Page 1

A Product of Extension Clark County

The Cost of Soil Erosion 1,2

Getting Low Potassium in Forages 3

Dairy Situation and Outlook 4

Dairy Promotions SCC Award winners 5

Status of Forages in Wisconsin—April 2020 5

What’s Standing Alfalfa Worth in 2020? 6

Feeding for LESS Milk Production 7

Weed of the Month: Dandelion 7

Lyme's Disease 8

Wisconsin Tick Identification 8

Walking and Talking Crops Field Day 8

Conservation Corner: Hello Spring! 9

Corn Response to Banded Fertilizers at Planting 10

Planting rate and date for forages in Wisconsin 11

Upcoming Events 12

In this issue: ............................................................................ May / June 2020

EXTENSION

This newsletter is mailed to approximately 1,400 farmers and agriculture businesses in Central Wisconsin at a cost of .70 per newsletter. County

budgets are tight and each department has been asked to reduce expenses. If you would like to view the Extension Views newsletter on-line versus

receiving a paper copy please contact the UW-Extension Office at 715-743-5121 / valerie.wood@co.clark.wi.us. You can view the newsletter on our

webpage at: https://clark.extension.wisc.edu/extension-views/ Thank you for considering this option!

Contact Us

Extension Clark County 517 Court Street, Room 104

Neillsville, WI 54456 715-743-5121

Richard Halopka, Senior Outreach Specialist richard.halopka@wisc.edu

Matthew Lippert, Associate Professor,

Dairy and Livestock Agent matthew.lippert@wisc.edu

The Cost of Soil Erosion Richard Halopka, CCA

Extension Clark County Senior Outreach Specialist

The 2019 growing season had many challenges. Mild winter temperatures early, followed by artic vortex and excessive snowfall, then record rainfall, and the stage was set for soil erosion. The excessive rainfall in 2019 com-bined with saturated subsoils led to runoff of soil sediments and visible eroded fields.

From the USDA soil portal, Primental (et al), the estimated the cost of soil erosion at $44,399,000,000 in the US (Science Magazine, 1995). This value includes lost productivity, along with sedimentation and eutrophication of water reservoirs. Crosson (Journal of Environmental Economics, 2007) esti-mated lost farm income at $100 million dollars per year as a result of soil erosion in the US.

In Wisconsin, what is the cost of soil erosion?

Francisco Arriaga, UW Soil Scientist, estimated nutrients present in 1 ton of an optimum soil are 2 pounds of nitrogen, 9 pounds of phosphorus, and 31 pounds of potassium. The fertilizer value of these nutrients would total $12.80 per ton. If the average allowable soil loss is 4-5 tons per acre, that value is $51.00 to $64.00 per acre, just in lost nutrients, not including lost future productivity. Farmers, remember when sediments are eroding off your field it is dollar bills washing away and it takes many years to replace what is lost in moments.

In addition, what is the cost to society?

Societal costs are paid by taxpayers to remove sediments from road ditches, lakes, and the filtration of drinking water. This doesn’t include the cost of the growing hypoxia zone in the gulf. In addition, there are concerns of ni-trate content in groundwater.

What can farmers do to reduce soil erosion?

First and foremost soil erosion will not be eliminated. Second, farmers can-not control the climate, but can manage their farms to reduce erosion. Here are a few options to consider:

Residue management: Residue on the soil surface and growing plant roots in the soil are a first line of defense. During planting season try to maintain a 30% residue cover after planting. Cover crops following corn silage or grain harvest may fit into your crop management plan reducing potential soil erosion, and cover crops will help improve soil health.

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12% of crops in Clark County are planted using No-Till

Want to plant cover crops using a no-till drill?

Call Clark County

Land Conservation Office

(715) 743-5102

To rent a no-till drill!

Reminder from FSA:

Sign up for ARC or PLC if you grow crops

June 30 for 2020 signup;

yield updates must be completed by

September 30, 2020.

Hello Everyone! My name is Valerie

Wood. I am your new Program

Assistant at UW-Extension Clark

County. A number of you have

talked with me or seen me already

at a training. I wanted to take this

time to introduce myself. I have

been working for you at the Clark

County Extension office since mid-

February.

A little about me… I am a Clark

County native. I grew up in

Greenwood, WI, the second oldest of Gary and Nancy Ewoldt’s five

children. Growing up I was active on the family farm, three sports,

4-H, and FFA. I spent a year as Miss Greenwood and had the oppor-

tunity to travel to our national capital twice for National Honor Soci-

ety and FFA. After high school graduation I attended UW-River Falls

where I obtained a Bachelors of Science in Agricultural

Education with a minor in Horticulture. I have wanted a career as a

Extension Professional or an Agriculture Teacher/FFA Advisor since

my high school years. My Ag teacher Bernie Wenzel (BW) was a

huge inspiration to me. After graduation I became a full time dairy

farmer and mother. I have five fantastic children between 13 and 6

years old. In the past four years I have expanded my knowledge of

the agricultural industry working at both Grassland Dairy

Products, Inc. and Welcome Dairy, LLC. I look forward to many

years of service to you all here in the Extension Office at Clark

County.

