Polk County - Producers Reap Benefits of Extension Forage Programs

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County Impact Statements - Polk County
Beef and Forage Producers Reap Benefits of Polk County Extension Forage Programs

U of A Animal Science Specialist Dr. Tom Troxel admires a Wrangler Bermuda field that is ready for harvest.

Forage production has been the focus of the Extension Agriculture Program for the past four years. Producers are learning that in order to grow beef cattle one must first grow grass. They have implemented several practices to improve pastures and hay meadows in the County. New varieties, increased use of soil testing, awareness of proper pH for various grasses, proper fertilizer rates, and weed control are all practices that have improved forages for several producers. Two producers in the south part of the county have really seen big payoffs with improved forages. James Watkins of Vandervoort has implemented closer monitoring of soil nutrients as a part of his fertilizer program. He uses waste from his swine grow out unit to grow top quality bermudagrass for his cattle. He has improved the quality of his hay by fertilizing right and cutting the grass on a shorter time schedule. His hay crop for 2001 produced hay samples that averaged 15.9% protein and 63.3% TDN on a dry matter basis. He also uses winter wheat as a grazing source for his cattle. He has been able to cut out all supplemental feeds to everything except his replacement heifers. This has reduced his cost of production on the farm. Scott Sullivan of Wickes also has access to liquid swine waste on his farm. Scott seeded Wrangler Bermudagrass in the Spring of 2000. This year the field yielded almost as much per acre as his Tifton 44 hybrid bermudagrass and had a much lower cost to establish. Scott also utilizes proper fertilizer use and timing of his hay cutting. He was able to produce more hay than needed on the farm and sold the excess high quality hay to horse producers for added profit from the crop. Scott’s seven samples of hay for this year averaged 18.2% protein and 65.3% TDN on a dry matter basis. Both of these producers are utilizing best management techniques recommended by the U of A Cooperative Extension Service and are working closely with Extension and its many services to produce high quality forages for their operations.

Impacts

5th year for County Hay Show Program
Total of $2,159 of sponsorship money secured to reduce cost of analyses for producers.
Total of 196 samples tested over 5 year period.
Quality improvement - average TDN (energy) up 1.71% and average crude protein up 1.67%.
Improved forage varieties allow producers to use more swine effluent as fertilizer than native grasses without environmental concerns.
Using information from hay analysis, producers have been able to reduce Winter feed cost by formulating rations based on hay quality.

Polk County
Cooperative Extension Service
211 DeQueen Street
Mena, AR 71953
Phone (479) 394-6018 • Fax (479) 394-8137

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About Us County Impact Statements - Polk County Beef and Forage Producers Reap Benefits of Polk County Extension Forage Programs

About Us
County Impact Statements - Polk County
Beef and Forage Producers Reap Benefits of Polk County Extension Forage Programs