2010 Drought Handbook for

Grain/Crop Producers

University of Maryland Extension Agriculture Profitability Team

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Foreword

This handbook was originally compiled by Craig Yohn, West Virginia University Extension Agent-Jefferson County in response to the widespread drought of 2007. The handbook was adapted to Maryland conditions by Ben Beale, Extension Educator with University of Maryland and distributed to farmers during that time. We had hoped it would stay on the shelves and collect dust for a while longer. Unfortunately that is not the case. The summer of 2010 has been a challenge for most producers around the state. The spring started off without a hitch. Crops were planted on time and looked very good heading into the summer growing season. However June and July brought record heat coupled with sporadic rainfall. The result has been a very poor growing season. We anticipate a marked decline in yields of many crops, particularly hay, pasture and corn. Thus, the University of Maryland Agriculture Profitability team, in conjunction with industry and government partners, revised the drought handbook for use in 2010. The handbook has been expanded to include a grain edition and forage/animal edition. The handbook contains a wide variety of information relevant to drought conditions. A major difference between 2007 and 2010 is the relief from more rains and cooler temperatures in August. Thankfully, many soybean acres will have a chance to rebound. It may also open up some options for emergency forage seedings and allow for decent germination of cover crop and small grain plantings. The UME Ag Profitability Team appreciates the efforts of Kathi Dionne, Administrative Assistant in the St. Marys County UME office for assistance in layout and editing.

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Maryland Drought Monitor

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Table of Contents

Maryland Department of Agriculture Offering Free Grain/Forage Testing Program .................................................................................. 5 Plan Ahead to Deal with Corn Stalk Rots, Ear Rots, and Toxins in Grain ................................................................................................ 6 Aflatoxins in Corn Will Be A Concern This Harvest Season .............. 8 Meeting Grain Contract Obligations ................................................. 11 Equipment is Key to Drought Harvest ............................................... 14 Fall Seeded Annuals for Forage .........................................................16 Loss Reporting Tips for Crop Insurance ............................................ 20 2010 Corn Silage Value Examples .................................................... 21 Determining the Yield of Corn Silage Without Weighing Wagons ............................................................................. 22 University of Maryland Extension Offices ........................................ 23

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Maryland Department of Agriculture Offering Free Grain/Forage Testing Program

The Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) is offering a free testing program to drought impacted Maryland farmers for nitrate and prussic acid in forage and for aflatoxin in corn grain. Prussic acid poisoning is mostly associated with sorghum and related species. The program is a cooperative effort between MDA and the University of Maryland Extension. Testing is done by the MDA State Chemists Section. Farmers can bring their samples to their nearest UME office so that UME can assist them with paperwork and make sure the samples and paperwork are properly prepared. MDA will pick up the samples daily (Monday through Friday) and fax results to farmers usually within 24 hours. Instructions for preparing and packing samples for testing are below. Use one Sample Identification and Information Sheet for each sample submitted. Place samples in a plastic bag and refrigerate or freeze as soon as possible, especially if held overnight, and keep on ice during transport. Each separate field should have its own paperwork and sample. Taking corn samples for aflatoxin analysis: Collect 12 ears of corn from different areas of the field to get a representative sample. Keep cold as described above. (Note: Shelled corn already harvested can also be tested. Collect a 1 quart representative sample and bring to the Extension office) Taking silage samples for nitrate and prussic acid analysis: Collect at least 10 stalks from different areas of the field to get a representative sample. Chop silage up into 6 pieces and thoroughly mix samples together. Prussic acid samples must be kept frozen at all times to prevent volatilization of prussic acid (hydrocyanic acid).

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Plan Ahead to Deal with Corn Stalk Rots, Ear Rots and Toxins in Grain