Continued...

Tillage management: Many fields are excessively tilled and residues that would protect your soil are reduced or eliminated. Today’s equipment is heavier and moves faster across the field breaking down soil structure and soil aggregates. Soil structure and soil aggregates are important to help reduce soil ero-sion. Clean tillage, year after year does increase the risk of soil erosion.

Crop rotation: In the past, a perennial crop was included in the rotation. Today the rotation is multiple years growing annual crops, with little reduction in tillage management. Farmers need to consider methods to maintain residues on the surface and/or plant cover crops in the soil. This will reduce rainfall impact on the soil surface.

Renew old practices: In the past farms had sod buffers or sod waterways and terraces in place to slow the flow of rain water. Over the years, these soil conser-vation tools may have filled in or were tilled. It may be time to reestab-lish the old practices on your farm and assistance is available from your local land conservation and NRCS.

Management: Farmers you are the manager of your farm. Everything right or wrong will be your responsibility. Farm numbers are dwindling and society’s connection and understanding of farm practices is being disconnected. Society tends to favor what they read on the internet rather than what is true. Society’s first impression of a farm may not be that of a con-cerned, hardworking farm family trying to conserve our soil, but their view is the farm is not managed properly and allowing soil erosion, thus increasing cost to society.

Summing it up: Soil erosion cannot be eliminated. Farmers cannot manage the weather; however farmers have practices available to reduce soil erosion on their farm. Soil erosion cost both the farmer and society, short term and long term. Moving forward farmers must remember that if they do not man-age their farm, regulators will manage your farm for you. If you need help or have questions, please contact Richard Halopka at: richard.halopka@wisc.edu or phone 715-743-5121 or contact your local county extension educator.

References:

https://www.iowalearningfarms.org/files/page/files/Cost_of_Eroded_Soil.pdf

http://www.fao.org/soils-portal/soil-degradation-restoration/cost-of-soil-erosion/en/

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Getting Low Potassium in Forages by Dan Undersander and Keith Kelling, University of Wisconsin

Hypocalcemia results from a deficiency in plasma Calcium at the onset of lactation in dairy cows, and is the main cause of several severe metabolic disorders. Three weeks prior to calving, it is desirable to have a moderately anionic diet, to avoid milk fever and hypocalcemia. Immediately after calving, a cationic diet is essential. High potassium forages (>2.5%) result in cationic diets and are not desirable to feed immediately prior to calving. The interest in low potassium forages has caused many to consider practices and expenses not justified based on our knowledge of forage growth and factors affecting potassium composition. The following points summarize the known facts concerning potassium content of forages.

1. Cattle only need low potassium for three weeks prior to calving. During the transition period 3 to 4 weeks prior to calving, it is desirable to have a moderately anionic

diet, to avoid milk fever and hypocalcemia. Immediately after calving, a cationic diet is essential. Milk high in potassium and milking dairy cattle can readily use high potassium concentrations in the forage.

2. Soil test and add potassium only as recommended. Much of the high

potassium in forages arises from adding potassium to soils without regard to soil test levels of potassium. Adding only recommended potassium will save money and result in lower potassium concentrations in forages.

3. All forages, except corn silage, grown on same ground contain similar

potassium levels at the same maturity. As the data in table 1 indicates, seeding ryegrass with alfalfa did not affect the potassium concentration of the harvested forage. Some national data bases of forage composition, such as those in the Na-tional Research Council requirements for dairy and beef animals, list lower potassi-um concentrations for some grasses than legumes. This simply means that grasses, on the average, are grown on lower potassium soils. In fact, grasses tend to be more efficient than legumes in their ability to extract K from the soil. For this reason, grasses will often be at or above tissue potassium levels reported for alfalfa when grown on the same soil. This is shown in table 2 where grass haylage has averaged the same to slightly higher potassium concentration than legumes and grass-legume mixtures for sam-ples analyzed over the last two years. Grass hays were slightly lower than legume and mixture hays in potassium but this probably reflects greater maturity of the grass as indicated by the higher ADF levels. Adding a grass to your forage establishment mix will usually not result in lower tissue K levels of the harvested forage.

4. Cut alfalfa close to ground. Potassium tends to be concentrated more in

the stems than the leaves and is even more concentrated in the upper stems (Rominger et. al, 1975). Therefore, cutting low to include as much stem as possible will cause the resulting hay or haylage to be lower in potassium as shown in the figure below.

