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14 Reasons Why Forages Belong in Every Crop Rotation

14 Reasons Why Forages Belong in Every Crop Rotation. Douglas Yungblut, Ph.D., P.Ag. Yungblut & Associates Inc. For The Ontario Forage Council with funding from the Farm Innovation Program (FIP) Agricultural Adaptation Council. Forage Acres are Declining!!.

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14 Reasons Why Forages Belong in Every Crop Rotation

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  1. 14 Reasons Why Forages Belong in Every Crop Rotation Douglas Yungblut, Ph.D., P.Ag. Yungblut & Associates Inc. For The Ontario Forage Council with funding from the Farm Innovation Program (FIP) Agricultural Adaptation Council

  2. Forage Acres are Declining!! • With corn at $6+ and soybeans at $12+ per bushel there is a tendency to drop forages out of rotations • This is a big mistake!! • Hay prices are at historically high levels ($0.10/lb or more) • Forages bring direct economic benefits like added N and increased yield in following crops • Forages have indirect benefits that can persist for several years after they are grown

  3. Benefit # 1:Residual N Credit from Various Forage Crops* * From OMAFRA publ’n 60

  4. Benefit # 2: Yield improvement in following crop Profitability of Various Rotations * * From Univ. of Guelph 20 year study, Agron.J. 98:1204

  5. Effect of Different Soil Organic Matter Sources on Yield of following crops FYM = Farmyard manure Better Crops XCV(95) 2011

  6. As reported by B. Ball, Think Green Newsletter, Fall 2011

  7. Benefits 4 – 6: Other Improvements in Soil 4. Improved porosity improves filtration and drainage 5. Root room: tap roots of legumes create root channels that are used by subsequent crops to reach deeper into the soil 6. Root health: Following crops have healthier roots because there are fewer pathogens As reported by B. Ball, Think Green Newsletter, Fall 2011

  8. Biodiversity Friendliness of Different Crops Int’l J. of Hemp Ass’n 6(2):53

  9. Benefit # 7: Improved Nutrient Availability Narrow C:N ratio means N is available the next year. Corn stalks and straw can actually consume N as they break down

  10. Availability of N from Different Crops As reported in Taurus newsletter www.Taurus.ag

  11. Benefit # 8:Improvement of Compacted Soil • ‘Alfalfa is another crop that will help break up compaction if it can be worked into a management system, adds Doug Aspinall. Alfalfa will push down through the compacted layer the OMAFRA land resource specialist says. If left for a few years a strong rooted plant, such as alfalfa, will begin the process of restoring soil structure to the compacted layer’. • Top Crop Manager, October, 2011

  12. Benefit # 9: Reduction of Soil Loss to Erosion Progressive Forage Grower, Feb 22, 2010

  13. Benefit #10: Carbon sequestration* • ‘Integration of alfalfa into a corn rotation can mitigate more than 2000 kg CO2 eq/ha per year. Even though legumes contribute considerably to the emissions of GHG by fixing nitrogen in the soil, these emissions are more than offset by reduced emissions from less fertilizer use, the reduced induced emissions from manufacturing the fertilizer and increased carbon sequestration in the soil. This cropping practice seems to be a win–win situation since it provides benefits for the farmer and the environment.’ • *(Meyer Aurich et al, Agr. Ecosystem & Envir. 117:119)

  14. Benefit #11: Habitat for species at risk • Species at risk legislation means forages have a role to play in providing habitat for some named species • See article on OSCIA website

  15. Benefit # 12: Prevention and/or reduction in herbicide resistant weeds • A producer in Manitoba reduced the population of resistant wild oats by 96% by including 3 years of alfalfa in a 6 year rotation • Weeds are harvested before seed set • Seeds that germinate can’t compete • Beckie and Gill, Chapter 20 in Handbook of Weed Management, Haworth Press

  16. Benefit #13: Pollination of other crops • For open pollinated crops like canola forages serve as a reservoir for bees and other pollinators. A study in Saskatchewan found that this could be worth as much as $ 23 per hectare • Saskatchewan Forage Council 2010 report

  17. Benefit # 14: $$ in Your Pocket • A legume crop can contribute up to $ 70 worth of nitrogen to a following corn crop plus increase returns by $ 48 to $192 per acre in the first and second years of corn following forages.

  18. 2012 Net Returns on Corn vs Hay*

  19. *From OMAFRA publ’n 60

  20. Selling Hay • U.S. inventory is the lowest it has been in several decades • International markets in the Middle and Far East are growing • Many dairy farmers do not want to bother with dry hay but want to feed some • Most horse owners do not produce hay

  21. Selling Hay (cont’d) • Need a consistent supply of good quality hay in the form that the customer requires • For dairy need to know nutrient content • For horses hay must be green, soft textured and free of dust and mould. • Ontario Forage Council (OFC) sponsors a hay trading website (Ontario Hay Listing).

  22. This Presentation • This presentation was excerpted from a report done for the OFC entitled ‘The value of Forages in a High Commodity Price Environment’. The complete report is available on the OFC website.

  23. Thank you for your attention

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