www.extension.iastate.edu/iowa TABLE OF CONTENTS Evaluating Hay and Pasture

Stands for Winter Injury

Master Gardeners 2nd Annual Summer Webinar Series: Garden Natives & Invasives 2011

Can I Plant?

Checklist for Spring Forage Seedings

2011 Iowa Farm Custom Rate Survey

NRCS Announces Grassland Reserve Program Signup

SafeFood for Groups Offered in Williamsburg

“Smart Investing Returns to the Marengo Public Library

Region 15 to Offer Last Chance Training for Private Pesticide Applicators

Money Smart Week—April 2-9

"The fees for service will be used to off-set direct expenses and to support the County Extension ANR Program."

Iowa County Extension 2253 Highway 6 Trl Marengo, IA 52301

319-642-5504

April 2011

EVALUATING HAY AND PASTURE STANDS FOR WINTER INJURY

By Stephen K. Barnhart, Department of Agronomy

A grower has little control over climatic factors that influence winter injury, but some management prac­tices and winter weather characteristics may help to indicate where winter injury risks are more likely.

Injury is more likely to occur on species and variet­ies with lower inherent cold hardiness, such as alfalfa, birdsfoot trefoil, orchardgrass and the ryegrasses. More winterhardy species and varieties are less frequently injured.

Old alfalfa stands and plants weakened by disease are often more susceptible to winter injury. Young stands are less susceptible to winter injury.

Winter-Injury of alfalfa is less severe where a grass is present in the mixture.

Injury occurs more frequently where 4 summer-cuts were made or where a late fall cutting or grazing was practiced. Fall cutting or grazing may not allow accumulation of adequate carbohydrate reserves for the winter or leave stubble to catch snow.

Injury may be more severe where a good soil fertil­ity program is not being followed.

Plants in areas with heavy ice cover, ponded and re -frozen ice, and where snow was absent during periods of extreme cold air temperatures are more vulnerable to winter injury.

Stand Evaluation When evaluating winter injury, consider both the number of plants per square foot, and for alfalfa, the age of the stand. Crown and root diseases also have a major effect on stand reduction of legumes, so plants should be checked for dead, dying, or diseased tissue. Winter-injured plants are often slow to recover in spring, so a quick decision to destroy a winter injured stand is not recom­mended.

Alfalfa Wait until the spring regrowth is about 3 to 4 inches high. Select random stand count sites. Check at least one 1-square-foot site for every 5 to 10 acres. Dig up all of the plants in the 1-square-foot area. Pick at the crown and buds with a knife to determine if the tissue is still alive. Then count the number of live plants per square foot. Use Table 1 to begin your rating of the stand. Next, split the taproots and evaluate their general health. The core of healthy taproots are firm and creamy-white. Damaged or dying taproots are yellowish-brown to chocolate-brown in color and watery or dry and fibrous in texture. Only healthy plants will contribute significantly to yield, so If any of the taproots are more than 50 percent diseased, reduce your initial stand count accordingly. Continued on page 2...

Stay Informed - www.extension.iastate.edu/iowa

Page 2 Ag Newsletter

Continued from page 1... Table 1 Age of stand and rating of winter survival

Good Marginal *

Consider Reseeding

Plants per square foot

Year after seeding +12 8 to 12 less than 8 2 +8 5 to 6 less than 5 3** +6 4 to 5 less than 4 4 and older ** +4 3 to 4 less than 3

* Alfalfa plants in thin stands often produce more individual stems per plant and compensate some in yield potential ** If 50 percent or more of the plants have crown or root rot, consider reseeding.

Plan your management this season, based on your stand evaluation.

If stands are winter-injured, but will be harvested this season, allow plants to mature longer before cutting. Allowing plants to develop to early, mid or even full bloom in a growth cycle will help the plants restore carbohydrates and vigor needed for subsequent production. It is best to allow plants in severely injured stands to go to nearly full bloom in first cut, and to early flower in subsequent cuttings. This gives weakened plants a chance to regain some vigor. Stands with less injury could be harvested somewhat earlier depending on the extent of the injury. If stands were only mildly injured allow at least one growth cycle during the season to go to 10 to 25% bloom. Most producers will choose second or third cutting to take advantage of the generally larger yield of the first cutting.

