UPI Farming Today

Growing grass better than nothing for farmers

Farmers whose plans to plant corn, soybeans or alfalfa this spring were ruined because of weather conditions do have an alternative -- grass.

Purdue University agronomists said farmers ought to consider various types of grasses as a cover crop for their farmland.

"This opportunity keeps the land under cover with a more desirable crop than weeds," forage specialist Keith Johnson said.

"Fields left fallow will have weeds that need to be controlled in some facet and if that is done via tillage, then the landscape is vulnerable to erosion," Johnson said.

He cited Agriculture Department officials who said farmers taking the prevented planning payment on their land may plant annual, biennial or perennial grasses and legumes as a cover crop.

Small grains such as barley, oats, rice and wheat can be planted as long as they are not harvested for grain or seed. Crops should also be planted for erosion control, hay, chopped silage or grazing, and left for only one season.

Planting of more conventional crops such as corn was delayed because of extremely wet weather conditions in heavy growing regions. The weather forced farmers to stay indoors at the peak planting period.

Summer-annual grasses such as sudangrass, sorghum-sudangrass and pearl millet are alternative forages farmers can seed.

Warm-season annual grasses produce high yield and grow rapidly during late spring and summer. The grasses do have high moisture content, making it harder to bail them into hay or convert them to silage.

"These will work well with cow-calf situations, dry ewes and replacement heifers, but we recommend farmers analyze and supplement these crops as needed," Johnson said.

Foot and mouth:

The massive slaughter of livestock in Britain in response to the spread of the foot and mouth virus was dismissed as "barbaric" and "a disgrace to humanity."

Scientific experts testified this week before a European Union panel in Brussels British officials would have been better off trying to vaccinate livestock to try to control spread of the disease.

Those scientists insisted field tests to distinguish between vaccinated and infected animals have been in use for at least six years. British officials had argued that vaccination of livestock was not practical because of its cost and the health threat posed for people eating meat or milk from vaccinated cattle.

The foot and mouth virus prompted the slaughter of more than 10 million animals last year in Britain. Scientists from across Europe said that figure could have been reduced significantly had vaccination been used.

Ethanol:

Governors from six middle-American states are trying to persuade Congress to support a new federal energy policy that includes extensive use of ethanol.

Governors from Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas and Indiana sent a letter to members of a House-Senate conference committee preparing a compromise energy bill.

"We cannot stress strongly enough how important this legislation is to a sound national transportation policy and to the nation's agricultural community," the governors wrote. Ethanol is a blend of fuel from corn byproducts, and agriculture interests like the idea that more corn would be needed.

Disaster:

Georgia Agriculture Department officials are putting together damage reports for 13 counties that are prime growing areas for Vidalia onions to try to persuade the federal Agriculture Department they qualify as disaster areas.

State officials say freezing temperatures in February and March caused significant damage to the onion crop although they cannot yet put a dollar figure on the damage.

Reports have been sent to the Farm Service Agency, which will make a recommendation as to whether federal disaster status applies. Such status would make the farmers eligible for low-interest loans and other aid to cover their losses.

Pristine America:

American Farm Bureau Federation officials are trying to downplay the notion the land now called the United States was pristine until white settlers arrived and spoiled it.

The farm bureau included an essay on its Web site (fb.com), claiming American Indians living on the land made extensive use of it through farming. They also cited homes, towns, roads and trails, all of which impacted the soil, hydrology and wildlife.

They cite evidence by University of Wisconsin cultural ecologist William Denevan, who says there may have been more people living in the Americas than in Europe.

Grains:

Grain futures were mostly higher at the close Wednesday on the Chicago Board of Trade.

Soybeans fell due to weather conditions in the Midwest and because of a lack of any favorable news.

Corn rose due to an increase in buying by Cargill and anticipation of the next Agriculture Department crop report.

Wheat rose on reports winter wheat yields are lower than anticipated.

Oats rose on positive influence from wheat.

The prices:

Soybeans: Jul 4.91 1/2 off 1 1/2, Aug 4.87 1/2 off 1/2, Sep 4.76 1/2 off 1/4, Nov 4.70 1/2 off 1/4.

Corn: Jul 2.08 3/4 up 2, Sep 2.15 1/4 up 1 3/4, Dec 2.24 1/4 up 1 1/2, Mar 2.32 1/2 up 1 1/4.

Wheat: Jul 2.91 1/2 up 2 1/4, Sep 2.98 up 2 1/4, Dec 3.04 3/4 up 1, Mar 3.05 1/2 up 1/2.

Oats: Jul 1.88 1/4 up 4 1/2, Sep 1.48 3/4 up 1/2, Dec 1.41 1/2 up 2 1/4, Mar 1.44 up 1.