Dr. Arvydas (Arv) Grybauskas, Plant Pathologist; University of Maryland Corn harvest will begin earlier this season due to the high average temperatures increasing the speed with which growing degree-days (GDD) have accumulated. Typically in seasons characterized by high temperatures and droughty conditions there is an increase in stalk rots and certain ear rots. Most notably two fungal ear rots that can produce toxins in the grain, Aspergillus and Fusarium ear rot, are favored by these conditions. The more dangerous of the two is Aspergillus. Aspergillus infected kernels can contain the carcinogenic toxins known as aflatoxins. Aspergillus is a fungus that is highly tolerant of high temperatures. It is this high temperature tolerance that makes Aspergillus the most prevalent ear-infecting fungus during hot dry conditions. The fungus survives in soil and crop debris and is spread to silks by wind and insects. The use of certain types of BT corn have helped reduce the incidence of Aspergillus infection by reducing the insect-associated infections but direct wind-aided infections are still possible. Stressed corn appears to be more susceptible to infection. Typically only a few kernels near the tip are infected by Aspergillus, but tolerance levels for aflatoxin are in parts per billion (e.g. 20 ppb for human consumption). A blacklight is commonly employed as a quick preliminary test for aflatoxin contamination. A sample of cracked or coarsely ground kernels is illuminated with a blacklight and viewed for a yellow-green fluorescence. It is important to know that the fluorescing material is not aflatoxin itself but rather it is an indicator of (correlated with) aflatoxin. Other material such as corn glumes (a.k.a. beeswings), certain weed seeds, and uninfected kernel tips, also will fluoresce under blacklight making false positives possible. Since the advisory limits are at ppb levels false negatives in the presence of Aspergillus are also possible with the blacklight test. There are commercially available rapid test kits that provide better and in many cases quantitative detection, as well as commercial labs that will test for toxins. Similar to Aspergillus, Fusarium ear and kernel rot is favored by high temperatures and droughty conditions especially when the occurrence is near flowering. There are several species of Fusarium that are involved but generally they are different from the primary species that cause scab in wheat. Fusarium ear and kernel rot is important because of a production of a class of toxins known as Fumonisins. Fumonisin are known to cause equine leukoencephalomalacia, blind staggers in horses and pulmonary edema in swine, and have been linked to human cancers in other parts of the world. Different tests are required to detect Fumonisins. Stalk rots that are caused by fungi and result in premature lodging are also generally favored during a stressful growing season. In general any stress on the corn plant can lead to insufficient capacity of the plant to provide photosynthate to the developing ear. When this occurs, the plant mobilizes stored carbohydrates from the stalks to fill the demand. This leads to premature senescence of stalk tissue and predisposes the plant to colonization by any number of opportunistic stalk rotting fungi. Regardless of the cause of the stalk rot or ear rot, there are a few things that can be done to minimize harvest losses. First, harvest the corn at high grain moisture (25 to 27%), and make sure the combine is adjusted properly to minimize cracking. Harvesting as early as practical reduces the time that the damaging fungi have at colonizing the target tissue. This reduces lodging due to stalk rots, and reduces kernel infection and toxin development. Minimizing the number of cracked kernels is important because they are more susceptible to post-harvest colonization and toxin development. You can also use a simple pre-harvest stalk testing technique to determine which fields are at greater risk for lodging allowing you to schedule harvest accordingly. You can either pinch stalk internodes to determine a percentage that are soft and likely to lodge if left in the field, or you can use the push test. The push test is simply pushing corn stalks at arms length and determining the percentage that break. In both cases, you will get better information as the number of plants and sites scouted increases. A rule of thumb I like is 10 stalks in 10 sites for every 10 acres.

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It is also important to note that fungicides used near tassel will not have a direct effect on stalk rotting. If there was a foliar disease present, the fungicide reduced the stress associated with the foliar disease which can indirectly reduce stalk rotting. However, there is no fungicide residue available by the time stalks are predisposed to stalk rotting fungi to directly affect the colonization by these fungal organisms. To reduce the damage from ear rots and in particular to keep toxin development to a minimum, after harvesting corn at high moisture with careful attention to minimizing the amount of cracking, dry the corn as soon as possible (within a day or two) to 15.5% moisture or lower. The ear rotting fungi continue to grow in high moisture corn in the bin. Controlling moisture and temperature of harvested corn is the most cost-effective method of preventing spoilage.

Figure 1. Healthy stalk (left), stalk rot (right).

Figure 2: Fusarium ear rot.

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Aflatoxins in Corn Will be a Concern This Harvest Season

Article by: Gordon Johnson, University of Delaware; 2007 There are many mycotoxins that can be produced by fungi in grain. The types of fungi that proliferate and the toxins that are produced depend on weather conditions, insect damage, diseases present, stress encountered and variety interactions. In a dry year, aflatoxins are the predominant mycotoxin present in corn at harvest. Aflatoxins are produced by the mold fungi Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus. These fungi can be recognized by their yellow-green or gray-green colors respectively on corn kernels. Aflatoxins are often a problem in hot, dry years on drought stressed corn. According to an Iowa State Extension publication on the topic The prime conditions for the fungus to produce toxin are warm August nights in a period of drought which describes most of Delaware (and Delmarva as a whole) at this time. Aflatoxins are potent poisons and can contaminate feed ingredients leading to health and performance problems in animals (dairy, beef, swine, poultry). They are also considered carcinogens and are a human health concern. A rapid test is often used on corn for initial indication of aflatoxin. This is done with a black light at a wavelength of 365 nm. Contaminated corn will give off a greenish-gold fluorescence. More than four particles showing this fluorescence in a five pound sample indicates levels of aflatoxin above 20 parts per billion (ppb), the initial level of concern. However, this is just an initial screen. More accurate testing is necessary to assess actual levels. This is done using commercially available test kits or by sending samples to an analytical laboratory. Both the Delaware Department of Agriculture and Maryland Department of Agriculture can provide aflatoxin testing for growers (free of charge) in those states. This is particularly of use for growers who store or feed their own grain. The fungi that produce aflatoxins are found in plant residue. They produce many spores that can infect silks or kernels of corn, usually through insect wounds. The Aspergillis fungus grows best in hot, sunny, dry daytime weather conditions with warm nights. Drought damaged corn is most susceptible. Insects can further spread the fungus when feeding on an ear. Managing for aflatoxins begins with assessing fields for insect or other damage. Fields with heavy European corn borer pressure, corn earworm feeding on tips, bird feeding, or storm damage should be noted and tested before harvest. If a field is suspect, samples should be collected form 20 or more locations, taking at least 5 pounds of grain from every 5 acres. Dry samples to 12-14 % moisture or freeze to stop aflatoxin development (aflatoxin can increase in stored samples if at higher moistures) and immediately deliver to the laboratory for testing. Dried samples can be shipped in paper bags (do not use plastic). Scout fields at black layer and again two weeks before harvest. If fields test positive for aflatoxins or you expect high levels, you should make provisions to harvest those fields first and dry the grain quickly. Adjust combines to minimize kernel damage as this can cause the fungus to increase. Grain with high levels of aflatoxin should be stored separately if possible. Grain storage facilities should be carefully cleaned to minimize infection of incoming grain by Aspergillus and other mold spores. Avoid grain damage during handling and if possible, clean corn before storage (screening). Do not store grain in non-aerated conditions for more than 4 hours (trucks, wet tanks, combine bin). Aflatoxin production is effectively stopped if grain is dried to 12% moisture. It proliferates at a moisture of 18% and temperatures above 80 F.