5. Harvest more mature forage for dry cows. As legumes and grasses

mature their potassium content declines. Alfalfa was found to decline from 2.75 % to nearly 1.75% potassium from late vegetative to one-fourth bloom (Baker and Reid, 1977). Similar work at UW Marshfield Research Station showed that from late vegetative to full bloom potassium levels in alfalfa dropped from 3.21 to 2.08%. At the same site, second node bromegrass to late heading dropped from 3.01 to 2.41 % potassium. Grasses at flowering may have half the potas-sium concentration of immature forage earlier in the season. This is also sug-gested by results for forage testing laboratories which indicate that grass hay-lage generally has higher potassium concentrations than grass hay which tends to be more mature.

6. Rain on windrowed alfalfa significantly reduced potassium concen-

tration. Potassium is not a part of any plant compound. It is in the cell soluble and therefore very readily leached from the plant. In 2002, 0.6 inches of rain reduced tissue potassium from 2.55 to 1.90% potassium (Kelling, personal communication, 2001).

7.Low potassium forage can be generated on most farms by the above recommendations, however, if all fields test high for potassium, consider the following program

recommended by Cherney and Cherney (2002) to grow low potassium forage:

Select a small acreage which will not have manure applied to it. This can often be some distance from the

barn to reduce overall hauling to remaining fields.

Plant a long-lived grass, such as smooth bromegrass or reed canarygrass.

Avoid all forms of K fertilization (No Manure).

Grow for two years with no fertilization other than nitrogen to draw down the soil potassium.

Use moderate to heavy N fertilization (75-100 lbs/acre/harvest).

Harvest 2 times per year, first cutting at boot or early heading stage (early to mid-June) and mid-September.

Use grass regrowth for cows close to calving, as it should be lowest in K content. Quality will be adequate for

dry cows, not for milking cows. If K content of spring grass forage is below 1.7%, consider modest K fertilizer or manure additions after spring harvest (50-100 lbs potash or equivalent).

References

Baker, B.S. and R.L. Reid. 1977. Mineral concentration of forage species grown in central West Virginia on various soil series. West Virginia University Agric and Forestry exp. Stn. Bull 657. Cherney, J.H. and D.J.R. Cherney. 2002. Grass Management for Dry Dairy Cows. Cornell University, unpublished. Hoffman, P.C., D.W. Wiersma, and K.A. Kelling. 2002 Effect of maturity on the chemical and nutrient composition of selected forages. Soil Science and Plant Analysis (submitted) Rominger, R.S. D. Smith, and L. A. Peterson. 1975. Yields and elemental composition of Alfalfa plant parts in late bud under two fertility levels. Can J. Plant Sci. 55: 69-75. Wiersma, D.W. and J.B. Peters, 2000. Effect of Cutting height on alfalfa yield and tissue K levels. Proceedings of Wisconsin Fertilizer, Aglime, and Pest Management Conference. Vol 39 pp 381 to 386.

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Dairy Situation and Outlook, April 21, 2020 By Bob Cropp, Professor Emeritus racropp@wisc.edu

University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension University of Wisconsin-Madison

COVID-19 resulted in the closing of schools, conferences, restaurants, food service, sporting events and other activities. The sales of milk and dairy products was seriously impacted, particularly cheese and butter. As people were advised to stay home retail sales increased as did take out and home delivery from restaurants but not nearly enough to offset reduced sales. It has been estimated that there now is about 10 percent too much milk. Dairy product prices tumbled. Last October and November the price of butter, barrel and block cheese was over $2 per pound, nonfat dry milk was $1.25 per pound and dry whey was $0.35 per pound. Prices decline some as they normally do after the holidays, but prices were still relatively strong the beginning of January. Butter was $1.95 per pound, barrels $1, 64, blocks $1.90, nonfat dry milk $1.22 and dry whey $0.31. But as of today, butter has dropped about $0.75 per pound to $1.185, barrels $0.60 to $1.0015, blocks $0.90 to $1.0075, nonfat dry milk $0.40 to $0.8350, but dry whey increased $0.08 to $0.385.

Much lower dairy product prices means much lower milk prices. Class III was $20.45 last November, $17.05 yet in January but will be about $13.40 for April and less than $11.00 for May and $11.50 for June. It is similar for Class IV. Class IV was $16.60 last November, $16.65 in January and will be about $11.40 for April and $11.00 for May and June. So, what looked like a good year coming up for dairy farmers with milk prices averaging $1.00 or more higher than 2019 has turned into a very difficult year for dairy farmers financially.