Increase cutting height. As the maturing stems are flowering, new shoots may be growing at the base of the plants. It is important to not remove these shoots as it will further weaken the plant to have to produce new ones.

Maintain good fertilizer and insect management It is particularly important that winter injured stands have adequate fertility. Soil test and apply needed fertilizer prior to first cutting if possible. And, be particularly vigilant in your insect scouting and management during the growing season following winter injury.

If stands are severely winter injured. This may be a significant loss to planned stored forage for the coming winter season. Plan to reestablish a new hay field this spring, and begin to plan for any needed supplemental harvested and stored forage needed until the new seeding becomes adequately productive.

Pastures Evaluate other legumes similar to alfalfa. The ability of red clover, white clover and birdsfoot trefoil to reseed may compensate for some stand loss. Sod-forming grasses, such as smooth bromegrass may spread and fill in for thin stands. But, bunch-type grasses, such as orchardgrass and timothy will not. For a legume in a legume-grass mix, consider the

“marginal’ values given in Table 1 as

“good’. While nitrogen fertilizer may help in the recovery of

severely injured grass pastures, avoid using excessive nitrogen rates and be ready to manage weeds in these less competitive stands.

Reseeding in hayfields or pastures might be a viable option. Reseeding more alfalfa into or immediately after a 2-year old or older stand is not recommended. Overseedng or drilling grasses or red clover into thin or winter damaged stands should be done from now through April. Delaying seeding later increases the risk of plant competition and seedling loss to increasingly dry and hot soil surface conditions of early summer.

Iowa State University Extension Publications for further information

Evaluation for winter injury /Publications/PM1362.pdf Selecting forage species /Publications/PM1792.pdf Establishing new forage stands /Publications/PM1008.pdf Interseeding and No-till renovation /Publications/PM1097.pdf

Stephen K. Barnhart is a professor of agronomy with extension, teaching, and research responsibilities in forage production and management. Phone 515-294-7835; Email sbarnhar@iastate.edu

Ag Newsletter Page 3

CAN I PLANT……?

By Patty Stewart, Iowa County Master Gardener

Nature has a way of letting us know when and what to plant. These beautiful days in April may seem like winter is long past, but be wise and watch the blooms on shrubs and trees.

Forsythia in bloom means its okay to plant those hardiest of seeds. This would entail the radishes, peas, carrots, chard and parsnips. Who doesn’t hunger for those crunchy delights in early spring? Included in the floral category are sweet peas, poppies, calendula, alyssum, cornflowers, and baby’s breath.

Next in line to bloom on “Nature’s clock” are Serviceberry (Amelanchier) and Flowering Quinces (Chaenomeles). Now those hardy transplants that you’ve started from seed can be planted. There will still be mild frost for the cabbage, broccoli, and onion, along with pansy, salvia, larkspur, and snapdragons. Fret not; they will be able to take the chilly nights.

When the buds on the lilacs are about the size of a squirrel’s ear, then you should be taking your walks in the woods to gather the first of the morel mushrooms. The little greys come first, then the yellows. I am hoping for a better season than last year. We had the rains but conditions evidently were not ideal for a nice bounty. The season ends when the lilacs have finished their blooms. Please note, this year certification classes need to be taken in order to sell these tasty morels at farmers market.

When the apple orchards are in full bloom, now begins the major planting of corn, beans, okra, cucumbers, squash, the beautiful marigolds, zinnias, petunias, sunflower, and nasturtium.

And finally, when the Vanhoutte spireas and the wild cherries are white in color, then it signals all danger of frost should be past and tender transplants can now be set. Tomatoes and peppers! These truly need the warmth and will just sit in their spot in the garden if planted too early.

There is the Czech folklore of the three frozen kings: Pangak, Servak, and Boniface. On May 12, 13, 14 they freeze. Queen Sophia comes to their rescue defrosting them with her watering can, a wonderful traditional belief of the Czech people whose wise counsel for keeping gardeners from starting too early!

UPCOMING EVENTS: Iowa County Master Gardeners Spring Plant Sale – Held at Gateway Park Arboretum, Marengo. Friday April 29

th

(3 pm – 7 pm) and Saturday April 30th (8 am to 11 am)

MASTER GARDENERS 2ND

ANNUAL SUMMER WEBINAR SERIES: GARDEN NATIVES & INVASIVES 2011 The Iowa Master Gardener program will offer the second annual Summer Webinar Series: Garden Natives & Invasives 2011. Iowa State University Extension county offices are hosting these gardening webcast programs. Please note that the nearest participating location is the Iowa County Extension Office, which is located at 2253 Hwy 6 Trail, Marengo, IA.

