Planting

Today cover crops are more widely accepted and planted on more acres than they were just a few years ago. I think most of that is producer comfort with planting and managing cover crops.

It has always been said corn is king and alfalfa is queen. But what do we do when the king is dead and the queen is gone? Forage shortages and piles of nasty feed are a reality this year across the Midwest and the East, not to mention possible winter-killed alfalfa.

Crop scouting can catch issues before they impact your yield, but are you maximizing the benefits?

Scouting crops is as simple as looking for what is “not normal.” If found, then try to figure out the why, says Brian Lang, field agronomist with Iowa State University Extension.

Grain drill calibration is a critical yet often ignored part of successful forage establishment and pasture renovation. Planting lower seed rates than recommended can result in thin stands susceptible to weed encroachment.

As our ability to analyze forage for more and more specific parts of fiber, protein and fats grows, the metrics we use are often confusing to the many who read the reports. Are they necessary? Which parts are important and for what? Are they for the nutritionist?

Debates about uncoated, light-coated (9 percent) and heavy-coated (34 percent) alfalfa seed are common among seed sellers and farmers.