MOCCASIN, Mont. – Using high quality seed, managing weeds and pests, seeding at the right time, and providing essential nutrients to firm, moist and fertile soil all contribute to the success of a forage stand, according to research conducted by David Wichman, Central Ag Research Center Research agronomist/superintendent.

Wichman began the grass trial in April 2006. Thirty-nine grasses were established by till plant recropping after barley with a double disk drill. The dryland trial was planted on Judith soils, which are shallow clay loam soils over gravel. The trial has received broadcast fertilizer most years, using either straight urea or a NPKS blend.

Livestock farmers and beef producers are turning to baleage, also known as haylage or round bale silage, as an alternative to dry hay during winter feeding.

Wayne Coblentz, research dairy scientist and agronomist for the U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center (USDA-ARS), said there are some things to keep in mind when managing baleage, which is produced by baling forage at relatively high moisture levels and wrapping the bales with plastic.

With the growth of salinity areas in the region, many growers are looking for ways to slow down, or maybe even reverse the enlarging white areas in their fields.

One of the ways some growers have embarked on is using forage crops to help with their salinity problem. By going this route, the growing forage crop absorbs water from the soil, which will hopefully lower the water level in the soil, which will in turn take the salts to a lower level in the soil and an income will be provided by the resulting hay crop.

An article in this Hay & Forage special feature pointed out how alfalfa might be used in helping control the spread of saline soils in the region, but right now there are limitations to using it. However, a team of scientists headed by Michael Peel at the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Forage & Range Research Lab at Logan, Utah, is working to develop molecular markers for enhancing resistance to drought and high salinity in alfalfa.

Their research has two main objectives, according to Peel. The first will be to develop diverse alfalfa populations to identify genes conditioning drought/salt tolerance traits. The second is to develop molecular markers and strategies for selection of drought and salt tolerant alfalfa and breeding for superior varieties with drought and salt resistance.