|
CALIFORNIA FORAGE UPDATE
is a joint project of the California Alfalfa & Forage Association,
representing thousands of CA forage growers, and the Alfalfa and
Forage Systems Workgroup of the
University of California
Cooperative Extension.
Welcome
to the second issue of the California Forage Update. We welcome
your input and comments, see email contact names below.
Catchword of the Day:
Sun. After it rains, it pours………………..…hot sunshine! After some of
the wettest and worst early spring haying conditions in the Central
Valley, it turned suddenly hot in May, which, along with lower
prices and a few ill-timed May rains, allowed hay growers to
practice some world-class complaining.
A miserable spring haying season has affected supplies.
“March and April rains caused more damage to alfalfa fields in the
northern San Joaquin and Sacramento
Valley than first thought," reports
Seth Hoyt, Senior Economist for the National Agricultural Statistics
Service (NASS), Sacramento.
"While some fields were drowned out, many others were set back and
this was reflected in below normal yields on first cutting. Rain the
third week of May in central and northern
California
caught some alfalfa hay on the ground and added to an already
plentiful supply of low to middle quality hay.
-Aaron Kiess,
CAFA
Mostly Short Term Buying.
Seth adds that as predicted, many dairies are purchasing hay for
only short term needs. With smaller milk checks, dairymen could not
afford to build hay inventories and were adamant about holding the
market below last year. Overall alfalfa hay prices in May in
California
were running about $10.00 to $20.00/ton lower than a year ago. As
California alfalfa hay growers discovered in
2003, in spite of tight supplies of high quality alfalfa hay, when
your main customer is financially strapped, this effectively creates
a weaker demand. Dairy cow slaughter in
California in April was up 14% from last
year as dairies were in need of cash. One positive: milk production
in April was lower than expected in
California, but was up 3.8% from a year ago,
and the nation was up 3.7%. The June thru December 2006 Class 3 milk
futures prices on May 24 were up $.40 to $.60 cents/cwt. from early
May. The NASS acreage report will be released in late June and
Hoyt's in-depth market update article will appear in the July issue
of CAFA News. See CAFA website for further information
http://www.calhay.org
-Aaron Kiess,
CAFA
California’s
Hay crop was worth $1.15 billion
in 2005, highest in the nation and highest ever for the state, up
35% from $852 million in 2003. Texas’
hay crop (#2) was worth $730 million and
Idaho (#3) $586 million in 2005 (this
doesn’t count haylage fed on-farm). Alfalfa was the most important
component of CA’s crop at $952 million dollars on slightly over 1
million acres. The US
value of hay production was $12.5 billion in 2005, the third most
valuable crop in the
US
behind only corn and soybean. See Ag. Statistics Service data at: http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/reports/nassr/price/zcv-bb/cpvl0206.txt
Annual reports and weekly/monthly reports of the California Hay
market and other hay markets can be found at at:
http://www.ams.usda.gov/lsmnpubs/hsum.htm
-Dan
Putnam, UC Davis
Winter forages yields were off significantly in 2006
in the Central Valley
compared to normal, due to combination of very rainy conditions,
waterlogged fields, N deficiencies in January-February, and sudden
heat in May. Most varieties were viciously attacked by striped rust
in winter, lowering yields and quality. Many fields were harvested
in the flowering to milk stage in the first week in May—the crop was
delayed in development due to cold weather and flooding, which set
back the silage harvests. Almost all of the silage harvest is
custom contracted in
California, and so schedules were very
compressed. After a long cold wet winter, it turned hot suddenly,
which caused very rapid maturity and drying of the crop. There was
likely only one week in Central California
where grains were harvested at the optimal stage for yield and
quality, and growers were lucky if they hit this window. Wheat
forages were particularly hard hit by the spring heat, whereas
triticale appeared to have more ‘stay green’ characteristics this
spring. As of June 1, some of the winter forages remain to be
harvested, and growers have had to add water to make silage due to
the very rapid dry down of the crop during the last two weeks of
May.
