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Factors Affecting Wheat Production Decisions: Producer survey findings
Recent USDA data shows that during the past 3 years acres devoted to wheat production continue declining in both South Dakota and North Dakota (USDA, 2018). South Dakota wheat acres experienced a remarkable decrease of 31.5% during the past 3 years, compared with a relatively mild drop of 16.4% by North Dakota.
Water Use by Plant Stage
Over the growing season, solar radiation, air temperature and plant size are the dominant factors in determining evaporative demand and the rate of water use by wheat. Water use can vary dramatically on a day-to day basis, depending on climate and wheat health.
Determining Hay Prices
Before pricing forages, producers will want to have a good understanding about the cost of growing a ton of hay, alfalfa or straw.
Feeding at the Right Price
Managing feedstuffs efficiently becomes more important during drought conditions or low revenue years.
Early Weaning as a Drought Management Strategy
Successfully managing drought conditions requires balancing the amount of forage demanded by grazing livestock with the amount produced.
Economic Considerations for Early Weaning
There is an excellent reason why ranchers use early weaning as a drought management tool: Weaning calves early reduces the amount of feed required to maintain the cow.
Noxious Weed Control in Pasture and Range
Noxious weed control in pastures is becoming more of a challenge. Most ground commercial spray businesses are no longer spraying pastures. If they are, there may be restrictions on the time they will spray, what products they will spray, or they may only spray if they also have all of the rest of your spraying business.
Haying With Wildlife in Mind
Anyone who has spent time cutting hay knows that hayland can be a magnet for wildlife in late spring and early summer. Hay fields are often considered an “ecological trap” for wildlife; that is, they appear to be high quality habitat for nesting or feeding due to tall, dense grass and legumes, but often lead to increased mortality once harvesting is under way.
5 Things Hog Producers Should Know: Flu at Swine Exhibitions
Every year, thousands of youth across the country raise pigs and show them off at local exhibitions and county and state fairs. These experiences allow young people to learn about animal care and management, and also allow the public the rare opportunity to observe pig care and behavior.
Move the Cows or Move the Feed
This calculator is designed to aid producers making the decision to buy feedstuffs and haul the feed to the operation, or to haul the cattle to the feedstuffs.