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About Us
County Impact Statements - Benton County
Quality Bermudagrass: Bermudagrass Project Spreads Beyond County
Line
Completing its fourth year, the Quality Forage project, developed by the
County Extension Councils’ Forage /Livestock Sub-committee, continues to attract
attention across NW Arkansas, NE Oklahoma, SW Missouri and SE Kansas. Why?
According to Chairman, Jim Singleton, "I believe our average hay analysis of
15.7% crude protein, 63% TDN and 90 RFV score on the 297 samples submitted by
the producers involved makes a statement that Benton County is one source of the
highest quality bermudagrass hay available anywhere in the United States!"
An average RFV (relative feed value) score of 90 indicates excellent quality
hay, however, 16% of all samples surpassed 100 which was uncharted territory for
bermudagrass until the project was initiated. Producers are awarded for hay
entries based on RFV, CP and TDN scores and for management skills including:
yield per acre, management improvements and; production and marketing
innovations which serve to improve the economic potential of this crop for other
producers.
Demand for quality hay has grown since the inception of this project which is
supported and promoted by many area farm supply dealers, ag-lenders and service
related businesses. According to Ozzie Rodgers who, in partnership with his
brother Dutch, manages the areas largest bermuda acreage, "Since the results of
the Quality Forage project have become widely publicized, we simply hustle to
meet the demand and then always fall short! The market for high quality hay
continues to grow for us."
To date, other bermudagrass records established by project participants are:
Crude Protein- 23.5%; TDN- 77.7%; RFV- 128.9 and; Hay Yield- 8.1 T/A.
Quality hay records have turned bermudagrass into a major
cash crop sought out by a growing number of buyers from within
and beyond the Benton County line.
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Impacts
- The Quality Forage project recorded more samples and highest hay quality
record of commercially produced bermudagrass in the United States!
- While 50% of all samples produced have exceeded an RFV score of 90, 19
producers have attained membership in the elite "100 CLUB".
- Sponsors provided approximately $20,000 during the first 4 years of the
project to promote and recognize achievements of Benton County bermuda grass
producers.
- Samples entered in the 2001 National AFGC contest by Quality Forage
participants were the only bermuda samples achieving an RFV of 100,
resulting in one receiving the 1st place Bermuda Hay Award and one receiving
Best of Show over all hay types entered.
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