Know your Hay, B, C’s!

Hay storage is a little different from the days in the picture above (1913), but two things haven’t changed. Hay is never any better quality than it is when it’s cut, and all kinds of things happen to reduce the quantity of hay that makes it into the...
UF/IFAS Seeks Input from Hay Producers on Stem Maggot Damage

UF/IFAS Seeks Input from Hay Producers on Stem Maggot Damage

Atherigona reversura is the scientific name of the bermudagrass stem maggot, a new invasive fly from south Asia which damages bermudagrass pasture and hay fields.  This pest was first discovered in 2009 in California and in 2010 in Georgia, and since these initial...

What is the Best Grass for Pastures in the Panhandle?

Spring is here, and the number of calls that come in to the local Extension Office increases dramatically with the warmer weather.  One question that often comes this time of year is “What grass I should plant for a pasture?”  Whether this a new field, or a field that...

Cattle Rations Short on Energy this Winter

2013 was certainly a rough year for hay production in the Southeast; first it was too dry to produce enough hay to cut, then too wet to make a quality cutting of hay.  As a result, most ranchers harvested over mature, low quality hay at the end of the growing season. ...
Vaseygrass in your Bermuda hayfield? Start your management now!

Vaseygrass in your Bermuda hayfield? Start your management now!

When you think of hay in the third week of January, you are probably wondering whether you’ll have enough hay to last until grass greens up in the spring. However, now is the time to develop your plan for controlling Vaseygrass or other grass weeds such as...
Crown Rust Outbreak in North Florida Oats

Crown Rust Outbreak in North Florida Oats

Crown rust (Puccinia coranata) was found in over 3000 acres of oats in Levy, Suwannee and Madison counties in the last week. The most notable characteristic of the fungus is small pustules which contain orange-yellow spores. Rubbing the leaf with your fingers or a...