates improved air quality in the alleys but use of solid front=
s,
rear panels, and covers decreased air quality as indicated by high bacterial
counts within the pen. Enclosed calf pens did not ventilate naturally,
resulting in a tremendous accumulation of airborne bacteria that were assoc=
iated
with an increased prevalence of respiratory disease. Factors associated wit=
h a
reduced prevalence of respiratory disease were reduced airborne bacterial
counts in the pen, presence of a solid barrier between calf pens, and incre=
ased
ability to nest in bedding material.
=
Airbo=
rne
bacterial counts in the pen were reduced when pen area increased, number of
open sections (front, rear, top) of the pen increased, pen temperature
decreased, and wood-based bedding was used instead of straw. The researcher=
s did
note that the benefits of nesting in deep straw outweighed the respiratory
disease risk associated with the increased bacterial counts attributed to
straw.
=
The
researchers suggested that the ideal pen has solid panels on two sides to
separate calves from each other, mesh panels in the front and rear, no cove=
r,
and deep loose bedding during times when the temperature falls below 50°=
;F,
which is the lower end of the thermal neutral zone of a 2 week-old calf. (T=
he
thermal neutral zone is the range in temperature within which the animal us=
es
no additional energy to maintain its body temperature.) It is preferable to
manage drafts and cold stress by providing sufficient bedding to allow nest=
ing
rather than enclosing the pen.
—
NORTHERN CORN LEAF BLIGHT (IMPORTANT STUFF)
We ha=
d more
Northern Corn Leaf Blight (NCLB) in the region’s corn crop this year =
than
we’ve seen in many years. We weren’t alone, since this disease =
was
also reported in
=
;
The N=
CLB
fungus overwinters on corn debris, especially leaves and leaf sheaths adjoi=
ned
to the stalks. Spore formation
occurs on the overwintered debris in the following summer, and spores can be
disseminated to growing corn by rainwater splash (a few feet from debris) o=
r by
air currents (local or distant). Once the local epidemic gets started, spor=
es
are produced on leaf lesions that can be splashed or blown to other leaves,
thus propagating throughout the summer.
=
;
Crop
rotation, silage harvest and clean tillage all contribute to the reduction =
of
local inoculum. However, I am not an advocate of wide-scale moldboard plowi=
ng
to fix this problem. The NCLB fungus, like its cousin that caused the south=
ern
corn leaf blight epidemics of the early 1970s, is windblown and probably ov=
er
long distances. During favorable epidemic seasons with plentiful airborne
spores in the region, the role of local inoculum may be dwarfed by spores
arriving in the air. The regional practice of mainly silage harvest in
=
;
IN THE END, NATURE WINS
O=
ld
German proverb: “All skill is in vain when an angel pees in the touch=
hole
of your musket.” Which is remindful of our rather spectacular lack of
success in controlling horsetail, A.K.A. Equisetum arvense. We’=
;ve
penned previous pages about this poisonous perennial, but last month we once
again searched the World Wide Web in hopes that weed scientists have found =
a magic
elixir to control equisetum. Readers may recall that in our last web search=
we
discovered that one of the commercial uses for equisetum is as a topically
applied bust enhancer for women. (These products had some imaginative brand
names that will not be reprinted here.) This was enough to stop our search
right there, but alas, one of these websites glommed onto Ev’s email
address and for the next few months his email included some very strange ad=
s.
This time we learned from an herbal medicine website that “Equiset=
um
arvense has been used since the time of the Ancient Greeks for wound
healing. Equisetum is well known for its beneficial effect on the urinary t=
ract
and prostate and can help to tone the walls of the bladder and urethra and
strengthen bladder functioning. This herb is widely prescribed as a remedy =
for
bedwetting and incontinence.” (Caution: Consumed in large quantities,
equisetum is toxic enough that many health professionals consider it too to=
xic
for medicinal use.)
=
;
Our h=
opes
of something new and exciting for equisetum control were quickly dashed. Fr=
om
the
=
;
We di=
d find
one herbicide labeled for equisetum control: Casoran. Unfortunately, itR=
17;s
not labeled for use in any field or forage crop. One recommended use is pri=
or
to installing asphalt paving. You mean equisetum will actually grow through
asphalt? For an answer, check out the photo I took a few years ago in
=
;
CRITTER NEWS
Peopl=
e for
the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is in a tizzy over a planned Hallow=
een
promotion at the Six Flags amusement parks, which are offering free “=
line
jumping” privileges to anyone eating a live cockroach. Not just any
cockroach, mind you, but a 3-inch long
=
;
TOOTING THE NORTH COUNTRY HORN
It=
217;s
been suggested that a modern goal for milk production is 2000 lbs of
components (butterfat + protein) per cow. According to Dairy One records, t=
en
farms in NY State are currently at or over that level: Five farms with over=
300
cows and five with under 300 cows.
