May 16, 2017 First Cutting Forage Quality Summary
Kevin Ganoe, Area Field Crop Specialist
Central New York Dairy and Field Crops
May 17, 2017
Here are numbers that are helpful when using alfalfa and grass height as an indicator of NDF content:
In general we say 100% grass stands should be cut when nearby alfalfa is 14 inches tall to achieve the desired 50% NDF.
Begin cutting 50/50 mixed alfalfa and grass stands when nearby alfalfa is 22 inches tall for the desired 44% NDF.
Begin cutting 100% alfalfa stands when alfalfa is 28 inches tall for the desired 40% NDF.
The desired NDF for all grass fields is 50%, 50/50 mixed alfalfa and grass fields is 44%, and pure alfalfa stands is 40%. Predicted days to cut are based on daily NDF increases for grasses of 1% point, 50/50 mixed stands of .8% points and alfalfa of .5% point. Typically NDF increases about 0.8 to 1.2/day for grasses expecting the lower end of that range in cooler weather and the higher end in warm. Alfalfa NDF increases about 0.4 to 0.7/day again figuring the lower end of that range with cool temperatures and the higher in warm. Predictions are adjusted for the coming week's weather and right now we are assuming normal growth.
In the attached tables locations around the region are listed where we have measured alfalfa height. You can use the location and elevation as a guide to conditions that may be similar to your own.
For May 16 alfalfa gained 4 inches over the past week, now averaging 20 inches tall over all sites. Twenty one or 40% of the fields were 22 inches or taller indicating mixed stands should be cut at those sites. Three fields were 27-28 inches tall which means pure alfalfa stands at those sites should be cut within the next day or two. Of all sites two fields have been cut yet one field at 9 inches still isn't tall enough to register for the prediction equations to kick in. Elevation has the largest effect on alfalfa height as 68% percent (R2=.677) of the alfalfa height variation was due to changes in elevation. A 500 foot increase in elevation meant a 4.4 inch decrease in alfalfa height.
Most of our fields (90%) are past for all grass harvest and in some instances should not be cut for dairy quality feed as they are past prime.Check your fields so you know the stage of your haycrop. Next report will be May 23.
5-16-2017 First Cutting Forage Quality Update (pdf; 544KB)
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