The first session, Plant Communities of Iowa, is scheduled for May 24 and will discuss the history and relevance of native ecosystems across Iowa. Following this presentation, participants will be better able to design their own landscapes using native plants; suggested species of native plants for each plant community will be mentioned. The session presenter is Howard Bright of Ion Exchange, Inc., Harpers Ferry, Iowa.

Identification and Management of Invasive Woody Plants in Iowa is scheduled for June 28. This session will include a discussion of our most notorious invasive woody plants, their potential impacts and life history characteristics that increase the likelihood of their invasiveness. Two presenters from Iowa State University – Jan Thompson, Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, and Matt O’Neal, Department of Entomology – will conduct this session.

Tallgrass Prairies of Iowa is the topic of the third session on July 26. During this session, the history and reach of the Tallgrass Prairie Center located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, will be displayed and will focus on their mission to ‘develop research, techniques, education and Source Identified seed for restoration and preservation of prairie vegetation…’. Daryl Smith, from the Tallgrass Prairie Center and University of Northern Iowa, is the presenter.

On August 23, Native Friends and Invading Forces, the final session, will highlight the importance of native species and discuss the problems and related issues with invasive species in Iowa. An attempt will be made to define the elusive terms “native” and “invasive.” Participants will learn about appropriate and inappropriate uses of native materials, and also tips on selection of plant materials for use in landscapes. The program will help tie together information that has been presented in earlier programs in the series and will be presented by Rich Pope, Harrison County Extension Coordinator from Logan, Iowa.

Please join us this summer to learn more about these timely topics in gardening. May–August,on the forth Tuesday of each month from 6:30-8:30 pm. Master Gardener Members-$5.00, non-members-$10.00, per session. See list of participating counties at: http://www.mastergardener.iastate.edu/info/summerwebinar2011.html and contact Pam Henry at the Iowa County

Extension Office 319-642-5504 for further information.

PROGRAM SPECIALISTS/

COORDINATORS

Serving Region 15 Iowa, Johnson, Keokuk & Washington Counties

Agriculture

Ag Engineering Greg Brenneman 319-337-2145 gregb@iastate.edu

Beef Livestock Byron Leu 641-472-4166 bleu@iastate.edu

Commercial Horticulture Patrick O’Malley 319-337-2145 omall@iastate.edu

Agronomy

Jim Fawcett 319-337-2145 fawcett@iastate.edu

Farm Management Jim Jensen 319-385-8126 jensenjh@iastate.edu Bob Wells 641-673-5841 wellsjb@iastate.edu

Swine

Tom Miller 319-653-4811 tmiller@iastate.edu Terry Steinhart 641-622-2680 tsteinha@iastate.edu Program Coordinator Kelsey Weber 641-622-2680 klweber@iastate.edu

Community Economic Dev.

Himar Hernandez 319-337-9839 himarh@iastate.edu

Business & Industry

Sean T. Galleger 515-290-0181 galleger@iastate.edu

Families

Family Life Kristi Cooper 319-377-9839

kcoop@iastate.edu

Nutrition & Health Jan Temple 319-337-2145

mjtemple@iastate.edu

Resource Management Phyllis Zalenski 319-462-2791 zalenski@iastate.edu Mary Weinand 641-472-4166 mweinand@iastate.edu

Youth Ray Reynolds 641-622-2680

raymondr@iastate.edu Janet Martin 319-337-2145

jmmartin@iastate.edu

County Youth Coordinator

Johnson County-Dianna Colgan 319-337-2145 Iowa County-Mary Veatch 319-642-5504 Keokuk County-Shelly Koehn 641-622-2680 Washington County-Kati Peiffer 319-653-4811

External Relations

Amber Bisinger 319-377-9839 bisinger@iastate.edu

Regional Ext. Edu. Director

Gene Mohling 319-337-2145 mohling@iastate.edu

Page 4 Ag Newsletter

CHECKLIST FOR SPRING FORAGE SEEDINGS By Stephen Barnhart, Department of Agronomy

Forage seedings can be made in the spring as soon as a suitable seedbed can be

prepared. Spring seedings made after mid-May may not be as successful, due to

rapid drying of surface soils.