Dairy exports were also looking promising for 2020. February exports were above a year ago, the sixth straight month of growth. Exports to Southeast Asia and Middle East/North Africa had increased significantly. But exports my soften with COVID-19 disrupting supply distribution and a slowdown in world economies.

Milk production needs to decrease before milk prices show much improvement. But, reducing milk production as much as 10 percent takes time and will involve reducing cow numbers. The demand for red meat has been hit hard with the closing of res-taurants and food service. Slaughter plants are not seeking an increase in dairy cows. Also, COVID-19 has sickened workers and a few slaughtering plants have closed.

USDA’s estimate of March milk production shows milk production has been increasing and not slowing down. Milk cow num-bers increased by 5,000 from February to March and 37,000 head since the end of last year. March cow numbers were 0.5% higher than last year. Milk per cow is also doing very well being 1.7% higher than last year and bringing the increase in total milk production to 2.2%. This is not good news for milk prices. Dairy expansion has been very prevalent in some stated with 10 of the 24 states having more milk cows than a year ago. The increase in milk cows was Colorado 11,000, Idaho 29,000, Kansas 7,000, Michigan 3,000, New Mexico 10,000, Texas 33,000, South Dakota 10,000, Ohio 2,000 and both Oregon and Washington 3,000. In contrast milk cow numbers were down 3,000 in California, 4,000 in Arizona, 3,000 in Minnesota, 1,000 in Iowa, 10,000 in both Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, 1,000 in both New York and Florida. The relatively strong increases in milk production were Colorado 7.5%, Idaho 5.2%, Kansas 7.5%, Texas 8.6%, South Dakota 6.8% and Ohio 3.9%. Milk production was also higher in Michigan 2.3%, New York 2.1%, but just 1.3% in California and Iowa, 1.0% in Minnesota and down 0.1% in Wisconsin.

Milk Prices will improve some second half of the year but how much is uncertain. Dairy futures show Class III reaching $14 by August and $15 by October. Class IV futures reach $12 by August and $13 by November. USDA’s latest price forecast is not very optimistic with Class III averaging $12.75 for the year compared to $16.96 last year, Class IV averaging $12.15 compared to $16.30 last year and the all milk price averaging $14.35 compared to $18.60 last year. But so much depends upon how fast the growth in milk production slows, when the economy opens back up and how well dairy exports do.

Dairy farmers who signed up for the Dairy Margin Protection program with a $9.50 protected margin will receive beneficial pay-ments during these low milk prices. The April margin will be around $7.00 meaning a payment of about $2.50 per hundred-weight with the May margin near $5.00 with a payment of about $4.50 per hundred weight. Payments decline as milk prices improve but are likely for most of the remainder of the year. Dairy farmers will also receive direct payments under the $19 bil-lion federal relief program of which $2.9 billion is targeted for dairy farmers. The exact payments per hundredweight will be forthcoming. In addition, USDA will be spending $100 million per month purchasing dairy products with some additional dollars for purchases to add to food banks. Dairy purchases will add some strength to milk prices. None of these activities come close to completely offsetting the losses from low milk prices but hopefully will help carry dairy farmers through very difficult times until prices do return to profitable levels.

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Status of Forages in Wisconsin—April 2020

Richard Halopka, CCA

Senior Outreach Specialist

Extension Clark County Ag Educator

Farmers and agronomist want to forget 2019, an anomaly of weather that has exceeded records established 100 years ago.

Perennial forages were hit hard as mild weather and rain was followed by a polar vortex, then record snow and cold. Once May arrived many realized they’re forage stands were damaged or dead.

Farmers planted what and when they could and most rotated crops. Corn silage and alternative crops were planted to build inventories. A cold wet growing season reduced yields and left many wondering, what will 2020 hold for forages?

December 2019 forage inventory in Wisconsin increased 1%, but that was compared to December 2018, which was 30% lower than Decem-ber 2017 (USDA). So Wisconsin is short of forage. Plus, quality forage is limited across the Midwest, because of the 2019 growing season.

So where does that leave livestock farmers on April 1, 2020? Farmers established new forage stands in 2019, but are concerned that wet weather and poor harvest conditions may impact the longevi-ty of stands or if the stand will be profitable in 2020. Many farmers are concerned the stress from 2019 may require replanting or inter-seeding to make a stand viable.

What can a forage/livestock farmer do on April 1, 2020? First, take an inventory of your forage and determine if you have adequate supply to feed your livestock until June 1. To deter-mine your forage needs here is a fact sheet to help @ https://fyi.extension.wisc.edu/wbic/files/2019/09/Determine-Forage-Inventory.pdf. One negative on April 1st, forage may be at higher cost compared to purchasing forage earlier in the winter feed-ing season.

