Farm & Agriculture

Stockpile tall fescue now for winter feeding

Plan now to stockpile tall fescue for winter feeding. Stockpiled fescue lowers feed input costs and leads to better profits in cattle operations, says University of Missouri Extension livestock field specialist Patrick Davis. Begin stockpiling tall fescue by resetting fescue pastures to 3 to 4...

Beat the heat from farm to fair with these tips

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Fair season and heat put three key groups at risk of heat stroke: livestock, their owners and spectators. Timing and flexibility are critical when transporting animals to and from the fair, says Daniel Mallory, University of Missouri livestock field specialist. Take animals to the...

Late-planted crops face insect damage

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Late planting puts Missouri crops at risk of insect infestation this year, says University of Missouri Extension entomologist Kevin Rice. He gave growers tips on what to look for at a recent field day at Bradford Research Center in Columbia. Japanese beetles may cause more damage...

Specialist offers tips for planting soybean as cover crops

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Soybean makes an excellent choice as a cover crop this year, says University of Missouri Extension soybean specialist Bill Wiebold. Floods and heavy precipitation kept farmers from planting many Missouri acres in corn and soybean in a timely manner this year. In unplanted fields,...

Rules allow corn, soybean cover crops to provide fall forage for cattle herds

COLUMBIA, Mo. — Corn and soybean crops planted on “prevented acres” not planted last spring may provide corn and soybean forage for cattle this fall. With a wet spring many farmers failed to make quality hay for cow herds. Now, cover crops needed on bare crop ground may produce quality forage....

Cows need easy access to shade and water in the summer. Water should be no more than 800 feet from where cows rest, according to University of Missouri Extension specialist Joe Zulovich. Photo by Linda Geist.

Five ways to help cows beat the summer heat

Source: Joseph Zulovich, 573-882-0868 COLUMBIA, Mo. – As summer temperatures rise, dairy animals benefit from heat abatement, says Joe Zulovich, a University of Missouri Extension specialist in livestock housing systems. Lactating cows face the most risk from heat, says Zulovich. Dry cows and pre-...

New tests by MU scientists will kill weed seeds before they become weeds

Source: Kevin Bradley, 573-882-4039 COLUMBIA, Mo. – Kill seeds before they become hard-to-kill weeds. That plan will be studied by Kevin Bradley with help from Missouri farmers. The University of Missouri Extension weed specialist plans research on crushing seeds before they hit the ground. That...

Why the right watering system matters

Mark Kennedy, owner of Kennedy Grassland Services of Reeds Spring, Mo., says the right livestock watering system improves herd health and efficiency. Kennedy, who is also a retired NRCS state grazing lands specialist, outlines the reasons in a slide presentation, “Livestock Watering Systems,”...

Plant Propagation, Part III

For my last column in this series on plant propagation, I thought I would cover some of the more challenging methods of this art: grafting, budding, and tissue culture. Grafting involves joining separate plant parts together to form one plant. There are two parts to the graft. The first part is the...

The Pembertons use a mix of cool- and warm-season annuals in their grazing system. Each paddock offers access to water and shade. Photo by Linda Geist.

Rotational grazing benefits cattle herd

Source: Daniel Mallory, 573-985-3911 MADISON, Mo. – Twenty-five years ago, Brian Pemberton bought acreage filled with thorn trees, scrub brush and multi-flora roses. The only water source was a frog pond. The land needed four things: a road, buildings, fences and water. Thanks to hard work and cost...