Site preparation Clear brush, fill gullies and take soil samples. Lime and fertilize according to needs shown by soil testing. For most efficient lime use, it is best to have needed lime applied and incorporated six months to a year before planting.

Seedbed Preparation Destroy sod by shallow plowing or disking, followed by

necessary secondary seedbed preparation operations. Seedbed firmness is very

important. Using a cultipacker or roller on tilled seedbeds before planting is

recommended. Another alternative is to use a non-selective herbicide to kill the old

sod. Incorporate needed fertilizer before seedbed preparation, or surface topdress

on killed sod sites.

Species and Variety Selection Select species based on the desired use,

persistence and tolerance to site conditions. The Iowa State University Extension

publication Selecting Forage Species, PM 1792 covers characteristics of many

forage legumes and grasses used in Iowa, and provides suggested seeding

mixtures and seeding rates for various situations.

Seeding Seed in one of the following ways on a well prepared seedbed.

Use a grassland drill with depth-control and press wheels or a cultipacker-roller

type seeder designed for small seeded forage legumes and grasses. Plant at a ¼ to ¾ inch depth.

Use a grain drill, equipped with small seeded forage boxes, as a broadcast

seeder for small seeded legumes and grasses to prevent small forage seed

from being planted too deeply. Cultipack or roll after seeding.

Broadcast seed onto a firm, tilled seedbed and cultipack or roll for shallow

seed coverage and seed-to-soil contact.

Or, if planting into a killed sod, or un-tilled crop residue field, use a no-till drill,

control seeding depth to no deeper than ½ inch, and adjust press wheels to

provide good seed-to-soil contact.

On sloping sites – consider erosion protection Where there is a risk for erosion

on tilled seedbeds, one to two bushels of oats per acre or a reduced seeding rate of

another spring cereal grain may be seeded with forage mixtures as a companion

crop or cover crop. The cereal grain will serve first as erosion protection, but will

increasingly become competition for the newly planted forages. The sooner the

cereal competition can be removed, the quicker the new forage seeding will

establish. Cereal companion crops may be grazed, cut for silage or hay, or

harvested later as grain and straw with associated longer completion. Particularly in

dry springs, removing companion crops as early as possible can conserve moisture

for the new seeding.

Management After Establishment For weed and competition control, graze new

seedings rotationally or mow (clip) sequentially, during the first few months of the

establishment to limit unneeded competition for light, moisture and plant nutrients.

Developing seedlings will establish more quickly. Also avoid any cutting or grazing

new seedings after early September to improve winter hardening.

For some mixtures or pure stands, selective pre-plant or post-emergence herbicides may be used in place of a companion crop. This option may only be appropriate on sites where erosion is not a risk. Seek help from your agricultural professionals when selecting and using herbicide for weed management in new forage seedings. Be sure to read and follow the label when using any agricultural chemical. Also take into account any harvest or grazing withdrawal periods called for.

Fertilize in later years according to soil test recommendations.

Graze rotationally and avoid over grazing to maintain ground cover and animal grains.

Remove grazing livestock and limit grazing for the last four to six weeks of the

growing season to allow plants to adequately winterharden. Use management

Ag Newsletter Page 5

NRCS ANNOUNCES GRASSLAND RESERVE PROGRAM SIGNUP

Des Moines, Ia., March 22, 2011—The U.S. Department of Agriculture has more than $1 million available for Iowa landowners who sign up for the Grassland Reserve Program (GRP) by April 15.

The GRP is a voluntary program that helps landowners and operators protect working grasslands, includ­ing hay land, pastureland, native grasslands and certain other lands using rental contracts or conservation easements.

To participate in the GRP, landowners must have a USDA-approved grazing management plan. Landowners who have their GRP applications accepted can enroll their land into a permanent easement, or they can receive annual, per-acre payments in exchange for their agreement to keep the land as grassland for 10, 15 or 20 years.

In Iowa, GRP applications are ranked by the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Priority will be given to grazing lands likely to be converted to other uses, such as expiring Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) contracts or land under pressure for urban development. Applicants interested in a permanent easement or a 20-year agreement will also be given priority.