Second, don’t panic and assume a worst case scenario. Allow some time for the weather to warm up then evaluate your forage stands. It may take another month to get a true picture of the health of a forage stand. Walk the field after the crop breaks dormancy, dig up some alfalfa and grass plants, and examine the roots. Review A3620 “Is this stand good enough to keep?” @ https://fyi.extension.wisc.edu/forage/alfalfa-stand-assessment-is-this-stand-good-enough-to-keep/. If the majority of the roots are mushy then you may need to consid-er inter-seeding or starting over. If grass species were planted with legumes, determine viable plants per square foot (grass & legume) to justify leaving the stand.

Third, you determine to keep the stand, adding fertility to the minimum of crop removal may push growth, increase yield, and reduce stress on the crop. Review the field’s soil test and then apply fertilizer. One ton of dry matter forage from grass or legumes will remove 60 pounds of K2O and 30 pounds of P2O5. If the majority of a stand is grass it will benefit from 40 pounds of nitrogen per acre and in either case add 10 pounds of sulfate per acre.

Fourth, what if the stand is sparse? An alfalfa field seeded in 2019 may be inter-seeded with alfalfa with little concern of auto-toxicity. Older stands will require you to inter-seed clover and grass species or rotate the field to another crop. If the stand is three years old, rotate to another crop. Corn silage is a good option to build forage inventory, but requires a full growing season.

I need forage ASAP, what can I do?

May 1, plant a cereal grain with or without peas and you will have forage in 45-60 days. Seed supply is tight so order now. After harvest, plant another annual. Options, depending on the harvest date, are Sorghum/Sudan or if later in summer another cereal grain. A brown mid-rib variety of Sorghum/Sudan would be a good choice.

Another option is annual ryegrass seeded at 5-10 pounds per acre. Annual rye grass mixed with other perennials will provide forage in 45-60 days, and provide a longer-term stand of forage. Yield of alternative grasses is weather dependent each growing season.

Wrapping up:

Forage inventories are tight, there is limited quality forage available, and prices are high.

Know your forage and livestock inventory and plan early if you may be short of forage.

Don’t assume the worst case scenario before you scout the fields.

Consider all your options during the growing season to build forage inventories. Remember plant something, there are many options during the growing season.

If you have more questions please let me know: richard.halopka@wisc.edu or contact your county extension agriculture educator.

Congratulations to this years Dairy Promotions Somatic Cell Count Award 2019 recipients:

Jonathan Shirk 43

Terry & Becky Byrne 110

Todd & Jessica Ertl 98

Bill & Bridget Ciolkosz 96

* Clark County Farms with a SCC of 125,000 or less are eligible for this annual award from the Clark County Dairy Promotions Committee

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Farm Technology Days Clark County 2022 Currently there is a need for people interested in participating on the committees to organize the show. A show this size will require about 1,800 volunteers to provide many services before, during and after the event. If you are interested in chairing or working on a committee, please contact:

Richard Halopka Extension Clark County

715-743-5121 richard.halopka@wisc.edu

Chuck Rueth

Farm Technology Days Chairman

715-255-8387 –home

715-613-8387 –cell

hosrueth@gmail.com

What’s Standing Alfalfa Worth in 2020?1

One of the challenges for pricing standing hay is the lack of an established commodity market like corn or soybeans. Another challenge is

multiple cuttings with different quality and yield, versus a single year end harvest for grain crops. As a result, the price standing hay often

varies from farm to farm, even between fields. Here’s one example for pricing a field of standing alfalfa (or grass hay) in 2020.

Example: Assume 4-5 ton dry matter (DM)/acre for the entire year of dairy quality alfalfa worth $200 to $250/ton baled ($0.11 to $0.14/lb

DM); half the value is credited to the owner for input costs (land, taxes, seed, chemical and fertilizer) and half the value is credited to the

buyer for harvesting, field loss, weather and price risk. Keep in mind the lower end of the price range is often more appropriate during the

growing season often reflecting the increased supply...and possibly weaker demand this year from uncertain dairy/livestock markets due to

the ongoing pandemic.

To estimate total annual dry matter yield potential, determine average stems per square foot at several locations in the field, then calculate

using this formula: (0.10 x stems/ft2) + 0.38. Wait until stems are at least 4-6 inches and count only stems tall enough to be cut by the mow-

er. Actual yield could be less due to environmental conditions and harvest management practices.

Using yield distribution estimates from ongoing UW-Extension field research for both three-cut (40% / 30% / 30%) and four-cut (35% / 25% /

20% / 20%) harvest systems, the following price range (rounded to the nearest $5) may offer a starting point for buyers and sellers to negoti-

ate the sale of good to premium quality standing alfalfa in 2020 (note, discount these values by 25-30% for good quality grass hay with RFV/

RFQ between 125-150 points):

In this example, the sale or purchase price for all cuttings the entire year would range from $435 to $700/acre. Again, this is not the right

price for every situation. Ultimately, a fair price is whatever a willing seller and an able buyer can agree on.

