How dry is your farm?
http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/
New data collected through Tuesday morning.
Then complied and reviewed – yielding results which are published on Thursday each week at 8AM
You can also report conditions at:
Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network
Click: Condition monitoring report.
Baling Drought-stressed Corn for silage
The lack of rain has cattleman around the county, and state, wondering what forage they are going to feed. Maybe baling your drought-stressed, earless corn could be the best option from a bad situation to capture some nutrients for your herd.
Considerations before chopping:
1. Did you side-dress N or apply poultry liter? Be sure to test for Nitrates. Recall, nitrates accumulate in the bottom portion of the stalk, be sure to raise your cutter to limit nitrates.
2. Check your dry matter/moisture. You can do this at home in your microwave. The ideal moisture in the bale will encourage proper fermentation and prevent spoilage. Click here for step by step instructions
3. Once your plant begins to tassel, the total tonnage doesn't change greatly. Waiting to bale for silage will increase fiber levels and decrease overall nutritional value of the corn for our herd.
4. Talk to your insurance agent before chopping.
5. Allow forage to ferment 4-6 weeks before beginning to feed. Drought-stressed corn silage will not feed like normal corn silage. Consult with a MU Extension livestock specialist or your nutritionist to ensure that your herd's nutritional needs are met.
Click here for the press release for more information.
See Below for common Q/A for baling corn:
Q: Is short/stunted corn worth baling?
A: Absolutely! Lush leafy corn growth will commonly test around 13% protein and provide fiber to support rumen function.
Q: What if my corn has rust?
A. This should not limit the feeding value of your crop, however be aware that it will dry down much faster. If the crop is too dry going into the bale, the fermentation profile will be altered encouraging mold growth.
Ag Connection Newsletters
The Ag Connections newsletter took the place of our AG Beat and contains information for agricultural producers that is timely and informative.
http://agebb.missouri.edu/agconnection/index.php
Dicamba training
On Oct. 13, 2017, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced an agreement with Monsanto, BASF and DuPont on measures to minimize the potential for off-target movement of Dicamba and further ensure effective use of three pesticides: DuPont’s FeXapan, BASF’s Engenia and Monsanto’s XtendiMax. The Missouri Department of Agriculture announced Missouri-specific restrictions for ENGENIA, XENDIMAX and FEXAPAN, including training requirements, a notice of application form, specific application times and cutoff dates for application. Find the complete details of these restrictions and information on training at http://agriculture.mo.gov/plants/pesticides/dicamba-facts.php.
Putnam County Resource & Business Directory Guide
Real Time Weather
Real time weather is provided as a service to the community with the collaboration of the Putnam County R-1 school district, the Kansas City/Pleasant Hill National Weather Service and Putnam County University of Missouri Extension.
For Putnam County Weather information, click on the Weather Station Icon Below to get the weather statistics for Putnam County!
Cash renting farm land
These rates were compiled using the survey responses of 226 Missourians who are involved with cash renting farm land. Every rental situation is different, so this guide should be used as a reference in addition to considering other factors in your area, including average yield, soil types, the number of acres available for rent in the area and the demand of rental land. The guide includes rates of crop and pasture land by acre, crop land by yield, pasture by stocking rate and rates for farm buildings. You can find this MU Extension publication by clicking G427, 2015 Cash Rental Rates in Missouri. This is the last update, it is only updated every 3-4 years.
Custom rates for farm services in Missouri
The rates reported in this guide are based on a statewide survey conducted by mail in the summer of 2015. Farmers, agribusiness firms, aerial applicators and land improvement contractors responded to questions on the rates they were charging or paying, excluding the cost of materials being applied. MU Extension publication G302, 2016 Custom Rates for Farm Services
Ag Connection Newsletters
The Ag Connections newsletter took the place of our AG Beat and contains information for agricultural producers that is timely and informative.
http://agebb.missouri.edu/agconnection/index.php
Popular publications
Check out these popular publications. Printed copies also are available at the extension office.