Iowa Learning Farms hosted webinar on Wed, August 26 about a current research project that assesses forage quality and potential yield of various annual crops. The benefits of incorporating annual forages is that they increase subcontract enterprise flexibility, extend the grazing season and provide a high-quality fodder source, reduce weed force per unit area, and provide soil health and water quality benefits.

Map of the project'southward enquiry sites

The objectives of the research projection are to compare forage yield and nutritional value, determine nutrient removal, and provide producer pedagogy. Erika Lundy, Extension Beef Specialist at Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, explained the kickoff-year results from this research projection. The cool and warm season forage yields for the get-go twelvemonth of the research project showed a benefit from applying nitrogen. Lundy as well shared the forage quality measurements for the warm and cool season annuals, and compared those measurements to pasture quality.

  • Cool season species test plots
  • Warm flavour species exam plots

During the webinar, Lundy also explained some of the all-time management practices for using annual forages, and touched on the economics of grazing. This research is part of a four-twelvemonth projection and more data will be coming out over the next couple years. The team will too look at soil nutrient loss when forages are mechanically harvested and volition incorporate producer education and demonstrations to share the research results.

To acquire more than about the research into evaluating annual forages, sentinel the full webinar here!

Join united states of america on Wednesday, September 2 at noon for a webinar titled "Long-Term Impacts of 4R Nitrogen Management Practices and Embrace Crops on Nitrate-N Loss" presented by Matt Helmers, Director of the Iowa Nutrient Enquiry Center.

–Hilary Pierce

Iowa Learning Farms volition host a webinar on Wednesday, August 26 at noon about a current enquiry projection that assesses provender quality and potential yield of various annual crops.

Incorporating almanac forages into Iowa'due south cropping system provides flexibility for land use, alternative forage availability at times of limited perennial forage for cattle, also as other conservation practices. In an effort to benchmark utilization of winter and summertime annuals as a forage resources for beef cattle, forage test plots at iii outlying Iowa State Academy Enquiry Farms have been established to evaluate nutrient quality and potential yield.

Erika Lundy, Extension Beef Specialist at Iowa Land Academy Extension and Outreach, will share the current results of this research projection, which aims to provide inquiry-based data that will assist establish reasonable expectations in terms of forage quality and yield of various cover ingather and summer annuals.

"In add-on to the alternative forage resources annuals bring to farming enterprises, forages are valuable additions for preserving Iowa farmland's soil and h2o quality," said Lundy, whose current extension and research programs are focused on beefiness cattle nutrition and provender management to improve profitability on the farm level.

To participate in the live webinar, shortly before 12:00 pm CDT on August 26:

Click this URL, or type this spider web address into your cyberspace browser: https://iastate.zoom.us/j/364284172

    Or, become to https://iastate.zoom.united states of america/join and enter meeting ID: 364 284 172

Or, join from a punch-in telephone line:

    Dial: +1 312 626 6799 or +1 646 876 9923

    Coming together ID: 364 284 172

The webinar will also be recorded and archived on the ILF website, and so that it can be watched at any fourth dimension. Archived webinars are available at https://world wide web.iowalearningfarms.org/page/webinars.

A Certified Crop Adviser board-approved continuing education unit of measurement (CEU) has been approved, for those who are able to participate in the live webinar. Information about how to apply to receive the credit will be provided at the stop of the live webinar.

–Hilary Pierce

Iowa Land Academy Extension and Outreach, in partnership with Practical Farmers of Iowa, has launched a new Ag Decision Maker tool on their website to help ingather and livestock farmers assess the economics of cover crops in their operations.20150428_092027

The Economic science of Encompass Crops tool consists of three in-depth budgeting worksheets designed to help farmers analyze the costs and benefits of comprehend crops – and paths to profitability – in their row ingather operations with or without the integration of livestock:

  • Embrace Crops Budget looks at the economics of embrace crops in systems without grazing or harvesting
  • Grazing Cover Crops Budget estimates the costs and benefits with grazing or harvesting for feed
  • Grazing Cover Crops Results uses farmers' farm data to calculate the actual economic value of grazing or harvesting cover crops from the prior year

The unique three-in-one tool was developed to let farmers meet the potential added value they could gain when cover crops are used for forage. Recent Practical Farmers of Iowa on farm research has found that, when properly managed, grazing cover crops can result in sizeable profits within the offset year.

The worksheets are available online and were created with funding by Iowa Section of Agronomics and Land Stewardship's Water Quality Initiative.

Help bachelor to apply the tool

To ensure farmers feel confident using the new tool, Meghan Filbert, Livestock Coordinator with Applied Farmers of Iowa, is available to help farmers gets started. Contact her at (515) 232-5661 or meghan@practicalfarmers.org with questions or to asking help working with the tool.

–Liz Juchems

Dr. Mark Rasmussen, director of the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, is featured in Episode 4 of the Conservation Chat. Photo courtesy of Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture website.

Dr. Mark Rasmussen, managing director of the Leopold Middle for Sustainable Agriculture, is featured in Episode iv of the Conservation Chat. Photo courtesy of Leopold Centre for Sustainable Agronomics website.

The Conservation Chat podcast series, hosted by anthropologist Jacqueline Comito, explores the relationship between conservation, soil, water, agriculture, and the people of Iowa.  The latest installment, Episode 4, features dialogue with Dr. Marker Rasmussen.

From humble beginnings on a farm in the Siouxland Region of Nebraska/Iowa ("I've been a cow person since Day 1 of my babyhood"), to an educational background in ruminant microbiology, Dr. Rasmussen brings an eclectic collection of life experiences to his position as director of the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State Academy.

Without spoiling all of the content, tune in to Episode 4 of the Conservation Chat to hear Rasmussen and Comito discuss his upbringing and office in his family unit'south farmer-feeder functioning; grazing, forages, and the connections with ruminant livestock diet, soil erosion, and nutrient reduction; his broad views/large motion picture perspective on agriculture today; and his passion/vision for more integrated agricultural systems.  And be sure to heed through to the end for Rasmussen'south #1newthingforwater!

Tune in on the Conservation Chat website, ILF website, or iTunes.

–Ann Staudt