To help farmers and landowners better evaluate the options, Waupaca County Extension Ag Agent, Greg Blonde, developed a mobile

app for pricing standing hay. It offers quick access to current markets with a projected sale/purchase price for each cutting using your

own yield and harvest cost information. The app is free to download form the Google Play Store and for iPhones and iPads thru the Apple

Store (search for Hay Pricing). The app includes links to the current WI Custom Rate Guide and the NCR Alfalfa Management Guide. For

more information, contact Greg Blonde at greg.blonde@wisc.edu.

1Greg Blonde, Waupaca County UW-Extension Agriculture Agent. April 2020

3 cuts 4 cuts

1st crop … $175-280/a $155-245/a

2nd crop... $130-210/a $110-175/a

3rd crop… $130-210/a $90-140/a

4th crop... ————— $90-140/a

!

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Weed of the month: Dandelion

May is the month we see the bright yellow flowers of the dandelion. Dandelions

will flower throughout the summer, which is the one reason they are so darn

persistent. While their fuzzy seed heads are fun to blow around, remember you

are assisting them in reproducing.

Dandelion is a perennial forb, growing from a thick, deep taproot. The leaves

are a crowded on a basal rosette, with various lobed leaves. A bright yellow

flower will give way to a white fuzzy one seeded flattened achene.

Dandelions were introduced into the US as ornamental plantings. Pioneers

seeded their sod roofs with dandelions to be seen on the prairie. Livestock eat

the succulent leaves of the dandelion and wildlife prefers the leaves, flowers,

and seed as a staple food supply. Over history dandelion greens were eaten or

boiled and eaten. The taproot was used as a heartburn reliever and mild laxa-

tive. The flowers have been used to make tea and wine.

Dandelion is one of the most common lawn weeds in the US.

Feeding for LESS Milk Production Matt Lippert Clark Co. Dairy & Livestock Agent

Producers are being asked to sell less milk, some locally have been dumping milk. Milk prices for April

going forward are looking to be much lower than they have been. Are there options to keep the herd in-

tact, healthy, fed at lower cost with less milk production?

Culling cows to reduce herd size is an option, except prices are depressed here as well and the problem

may get worse before better as several large packing facilities are closed and many are on reduced pro-

duction schedules. If you milk 3X going to 2X is estimated to drop production 10% or more you could

see 7 pounds per cow across the herd. Recent surveys estimate that as much as 75% of the dairy cows

in the country are milked three times a day. Challenges in high producing herds include possible in-

crease in mastitis, rescheduling, will the labor- family or otherwise have to look for a different job?

Possibly cows could be dried of earlier than usual. Extended dry periods are associated with more health

problems in the next lactation. There are fewer problems if the dry period is under 70 days. Keep the

energy level in the diet low enough so that dry cows don’t gain body condition. Be careful on how you

dry off cows that are higher in production than normal. You can switch cows you are drying off to a high

forage diet but make sure they still have access to water. Milking once a day only prolongs the dry off

period and may increase the incidence of dry cow.

Excess milk can be fed to calves. You can feed more, feed them until they are older, and replace milk re-

placer as well. Pasteurized is best but older calves may not be negatively impacted by raw milk, you

should assess the herd health status for contagious disease in your herd before doing this.

Increasing the forage in the ration typically will reduce production, decrease purchased feed cost and

should not be a herd health problem. Increase the NDF in the diet by 3 percentage points from what it

is, if you have the forage to spare.

As we typically struggle to maintain production, cutting production should be a breeze! Taking a little bit

from several strategies is probably the safest bet. Since income is down, cutting production in ways that

produces savings and maintains the health of the herd is the best strategy.

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Lyme Disease ( Borrelia burgdorferi or B. mayonii)

In 2018, the Wisconsin State Department of Health estimated over 3000 surveillance case reports for Lyme Disease in Wiscon-sin. Since many cases go unreported, this is an underestimate of the actual incidence of this illness. A recent evaluation of sur-veillance reports and disease incidence by CDC implies that there may actually be 20-40,000+ cases of Lyme Disease in Wisconsin each year. Visit the Wisconsin Department of Health Services for more information about surveillance and disease.

The incidence of Lyme disease is lower in the southern and east-ern counties of Wisconsin. This is likely related to land cover, as the deer tick is tightly linked to forested environments. Forests and woods are less common in the lower incidence southern and eastern counties. However, deer ticks are still found in these counties wherever patches of forest occur.