Applications for the program will be accepted on a continuous basis. When funding is exhausted, applications will remain on file until additional funding becomes available. Only applications received through April 15 will be included in the ranking process to award the current allotment of funds.

Landowners who have their GRP applications accepted may continue to graze the land or harvest hay and seed from the land, with exception. Haying, seed harvest or grazing activities are not permitted on 20 percent of the contract acres during the nesting season of June 1 - July 15 on warm and cool season grasses to promote use by wildlife.

Last year, NRCS funded 10 GRP easements and 15 rental agreements in Iowa covering 2,700 acres at a total value of $1.1 million.

To apply for the GRP, contact your local USDA Service Center.

SAFEFOOD FOR GROUPS OFFERED IN WILLIAMSBURG

SafeFood for Groups will be held at St. Mary’s Parish in Williamsburg on April 11 at 7:00 PM. Jan Temple, Iowa State University Extension Food and Nutrition Specialist, will be presenting.

This program is appropriate for any audience providing or selling food to consumer groups. Participants will learn the importance of and be able to practice safe food handling at the end of the program. Make sure your community event is not the cause of food poisoning outbreak.

This program is at no cost to participants and everyone is welcome to attend. Pre-registration is

encouraged by April 9. To pre-register, please contact LeAnn Spacek 319-642-1218 or Diana Roberts

319-210-0065. This program is sponsored by St. Mary’s Altar and Rosary.

“SMART INVESTING” RETURNS TO THE MARENGO PUBLIC LIBRARY

The Marengo Public Library is offering “Smart investing @ your library” from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Mon., April 25 at the library. The last face-to-face class will be from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Mon., May 23. In between, participants will have the opportunity to work at their own pace online and using library materials specifically purchased for these classes. To register, call the library at 319-741-3825.

“Smart Investing” classes were held last fall at the library and are being repeated this spring. In January 2010, the State Library of Iowa was awarded a $98,251 grant funded by the American Library Association (ALA) and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Investor Education Foundation as part of the “Smart investing @ your library®” program. Marengo was one of only 25 rural libraries in Iowa selected by the State Library of Iowa for participation.

The grant will help to build the capacity of the Marengo Public Library to provide effective, unbiased investor education to the community at large. The library will host face-to-face and online education provided by Iowa State University Extension staff. Three different courses will be offered: one for those who are first-time investors, one for those preparing for retirement and one for retirees. Participating libraries received $575 worth of library books about investing. Ames Public Library, a previous grant recipient, partnered with the State Library of Iowa to select financial resources for the participating libraries and help train library staff.

The FINRA Investor Education Foundation supports innovative research and educational projects that give underserved Americans the knowledge, skills and tools necessary for financial success throughout life.

ALA’s mission is to provide leadership for the development, promotion and improvement of library and information services and the profession of librarianship to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all.

Iowa County Extension 2253 Highway 6 Trl Marengo, IA 52301

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

. . . and justice for all The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Many materi­als can be made available in alternative formats for ADA clients. To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call 202-720-5964. Cooperative Extension Service, Iowa State University of Science and Technology, and the United States Department of Agriculture cooperating.

REGION 15 TO OFFER “LAST CHANCE” TRAINING FOR PRIVATE PESTICIDE APPLICATORS

The 2010-2011 “last chance” private pesticide applicator continuing instructional courses have been scheduled for Iowa, Johnson, Keokuk, and Washington County. If you wish to recertify by training and not by exam, you must at­tend a CIC session each year. Remember, you always have the option of taking the exam. There is a $20 fee per person. A private pesticide applicator may attend a class offered in any county. Pre-registration is not required.

Thursday, April 14 at 1:00 p.m. at the Johnson County Extension Office

Thursday, April 14 at 1:30 p.m. at the Keokuk County Extension Office

Friday, April 15 at 9:00 a.m. at the Iowa County Extension Office

Friday, April 15 at 1:30 p.m. at the Washington County Extension Office

MONEY SMART WEEK APRIL 2-9, 2011

Learn more about money and how to manage it during Money Smart Week Iowa—April 2-9, 2011! Stop by one of the many free seminars sponsored by financial institutions, businesses, government agencies, schools, libraries and many others who are joining together to promote personal financial education throughout the state of Iowa. Classes are held at various locations near you and cover topics ranging from budgeting to home buying to investing. For more information, visit: www.moneysmartweek.org/iowa.