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Corn that is contaminated at levels greater than 20 ppb may not be sold for interstate commerce. It can be used locally for livestock and poultry if under certain levels, but not for lactating dairy. Check with your grain buyers on how they will handle aflatoxin contaminated corn. Blending with non-contaminated corn to reduce levels to below 20 ppb may be an option. Cleaning grain by screening or a gravity table can also reduce aflatoxin concentrations. For more information see these web sites: Aflatoxins in Corn from Iowa State University Extension (PDF) http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/PM1800.pdf Minimizing Aflatoxin in Corn from Mississippi State University http://msucares.com/pubs/infosheets/is1563.htm Aflatoxins in Corn from the University of Kentucky (PDF) http://www.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/id/id59/id59.pdf Reducing Aflatoxin in Corn During Harvest and Storage from the University of Georgia (PDF) http://pubs.caes.uga.edu/caespubs/pubs/PDF/B1231.pdf

Aspergillus Fungus that Produces Aflatoxin in Corn

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Aspergillus Ear Rot. This is the fungus that produces aflatoxin. Photo by Alison Robertson, Department of Plant Pathology, Iowa State University

Aflatoxin Tolerance Table

Table from Iowa State University Extension Publication PM1800 Aflatoxins in Corn

Prepared by Gary Munkvold, extension plant pathologist; Charles Hurburgh, professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering; and Julie Meyer, plant pathologist.

Updated by Charles Hurburgh, professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering; Dan Loy, professor, animal science and Alison Robertson, extension plant pathologist.

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Meeting Grain Contract Obligations Jennifer Rhodes, Shannon Dill and Ben Beale; Extension Educators

University of Maryland Extension Adapted in part from: NSW Farmers Association1

The combination of a promising start to the grain growing season, a number of subsequent months of below average rainfall at the same time as high grain prices has meant that a large number of grain growers are unable to meet forward and physical contractual obligations. This is exacerbated by high debt to equity ratios given the series of drought affected below average harvest years experienced in recent years. This fact sheet provides growers with information regarding contracts in general and the potential options if growers are unable to meet their contractual obligations.

Some Basics about Contracts A contract is an oral or written agreement between two or more parties which is enforceable by law. Grain contracts are important tools for managing price and income risk in the volatile price environment that exists today. However, using them successfully requires a complete understanding of how various contracts work, the kinds of risk they are designed to control, and the areas of risk that remain after the contract is signed. It is important to understand that the contracting firm-typically an elevator or feed mill is not able to simply cancel a contract. The contracting firm establishes a position in the futures or options market to support your contract, and hence has financial obligations that depend on timely fulfillment of your contractual obligations. Remember that if your crop suffers losses through adverse seasonal conditions such as frost and drought, these are considered production risks and are not covered by Act of God or Force Majeure clauses.

What to do if you are unable to fill a forward contract?

The following should be considered by growers who are unable to provide the grain required under their contract: Communicate with the Elevator and Financial Institution

-Contact your buyer to determine what options are available as soon as possible. This will make the elevator aware of your situation and better prepared to provide alternative options. Buyers may be more amenable if they are warned as soon as you suspect an issue.

-Contact your financial lender as soon as you are aware that you may have a short crop, be unable to meet your contractual obligations and/or have the potential for cash flow problems.

Options that may be available, dependent upon buyer or elevator

Option 1) Acquire grain elsewhere to fulfill your contract obligations oIn circumstances where the elevator is committed to delivery of the bushels under contract to a

third party (feed mill, for example) they may require that you make physical delivery of your grain to them. In these cases farmers may work on their own to purchase grain from another source, such as a neighboring farmer. Some elevators may work with the farmer in identifying other sources of grain as well.

oThe forward contract price and the current market price will determine if you are in a positive or negative position. Farmers in a positive position (forward contract price is higher than the cash price) may wish to buy grain from another farmer and deliver it to receive the positive premium.