These are adult wood ticks (American dog ticks; bottom row) compared with adult deer ticks (top row). Wood ticks have the whitish markings on the body while the deer ticks (blacklegged ticks) are reddish to dark brown in appearance without white markings and are usually smaller. The single deer tick is circled in the group photo-the rest are all male and female wood ticks that show how much size can vary.

Wisconsin Tick Identification

Deer ticks have three life stages, the larva becomes a nymph which then becomes an adult. This takes about 2 years. Nymphs are of greatest concern, because they are just 2 millimeters (1/10 of an inch) long and are hard to spot and re-move quickly.

Ixodes scapularis, also known as the blacklegged or deer tick. This tick is the vector of the bacteria that cause Lyme Disease and Anaplasmosis. In recent years, the distribution of Ixodes scapularis in Wisconsin has changed dramatically, so that these ticks can now be found in many parts of eastern Wisconsin where they had not been seen before (Lee et al. 2013). In fact, deer ticks are present everywhere in the state where there is forested habitat.

For more information on Wisconsin tick species and tick related

diseases go to http://wisconsin-tick.russell.wisc.edu/lyme-disease/

or contact your local extension office.

Walking and Talking Crops Field Day

So You Want to Raise Crops?

When: July 15, 2020; 12:30 pm to 3:00 pm

Where: TBD—Depending on Covid-19

Topics to be covered:

Soil Sampling: This is where we begin!

Jim Arch and Brent Tessmer—Land Conservation

Soil Test Results: Understanding Basics of a Soil Report

Richard Halopka—UW-Extension Educator

Selecting Cultivars…

Richard Halopka, Jim Arch, and Brent Tessmer

OK, I got a Crop…. Now What?

Matt Lippert—UW-Extension Educator

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Hello Spring!

Jim Arch, CCA

Clark County Land

Conservationist

Spring Greetings from the conservation department! We made it thru another Wisconsin winter and now we have been hit with the mother

of all curve balls. The Clark County Conservation Department is still functioning either from home or in the office. In most cases, we cannot

allow outside public into the Courthouse due to the COVID-19 virus policy but we are still working on planned projects for this spring and

summer, reviewing nutrient management plans, and will still plan to deliver and pickup the county no-till drill for whoever wishes to rent it

this spring.

Because of restricted meetings of groups larger than ten, we will not be able to have the spring meeting I was planning on having at

the Cover Crop Demo Plot Project on the Clark Turner property. We will still go on with planting soybeans and installing the moisture and

temperature sensor equipment as was planned. As of 4/15/20 the cereal rye we planted last fall was not showing much hope, so we may

have go with a modified cover crop plan for this season. Stay tuned for an update in the next Extension news letter. Hopefully we’ll be able

to have a summer meeting at some point at the Cover Crop Demo Plot Project.

Do you know in tonage how much your manure spreader holds? I’m not talking about manufacturer specs, I’m talking about how

many tons based on your operation you are loading into spreader? A farmer recently borrowed the department ’s weigh pads, and he was

amazed at what he discovered he was hauling out to his fields. This farmer had some pen pack that had soybean straw, another pen that

was using oat straw and still another that had very little straw. All three types of manure weighed significantly different but was not dis-

cernable by using visual guessing. You may be under applying or over applying nutrients unless you have a good idea how many tons are on

that manure spreader. Let us know if you need to use the departments weigh pads, I can drop them off sometime.

Do I need a Manure Storage Facility Permit or a Manure Storage Facility Closure Permit? The County passed a manure storage

ordinance back in 1985 to help protect our ground and surface water. Prior to the ordinance passage manure pits were constructed usually

without any soil investigation work and not constructed to a proven standard. The result was nitrate contamination of some wells from ma-

nure leaching nitrates. The same problem can occur from abandoned manure pits that aren’t properly closed up. So, YES! You do need a

permit from the Land Conservation Department if you are building a new manure storage or closing an old one.

What is considered a Manure Storage Facility? According to the County Manure Storage and Management Ordinance (MSMO): a

Manure storage facility” means an impoundment made by constructing an embankment; excavating a pit or dugout; or fabricating, building,

or installing a structure to store and transfer agricultural waste including, but not limited to, components to transfer waste from barns, milk-

ing centers, barnyards, and feed storages, as well as fixed and permanent equipment and piping used to transfer waste. If you have ques-

tions of your proposed manure storage facility meeting this definition please ask. As the saying goes “it is usually easier and cheaper to ask

first, than to ask for forgiveness later”. If you would like to read the current MSMO online go to the County Website Land Conservation De-

partment/Resources/Animal Manure Storage Ordinance.

