Purdue Ag Roundup
Purdue Ag Roundup
But he said these farmers need to survey fields for winter damage. If severe damage is noticed, there's still time for a contingency plan, he said.
"I don't expect much flooding loss with permanent pasture and hay fields," he said. "Most river bottom land is not in forages. It's row-crop land. Where forages are planted on flood-prone sites, the negative impact will be less if water recedes quickly and crops less sensitive to flooding, such as cool-season grasses instead of alfalfa, are established."
Saturated soils could cause alfalfa heaving, pushing the plants' crown and upper portion of taproot above the soil, if temperatures turn cold again at night. Soils saturated for extended periods also can kill plants by depriving the roots of oxygen.
If heavy winter losses are apparent, Johnson said, farmers can re-seed until late April. That's why it's important to evaluate fields now.
"If they know they have to re-seed, they have time to plan what fields to rotate to, check plant-back restrictions associated with herbicides previously used on the site, assess soil pH and nutrient status, and purchase desired seed," he said.
Also, if winter annual weeds are a problem in alfalfa fields, they can be treated with an herbicide before the alfalfa breaks dormancy.
"Alfalfa typically breaks dormancy in late March," he said. "However, another warmer-than-usual period will bring new life before then."
1996 saw reduced yields and forage quality in some areas from the impact of a dry fall in 1995, a harsh winter, a cool spring with persistent rains, potato leafhopper infestations, and a dry summer. Consequently, hay inventory is low and prices are at an all-time high.
"Super-quality hay is averaging more than $200 a ton," he said. "That's 50 percent to 100 percent higher than usual."
Many livestock producers have adapted to the forage situation by feeding more corn silage, corn grain, reasonably priced byproduct feedstuffs, and corn residues, according to the specialist.
"We don't want a repeat of 1996 in 1997," Johnson said. "Two years in a row would be a great concern to the forage-livestock industry."
Farmers can develop strategies to get through a second bad year, he said. But in the meantime, they should monitor hay inventory.
CONTACT: Keith Johnson, (765) 494-4800; e-mail, kjohnson@dept.agry.purdue.edu
Enrollment is under way for the "sign-up" CRP through March 28 at county Farm Service Agency offices. Land is accepted through a competitive bid process, and landowners must compete nationally for acceptance into the program. Only 36.4 million acres can be in CRP nationally at one time.
"Chances for getting your offer accepted during regular sign-up periods can be increased by choosing native species for cover plantings and selecting practices and planting designs that enhance wildlife habitat," said Purdue University forestry and natural resources specialist Brian Miller. "These practices are assigned higher point values, which are used to calculate your Environmental Benefits Index."
All eligible acres are ranked using the index, according to Miller. Factors considered include: benefits to wildlife, on-farm benefits from reduced erosion, water-quality benefits from reduced erosion runoff and leaching, air-quality benefits from reduced wind erosion, long-term retention benefits beyond the CRP period, cost per acre for enrollment, and location in Conservation Priority Areas.
"Producers should know in advance what the maximum rental rate will be for their county and can bid whatever they choose as long as it doesn't exceed the maximum rate," Miller said. "Landowners can propose less than the maximum rental rate to increase the likelihood of bid acceptance through the competitive environmental benefits indexing process."
Sign-up CRP contracts are for 10 years on acres lacking trees. Acreage planted to trees may be entered up to 15 years. Payment rate is the maximum posted at your Farm Service Agency office, plus a $5 per acre maintenance allowance.
"Cost-share assistance of 50 percent will also be provided to establish conservation practices," Miller said.
Eligible land may be entered into continuous CRP at any time, but fewer conservation practices are allowed. For example, it must be placed in filter strips, riparian buffers, field windbreaks, grassed waterways or shallow areas for wildlife. Unlike sign-up CRP, bids are accepted automatically. Contracts are the same duration as those for sign-up CRP, as are payment rates, except that under continuous CRP an additional 20-percent incentive is available. Fifty-percent cost-share payment also is available to implement conservation practices under continuous CRP.