Option 2: Buy out of your contract.

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oThis involves a cash settlement on the difference between the contract price and the current market price. Additional fees may also apply to contract washouts.

oBuy-outs are typically the least favored option for farmers in a negative position because they further limit cash-flow in an off year.

oBuy-outs or cancelled contracts are obviously more favorable for farmers that are in a positive position- the elevator is able to cancel their commitments more easily and the farmer is not left with any obligations. It should be noted that elevators will rarely pay for any difference between the forward contract and current price offering.

Example of a contract buyout with farmer in a negative position Forward Contract Price $ 3.00

Current Fall Delivery Price $ 3.55 Difference $ 0.55

+ Buy-out Penalty $ 0.10

Total Charge per Bushel $ 0.65 *

Bushels Contracted 5,000 =

Total Buyout Charge $ 3,250.00

Example of a contract buyout with farmer in a positive position Forward Contract Price $ 3.00

Current Fall Delivery Price $ 2.50 Difference $ -0.50

+ Buy-out Penalty $ 0.00

Total Charge per Bushel $ 0.00 *

Bushels Contracted 5,000 =

Total Buyout Charge $ 00.00

Option 3: Roll your contract over to the following season. oThis involves delivering next years harvest against this years contract. The advantage of this

option is that the liability is deferred until the following year when seasonal conditions may improve. However, the disadvantages of this option are that price and interest penalties may be imposed and that there is a risk that you will similarly be unable to meet this obligation the following year if poor seasonal conditions persist.

oThe roll over provision is an option that some but not all elevators may offer. This is why it is critical to communicate your situation with the elevator ahead of time.

oThe manner in which roll-overs are handled depends on the elevator. Some elevators may credit price differences between the two years, while others may not.

Example of a roll over contract when farmer is in a negative position and the buyer (elevator) credits the difference between the current price and next years price.

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Original Fwd. Contract Price $ 4.00

Current 10 Fall Offering $ 4.50 Current 11 Fall Offering $ 4.75

Difference between original contract and fall 10 price $ (0.50)

This is the amount you owe or what it would cost to buyout the contract now.

11 fall offering minus the amount you owe (4.75-.50) $ 4.25 This is the new price for 2011 delivery Contract Cancellation Fee $ 0.10

Final per bushel contract price $ 4.15

This is the final price for 2011 fall delivery

Elevators may also ask for verification of poor growing conditions if you cannot fill your contract obligation. This proof can be obtained from you local Extension office, the Farm Service Agency or your crop insurance agent. The above information is for farmers with straight forward contracts with an elevator. It is not intended for farmers who hold positions in the futures market. Summary: Forward contracts are an important tool to manage price volatility and risk on grain farms. Some risks can be avoided by limiting the number of bushels under contract and using crop insurance; however there will be catastrophic years where production will not meet contract obligations. When it happens, be sure to communicate regularly with your buyer. Ask about options available ahead of time and be prepared to have an informed discussion on the best option for your operation. 1Much of the content for this document was adapted with permission from a document titled Drought and Grain Contracts produced by the North Wales Farming Association available online at: http://www.nswfarmers.org.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/40398/Drought_Grain_Contracts-0907.pdf

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Equipment Is Key to Drought Harvest Mark Hanna and Graeme Quick

Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa

Harvest conditions in fields this fall range from full crops to a number, especially soybeans, affected by severe drought conditions. Equipment usable for harvesting drought damaged crops depends on end use of the commodity, moisture content of the crop and equipment available to use (owned, leased, or custom). Plant moisture content in most cases has already dropped below that suitable for the ensiling process (60 to 70 percent). Forage material may still be collected in bales or stacks if plant material is dry enough for storage without excess spoilage. Have your intended use or market for harvested feed well in mind before pursuing forage harvest. Harvesting a silage or forage crop with no definite plans for feeding or local sale can be costly. Crop producers can often be caught a year after a drought with poor quality forage and no plans to use it. Recognize that harvesting a drought damaged crop will be more stressful on the operator due to higher field variability. Dont be tempted into short cuts or using equipment in a manner for which it was never intended. Expect variable crop conditions even within individual fields. Grain harvest If ear diameter is smaller than normal, stripper plates will need to be moved closer together to avoid excessive shelling on the snapping rolls. This will break off more stalks, increasing the load on the processing unit. Stripper plate spacing on newer combines may be adjustable from the operators station and can ease adjustment if sizable areas of a field have different ear size. Beware of making numerous on-the-go adjustments or trying to evaluate shelling on the stalk rolls from the cab. At least one cornhead has spring-loaded stripper plates to adjust spacing on-the-go. If ears are of non-uniform size and shape, adjustment of the threshing mechanism will be a compromise between adequate separation from the cob and acceptable grain breakage level. Concave clearance should be narrow enough to thresh grain from ears. Adjustment for small ears will break larger cobs and over load the cleaning shoe. Chaffer, sieve, and fan adjustment becomes more critical. Grain may be fragile and more susceptible to damage. Ideally, threshing should result in whole but battered cobs exiting the separator. Soybean threshing needs to be just aggressive enough to remove beans from pods. Beans in drought-stressed fields this fall may be smaller than usual. If beans are small, air flow may need to be reduced in the cleaning shoe and the openings in chaffer and sieve screens reduced to maintain air speed, yet allow beans to fall through. More pods will be close to the ground if plant population has been reduced, so it is essential to keep the cutterbar low. The front drum of the feeder should be low enough so that the chain just clears the floor of the feeder house. If plants are shorter, smaller clearances may be needed between reel, cutterbar, auger, and feed conveyor chain to make sure stalks are feeding through the platform. Expect to spend more time checking grain loss. Traveling fast enough to keep the combine loaded will improve grain quality, however a greater percentage of material other than grain moving through the combine may increase separation losses.

