1

Decreasing Waste, Increasing

Gain: Winter Feeding Tips

Following a cooler and wetter summer than

average, the water faucet got turned off

and a drought set in for most of September

and October for much of Arkansas. Thank-

fully most producers experienced greater

than average hay production this summer

and have plenty of reserved roughages.

Our specialist and agents have been rec-

ommending the addition of fall forages

such as brassicas

and wheat for the

last several years.

During times of

dry weather, farm-

ers are reminded

that the weather is

many times the

greatest limiting

agent to their operation. With that said, I

recommend that area producers remain

conscientious of winter weather outlooks.

Winter annuals can provide nutritious,

plentiful forages to bridge the gap between

winter and spring.

How we feed our hay is a crucial factor in

determining how much should be stored.

Proper storage allows hay to be a vital

source of nutrition for several years. Next

year could be a drought and a surplus of

stored hay will be money in the bank.

Rolling out hay or placing bales without a

hay ring can lead to a great amount of

waste. Trampling and defecating on the

hay while grazing is a likely problem that

will occur with these methods of feeding.

This method also leads to a greater

amount of weeds being spread in the field,

Using a hay bale ring will limit the amount

of waste due to these actions. Using a

feeder that raises the hay off the ground

will also reduce waste.

Submitting hay samples for analysis gives

producers a greater understanding of the

nutrition they are provid-

ing their herd. Other-

wise, supplemental feed-

ing is a guessing game.

The greatest waste re-

ducer is using a shred-

der/mixer and feeding in

bunks. However, this

method does have a

large initial cost and may

not be feasible for small operations.

Please take this scenario into considera-

tion. Storing a bale uncovered, on the

ground can result in a loss of 30% dry mat-

ter. Unrolling the bale can result in another

40% percent loss. Combined 70% of the

bale is lost. That’s roughly 700 lbs of a

1,000 lb bale. Enough to feed a 1000 lb

cow for a month. With winter feeding mak-

ing around 70% of the total operational

cost, a producer can quickly see that feed-

ing methods can easily decrease wastes

and increase gains.

Pike County Farm and Garden

Inside this Issue

Cover- Reducing Waste,

Increasing Gain.: Winter

Feeding Tips

Page 2- Gardening Ba-

sics: Soil Health

Page 2– Privet Control

Demo

Page 3– Ag Demonstra-

tion Summary

Back– Calendar and Pro-

gramming Schedule

Inside this Issue

Cover- Reducing Waste,

Increasing Gain.: Winter

Feeding Tips

Page 2- Gardening Ba-

sics: Soil Health

Page 2– Privet Control

Demo

Page 3– Ag Demonstra-

tion Summary

Back– Calendar and Pro-

gramming Schedule

Inside this Issue

Cover– Decreasing Waste,

Increasing Gain: Winter

Feeding Tips

Page 2- Gardening Basics:

Soil Health

Page 3– Privet Control

Demo

Page 3– Ag Agent Demon-

stration Summary

Back– Calendar and Pro-

gramming Schedule

The University of Arkansas

System Division of Agriculture

offers all its Extension and Re-

search programs to all eligible

persons without regard to race,

color, sex, gender identity,

sexual orientation, national

origin, religion, age, disability,

marital or veteran status, ge-

netic information, or any other

legally protected status, and is

an Affirmative Action/Equal

Opportunity Employer.

Terrell Davis, Staff Chair

County Ag Agent

Pike County

Cooperative Extension Service

Fall 2017

2

For all mineral soils, the proportion of sand, silt,

and clay always adds up to 100 percent. These

percentages are grouped into soil texture

“classes”, which have been organized into a

“textural triangle”.

Soil texture can affect the amount of pore

space within a soil. Sand-sized soil particles fit

together in a way that creates large pores; how-

ever, overall there is a relatively small amount

of total pore space. Clay-sized soil particles fit

together in a way that creates small pores;

however, overall there are more pores present.

Therefore, a soil made of clay-sized particles

will have more total pore space than a will a soil

made of sand-sized particles.

Gardening Basics: Soil Health

The base for all agricultural sys-

tems is soil. Whether it is a

home garden, livestock pasture,

or row crop field, soil is the start-

ing point. Understanding some

basic soil properties might help

you when making decisions

about your soil’s health.

Soils texture refers to the com-

position of soil made of the

three soil separates– sand, silt,

and clay. Sand is the largest

and is positively charged. This

means that sand does not have

the ability to “grab” the nutrients

that plants need to perform

basic functions. Pure sand is

infertile and made primarily of

rocks, quartz and other miner-

als.

Silt is basically organic matter.

We can increase the silt compo-

sition of our soils, and add lots

of nutrients, by adding compost.

Silt is more negatively charged

than sand, but still lacks the

strong charge needed to hold

on to essential nutrients.

Clay is the smallest separate

and the most negatively

charged. This charge gives clay

the ability to hold on to nutri-

ents. This is referred to as the

Cation Exchange Capacity or

CEC. You will see this term on

soil reports. Simply put, the

greater the CEC, the greater the

amount of clay in a sample. A

weak CEC indicates that fertiliz-

er might need to be applied

more frequently.

The three main micronutrients

are Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus

(P), and Potassium (K). An easy

way to remember the function of

each nutrient is Shoots, Roots,

and Fruits. Nitrogen is required

for vegetative growth. In the

pasture it grows leaves. In the

garden it grows leaves and

stems that will be required for

the blossoms and eventually the

“fruit”. Nitrogen will go through a

physical change and turn to gas

and dissipate. Therefore, never

add nitrogen until you have

plant material that can utilize it.

