Using and Harvesting Forages After Frost

 

Dr. Mario Villarino

County Extension Agent-Agriculture and Natural Resources

 

 

Recently I got a telephone consultation about handling forage after stress. This producer had a bermuda grass meadow with Johnson grass. The major concern that came to my mind a was prussic acid. Johnson grass is known to accumulate prussic acid. Under normal conditions, when plants are actively growing and healthy, they contain low levels of prussic acid because the compound breaks down over time, thus eliminating toxic accumulations. Prussic acid may be present for a while and then dissipate from plants properly cured for hay. Prussic acid accumulation can happen when:

• There are poor growing conditions that prevent stems from developing properly.
• Recent hay harvest or grazing causes slow and stunted growth of new plant tissue.
• Nitrogen fertilizers are over-used or there are other soil fertility or nutrient imbalances.
• Plants develop new growth after a prolonged drought.
• Plants are injured by herbicides, frost, hail or other events.

Prussic acid accumulates mainly in leaves, with highest concentrations in new growth. Concentrations in leaves are many times higher than in stems. Because livestock usually eat leaves before stems, samples taken for prussic acid analysis should be largely comprised of leaves. This is especially true when sampling fields where cattle will be allowed to graze. If grazing is limited, cattle probably will not consume stems. Prussic acid may volatilize from cut/harvested forages. The produce concern was because he wanted to harvest the meadow, but he had the concern that the recent frost could have stressed the Johnson grass, accumulating prussic acid. When you suspect this situation, standing forages can be green chopped and ensiled. Prussic acid is enzymatically converted to free cyanide, which escapes when silage is removed. Another benefit of green chop/silage systems is that the effect of prussic acid is diluted when livestock aren’t free to select only leaves. Standing forages also can be cut, field cured and

baled. Bales can be made even safer by grinding them to combine leaves and stems. You can also test the hay for prussic acid levels. For more information on prussic acid and how to test for it you can contact the Hopkins County Extension Office by calling 903-885-3443 or send me an e-mail at m-villarino@tamu.edu

 

 

 

 

 

Environmental regulations are constantly changing and getting even more strict year after year. To help producers conducting nutrient and environmental evaluations, states and federal agencies created the CLEAN mp program. Producers can get nutrient and environmental evaluations for free. To learn the benefits of the program, producers can attend the informational meeting scheduled November 18, 2010 at 10:00 am at the Professional Agricultural Workers Building located at 957 Connally street in Sulphur Springs. 1 DOPA credit will be granted to dairy producers attending.

 

 

 

State and County Validation Updates

FFA and 4-H swine project will be validated November 23, 2010 from 4-7 at the Regional Civic Center. A $20 fee for county and $8 for state tags will have to be paid at the time of validation. Properly filled NETLA validation forms will be required at the time of validation. Only validated projects will be able to participate in NETLA and 4-H sales and competitions. Poultry project orders are taken now for NETLA and 4-H projects and are due December 1, 2010. For more information contact your FFA teacher or contact  the Hopkins County Extension Office by calling 903-885-3443.

Hopkins County Residents are invited to participate on the next Master Gardeners training. We are inviting dedicated gardeners who will like to get training and educate people in topics related to horticulture. The training will cost $125 for a fifty hrs training. After completion, participants can volunteer in the many projects organized by the Hopkins County Master Gardeners. For more information about the upcoming training, please contact the Hopkins County Extension Office by calling 903-885-3443.

 

 

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