Round Bale Silage, a Viable Option for Rain-Weary Hay Producers.

by Judy Biss | Jul 26, 2013

Introduction: “When the sun shines, make hay.”  (John Heywood, 1546).  For north Florida’s farmers, that statement is much easier said than done lately.  Daily precipitation and rainfall amounts well over 10 inches have left hay farmers frustrated.  While, of course,...

Growing Pasture Under Shade a Challenging Mix

by ifwpadmnwdistrict | Jul 19, 2013

By Dr. Henry Grant, Gadsden County Extension Director. Recently, I received a telephone call from a client regarding establishing a permanent pasture of Argentine Bahia for livestock grazing.  In this situation, the client did not want to remove many trees from the...

Bermudagrass Stem Maggot ID and Management

by Doug Mayo | Jun 13, 2013

Bermudagrass stem maggots (Atherigona reversura) are a relatively new pest of Bermudagrass hayfields in the Southeast, only being discovered in the region in 2010.  Identifying the damage is fairly easy, it looks like a light frost has burnt the top growth of the...

Managing Crimson Clover to Reseed

by | Apr 26, 2013

Crimson clover is one of North Florida’s best cool season forages. Its feed quality is high and it puts an estimated 100 pounds of nitrogen per acre back into the soil each year, the equivalent of six and a quarter bags of 32% nitrogen. At a cost of fourteen dollars a...

How Much Hay Is Enough?

by | Feb 22, 2013

We always know at some point whether we had enough hay for the winter and whether it was good enough. Sometimes it’s now when we’re running out of hay, and sometimes that point can be next fall when you have more open cows at pregnancy check or fewer and lighter...

Soil Test First!

by Matthew Orwat | Jan 18, 2013

Matthew Orwat, Horticulture Agent I, Washington County Extension Last week’s warm spring-like weather has reminded producers that it is time to prepare this year’s fertility  management plan. This reminder is timely because there is still time to prepare for the...