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Forage harvest A common mistake is to underestimate the moisture content of drought damaged crop. Check moisture content before baling or stacking. Operation of harvesting equipment will generally be similar to that used in a normal crop with a few exceptions. Check your owners/operators manual for useful tips (for example using hay harvest equipment to harvest cornstalks or soybean straw). Your dealer is another source of information. Windrowers, rakes, balers, and stackers have all been used to harvest corn. Expect that operation of conventional hay harvest equipment in cornstalks may be more difficult or at least require adjustment and some experimentation. Cornstalks are larger and may be more difficult to package. The potential variability of stalk diameter and length will put a premium on proper adjustment. Some equipment may not work in some conditions. Expect more wear, especially on cutting components, than when harvesting hay. A major objective is to get the stalks dry enough to store. Allow the crop to field dry for much of the moisture removal. Equipment should aggressively shred stalks to promote drying and present smaller pieces for easier packaging. Flail shredding may do this easier than conditioning. If using a conditioner, consider tightening the roll spacing and slowing travel speed for more aggressive action. Stalks that are damp can be hard to start and they tend to wrap in baler belts.

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FALL SEEDED ANNUALS FOR FORAGE

Compiled by: Jeff Semler, Extension Agent, Agriculture and Natural Resources Annual Ryegrass Annual ryegrass ability to produce a vigorous seedling lends it to a variety of seeding

methods into a number of forage cropping systems. A seeding rate of 30 pounds per acre has provided satisfactory results in numerous on-farm and research farm situations. It should be noted that annual ryegrass varieties will differ in seed size and density. This fact will require producers to adjust seeding rates and drill calibrations slightly from variety to variety.

Some producers, particularly on dairy farms, utilize higher seeding rates of 40 or even 50

pounds. These increased seeding rates will produce more dense stands which can be used for either grazing or haylage harvest.

Due to its small seed size, annual ryegrass seedings are either broadcast on the surface or

no-tilled at -inch depth. Under favorable conditions, germination can be expected in five to seven days.

Annual ryegrass should not be seeded into living cool season grass stands. Ryegrass will

not compete effectively with an established cool season perennial grass. However, in thin or poor perennial grass stands, annual ryegrass may be broadcast or no-tilled after the perennial grass is suppressed or destroyed with Gramoxone or Roundup.

Annual ryegrass can be seeded into established alfalfa by broadcasting seed or no tilling.

Seedings should be made immediately after the alfalfa cutting in late August or September. If the field to be seeded is cultivated by plowing or disking, the seedbed should be firmed.

The seeding may then be made by broadcasting the seed alone or blended with dry fertilizer. The field should then be cultipacked. A conventional drill cannot be used to seed annual ryegrass in a cultivated field in a normal manner due to placing the seed too deep in the drill disk furrows. However, if the conventional drill is used in the raised position or if the boots are removed from the disc openers, the seed will be effectively broadcast. The field should then be cultipacked.

In this area, many annual ryegrass seedings follow corn silage harvest. It is an effective

cover crop. If no manure is to be applied, simply broadcast or no-till the seed. If applying manure with no incorporation, broadcast seed prior to manure application to improve soil contact. If manure is to be incorporated, follow recommendations for a cultivated field.

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Due to the prolific seed production of some ryegrass varieties, it should be noted that a number of producers have managed successful volunteer seedings in grazing situations, in alfalfa, and in annual ryegrass hay fields.

Annual ryegrass responds vigorously to nitrogen (N) fertilization. Very satisfactory yields are

obtained under intensive grazing or haylage harvest regimens using a total of 200lbs. of N. In very general terms, apply 50 lbs. N at the early September seeding. Then in the spring, apply 50 lbs. N on April 1, May 1, and June 1 for maximum growth. Manure can provide a portion of this N requirement.

Fall seedings made before October can utilize up to 50 lbs. of N to produce a fall crop to be

grazed or cut for haylage by mid to late November. Later seedings will utilize proportionately less N.

Excessive fall growth should be harvested or clipped to a 3-4 inch height to prevent matting

under snow. Due to the continuous growth habit of annual ryegrass leaves and lack of true dormancy, matting or excessive freeze damage to grass leaves will delay or inhibit spring growth.

