Forage Production

The last few years have been difficult ones for hay producers.

Regardless if someone is producing hay to feed to their own stock or producing it for sale to the public, the economics of hay production have changed drastically in the last several years. As a result, many producers are now taking a long-overdue look at the economics of hay production.

Irrigation water is essential for profitable crop production in most of the arid West.

Proper irrigation management is key for high yields and to avoid stress from too much or too little water. Improper irrigation management limits yields more often and to a greater degree than any other production factor.

The main purpose for irrigating is to supply needed water for crops.

Plant growth is dependent on photosynthesis. While the plant exchanges gases with the air for photosynthesis, some water evaporates. Water is taken up from the soil by plant roots to replace this water. The water leaving the plant is called transpiration.

An interview with Glenn Shewmaker, Forage Extension Specialist, University of Idaho

Q. What is your background in forages?

What crops gain the most with alfalfa rotations?
“We are primarily in dry-land country, so we use alfalfa in rotation with our wheat acres. It has been great as a soil-builder in addition to providing cheap nitrogen.

Gary Vermeer, founder and chairman emeritus of Vermeer Corporation in Pella, Iowa, died February 2 at the Comfort House of Pella. He was 90 years old.