Of the five farms in the state with over 300 cows and 2000+ lbs of
components, three are right here in
=
;
The N=
orth
Country dairy industry (Lewis, Jefferson, St. Lawrence,
=
;
A BIT OF GOOD NEWS
Lower=
oil
prices should result in lower fertilizer prices in 2007. Of course there=
217;s
still much that can happen to drive fertilizer prices up, but as of now
industry experts don’t see any increase—especially for
energy-intensive products such as nitrogen—and more likely a modest
decline. It’s too early to put numbers to this prediction, but we
certainly wouldn’t be in any hurry to purchase 2007 fertilizer. If you
need to spend some money this fall for income tax reasons (and this is hard=
to
believe given 2006 milk prices), you’d be better off by taking advant=
age
of seed company early-pay programs. Speaking of which, 2007 seed corn prices
appear to be close to 2006 levels. Some prices approach $200 per unit, but
these are usually loaded with seed pretreatments and all sorts of
traits…so if your seed corn costs more, your pesticide bill should be
comparably less.
WORDS OF WISDOM
This =
past
spring a
=
;
There=
’s
some truth to the old saying that the solution to low milk prices is low mi=
lk
prices, and $11 milk won’t last forever. In fact, some are forecasting
record high milk prices by 2008. But the turnaround will come, and when it
does, after you’ve chewed up enough recently acquired debt to consider
some “discretionary” spending, give serious consideration to
subsurface drainage on your wet fields. Yeah, it’s expensive, but=
as
the man said so is dead corn, and it lasts pretty close to forever. Other t=
han
keeping outlets open, modern tile drainage systems need little or no
maintenance so it’s hard to screw up.
=
;
“TRANSITION TO ORGANIC=
221;
(Editorial comment)
With =
the
assistance of the Northeast Organic Farming Association, the Vermont Agency=
of
Agriculture is spending $175,000 this year to help
=
;
Trans=
itioning
to organic milk production may be a good opportunity for some farmers, but
significant challenges lie ahead. To produce certified organic milk, farmers
can’t treat their cows with antibiotics or use Bst and have to feed
forages and grains from land with no commercial fertilizer or pesticide use=
for
the previous three years. Therefore, many farmers are several years away fr=
om certified
organic milk production. Organic grains cost significantly more: According =
to
prices on the Internet, corn costs about 70% more and soybeans 130% more.
(Organic hay and silage prices are very hard to find on the Internet.)
=
;
The <=
st1:PlaceType
w:st=3D"on">University of
=
;
How l=
ong
will the current farm price differential exist between organic and regular
milk? WalMart and Safeway are now in the organic milk business; the
“walmartising” of organic milk doesn’t bode well for $26-=
30
organic milk. Also on the horizon is, well, Horizon. That’s Horizon
Organic, owned by multi billion dollar Dean Foods. A USDA ruling that Horiz=
on
and similarly huge Aurora Organic Dairy are indeed “organic” (as
they claim) could have a negative impact on the long-range profitability of=
the
Northeast’s mostly less than 100-cow organic dairy farms. Since
=
;
We= 217;re all for anything that increases the profitability of our region’s dai= ry farms, large and small. For some farmers, organic milk may be a profitable alternative. For some it will not be, and it may be a long and costly proce= ss for them to discover this discouraging fact. In fact, some farmers trying to “transition to organic” will find themselves lost in transit. <= o:p>
=
;
Accor=
ding
to reputable scientific sources there isn’t any difference between
organic and regular milk. British research found more Omega-3 fatty acids in
organic milk, but that was almost certainly because the cows were
pastured—and pasturing alone doesn’t produce organic milk. Howe=
ver,
many consumers who purchase organic milk pay are willing to pay three times=
the
price based on what they think or feel rather than on the facts. Oh, well; =
as
someone once said, if ignorance is bliss some people must be orgasmic.
—E.T.