Under a haylage system, the best forage quality is achieved when the first cutting is

harvested when the plants are in the late vegetative to early boot stage of maturity. This corresponds to an average height of 15-20 inches. Immediately apply 50 lbs. of N and plan to harvest the next cutting in 20 days. Each producer will then need to decide how long to graze or cut haylage from the ryegrass before replanting the field to the next crop in a double crop system.

Care needs to be taken in controlling ryegrass regrowth prior to planting the next crop.

Annual ryegrass regrowth is more difficult to control than that of cereal rye. Producers have obtained good results by allowing several inches of regrowth and using Roundup at a 1-quart rate. Post-applied grass herbicides provide effective control also.

Annual ryegrass is an aggressive and versatile forage grass, but its real value is in its ability

to produce significant yields of high quality forage. This ryegrass can be harvested as pasture, greenchop, chopped haylage, baleage or dry hay. Optimum forage quality will be obtained only by heads-up forage management.

Ryegrass needs to be grazed before the grass begins the jointing phase of development.

Ryegrass is best managed under a management intensive grazing system. Initiate grazing when the grass is six inches tall and move animals quickly. Expect to maintain a 10-12 day rotation to achieve top forage quality. The key is to keep the grass in a vegetative growth state as long as possible.

NOTE!! Do not use annual ryegrass in grain production systems! It is a prolific seed producer and is a serious weed in small grains!

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Barley, Triticale, Rye Seed mid-August to late October. Rates 2-3 bu/A. Higher rate is better. Remember the

purpose is forage, not grain. Rye is different. It can be seeded up to January, germinate in March and still make a harvestable crop.

Well-fertilized late summer seedings and a moist fall can make 12-15 inches of vegetative

growth by Thanksgiving. Can do some mechanical November harvest, but usually graze down to three inches. Grazing forage quality is excellent into January, then declines slowly through late winter. Fall growth can use 50-75 lbs. N (or manure equivalent). Apply N (or manure) again in late March to early April for spring growth. Spring growth can be grazed or chopped at boot stage; rye--May 1; triticale--May 10; barley--May 15 (more or less).

Wheat Same as above except do not seed before September 15-October 1. Wheat needs to

emerge after Hessian fly free date. Yes, they are still here! Spring Oats Seed mid-August to late September at a rate of 2-3 bu. Seedings emerged by September

10-15 will start to come into head by November 15-20. Can be chopped to fill silo, made into round bale haylage or grazed. If grazing is the option, can begin at six inches of growth. Flash graze paddock by paddock. Oats will stop growing when ground begins to freeze. Quality will hold until after several very hard freezes (20 degrees F or less) then decline slowly. Oats will die over the winter; no spring regrowth.

May be seeded with winter peas for more protein. Chop for silage in mid to late November. May be seeded with rye. Two bushels of each. This gives a good fall harvest and a spring

harvest. Can be seeded with annual ryegrass, too--2-3 bu. Oats and 25-30 lbs. Ryegrass. Chop or

graze by Thanksgiving and continue ryegrass harvest in the spring. Brassicas Brassicas (turnips, radishes, rape) can be planted at different times of the year and with various companion crops. The purpose of this chart is to provide some options on how turnips may be used for different seasons, different animals, and different uses.

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Brassicas Planting rate #/Ac

Benefits When to plant

Appin Forage Grazing Turnip

2-5 Multiple grazings, multiple uses for Beef, Dairy, and Sheep

Spring, Summer, Fall

Purple Top Turnip 2-5 Some grazing, good bulb yield, good for sheep Spring, Summer, Fall Tankard Turnip 2-5 Some grazing, excellent bulb yield Summer, Fall Tillage Radishes Spring Planting Companion crops

Annual Ryegrass 30-40 Vigorous growth, excellent quality and palatability thru mid-Summer

Early March-thru April

Oats 3-4 bushels Vigorous growth thru mid-Summer Early March Summer Planting Companion crops

Annual Ryegrass 30-40 Mid-August after wheat is harvested BMR Sorghum-Sudangrass

30 Excellent palatability and animal production, Appin Turnips re-grow with sorghum-sudangrass

Sow when planting sorghum-sudangrass

Corn Graze corn with Turnips or harvest corn and graze turnips and stover after harvest

Arial seed turnips into standing corn in late-August

Late-Summer Planting Companion crops

Oats with Cereal Rye 1-Bu. Each with 5# Turnips

Oats provide fall growth with turnips while Cereal Rye provides spring growth

Arial seed turnips Aug 20-30 into standing corn or after corn silage is harvested

Annual Ryegrass 30-40# with 5# Turnips

Annual ryegrass provide excellent fall growth and spring growth is likely in many areas

Arial seed turnips Aug 20-30 into standing corn or after corn silage is harvested

** Rememberfall forage growth still depends upon rainfall! But if good moisture is present by September 1st--go for it! And do not forget to apply N to any grass pastures or grass hay fields that can be pastured October-December. All animals including dry cows and dairy heifers do okay on fescue over the winter! For farm specific questions, contact your countys Extension Agent or Crops Consultant.