Phosphorus is needed for root

structure. In lawns, a fall appli-

cation helps the plant overwin-

ter. In gardens, a spring applica-

tion helps the plants to create a

strong network of roots that will

anchor the plant and prepare it

for dry summers. Common

sources of P include bone meal

and rock phosphate.

Potassium is responsible for

many processes in the plant in-

cluding stomata functions and

protein synthesis. Potassium is

often refer to as potash. Wood

ash can be a source for those

who have a wood burning fur-

nace.

Commercial fertilizers are a

good source for all types of sce-

narios because the buyer knows

the content of the fertilizer being

applied. Take into consideration

that organic sources of fertilizer

can vary in quality.

3

Cool Season Control of Chi-

nese Privet

An integral part of the Cooperative

Extension Service is demonstra-

tions. The idea of “I’ll believe it

when I see it” has a powerful per-

suasion to producers and home-

owners alike. This belief also helps

us make scientific recommenda-

tions that are true and proven. One

of this years demonstrations will be

privet control. The first phase will

test the effectiveness of a fall basal

application of 25% Triclopyr

(Remedy Ultra) in a oil based carri-

er such as diesel. Privet has a very

thin, smooth bark which allows the

treatment to soak in.

The other applications include a

hack and squirt application of piclo-

ram and a spring foliar application

of glyphosate on plants under 6’

tall. A summer program will be of-

fered to present demo results.

2017 Demonstration Summaries

Pond Weed Control

Three Pike County Producers al-

lowed ANR Agent Terrell Davis to

install pond weed control demos on

there ponds. Pond 1 was infested

with Water Primrose. An applica-

tion of Imazapyr( Habitat) was ap-

plied in mid-April. Three weeks

post treatment and the pond had

90% control of the Water

Primrose.

The other two treatments

included 2,4-D Amine on

Water Pennywort and

Triclopyr (Renovate) on

Water Pennywort. Both

treatments showed great

control within 2 weeks.

The 2,4-D application did

see re-infestation at a

much lower rate later in

the summer.

One call we get often but was not

tested is water meal and duck-

weed. Tradewind and Clipper are

excellent choices for these two

pests who love to be partners in

crime.

Bermuda Stem Maggot

The BSM demo was installed at the

farm of Tony Kassos on Hwy 27,

south of Murfreesboro. The treat-

ment of 2.6 oz/ac Lambda-cy was

sprayed 10 days post harvest. Data

was collected 40 days post harvest

just before the next cutting. Nutri-

ent analysis determined there was

no significant difference between

treated and controlled. However,

yield differences were dramatic.

Infestation on the control plot was

60% and the treated plot was 25%.

When comparing yields, the control

field produced 17.4 g/ft and the

treated plot produced 31.6 g/ft. Av-

erage height of the control plot

measured 5” and the treated plot

measured 12”. The end result

yielded 55% more dry matter with

the treated plot vs the control plot.

Therefore, producers would be

wise to treat 7-10 days post har-

vest on all hay fields to control Ber-

muda Stem Maggot.

Fall Armyworm Control

The FAW demo was installed with

producers Bubba and Stephanie

Jackson on their lease at the jct of

Hwy 379 and Pike City Road. A

control plot, a plot treated with

Lambda-cy @ 3.2 oz/ac, a plot

treated with Lambda-cy 3.2 + Dimil-

lin @ 2 oz/ac, and a plot treated

with Besiege @ 6 oz/ac made the

demo. Worm counts were taken on

days 3, 7, 14, and 21 after treat-

ment. Re-infestation never oc-

curred therefore, residual control

could not be established. However,

initial control was established and

gave some insight to potential

choices for future insecticide choic-

es.

In the chart below, the average

number of Fall Armyworms per plot

were collected from days 3-21.

4

Upcoming Ag and Natural Resources Programming

November

27– Private Pesticide Applicator’s Training– Murfreesboro—Pike Co CES Office– 6:00

28– Private Pesticide Applicator’s Training– Glenwood– Pike Co Fairgrounds– 6:00

December

1– Retirement reception for Mrs. Avonne Petty– Murfreesboro Municipal Building—4:00-6:00

5– Pike County Cattlemen’s Meeting– Murfreesboro Municipal Building– 6:30

7– Beekeeping Basics with Dr. Z– Glenwood- Pike Co Fairgrounds– 6:00 PM

14– Four States Cattle Conference– Texarkana– TAMU Texarkana– 8:00

February

6– Winter Annuals/ Electric Fencing/ Drill Calibration Demo– M’boro Municipal Building– 3:30 PM

6– Pike County Cattlemen’s Meeting– Murfreesboro Municipal Building

15– Crepe Myrtle Pruning Demo– Glenwood- Pike Co Fairgrounds– 12:00-12:30

22– Rose Pruning Demo– CADC Sr Citizens Center– Glenwood– 11:00-11:30

26– Private Pesticide Applicator’s Training– Murfreesboro– Pike Co CES– 6:00

27– Private Pesticide Applicator’s Training– Glenwood– Pike Co Fairgrounds– 6:00

Don’t forget to bring in your samples!

Soil– FREE

Hay- $18 Routine*

Feed- $18 Routine*

Litter- $18 (as feed), $27 (as fertilizer)

We ship samples Monday through Wednesday.

* Routine checks moisture, %CP, ADF, NDF, TDN, NE

Pike Co Cooperative Extension Service

870-285-2161

Did you know that current and past newsletters can be found at uaex.edu/pike?