=
=
;
RESEARCH SUMMARY
Anyon=
e who
thinks you don’t have to process brown midrib (BMR) corn should think
again. University of Delaware research compared processed and
unprocessed BMR corn, and processed non-BMR corn. Compared to unprocessed B=
MR
corn silage, processed BMR silage had better starch digestibility, less than
one-sixth the number of kernels in the manure, higher dry matter intake and
higher milk production. Compared to processed non-BMR silage, processed BMR
silage resulted in higher milk production but few other differences. Perhaps
the most meaningful result in the study was a 6.4 lb. difference in milk
production between BMR and control corn silage: 97.5 vs 91.1 lbs/cow.
RESEARCH =
NEWS
YOU CAN USE
1. <=
span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;line-height:110%'>Europ=
ean
research looked at the effect of corn silage storage time on the digestibil=
ity
of starch and protein. Using 15 corn silages ranging widely in dry matter a=
nd
starch content, they analyzed them every two months beginning at 2 and endi=
ng
at 10 months. Here’s what they found:
=
· &n=
bsp;
Starch digestibility increased with storage time for each period. The
improvement in digestibility was enough that silage storage time should be
considered in ration formulation.
· &n=
bsp;
Increase in starch digestibility was considerable for well-matured co=
rn
silage, but almost nothing for corn silage ensiled at less than 30% DM.
· &n=
bsp;
Protein digestibility also increased with storage time.
=
This
really isn’t much different than what we’ve been telling farmers
for years: Don’t feed freshly fermented corn silage; if possible
don’t feed new crop corn silage until near the end of the calendar ye=
ar.
However, what is new (to us, at least) is the fact that digestibility may
continue to increase for 10 months.
=
;
2. <=
span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;line-height:110%'>Also =
to the
surprise of almost nobody involved in agriculture,
=
;
=
;
GLOBAL WARMING AND CORN HYBRID SELECTION
As
we’ve noted before, in any discussions of climate change the long vie=
w is
best. We’ve been keeping weather records here at the Institute since
1961, a comparative millisecond compared to long range climate change, but
let’s just look at the past ten years. Does it seem like the growing seas=
ons
have been getting warmer? According to daily temperature readings here, yes=
and
no. In the past ten years, average May through September growing degree days
(the available heat for growing corn) have increased by an average of 16% v=
s.
the 45-year mean. However, five years were above average and five years were
below average. Therefore, if you plant a longer-season corn hybrid than usu=
al,
there’s only a 50-50 chance that 2007 will be warmer than normal and =
you
stand a fair chance of maturity the hybrid. This assumes that you’ve been
planting the “right” corn maturity. At Miner Institute we’=
;re
beginning to suspect that we can plant a modest acreage of a slig=
htly
longer-season hybrid than we have been. (105 RM vs. 100 RM). This is partly
based on our being able to mature a 105 RM hybrid to 35% DM by mid-September
this year. Ah, but we were able to start planting May 1st and th=
is
year we had about 160 GDD more than the 45-year average. Don’t make
wholesale changes in hybrid selection based on one year’s experience.=
—E.T.
=
;
=
;
SELECTED U.S.
What a
difference a century makes. Following are some
=
;
· Only =
8% of
homes had a telephone; just as well since a 3-minute call from
· There=
were
only 8000 cars and 144 miles of paved road. Maximum speed limit in most cit=
ies:
10 mph.
·
· The a=
verage
wage was 22 cents per hour and the average worker made less than $400 per y=
ear.
By comparison veterinarians were rich, earning between $1500 and $4000 per
year.
· 90% of
doctors had no college education, attending “medical schools”, =
many
of which were condemned as substandard by both the press and the government.
Perhaps not coincidentally, over 95% of births took place at home (Better a
competent midwife than an incompetent doctor.).
· Top t=
hree
causes of death: Pneumonia/influenza, tuberculosis, diarrhea. Most folks
didn’t live long enough to die from cancer or heart disease. Average =
life
expectancy: 47 years.
· Go we=
st,
young man, but not north because
· Not
everyone was poor: 18% of households had at least one full-time servant or
domestic help. (This did not include husbands or wives.)
