By WCM Staff on 5/23/2007 2:51 PM

Given that some regions of Wisconsin (notably northern) have not received adequate rainfall thus far, questions on irrigation may arise. Included below are some helpful references for you and/or your clients to consult when considering the purchase of irrigation equipment.

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By WCM Staff on 5/23/2007 10:52 AM

Over the last couple of nights (May 17 and 18) a light frost hit much of Wisconsin. Farmers are reporting frost damage to corn and other crops over widespread areas in northern Wisconsin and scattered low spots further south.

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By WCM Staff on 5/23/2007 5:42 AM

Farmers have reported frost damage to corn and other crops in Wisconsin. Farmers who bought federal crop insurance coverage such as actual production history (APH) or crop revenue coverage (CRC) have replant coverage as part of their policy (unless they bought catastrophic coverage only). This short bulletin overviews this replant coverage, focusing on corn and soybeans.

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By WCM Staff on 5/17/2007 11:16 AM

This year will see some unusual alfalfa growth and changes in forage quality due to the late frost and other weather conditions. It is crucial to harvest first cutting alfalfa on time because it usually represents about 35 to 40% of the total season yield, is fed to dairy cows and changes the fastest in forage quality (usually about 5 points RFV or RFQ per day).

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By WCM Staff on 5/17/2007 11:09 AM

The injunction of Judge Charles Breyer on sale of Roundup Ready Alfalfa ...

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By WCM Staff on 5/17/2007 9:47 AM

When to begin planting is an important decision in managing corn. During the month of May we typically see a grain yield decrease of 30%. Not only does yield decrease, but grain moisture increases adding drying costs and decreasing profitability. What is not well understood are other risks that can influence this decision.

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By WCM Staff on 5/10/2007 10:52 AM

We are seeing some frost injury to alfalfa leaves. It appears as the misshapen leaf tips shown in the circles of the picture below. Frost can damage leaves in early stages of development and then damage become apparent as the leaves mature. This injury likely occurred during the Easter weekend frost and is now becoming apparent.

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By WCM Staff on 5/10/2007 7:49 AM

Early May has provided many days for field work. Planting progress in Wisconsin was 38% complete on May 6 (Table 1). More progress than normal has been made in northern Wisconsin due to dry weather. The western side of Wisconsin has also seen good progress. Southeastern Wisconsin has been wet and progress has been slow...

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By WCM Staff on 5/2/2007 8:38 AM

The cold early April has taken a toll on some alfalfa stands. Across southern MN and WI, stands that looked good initially after breaking dormancy in late March need another closer look. The untimely cold snap appears to have caused “winter” injury and even kill in some stands that looked OK just two weeks earlier.

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By WCM Staff on 3/22/2007 10:16 AM

With ethanol production and other factors pushing corn prices upward, I’ve been asked if that will have much impact on the price of organic corn and therefore on the profitability of organic dairy farms in Wisconsin. As I will explain below, I don’t think the current non-organic corn prices will have a big impact on the profitability of most organic dairy farms in Wisconsin.

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By WCM Staff on 3/22/2007 8:41 AM

A recent court case brought against the United States Department of Agriculture - Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS) has resulted in the temporary banning of the sale of Roundup Ready alfalfa seeds (as of March 12th, 2007). If seed has already been bought, growers have until March 30th (2007) to plant the seed.

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By WCM Staff on 3/22/2007 8:28 AM

Weedy grasses are much more difficult to control as few tools can control grass weeds without injuring switchgrass seedlings.

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By WCM Staff on 1/18/2007 1:12 PM

The University of Wisconsin-River Falls, UW-Extension and the Integrated Pest Management Program will co-sponsor the IPM Field Scout Training Class to be held on the UW-River Falls campus, March 13-14, 2007. Topics covered include, pest identification and biology, damage symptoms, economic thresholds and scouting techniques for insects, weeds, plant pathogens, herbicide injury and nutrient deficiency symptoms for corn, alfalfa, soybean and wheat.

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By WCM Staff on 1/18/2007 6:00 AM

Tim Jergenson, UW-Extension Barron County. The recent warm weather has led to concerns about stored corn grain beginning to mold in storage. Temperatures in Barron County have been above average for 31 of the last 52 days. These warm temperatures have caused some stored corn to begin to go out of condition. Farmers have only a limited number of options to counteract corn storage problems. The primary one is to check bins twice a week. To check grain, follow these steps:

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