Pasture and Forage Minute

Hay is expensive and many long hours go into harvesting, storing, and feeding it. Don’t waste up to a third of it by using poor feeding practices. Ben Beckman, Nebraska Extension Forage Systems Educator.

To lighten the workload when feeding hay, we often take short cuts and leave some twine or net wrap on the bales. And whether we want them to or not, animals eat some of that twine. Jerry Volesky, Nebraska Extension Range and Forage Systems Specialist.

Cold winters help prevent many potential pest insects from being established in Nebraska or require species that cannot survive our winters to migrate from southern states each year. The insects that are adapted to overwinter in Nebraska have several methods for avoiding winter conditions. Samantha Daniel, Nebraska Extension Crops and Water Educator.

Fall is a popular time to collect soil samples from pasture and hay fields for nutrient testing. Time invested in soil sampling generally provides a good return on investment versus soil lab testing costs. Todd Whitney, Nebraska Irrigation and Cropping Systems Forage Educator.

When deciding pasture decisions for the season, partial budgeting can help evaluate whether replanting, rotating or renovating pasture is the most economical choice. Shannon Sand, Nebraska Ag Economics Extension Educator.

Corn residue is a valuable resource for grazing, but some producers believe cattle performance has declined with the rise of Bt corn hybrids. While Bt traits protect corn against pests like corn borer, it has led some to question whether these hybrids affect the nutritional quality of corn residue. Ben Beckman, Nebraska Extension Forage Systems Educator.

As winter approaches, corn residue offers a practical, low-cost grazing option for livestock. However, many landowners worry that it might hurt crop yield or soil health. Is that true? Ben Beckman, Nebraska Extension Forage Systems Educator.

Eastern red cedar trees are a significant and expanding problem across many pasture and rangeland acres in Nebraska. When fire is planned and controlled properly, it can be a very useful tool to control these unwanted plants. Jerry Volesky, Nebraska Extension Range and Forage Systems Specialist.

Looking for ways to stretch feed supplies and lower winter feed costs? One option that’s gaining attention is grazing standing milo. Ben Beckman, Nebraska Extension Forage Systems Educator.

Grazing stockpiled winter range or pastures has several benefits. It is much less costly compared to feeding hay. Jerry Volesky, Nebraska Extension Range and Forage Systems Specialist.