Farm Facts for Fairfield County

for September 27, 2002 ; also seen on Fridays in the Lancaster Eagle Gazette

Last week, Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman announced that approximately $752 million was being made available for a new program - the Livestock Compensation Program - for cattle, sheep and buffalo producers in counties that have received or had pending a primary disaster designation due to drought in 2001 and/or 2002. This will include Fairfield County. Sign-up will begin at the Farm Service Agency (FSA) on or about October 1, with payments made soon thereafter.

Direct payments of $31.50 per dairy cow, $18 per beef cow, $13.50 per stocker calf, and $4.50 per sheep will be available. Payments are based on the number of eligible animals owned as of June 1, 2002. The animals must have been owned for 90 days or more before and/or after June 1.

Find details of the Livestock Compensation Program linked to the front of the USDA website (http://www.usda.gov/), or by contacting the local FSA office at 653.4012.

Too Late To Harvest Alfalfa

Producers often want to harvest the fall growth from alfalfa stands, but fall harvesting usually increases the risk of legume heaving and winter kill, and interferes with accumulation of root reserves required for winter survival and growth the following spring. The timeline to have the last regular harvest completed is September 7 in northern Ohio, September 12 in central Ohio, and September 15 in southern Ohio.

DO NOT harvest during late September and October. During this period, forages are actively storing reserve carbohydrates in the crowns and roots. These energy reserves are used by the plant to survive over winter, to develop cold tolerance, and to initiate spring growth and growth after each cutting. Research from Iowa indicates alfalfa yields were 0.61 tons per acre lower the following harvest year where a harvest was made during the previous fall. An Ohio study showed plots with alfalfa harvested in the late fall on October 20 showed severe damage with 38 percent of the plants heaved compared to only 5 percent heaved when no crop was harvested on October 20.

If a late fall harvest must be made, it should be delayed until a killing frost (25 degrees F. for several hours). Suggestions to minimize the problems of this late harvest are as follows:

• Alfalfa stand should be well established - not a new seeding.
• Field should be will drained
• Soil must have a high level of fertility which is maintained with annual fertilization. Fall application of fertilizer, especially potassium, is very important.
• Cut four inches high for this late cut to provide some insulation against winter hazards and to assist in snow retention.
• If possible, also mulch with strawy manure or other appropriate mulching material following the late harvest. This will provide winter protection and reduce heaving caused by alternate freezing and thawing.
• Snow cover acts as an insulator of the soil and plants. Thus this practice of late harvest may be more feasible in areas of northeast Ohio which historically receive larger, longer lasting quantities of snow.

For a listing of upcoming programs, meetings and events, visit the AG CALENDAR

Previous Issues of Farm Facts

updated on September 25, 2002 by Stan Smith

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Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Keith L. Smith, Director, Ohio State University Extension.
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