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NEWS |
CONTENTS OF NEWSLETTER
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OTHER LINKS |
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We welcome contributions and suggestions. Comments about and
contributions to the NEWS are welcome and can be submitted to any of the directors. |
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2000 ANNUAL MEETING |
| 8:30 | Registration and Refreshments |
| 9:00 | Welcome and Announcements – Byron Yeoman, President |
| 9:10 | New Alfalfa Varieties* – John Caddel, Plant & Soil Sci. Dept., OSU |
| 9:45 | Guest Speaker, Mike Dain, Quinstar reporter |
| 10:10 | Questions and Discussion |
| 10:15 | Break -- Visit Booths |
| 10:35 | Old Alfalfa Stands* – Jim Stritzke, Plant & Soil Sci. Dept., OSU |
| 10:50 | What’s new at the Grazinglands Research* - Herman Mayeux, Director |
| 11:15 | Business Meeting* |
| 12:00 | Lunch |
| 1:00 | Commercial Member Presentations (2 to 3 minutes each) |
| 1:30 |
Research and Extension Panel Discussion What is new for Alfalfa Production?* |
| 2:00 | Questions and Discussion |
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Tour of Grazinglands Research Lab |
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Lunch & Refreshments Compliments of the Association Membership |
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Annual Meeting Details New Alfalfa Varieties – John Caddel, Plant & Soil Sci. Dept., OSU The release of four new alfalfa varieties has been announced by the Oklahoma Agric. Experiment Station. All were developed for Oklahoma, and it is hoped that each of these varieties will be released exclusively to an individual, group of individuals, or a company for seed production and marketing. This is similar to the method used for OK 49 and has been satisfactory to OSU and Cal/West Seeds. We will be looking for parties interested in seed production and marketing one or more of these new varieties for Oklahoma. Old Alfalfa Stands – Jim Stritzke, Plant & Soil Sci. Dept., OSU Making money with old, thin alfalfa stands. Alfalfa
weed management: Facts, Fiction, and Far-Fetched. During the last
several years much effort has gone into identifying ways to extend the
life of a stand. There are many things that go into the decline of an
alfalfa stand, and the primary reason for the decline varies from farm
to farm and county to county. The USDA-ARS research lab at El Reno has undergone many changes during the last several years. Now the number of scientists is higher than ever and they have rebuilt or remodeled many of their buildings. This is a main source of forage information for southern Great Plains. This (along with the tour that follows) is a good way to learn what new things are going on at the lab. The newly assembled team of researchers also want input from farmers, cattlemen, and forage producers. Business Meeting Accomplishments in 1999, Plans for 2000, Financial report, Election of Directors, and items from the floor. We will elect four directors. Terms end for one at-large representative, one representative from Southeast, and one representative from southwest. One director resigned after one year, leaving two years. Each director is elected for a three-year term and may a maximum of two consecutive terms. Research and Extension
Panel Discussion Alfalfa production is one of the few profitable farming enterprises. To maintain a profitable operation producers must stay abreast of new findings. Frequently producers ask questions and stimulate new lines of research or a new series of educational programs. This is a good time to ask questions that affect your alfalfa production. It is likely that many others are facing the same or similar problem. Some of the panel members or some of the audience may have a good answer. Our commercial members in attendance may have questions or answers for the membership. Bring those questions and
describe your troubling situations |
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Soil temperature and alfalfa growth has changed very little since January, so you need to go back and reread January information if you forgot what I said. The cold snap we had will give us a couple of more weeks to get the fields scouted and make herbicide applications where cool-season broad-leaf weeds and weedy grasses compete with alfalfa. If you have enough weeds to justify a herbicide application: Plan to apply Sinbar (0.62 lb. product/A) or Velpar (1 qt/A) before March to control cool-season weeds that are present and minimize yellowing of alfalfa from foliage uptake. I normally would use Velpar west of I-35 and Sinbar east of I-35. However, with decreased moisture the last couple of year, you may want to use Velpar in the central part of Oklahoma this year. It only takes ½ inch of moisture to activate Velar, whereas it takes a 1-inch rainfall event to activate Sinbar. The flip-side is too large of a rainfall event (3-4 inches of rain) will dilute the effectiveness of Velpar, because it will be spread 4 to 6 inches deep into the soil. Summer Weed Control: There are some people out there who still believe that Sinbar and Velpar should control summer weeds if they use the higher rates. I have never seen January-February applications of Sinbar or Velpar give adequate control of summer weeds. A summer grass control option for irrigated alfalfa is 2½ lb/A of Zorial 80W applied before the summer grasses emerge (April-May). However, there are several limitations with using Zorial. It does not control established cool-season broadleaf weeds or weedy grasses, so Sinbar or Velpar should be applied for control of cool-season weeds. Also, Zorial will not control summer broadleaf weeds, nor does it control all of the summer grass species that can occur in alfalfa. The 1 ¼ lb/A rate has given fairly good control of crabgrass and foxtails the past two years with the drier summers (decreased herbicide break-down and no new seedling emerging in July). However, summer weeds are usually not a problem in dry summers. -- Jim Stritzke
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Every spring there is interest in planting alfalfa. Producers planning to sow alfalfa spring should be making final plans now. Good planning, along with some "art" and "good farming" practices are critical to reliable stand establishment -- especially spring. Spring-sown alfalfa in Oklahoma is more risky than fall planting. This is primarily due to more problems with strong drying winds, insects, weeds, and intense rains that tend to crust the soil. Planting should be early enough (normally before mid April) to allow seedlings to develop good root systems prior to the onset of high temperatures (above 90F). Spring sowing is more likely to be successful in the eastern half of the state where rainfall is higher. Exact steps required for successful stand establishment vary from farm to farm and from year to year, however, there are at least 12 Keys. Each Key is discussed in OSU Extension Facts No. 2089, which also includes several important cost considerations and a discussion of several "Special Circumstances" related to alfalfa stand establishment. - John Caddel
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