-Steve Wright, UC
Farm Advisor Kings and
Tulare
County
Corn Silage planting was a frantic affair
this year due to the rains. In the Central
Valley the cool, wet spring delayed harvest of winter
forage and the subsequent planting of corn silage, which is most
commonly grown in rotation with grains. The start of corn silage
planting this year was two to three weeks later than normal;
although once corn planting started it progressed faster than
normal. Corn silage growth is progressing rapidly with our current
ideal weather and warm temperatures. Because of the shortened
planting interval, the harvest window this fall will be narrower
which could make it a challenge for commercial custom choppers to
harvest all corn silage at its optimum maturity. Corn silage
acreage was 425,000 acres in 2005 (second only to WI), up 10% from
the previous year, and seed companies report strong sales this
spring, so acreage is likely to remain high in 2006.
-Roger Vinande,
Agronomist, Pioneer Hi-Bred International
Intermountain Alfalfa and Grass Hay. What
a difference a month can make! Last month the alfalfa crop appeared
to be about 2-3 weeks behind normal due to extended cool wet
weather. However, like most of the rest of
California, we went from winter to what felt
like summer almost overnight and then back to more typical
spring-like weather. The result is that alfalfa and grass growth
has caught up to near normal for this time of year. Some fields
have required treatment for weevils but treatment was later and not
as many fields were treated as in the last couple of years. A few
fields were cut the third week of May when there appeared to be a
window but rain occurred before they could be baled. Most growers
are waiting for the unsettled weather to pass before they start
first cutting. Due to the delay, it may be difficult to produce
much dairy quality hay in the lower elevation valleys but there is
still time in the cooler higher elevation valleys. Grasses in
alfalfa-grass and pure grass fields are now flowering and need to be
harvested to maintain high quality. Many spring plantings were
delayed due to the wet soil conditions earlier. The late planting
date coupled with the warm weather is going to make it difficult for
some growers to keep up with irrigation needs. Some growers of
established hay crops are already behind in irrigation because they
did not begin early enough when significant rainfall stopped.
Nevertheless, time marches on; the beginning of June marks the end
of the opportunity to wait out spring rains and the time to begin
normal harvest and irrigation schedule to harvest high quality and
high yields for 2006. Hopefully, good curing conditions will
prevail so that we can produce some of that high quality hay the
intermountain area is known for and is in such short supply so far
this year.
-Steve Orloff and
Dan Marcum, UCCE Siskiyou and
Shasta
Counties
Sacramento
Valley
Hay Situation.
Flooding, seepage, high water tables, and saturated soils were the
story throughout the
Sac Valley
this early May, highly detrimental to alfalfa production. Many
seedling alfalfa fields have to be re-planted; established stands
had reduced vigor for the first cutting, resulting in a loss in
yield and forage quality as well as plant dieback in many fields.
The sudden hot temperatures in May provided good drying weather, and
many fields in our area appear to be recovering fairly well from the
deluge of rain we experienced in March and April, but rains on May
21-22 caught many growers by surprise. Plants lacking
nitrogen-fixing nodules due to saturated soils re-colonized alfalfa
roots within a week after the ground started to dry up. However, the
yellowing of the alfalfa we saw in April can also be attributed to a
temporary sulfur deficiency brought on by cold, water logged soils.
This deficiency is evident by a general yellowing of the whole
plant. N deficiency is a little different in that the younger
leaves are greener than the older leaves. This is because N is
mobile within the plant and will steal N from older tissue to feed
younger tissue. With S deficiency, young and old leaves alike are
yellow. When the soil dries and temperatures rise, new root growth
can then pick up sufficient S from the soil and the plants “green
up”. As temperatures return to near normal in late May, all hopes
are for more normal crop production for the remaining second and
shortly the third cuts.
-Rachael Long and
Jerry Schmeirer, UCCE, Yolo, Sacramento
and Colusa
Counties
San Joaquin
Valley
Hay Crop.
Nearly 50% of California’s alfalfa
crop is produced in the
San Joaquin Valley.
Young alfalfa fields are rebounding quite nicely from the wet
winter. However, older fields that had phytophthora (root rot)
problems last year are still struggling showing less vigor and
little growth before bloom occurs, especially in the northern part
of the valley where most flooding occurred. The summer annual weed
complex of watergrass, yellow foxtail, and nutsedge are now showing
up where plant spacing has thinned. Soil residual herbicide
treatments may only be worth the investment if stand density and
plant conditions are possible to save the stand. Post emergence/ non
residual herbicides maybe a better approach in the short term to
manage weak stands where the future is unclear. In the southern
part of the SJ Valley, many fields have just been cut for the second
time (quite late), and little insect pressure is evident at this
time.
