Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
AERATING
If your land is compacted, you can provide the plant roots with more oxygen by aerating
the soil. An
aerator
is a heavy spiked drum rolled along behind a tractor.
HARVESTING HAY
The first growth of the second year may be quite weedy and not the best feed for horses,
either as hay or as pasture. Removing the first cut, baling it, and using it for cattle hay is a
good choice. The second cut from the second year will probably be the first crop suitable
for horses. The third year marks the beginning of the prime years for an alfalfa or alfalfa-
mix field. After 5 years, due to the death of some of the alfalfa plants, the field will have
an uneven growth pattern and decreased yield. With a mixed field, the grasses gradually
take over, and after 4 to 5 years, grass will dominate the field. You may be able to slow the
transition by reducing your nitrogen fertilizer applications.
Cutting Guidelines
When to cut hay is critical. Usually it is determined by plant maturity, but other methods
involve evaluating crown regrowth after first cut and simply using predetermined calendar
dates. No matter which method is used, always keep an eye on the weather. Hay makers
hope for dry but not overly hot days when the hay is in the windrows (that is, the cut hay
lies in long strips throughout the field). Extreme heat or wind can result in dry, brittle hay.
Rain or damp weather prevents hay from drying thoroughly and usually results in bleached
or moldy hay.
Using plant maturity as the guide, there exists a trade-off between maximum yield and
maximum quality. The premium hay grower chooses the optimum time when the plants are
at their nutritive peak. Leaves contain the most protein. Young, immature grass plants have
a high leaf-to-stem ratio, so are generally high in protein and low in fiber, resulting in ex-
cellent hay but fewer bales per acre. Mature plants, with a low leaf-to-stem ratio, have a
lower protein content and higher fiber content. Although this results in a greater number of
bales per acre, the bales are of lesser quality.
Legumes, such as alfalfa, should be cut when the first flower appears in the field: that is,
the first flower on a representative plant in the field, not an odd plant along a ditch or field
edge. Another way to gauge cutting time is before 1/10 bloom, which is when one out of
ten buds have bloomed on the plants. On very large operations, cutting is started at mid- to
late bud stage so that cutting will be complete by midbloom at the very latest.
