Pasture and Forage Minute

Silage is a cornerstone feed for livestock across Nebraska. Knowing its value is critical for making sound management decisions whether it be accurate budgeting for your own operation or selling to a buyer. Ben Beckman, Nebraska Extension Forage Systems Educator.

There are a couple of leasing options for producers and landowners. Verbal leases are a common form of lease agreement. However, if someone is considering terminating a verbal lease, there are some dates and rules to remember for those with crops vs. pasture verbal lease agreements. Shannon Sand, Nebraska Ag Economics Extension Educator.

Are you thinking about seeding a winter annual cereal grain to have some forage next spring? The possible choices are wheat, rye, or triticale; but which of these small grains should you seed this fall? Jerry Volesky, Nebraska Extension Range and Forage Systems Specialist.

Pasture and forage are the foundation of many Nebraska livestock operations, but they’re also one of the most vulnerable resources. Drought can quickly reduce forage production, forcing ranchers to buy expensive feed or reduce herd numbers. Shannon Sand, Nebraska Ag Economics Extension Educator.

Silage harvest for fully irrigated full-season corn usually begins 45 days or 800 GDD’s after the tassel / silking growth stage. However, growing conditions and the season length of the plant itself can make predictions based on the calendar fuzzy at best. Ben Beckman, Nebraska Extension Forage Systems Educator.

Following corn silage harvest, your ground can lay bare for seven to nine months.  Instead, let’s plant some crops to grow and cover it until next season. Jerry Volesky, Nebraska Extension Range and Forage Systems Specialist.

Cover crops can provide dual purpose benefits of soil health improvement and livestock forage production. Todd Whitney, Nebraska Irrigation and Cropping Systems Forage Educator.

High value silage depends on maintaining chop quality throughout harvest. Do you know how to reliably monitor your silage quality? Ben Beckman, Nebraska Extension Forage Systems Educator.

August always seems to be a time when certain weeds can become quite noticeable in pastures. That is especially true this summer where many parts of Nebraska have had abundant summer rains. Jerry Volesky, Nebraska Extension Range and Forage Systems Specialist.

Keeping clean water in front of animals during the the summer is important. However, sunlight and warm temperatures can often lead to stock tanks overrun by algae.  Let’s look at how we can address these issues. Ben Beckman, Nebraska Extension Forage Systems Educator.

In previous years, portions of eastern Nebraska have seen significant numbers of fall armyworm caterpillars feeding on alfalfa, brome regrowth in pastures, and newly seeded small grain crops. While reports of armyworm damage have not been received so far this year, it is a good idea to keep an eye out for this insect. Samantha Daniel, Nebraska Extension Crops and Water Educator.

Corn silage harvest success rests on proper harvest, packing, and storage practices. When we need a boost, adding an inoculant at harvest time can help improve fermentation and storage, but we need to know what products to use to get the best result. Ben Beckman, Nebraska Extension Forage Systems Educator.

Corn silage harvest may seem like a long way off, but preparation for a successful harvest begins now. Improper silage storage and fermentation can result in losses up to 20% prior to feeding. Plan your storage now to keep excessive storage losses from happening to you. Ben Beckman, Nebraska Extension Forage Systems Educator.

Do you have a thinning and low producing alfalfa stand; but are not quite ready to do a complete reseeding? These stands can be rejuvenated by interseeding grasses to increase hay production in subsequent years or to convert them to pasture. Jerry Volesky, Nebraska Extension Range and Forage Systems Specialist.

Forages vary greatly in water-use efficiency defined as pounds of forage produced per inch of water applied. In general, warm-season forage crops are more water-use efficient than cool-season crops. Todd Whitney, Nebraska Irrigation and Cropping Systems Forage Educator.

When it gets hot, alfalfa plants grow more slowly and moisture stress becomes common, even in moist soil. Jerry Volesky, Nebraska Extension Range and Forage Systems Specialist.

Common mullein is an invasive biennial weed that can spread rapidly into pastures. Due to recent mild winters, mullein winter survival has been high. Todd Whitney, Nebraska Irrigation and Cropping Systems Forage Educator.

As we enter a period of hotter and drier weather, grasshoppers will begin to move into crops from field edges. In the coming weeks, be sure to scout your fields to ensure defoliation from grasshopper feeding is kept at a minimum. Samantha Daniel, Nebraska Extension Crops and Water Educator.

With summer annual grasses like sorghum-sudan, pearl millet, and forage sorghum coming into their own, getting good hay put up can be a bit of a challenge, especially when you’re dealing with thick stems and drying delays. Ben Beckman, Nebraska Extension Forage Systems Educator.

Yucca plants, also called small soapweed, are common weeds in western and central Nebraska rangelands. In some areas, high plant density can significantly reduce grass production; so yucca may need managed to reclaim grazinglands. Todd Whitney, Nebraska Irrigation and Cropping Systems Forage Educator.

What does it cost to rent pasture this year? The 2025 results are out for Nebraska cash rental rates. Shannon Sand, Nebraska Ag Economics Extension Educator.

Rained-on hay can still be a valuable resource; even if rain fell on cut hay windrows has lowered both yield and quality during the drying process. However, losses will vary and will likely be less if the rain occurred soon after cutting and the forage was not re-wetted many times. Todd Whitney, Nebraska Extension Forage Agronomist.

As we move through midsummer, it’s time to evaluate our forage situation. Depending on your location, meadow hay harvest might be starting, you could be on your second cutting of alfalfa, or preparing to cut warm-season annual crops soon. Ben Beckman, Nebraska Extension Forage Systems Educator.

Make plans now to attend the 2025 Nebraska Grazing Conference in Kearney at the Younes Conference Center on August 5. This year, the conference will be a single day. Jerry Volesky, Nebraska Extension Range and Forage Systems Specialist.

When cattle are on pasture, both forage and water quality are important for healthy animals. Surface water is particularly prone to quality issues, such as blue-green algae, salinity, mineral concentrations, or nitrate. Ben Beckman, Nebraska Extension Forage Systems Educator.