-Mick Canevari
and Carol Frate, UCCE, San Joaquin and
Tulare Counties
Growers should pay particular attention to irrigation
of alfalfa after a wet winter that damages root systems. It is
important to monitor not only the ET (evapotranspiration) which
estimates the amount of water that is demanded to grow your
alfalfa, but soil moisture status, which shows where the
water is in your soil profile. If you think you have had damaged
roots (dig a few up!), assume that the plants are obtaining water
mostly from the top portions of the soil, not down below. Paying
attention to the first few irrigations of the year on heavy soils
will enable growers to ‘keep up’ during the high water demand
periods later in the summer. It is virtually impossible to ‘catch
up’ after the weather turns hot if the soil profile is depleted
early on. See ‘Monitoring Soil Moisture’
http://alfalfa.ucdavis.edu/-files/etc/cropmanagement/Soil.htm
for details about managing irrigations.
-D Putnam and S.
Orloff, UCCE
The High
Desert spring
brought cool temperatures and delayed growth of alfalfa and
development of alfalfa weevils. Overall weevil pressure was low
this year, and weevils appeared in fields two to three weeks behind
their typical cycle in the
Lancaster area. Some have thought that frost
that we received on a few evenings in March may have reduced the
weevil pressure. The hatch was certainly delayed and weevils were
still in fields towards the end of April. The overall populations
of aphids were unusually low this year with few fields needing
treatment. Growing small grains for forage was difficult this year
due to dry cool conditions and a resurgence of Russian wheat aphid
populations. The first cutting was about two to three weeks late
and it looks like we may loose yield for the season. Growers are
beginning second alfalfa cutting in the
Lancaster area and are well into the second cutting in
the eastern portion of the desert near
Barstow.
-Grant
Poole, UCCE Los Angeles Co., Tim Hays, Evergreen
Farm Supply, Lancaster
Alfalfa harvest in the low desert
is in full production, with 4th-5th cuttings underway. June cutting
harvests are expected to result in highest tonnage per acre of the
year. Recent cooling of temperatures is expected to result in
increased hay quality if alfalfa fields are harvested at the proper
stage to capture this quality. Insect pest pressures are light at
this time, although summer weeds continue to germinate if fields
were not treated with a germination-inhibiting herbicide. Kleingrass
and bermudagrass harvests are also underway. Newly planted
sudangrass fields are also approaching their first harvest.
-Mike Rethwisch,
UCCE, Riverside
County
Imperial
Valley
spring conditions were cooler than usual,
but May was hot enough so that yields may be as good as last year. Imperial
Valley got an earlier cutting this year due to lack of
winter rains, some even got December and January cuttings. Market
prices are $20 lower than they were at this time last year. Some
growers have treated for spider mites and alfalfa weevil early on.
Most of the first two cuttings went to either
Chino milkshed or the Central Valley.
Much of the next few cuttings (3rd & 4th)
should go mostly to the horse markets in the Los
Angeles
basin or San Diego..
-Danny Walker,
Grower, El Centro
In the Imperial Valley,
Roundup-Ready alfalfa varieties
have now been approved for sale with certain restrictions on
planting, according to Forage Genetics and Monsanto sources. While
RR alfalfa varieties were approved by USDA for sale throughout the
US in 2005, sales were limited by the companies
in Washington
State and the
Imperial Valley due to marketing concerns. Some growers
in these regions were concerned (and are still concerned) about the
presence of a GE trait affecting the foreign hay or seed markets,
whereas other growers were interested in trying the technology. In
April, 2006, Monsanto and Forage Genetics decided to begin selling
seed for hay production in the Imperial Valley
with certain restrictions, include steps taken for stewardship of
the trait, and a 1 mile distance between new RR fields and
neighboring alfalfa seed or hay fields. RR alfalfa
seed would be planted in the fall of 2006, and is for
forage production only, not seed. For further details, contact
Monsanto or Forage Genetics representatives.
--J. Guerrero and D.