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Loss Reporting Tips for Crop Insurance With reduced yields due to drought and other growing conditions, reporting losses on your crop insurance is very important. This article presents loss reporting tips to help you with these reports.

Forms with titles of Summary of Protection or Schedule of Insurance have arrived within a few weeks after you file your acreage report with your crop insurance agent.. These forms reflect the information on which your 2010 protection is based. Compare it to your acreage report to make sure that it is correct there are any discrepancies. Contact your insurance agent immediately to get it corrected, otherwise they could adversely affect your premium bill and/or claim payment. This correction should have been done before now so this is just a reminder to make for sure no errors are on these forms. Reporting Crop Damage: The crop insurance policy requires that damage be reported within 72 hours of discovery to your crop insurance agent. Ask agent for instructions on how to proceed. Dont destroy evidence of damage until a loss adjuster evaluates it. Also, promptly your report crop damage to the Farm Service Agency (FSA/USDA). This report may be important ift you become eligible for a crop disaster payment under the SURE program. The deadline for submitting applications for 2008 crop year SURE payments to the county FSA/USDA office is September 30, 2010.

For spring crops, check the yield/revenue potential of your crops. Youll soon be thinking about Fall Harvesting. Remember the crop damage reporting requirements (if a loss is anticipated): The insurance policies require that written notice be given to your crop insurance agent (by crop by unit (FSA farm #)):

Within 72 hours of discovery of damage or loss, 15 days before harvest begins **, and Within 15 days after harvesting is completed but not later than 10/20 corn insured as silage; 12/10

for grain corn and soybeans. Dont destroy evidence of damage until a loss adjuster evaluates it!

Prior Authorization is Required to Leave Sample Rows for Yield Determination: If loss adjusting workload does not permit appraising damaged crop acreage before you are ready to start cutting silage, prior authorization must be obtained from your insurance company, through your crop insurance agent, before sample row areas can be left for later yield determination. For this reason, its important that notice of damage be filed with your crop insurance agent as early as you determine that damage occurred so that harvesting is not delayed. Cutting Damaged Corn for Silage: If you plan to cut damaged grain type corn for silage, its important that the grain content be determined before harvesting regardless of whether you insure on a tonnage or grain yield basis. If you insured on a grain basis, a loss is determined by comparing the revenue or yield guarantee to the appraised yield (times the October CBOT average price for the December contract for CRC). If you insured and harvest on a tonnage basis and your grain content is below normal (less than 4.5 bushels per ton), the grain content appraisal becomes the basis for quality adjustment which may reduce the amount of silage tonnage that counts against your guarantee. Contact your crop insurance agent for more details, and see the RMA/USDA Web at: WWW.RMA.usda.gov

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2010 Corn Silage Value Examples Stan Fultz, Extension Agent, Frederick County

Method 1: Market Price of corn* X 8 = value of standing corn. Add $10/T for harvest costs and 10% for

storage losses to get the value of fermented feed. Corn market price*($/bu)Value of standing corn ($/ton) Value of fermented silage ($/ton)

4.0032.0046.20 4.5036.0050.60 5.0040.0055.00 5.5044.0059.40 6.0048.0063.80 6.5052.0068.20 7.0056.0072.60

Method 2:Feed Value Method

A) one ton of fermented silage equals 1/3 ton of hay Example: hay value at $150 per ton X .33 = $49.50/ton for fermented silage

B) one ton of fermented silage equals 10 - 12 bu corn

corn price* ($/bu)Value of fermented silage ($/ton) 11 X4.00= 44.00 11 X 5.00= 55.00 11 X6.00= 66.00 11 X7.00= 77.00

(Note: Subtract $15-18 per ton to get standing corn value) Method 3:Petersens Constants

Value ($/ton) of fermented silage1 with hay valued at $150 per ton2. corn price* Soybean meal price* ($/ton)

($/bu) 300 350 400 450 500_ 4.00 47.91 42.14 36.3630.5924.81 5.0051.1445.3639.2833.8128.04 6.0054.3648.5942.8137.0431.26 7.0057.5851.8146.0340.2634.48 1Subtract $10 per ton for harvest costs and 10% for storage losses to determine the price of standing corn. 2Add(subtract) $4.65 for each $10 increase (decrease) in hay price.

*Market price is the price the livestock producer must pay for that commodity from the feed mill, another farmer, or his cost to grow the crop. Compiled by Stanley Fultz, Dairy Science Extension Agent, University of Maryland Extension, Frederick County Office. C: my documents\nutrition\silage\2010 pricingupdated 7/26/2010

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Determining the Yield of Corn Silage Without Weighing Wagons

This method is for 30-inch rows.

A. Using a tape measure, cut corn stalks from 17 feet 5 inches from a single row or 8 feet 8 inches from two adjacent rows from 5 typical areas of the field. Avoid unusual areas such as wet spots, end rows and field edges.

B. Collect and weigh all the cut stalks either together or by sample area.

C. Determine the average sample area weight by taking the total weight and dividing by the number of

sample areas. In this case 5. This will give you the average weight in 1/1000 of an acre.