CONTACT: Brian Miller, (765) 494-3586; e-mail, bmiller@forest1.fnr.purdue.edu
The daylong Indiana Forage-Livestock Seminar will feature these educational sessions after a 30-minute registration session beginning a 9 a.m.:
The event will be at the Jasper VFW on U.S. 231, a mile north of the Dubois County Courthouse. Lunch is included in the $10 registration fee.
The final educational session is scheduled to end at 3:15 p.m., when the Indiana Forage Council will hold its annual meeting.
For more information, contact Jim Peter, Dubois County Extension educator, (812) 482-1782.
CONTACT: Keith Johnson, Extension forage specialist, (765) 494-4800, e-mail: kjohnson@dept.agry.purdue.edu
Adjusting to college can be tough for many freshmen, but a collegiate 4-H club can help many former 4-H members fit in, according to members of the Purdue University Collegiate 4-H Club. The little-known higher education extension of the more renowned youth development program gives members a chance to participate in a familiar forum while continuing their education.
Hannah Speaker, a junior in agricultural communication from Columbus, Ind., and Purdue collegiate 4-H club publicity director, said the club filled a void left when her 4-H experience ended. "It's allowed me to hold on to that part of my past as I work toward the future," she said.
"All of my life I have been involved with 4-H. People at home understood that and how the organization shaped my life."
She said 4-H has taught her more about herself than anything else in her life, enhancing her sense of responsibility and giving her skills in leadership and dealing with others. Speaker also said that 4-H helped her determine her career path.
Doug Steele, club adviser and Extension specialist 4-H Youth Development with the Purdue Cooperative Extension Service, said the Purdue 4-H club is a service and leadership student organization. He said the club promotes leadership through service to others. He also said that the club has produced many regional officers who may not have had that chance at leadership without collegiate 4-H.
Purdue's Collegiate 4-H Club holds several social and leadership activities at Purdue and around the state. The club organizes a host day in the fall when high-school students are invited to Purdue for a weekend. The high-school students go to class with collegiate 4-H members and listen to speakers from admissions and the Agricultural Ambassadors program. The students also tour campus and attend a football game. The host day is open to any high-school junior or senior and is offered through 4-H junior leader clubs around the state.
The club also does 4-H officer training for counties in north-central Indiana. Collegiate 4-H'ers lead workshops for each office -- president, vice president, treasurer, secretary, news reporter, health and safety and recreation leader. Collegiate 4-H members also lead recreation session at these workshops.
The club holds a holiday dance and sponsors many study breaks and informal activities, including volleyball and movie nights. Purdue's club also has a year-end banquet to recognize graduating seniors, retiring officers and outstanding members.
Collegiate 4-H'ers also are active off campus. They attend regional and national conferences where they participate in leadership and character building activities and network with other collegiate 4-H'ers from around the country.
Last year, Purdue's collegiate 4-H Club was chosen club of the year in the Midwest. The award is given to the club that excels in overall activities, community service and membership. Now, the club is planning the 1998 National Collegiate 4-H Conference to be held at Purdue April 3-6, 1998, with the theme "Racing Into the Future."
It will be the first time Purdue's club will be host of the national conference for more than 200 collegiate 4-H'ers. Leadership workshops, a campus scavenger hunt and tours of the Speedway and Children's Museum's in Indianapolis are on tap. "We want to keep the focus on leadership development but also have fun while doing it," Steele said.
According to Speaker, the club has come a long way in the last few years -- from 10 members in 1994 to a roster of over 50 now. "We're also are becoming a lot more active in the regional and national systems," she said. Club president Matt Lee, a junior in agriculture systems management from Knightstown, said he rates the increase in membership as the club's greatest accomplishment.
CONTACT: Doug Steele, (765) 494-8439; e-mail doug_steele@four-h.purdue.edu
cs/agroundup/9703f11
Compiled by Chris Sigurdson, (765) 494-8415; E-mail, sig@ecn.purdue.edu
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; e-mail, purduenews@purdue.edu