Putnam, UC Cooperative Extension
Alfalfa seed
production
in California
is beginning to recover from many years of decline resulting from an
oversupply situation that was created by multiple factors in 1999.
Acreage in 2005 was recorded at 29,100 acres, located primarily in
the Imperial and
Central
San Joaquin
Valleys. The average yield per acre in
California
has been between 400 and 500 pounds per acre in the last 5 years
with total production ranging from 10-20 million pounds. In 2006,
the industry expects acreage to be up by about 15% along with higher
yields than reported in 2005, when weather conditions contributed to
the lowest yields in the Imperial Valley
in 60 years. Spring weather has delayed the crop in the
San Joaquin Valley
this year. Clipback was 3-4 weeks later than usual, but given good
conditions for pollination and manageable pest pressure (Lygus),
growers should still expect good yields.
-Shannon Mueller, UCCE Farm Advisor, Fresno Co.
CAFA gets attention of
California Members of Congress.
Growers and industry members can make a difference by contacting
legislators and other policy makers. CAFA recently took the lead in
urging members of congress to fund Agricultural Research Service
positions that are dedicated to improving dairy-forage systems in
California
and other western states. CAFA members, with support from California
Farm Bureau and Western United Dairymen, contacted their congressmen
and Bob Filner (D), Chula Vista and
Devin Nunes (R), Visalia,
offered support. However, the ag appropriations process had closed
during the period when CAFA was contacting members of congress.
Filner and Nunes discussed supplemental funding options, but decided
to regroup and get an early start for next year. CAFA will continue
working with California
congressmen to fund ARS positions that address the unique needs of
western growers and dairymen.
-Aaron Keiss,
CAFA Exec. Director
A visit to Washington DC by the National Alfalfa and Forage Alliance
during the last week in April engendered a few blisters and worn
shoe leather, as we conducted over 50 meetings in 2 ½ days! NAFA
representatives included: Mark Wagoner (WA), Tom Braun (WI),
Dan Putnam (CA), Dan Undersander (WI), Jon Dockter
(NAFA) and Beth Nelson (NAFA). The intent of the meetings was to
raise the visibility of the alfalfa/forage industry and to discuss
research funding possibilities and farm bill priorities. One map
that was distributed in D.C. showed hay to be number 1 in many
states, and 1st, 2nd, or 3rd in
almost all states. This was a powerful argument for members of
congress, helping stress the importance of the nation's third most
valuable crop! Meetings with EPA, and USDA-ARS leaders set the
stage for encouraging further research on alfalfa and forage crops
in the furture. The NAFA was formed in 2006 from the Alfalfa
Alliance (publishers of the alfalfa seed listing and other
publications) to assist hay growers, seed growers and marketers, and
forage industry to have a voice on a national basis. An article on
the formation of the
Alliance
http://hayandforage.com/news/National-Alfalfa-Forage-Alliance/
and the NAFA website is:
www.alfalfa.org
-Beth Nelson,
NAFA Exec. Director
2006 Western Alfalfa Symposium
planning is moving ahead. This multi-state program will be held at
John Ascuaga’s Nugget in
Sparks, NV
December 11-12-13.
An agricultural field tour is planned for December 11, and the full
program 8-5 December 12 and 8-12 December 13. Topics such as
alfalfa/hay economics, production, pest management, soils,
irrigation, and marketing will be covered. A full trade show is
featured, and this year we will host an auction to benefit the hay
grower organizations of the western states. Co-Chairs for the
program: Glen Shewmaker (ID), Steve Oloff (CA), and
Dan Putnam (CA), and the program is being developed
by representatives of these 11 Western States:
Arizona,
California, Colorado,
Idaho, Montana,
Nevada, New Mexico,
Oregon, Utah,
Washington, and
Wyoming. Exhibitor information to be sent
shortly. For further information see
http://alfalfa.ucdavis.edu/+symposium/current/index.html
-D. Putnam, Forage Specialist, UC Davis
To subscribe or
un-subscribe: Send an email to Crystal Repass:
clrepass@ucdavis.edu
To write: If you
have ideas, letters, comments, or criticisms, write to: Janice
Corner,
jecorner@ucdavis.edu
California Alfalfa & Forage Association |
California Alfalfa Workgroup |
