Parsons, Kansas —
Dry weather during the spring and early summer of 2012 has had mixed effects on Missouri hay producers. On the bright side, the dry weather has provided hay producers with relatively wide windows of opportunity to cut, rake, and bale their hay crop. Generally, dry weather results in a greater number of available field days during which hay producers can make hay. Having a relatively large number of field days puts less pressure on farmers who, in many years, have to either rush to get hay put up between frequent rains or wait until rains become less frequent, by which time grass has often matured past its optimum growth stage. In either case, the quality of the hay crop is diminished. Hay that is put up too wet loses nutrient value faster than properly cured hay, and hay that is cut when grass is fully headed has less total digestible nutrients than hay made from less mature grass. The dry weather experienced in the first half of the 2012 haying season leads one to believe that the quality of the hay produced this year has been higher than most recent years because lower rainfall has enabled farmers to bale hay in a timely manner. However, while less rainfall has helped farmers get in their fields to harvest grass at a stage of growth closer to optimum for producing high quality hay, the lack of rainfall has also diminished hay yields. In many areas of Missouri, rainfall has been remarkably scarce, which has decreased the amount of grass available for producing hay as well as grazing. So, the apparent tradeoff between excessive rainfall and abnormally dry conditions is that of hay yield versus hay quality.
What do the effects of weather on grass availability, hay yield, and hay quality have to do with the market for hay? The market for Missouri hay is driven by supply and demand. When the supply of grass available for grazing and haying decreases due to scarce rainfall, prices for hay generally increase. Less rain translates to less grass and less hay, which means that if farmers still demand the same amount of feed for their animals, prices for hay will increase. Furthermore, if the hay within the market is of better quality than in most recent years because of timely cutting and dry baling conditions, hay prices have even greater support.
It is difficult to say what will happen to hay prices during the summer and fall of 2012. There are still many days left in the growing season for the weather to turn wetter and cooler, but as summer progresses, the likelihood of cooler temperatures and greater rainfall decreases. Furthermore, changes in animal inventory and other internal and external market forces could drive prices higher or lower.
Farmers who are looking to buy or sell hay can browse or create a listing in the online Missouri Hay Directory by visiting http://agebb.missouri.edu/haylst. For more information about hay marketing or production practices, visit http://extension.missouri.edu. At the Extension Website, you can browse informational guides and find contact information for your local University Extension Center.
For more information, contact specialist’s name, number, e-mail or visit your local Extension Center or extension.missouri.edu.£
Crops
Weather, grass, and the hay market
- Crops
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Plant now, add nitrogen later
When the rain faucet shuts off, plant first and apply nitrogen later, advises Peter Scharf, University of Missouri Extension agronomy specialist and professor in plant sciences at the MU College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources.
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MU Field Scouting Report: No freeze damage to wheat, delayed corn planting
Wheat is in the flag leaf to early boot stage. No freeze damage to the wheat head was seen. Temporary phosphorus deficiency, identified by purpling on leaf tips, was seen due to cold weather.
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Corn planting dates and cold temps cause concern
“The possibility of temperatures nearing 32 degrees or below, there is concern among producers for damage of the wheat head,” said Jill Scheidt, agronomy specialist with the University of Missouri Extension in Barton County. According to Bill Wiebold, state specialist with the University of Missouri Extension, wheat is the most sensitive to freezing temperatures when the heads are coming out and flowers are beginning to form.
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Wildcat Extension Report: Can gypsum fix what ails your soil?
A man much wiser than me once said that the easiest way to change your soil is to move. Unfortunately, this is not always an option for most producers. Soils in southeast Kansas are classified, in general, to be heavy clay soils.
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Kansas wheat growers should be aware of crop diseases
With forecasts of snow still a possibility and the wheat just starting to green up in parts of Kansas, it may surprise some wheat growers to know that March is an important month for wheat disease development.
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Cover crops can provide many benefits
Having plant growth in fields year-round can improve the soil, according to Tim Reinbott, superintendent of the University of Missouri Bradford Research Center. He says using cover crops in the fall and spring can provide large benefits.
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Drought impacts U.S. soybean quality results
According to a recent soy-checkoff-funded study, the overall oil levels in last year’s U.S. soybean crop increased over the previous year, while average protein fell. United Soybean Board (USB) Customer Focus Action Team Chair Sharon Covert says U.S. soy’s biggest users pay attention to those results.
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Midwest soil could take up to two years to recover
The Midwest suffered the worst drought in years last summer, and Midwest soil has been suffering from a drought since early 2010. As a result, crops have wilted and farmers have fallen on hard times. Now, a University of Missouri researcher says that it may take at least two years for crops and soil to recover.
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Ag profitability conference addresses crop concerns
Corn and soybean producers face wide-ranging harvest price possibilities for the crops they plant this spring.
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Local growers get latest on new herbicides
Controlling herbicide resistant weeds was the hot topic during the Andrew County Ag. Update conference on Thursday, Jan. 17 in the Clasbey Center in Savannah, Mo.
- More Crops Headlines
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Plant now, add nitrogen later