D. Multiply the results of C by 1000 to get the weight per acre.

E. Divide the weight per acre by 2000 to get tons per acre. Example: A and B.Sample number weight (pounds)

1 37 2 50 3 35 4 45 5 42

Total209

C. 209 pounds divided by 5 = 41.8 pounds average weight for 1/1000 of an acre

D. 41.8 pounds X 1000 = 41,800 pounds per acre

E. 41,800 divided by 2000 pounds/ton = 20.9 ton per acre For more information: Stanley W. Fultz Extension Agent, Dairy Science University of Maryland Extension 330 Montevue Lane Frederick, MD 21702 301-600-3578 sfultz@umd.educ:\\nutrition\silage\tons per acre 2010

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University of Maryland Extension Offices

UME-Alleghany County One Commerce Drive

Cumberland, MD 21502 301-724-3320

Fax: 301-722-4015

UME-Anne Arundel County

Government Office Bldg. 7320 Ritchie Hwy., Suite 210

Glen Bernie, MD 21061 410-222-6759

Fax: 410-222-6747

UME-Baltimore City 6615 Reistertown Road, Suite 201

Baltimore, MD 21215 410-856-1850

Fax: 410-856-1852

UME-Baltimore County 1114 Shawan Road

Cockeysville, MD 21030 410-771-1761

Fax: 410-785-5950

UME-Calvert County

County Svcs. Plaza, Suite 300 30 Duke St., Rm 103, P. O. Box 486

Prince Frederick, MD 20678 410-535-3662 410-535-2438

UME-Caroline County 207 S. Third Street

Denton, MD 21629 410-479-4030

Fax: 410-479-4042

UME-Carroll County 700 Agriculture Center

Westminster, MD 21157 410-386-2760

Toll free: 888-326-9645 Fax: 410-876-0132

UME-Cecil County

County Adm. Bldg. Suite 1500 200 Chesapeake Blvd. Elkton, MD 21921

410-996-5280 Fax: 410-996-5285

UME-Charles County 9375 Chesapeake St., Suite 119

LaPlata, MD 20646 301-934-5403

DC Area 301-753-8195 Fax: 301-753-1857

UME-Dorchester County P. O. Box 299, Co. Bldg., 501 Court Lane

Cambridge, MD 21613-0299 410-228-8800

Fax: 410-228-3868

UME-Frederick County

330 Montevue Lane Frederick, MD 21702

301-600-1594 Fax: 301-600-1588

UME-Garrett County 1916 Maryland Hwy., Suite A Mt. Lake Park, MD 21550

301-334-6960 Fax: 301-334-6961

UME-Harford County P. O. Box 663

2335 Rock Spring Road Forest Hill, MD 21050

410-638-3255 Fax: 410-638-3053

UME-Howard County 3300 N. Ridge Rd., Suite 240

Ellicott City, MD 21043 410-313-2707

DC Area 301-621-4300 x410 Fax: 410-313-2712

UME-Kent County

Kent Co. Public Works Complex 709 Morgnec Road, Suite 202

Chestertown, MD 21620 410-778-1661

Fax: 410-778-9075

UME-Montgomery County 18410 Muncaster Road Derwood, MD 20855

301-590-9638 Fax: 301-590-2828

UME-Prince Georges County

6707 Groveton Drive Clinton, MD 20735

301-868-9366 Fax: 301-599-6714

UME-Queen Annes County 505 Railroad Avenue, Suite 4 Centreville, MD 21617-1138

410-758-0166 Fax: 410-758-3687

UME-St. Marys County P. O. Box 663

21580 Peabody Street Leonardtown, MD 20650

301-475-4484 Fax: 301-475-4483

UME-Somerset County 30730 Park Drive

Princess Anne, MD 21853 410-651-1350

Fax: 410-651-0806

UME-Talbot County Talbot Agriculture Svc. Center 28577 Marys Court, Suite 1

Easton, Maryland 21601 410-822-1244

Fax: 410-822-5627

UME-Washington County 7303 Sharpsburg Pike

Boonsboro, MD 21713 301-791-1304

Fax: 301-791-1048

UME-Wicomico County P. O. Box 1836

28647 Old Quantico Road Salisbury, MD 21802-1836

410-749-6141 Fax: 410-548-5126

UME-Worchester County

P. O. Box 219, 100 River Street Snow Hill, MD 21863

410-632-1972 Fax: 410-632-3023

Aflatoxins in Corn Will be a Concern This Harvest SeasonArticle by: Gordon Johnson, University of Delaware; 2007Aspergillus Fungus that Produces Aflatoxin in CornAflatoxin Tolerance TableGrain harvestForage harvestLoss Reporting Tips for Crop InsuranceForms with titles of Summary of Protection or Schedule of Insurance have arrived within a few weeks after you file your acreage report with your crop insurance agent.. These forms reflect the information on which your 2010 protection is based. Co...2010 Corn Silage Value ExamplesStan Fultz, Extension Agent, Frederick CountyDetermining the Yield of Corn Silage Without Weighing Wagons

UME-Talbot County