University of Idaho Ag Days September 25th-27th

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Register at www.uidaho.edu/cals/agdays

Fuel Fire Future: 2015 Rangeland Fall Forum

An event from the University of Idaho Rangeland Center and partners. View this email in your browser

Save the Date Rangeland Fall Forum Mark your calendars for October 22, 2015 to attend the Rangeland Fall Forum. This year's event will take place near Twin Falls, Idaho. Fires on sagebrush rangelands are an ever-increasing reality of living in Idaho and the West. Many factors, including invasive plants, drier hotter summers, and human activities, encourage wildfires that threaten both human communities and habitat for native plants and animals. Innovations and coordinated efforts in rangeland fire management are being implemented to combat these threats and mitigate damage.

What Is the Best Hay Probe?

What is the best hay probe?  The answer is it depends on type of forage, dryness of forage, and operator.

The best source of information is the National Forage Testing Association web site.
http://foragetesting.org/

The standard probe everything else is compared to is the Penn State Probe.  It is the most versatile, useful in grass, alfalfa, and corn stalk bales. The Oakfield probe is similar.  Either can be operated with a brace or portable electric drill. Caution: when operating with an electric drill, the probe can get very hot and you can brand yourself.  That is also a sign that the sample got too hot and the resulting forage quality test may be biased, usually in higher fiber or heat-damaged protein.  These are single sample probes-they must be emptied after each probe. For dry alfalfa, I like the Star Quality Multi-sampler Probe.  It accumulates multiple samples into a plastic bag.  It is fast, relatively easy to use, and avoids having to keep a generator or battery powered drill working.  All samplers should be voided in the tube with the push rod after every use.

Forage Kochia Can Facilitate Pasture Bloat

Barry Perryman, Professor at the University of Reno, recently received a report of cows dying of frothy bloat after spring grazing on rangeland containing large concentrations of forage kochia. The following information should be shared in order to reduce/prevent any further incidents:

Don’t miss the final series of 2015 Cereal Field Days…

Tuesday, July 21- Soda Springs Cereal Field Day

4:00 pm – Variety Trial plots at Sid Cellan’s farm at 3 Mile Knoll Rd 3 miles north of Hooper/Gov’t dam road intersection. After going north past Monsanto, take a right at the substation and the plots are approx. 3⁄4 mile on the left (west). 

Winter plot tour will follow at 2500 Sorenson Road, west of Gov’t Dam Road.  Dinner to follow at Hooper Springs Park, sponsored by Caribou County Grain Growers

Wednesday, July 22 – Direct Seed Field Day at Gordan Gallup’s farm at 1922 Swan Valley Highway, 10:00 am to 1:00 pm, with lunch

Sponsored by the Idaho Wheat Commission and University of Idaho

Dr. Juliet Marshall, UI Cereal Agronomy/Pathology Specialist will present an overview of recent research on production systems, including cover crops, and wheat varieties for dry land grain.  Information on disease and fertility also will be covered.

Thursday, July 30 – Ashton Cereal Field Day at Alan Baum’s farm, ¼ mile north of Hwy 47 on 3875 East, Ashton, 10:00 am to noon, with lunch to follow.

For more information on these events, contact Dr. Juliet Marshall, 208.529.8376,jmarshall@uidaho.edu

 Or go to our website:  http://www.uidaho.edu/extension/cereals/scseidaho