ALFALFA READINGS

Dodge County Forage Council’s PEAQ Readings will be reported May 20 – June 6, 2019.

Predictive Equations for Alfalfa Quality (PEAQ) is a method to measure standing alfalfa’s forage quality before it’s harvested. Agronomists at the University of Wisconsin – Madison developed this method to help predict alfalfa’s Relative Feed Value (RFV) at the time of cutting.

Several Dodge County Forage Council producers will be reporting PEAQ readings from around the county on Mondays and Thursdays, through June 6th, or as long as their hay is standing. When alfalfa RFV’s near 160, it’s usually time to start harvesting first-crop hay.

In addition to PEAQ readings this year, Extension Dodge County and the Forage Council, will be conducting three scissor cut samplings across the county to help farmers compare the estimated RFV values based on PEAQ readings to actual RFV values from the same fields.

That’s because first-crop alfalfa can rapidly drop 3-5 points of RFV per day as plants mature. Alfalfa quality should be 150 RFV for milking dairy herds and 120-130 RFV for heifers, stocker cattle and lactating beef cattle.

ALFALFA READINGS

Producers, consultants, agronomists, and nutritionists are invited to attend the Dodge County Forage Council 2022 Annual Winter Meeting on Friday, March 18, 2022 at the Pizza Ranch in Watertown, WI.

Registration begins at 11 am, with the program starting promptly at 11:15 am.  The morning presentation will be presented by Dr. Carrie Laboski, Professor of Soil Science at UW-Madison, who will speak on honing your nutrient management strategies for 2022. Fertilizer prices are on the increase for 2022. She will talk about some of the best practices that can be implemented to help mitigate the cost of inputs.

Dr. Mark Renz, UW-Madison Extension Weed Specialist in the Agronomy Department, will give an update on Waterhemp Management in Wisconsin forages, its history in Wisconsin, why are we so concerned, and how management differs based on the forage grown. The talk will focus on management in alfalfa.

The final presentation by Will Fulwider, UW-Madison Extension Crops & Soils Educator for Dodge and Dane Counties, highlights what we can learn from global sustainable agriculture systems. Drawing on his background working with wetland rice, agroforestry, and other integrated cropping systems, Will will touch on the core ecological principles of these approaches and what they may look like applied to the context of Wisconsin agriculture.

Three (3) Certified Crop Advisor CEU credits are available.

The Dodge County Forage Council annual meeting will follow the presentations and include a Midwest Forage Association (MFA) update, annual business, a review of 2022 activities, planning for 2022 events, and an announcement of the forage contest winners.

Do not forget the Forage Contest! Producers can bring their best forage to be judged by their peers. One entry per category. Categories include: baleage, haylage, silage, and miscellaneous ensiled forages.  There is a limit of one entry per category. Please bring silage, haylage, and baylage in 1-gallon ziplock bags. Please no dry hay at this meeting.

Everyone attending the meeting will be able to vote once for each forage category. Votes will be tallied and prizes will be awarded to the winner of each category during the afternoon business meeting.  Attendees must be present to win.

Registration is requested by Wednesday, March 16th. Walk in’s are welcome. Registration fee is $20 which includes the program; pizza and drink, and annual Dodge County Forage Council dues. If interested, you can also pay for your membership in the Midwest Forage Association, with your meeting registration.

To register, complete a registration form and return with payment to Extension Dodge County, 127 East Oak Street, Juneau. WI 53039, Attn: Forage Council. Make checks payable to “Dodge County Forage Council”.

This meeting is co-hosted by Extension Dodge County, Dodge County Forage Council, and the Midwest Forage Association.  For more information, contact the Extension office at 920-386-3790, or visit the Extension Dodge County website at https://dodge.extension.wisc.edu or connect with us on Facebook.

2022 Annual Winter Meeting Flyer and Registration