Most Northeast haymakers were less than satisfied with their 2024 first cuttings’ quality. At most locations, perennial forage tonnages were exceptional, but rarely does extra quantity make up for lost quality when it comes to balancing rations that support high milk production.
During May, the growing degree days (GDDs) piled on so heavily that by May 25 perennial forages had achieved maturity commonly associated with June 10. Such advanced maturity showed up in disappointing forage test results.
The quality pendulum swung the other way with later cuttings. Quantity of second and third (and occasionally fourth) cuttings depended on timing and amount of rainfall. When later hay yields were less than growers hoped for, generally such was caused by woefully inadequate precipitation on their fields during June and the first half of July.
Proof of 2023 being a fairly good hay year for most growers in our region became quite evident in the amount of hay for sale in Country Folks all through last winter and this past spring. Meager second cutting yields this year made me suggest that local livestock people start lining up high quality cold weather-destined forage purchases from growers with hay to sell.
Disappointed hay growers who produce corn hope that their silages will yield neutral detergent fiber with higher digestibility. Livestock nutritionists for the Ithaca-based Dairy One Cooperative said that if the corn crop behaves more like a fiber forage than a starch forage, this scenario could offer a viable feeding strategy for some farms. Feed the more fibrous feeds to dry cows and heifers, leaving the starchier feeds for lactating cows. These feeds aren’t accurately classified without laboratory analysis.
At first glance, this growing season, many corn stands evidenced less lignification, with thinner and more flexible stalks. Water shortages that hurt perennial second cutting regrowth may result in better whole plant digestibility for nearby corn stands while adversely impacting tonnage.
Much farm paper ink targets corn populations. Opinions clash, with many farmers (and most seed sales reps) pushing more seeds per acre. A common corn population pushed by CCE back in the 1970s was 24,000 plants/acre. A seed drop of 27,000 with 90% germination in a 36-inch row delivered such. With 36-inch rows, plants were seven inches apart.
As field research increasingly showed benefit for narrower rows intercepting more sunshine sooner, rows narrowed, and plant in-row spread out, to 10 to 11 inches apart – still 24,000/acre. These days, narrow corn rows are the norm – 20 inches or less – and in-row separation looks more like five inches. Thus, a little math shows that each corn seedling is allocated 0.69 square foot/acre – all 60,000-plus of them.
As I write on Sept. 23, most corn stands still have some time to go for optimum corn silage maturity. But some areas – particularly those with shorter corn season varieties – are being aggressively chopped. Dairy One scientists say that some farmers feel compelled to start chopping early, but those eager beavers may lose the starch potential – thus milk potential support – this season gives us.
According to one such nutritionist: “I am seeing a separation of fields that are 30% whole plant dry matter (DM) and 30% starch, and fields that are 31% DM and 34% to 35% starch. The latter will dry down at 0.75% to 1% per day. The fields where the DM and starch are even will be the more traditional 0.5% per day. This is why whole plant dry matter is so important to monitor – above milk line and visual appearance.”
While corn harvest season is still young, let me make the following five points:
- The record high GDDs in the Northeast put its stamp on some corn, with promised impressive yields; other areas have had ear fill issues from untimely dry spells. But overall, pluses outweigh minuses.
- Fields appearing green from the road often have ears with lower moisture content, which accelerates dry-down.
- Custom harvesters opening up kernel processors (if fields appear green) may result in half-nicked kernels.
- Operators without processors may start too late for the kernels.
- In many situations, there’s enough time – 10 days to two weeks from this paper’s date – for corn that is 30% whole plant DM (particularly shorter season varieties) to be harvested and ensiled properly.
Let’s sum up GDD observations in our region: Crops need four basic items to perform satisfactorily: sunshine, warmth (both air and soil), precipitation and soil health and nutrition. The fourth item is the only one growers really control.
Here’s my simple approach to measuring GDDs. The baseline for this measure is 50º F. Thus, a day that averages 70º is said to have amassed 20 GDDs. According to my August 2024 electric bill, this past month my hometown of Hartwick, NY, logged an average temperature of 74º. With 31 days, August accrued 744 GDDs (31 x 24). Compare that to August 2023, with an average temperature of 71º. Math work shows that August 2023 accrued 651 GDDs. Compared to 12 months earlier, August 2024 enjoyed about 14% more warmth available for growing plants – assuming that the other three items aren’t limiting factors.
Now pay attention to introducing this year’s corn crop to cattle diets, particularly if it’s over 70% moisture. Rule of thumb here: for five days, limit DM intake of green-chopped whole plant corn forage to about 5 lbs. – Jerseys a little less, bigger cows a little more. If forage DM is 25%, then daily pounds fed should not exceed 20 (5/0.25).
When introducing green-chopped corn to cows’ diets, if possible, just chop on the west side of the field; plants in the still-standing row can enjoy the solar radiation that their carted-away comrades no longer consume, helping them dry down just a little faster.
If the corn harvested for silage is off the field during the first week of October, there should be ample time to get winter forages well-established before cold weather sets in.
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