· There=
were
only about 230 reporter murders in the entire
=
;
FARM NOTES
· &n=
bsp;
=
;
· Estim=
ates
of global warming include what to some of us seem like trivial increases in
average temperature. (The earth’s temperature has increased by about
1ºF in the past century.) However, what’s happening in Greenland
points out how much difference a couple of degrees can make: Over the past =
30
years the average temperature in one of the more developed regions of
=
;
· &n=
bsp;
Yet another reason to rotate herbicides instead of using the same one
year after year: USDA researchers discovered that while atrazine’s
“half life” (the length of time before half of it becomes
ineffective) is typically 30 to 45 days, where atrazine was used for many y=
ears
the half life was only 4 to 6 days. This may be due to the buildup of
atrazine-munching bacteria in the soil. Think the weeds are getting
“tougher” the longer you grow corn in the same field? Maybe
it’s because your herbicide is losing its punch.
TWENTY-FIVE AND COUNTING
I was
recently reminded that as of this month I have been working at Miner Instit=
ute
for 25 years. (Certain cynics here would contest the validity of the word
“working” but we won’t go into that.) I’ve actually
been at the Institute for a lot longer than that, first coming here in the
winter of 1968-69 as a Regional Extension Specialist for Cornell University.
Miner Institute offered the newly formed Regional Dairy and Field Crops Team
free office space and a secretary, and never one to look a gift horse in the
mouth, we accepted. Therefore, while I’ve been with Miner
Institute for 25 years, I’ve been at the Institute for 39 year=
s.
=
;
It=
217;s
been an exciting and rewarding (for me, anyway) quarter century, if for not=
hing
else by being able to observe the workings of the various “chief
executives” here at the Institute: Starting with Rod Lundy, whose
background wasn’t remotely connected to agriculture but who was to a
great degree responsible for expanding the Miner Institute-Cornell Universi=
ty
relationship; followed by my great friend Harry Randy, whose time both here=
at
the Institute and on earth itself was far too short, thence to Charlie Snif=
fen,
AKA Eminent Ruminant Nutritionist, who really got our research program movi=
ng
and was one of the sharpest minds in dairy nutrition and at times the Nutty
Professor at (Hi, Charlie); f=
inally
to the more buttoned-down
—E.T.
=
NOTABLE QUOTES
·
“L=
ittle
boys are proof that humans have a larval stage. Uniformly disgusting, they =
are
therefore easily understood by fathers.” —John Phipps
·
“Give a person a fish and you feed them for a day; teach
a person to use the Internet and they won't bother you for weeks.̶=
1; —Andy Rooney
·=
; =
“W=
hen I
was a boy I was told that anybody could become President; I'm beginning to
believe it.” —Clarence Darrow
·
“There are only two reasons to sit in the back row of an
airplane: Either you have diarrhea, or you're anxious to meet people who
do.” —Henry
Kissinger
·
“Maybe it's true that life begins at fifty... but everything =
else
starts to wear out, fall out, or spread out.” —Phyllis Diller
=
=
FIELD CROP DEALER MEETINGS
Corne=
ll Cooperative
Extension will hold its annual series of meetings for those involved in fie=
ld
crop production. Copies of the 2007 Cornell Guide for Integrated Field C=
rop
Management will be available. Registration begins at 9:00 AM, program
starts at 9:45. Registration including lunch and the Cornell guide is $35.0=
0.
The closest date and location is Tuesday, October 24, Comfort Suites,
=
;
WHAT̵=
7;S
ON FARMERS’ MINDS
To gi=
ve
readers an idea of what’s happening in the hinterland (hinterland =
n:
a region remote from urban areas), here are some recent questions coming ac=
ross
the Crops Dude’s desk, phone and email inbox:
=
;
· Will =
my
corn make it to 30% DM before frost? (Lots of these.)
· What =
should
I do if it doesn’t? (Lots of these, too.)
· Shoul=
d I
inoculate immature corn silage? (Yup.)
· Have =
you
ever seen white grubs destroy parts of a newly seeded alfalfa field? (Nope.=
)
· When =
should
I chop grain-type soybeans for silage? (It was already too late.)
· Will =
bison
eat large round bale grass silage? (Yes.)
· Will =
horses
eat large round bale hay? (Of course.)
· Where=
can I
get goat’s milk tested for bacteria content? (Maybe the closest milk
plant. Maybe not.)
· What =
about
asphalt for bunker silo floors? (Sure, go for it. One of these every few
weeks.)
· What =
about
asphalt for barn floors? (We’re not as excited about this idea.)
· Why d=
id the
cows get sick and one die right after feeding free choice fresh chop corn
silage?
(Not
sure; maybe an overload of su=
gar
but a bad idea anyway.)
CALENDAR
EVENTS
http://www.whminer.com/calend= ar.html
CLOSING COMM=
ENT
The best substitute for brains is silence.