Forage

All Forage Content

Small group of beef cattle eating hay spead out in a winter pasture.

How to Interpret Forage Test Results

Forage testing is a management tool that both forage and livestock producers should incorporate into their operations. Knowing the quality of the feed being provided allows producers to meet livestock nutritional needs more accurately and cost-effectively.

Feeding Drought-Stressed Corn to Livestock

Drought-stressed corn can remain a valuable forage resource when harvested and stored appropriately. Successful utilization depends on careful management, including harvesting at the proper moisture content, achieving adequate packing density, and excluding oxygen during storage.

Using Drought-Stressed Corn as Forage

Drought-stressed corn is a common challenge during dry growing seasons, but it does not necessarily result in a total loss of feed value. With proper harvest and storage management, drought-damaged corn can remain a useful and economical forage source.

Oats growing in a South Dakota field in late July.

Annual Forage Rainfall Index Insurance: A Risk Management Tool for South Dakota Producers

Drought remains a recurring challenge for South Dakota livestock and forage producers. Annual Forage Rainfall Index insurance is one tool that may help reduce the financial risk associated with below-average precipitation.

Testing Forages for Nitrates

Free nitrate testing is available at various locations across the state. Nitrate testing strips are used to provide a semi-quantitative value of nitrate levels in forages. It allows producers to make decisions based on the presence or absence of nitrates and appropriate timing for cutting.

Small shiny black beetle with two light tan stripes on elytra.

Alfalfa Should Be Scouted for Presence of the Palestriped Flea Beetle

Palestriped flea beetles have recently been observed in alfalfa fields in South Dakota. Large populations of palestriped flea beetles can cause rapid defoliation and stunt seedling alfalfa.

Redlegged, differential, and twostriped grasshopper nymphs.

Various Grasshopper Species Are Active Across South Dakota

While scouting, we have noticed increased grasshopper nymph activity and in some areas these populations are close to threshold levels. Crops in areas that have had high populations should be regularly scouted to ensure that extensive defoliation doesn’t go unnoticed.