Nutrient Management Plan updates: If you have an active nutrient management plan and still have not finished updating it, you

missed the deadline which was April 1st. It’s not too late to get it updated, so please work with your planner to get it done before you start

planting. Nutrient Management Plans (NMPs) are a requirement of the MSMO if you have a manure pit that was constructed after May 18,

1999, or are in the Farmland Preservation Program, or have received Cost Sharing to implement a NMP, or are a CAFO then you need to

keep your NMP current. The Clark County Land Conservation Department Committee and the County Board of Supervisors recently ap-

proved issuing citations to farmers that aren’t updating their NMPs and are required to do so. You may ask “why is Clark County doing

this”? We are attempting to improve our ground and surface waters and protect ours and your soil. Having a current NMP is a proven tool

to accomplishing this.

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Corn Response to Banded Fertilizers at Planting http://wisccorn.blogspot.com/2019/03/B09920.html March 2019

Banding fertilizer around the corn seed during planting is a common prac-tice in the northern Corn Belt. Corn planting is frequently delayed in this region due to cold, wet soils, which result in slow root growth and limited uptake of nutrients during early developmental stages. The last major evaluation of banded fertilizer in Wisconsin was conduct-ed between 1995 and 1997 (Bundy and Andraski, 1999). Results indicat-ed that full-season corn hybrids increased grain yield with banded fertiliz-er when planted late. Since then significant production changes have occurred including higher yields using transgenic crops, improved planting machinery and implements, and continued increases in soil nu-trient levels. Growers question whether starter fertilizer is even neces-sary for modern corn hybrids and production practices, yet, often it is applied as “insurance.” Our objective was to evaluate the agronomic re-sponse of corn to banded fertilizer. Plots were established at 11 locations (Arlington, Janesville, Montfort, Fond du Lac, Galesville, Hancock, Marshfield, Chippewa Falls, Seymour, Valders, and Coleman). Fertilizer treatments included: 1) an untreated check, 2) seed-placed fertilizer (10-34-0-1(Zn)) applied in the seed furrow at 4.1 gal/A, and 3) starter fertilizer (9-11-30-6(S)-1(Zn)) applied at 200 lb/A as a band 2 in. to the side of the row and 2 in. below the seed. Split-plots were eight to sixteen corn hybrids ranging in RM by 5-d increments from 80 d- to 115 d-RM. An emphasis was placed upon longer-season hybrids at each location and selection of hybrids differing in emergence vigor. Corn was harvested and yields determined mechanically from the center two rows of each four-row plot.

During 2017 and 2018 across all locations, significant differences were found for fertilizer treatment (Figure 1). Overall, starter fertilizer pro-duced greater grain yield than seed-placed fertilizer and the untreated check. On average starter fertilizer (228 bu/A) increased grain yield up to 2.4% more than seed-placed fertilizer (224 bu/A) and the un-treated check (223 bu/A). During 2017 and 2018, 5 of 11 locations had a significant response to fertilizer treatment. Consistent re-sponse across locations were seen at Arlington, Fond du Lac and Marshfield. One more year of research will be conducted during 2019. The response of corn grain yield to starter fertilizer has been stud-ied extensively in the United States, but the specific combinations of environmental conditions and agronomic factors that result in consistent responses remain unclear. An overall goal of this project is to predict when and where banded fertilizer will provide an eco-nomic return for the farmer. For each replicate soils were sampled and tested for nutrients. At the V5-V6 stage of growth, plants from each hybrid were sampled and tissue tests determined plant nutri-ent concentrations. Further Reading Bundy, L.G., and T.W. Andraski. 1999. Site-Specific Factors Affecting Corn Response to Starter Fertilizer. Journal of Production Agriculture 12:664-670.

Corn grain yield (bu/A) response to banded fertilizer during 2017.

Corn grain yield (bu/A) response to banded fertilizer during 2018.

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Table 13. Planting rate and date for forages in Wisconsin

Rates are based on normal seedbeds and on normal size, good quality seed. Rates used will vary greatly depending on desired stand, ex-pected mortality, emerging ability, seed weight, seed germination, seedbed condition, depth of planting, and planting equipment. Rates are for pure live seed (PLS); if PLS (% germination x % purity) is less than 90%, adjust seeding rate accordingly.

Bushel weight Seeds/pound Seedling rate

Crop (lb)a (number) (lb/acre) Seedling dateb

Alfalfa alone 60 199,000 12-15 Early spring or late summer

with grass 8

Barley 48 14,300 60-85 Early spring

Big Bluestem -- 150,000 10 Late May through June

Birdsfoot trefoil alone 60 372,000 8 Early spring or late summer

with grass 6

Bluegrass 14 2,200,000 15 Early spring or late summer

Bromegrass alone 14 136,000 16 Early spring or late summer

in mixture 3-6

Canarygrass, annual 50 58,000 30 Early spring

Clover, alsike in mixture 60 653,000 3 Early spring to August 10

kura 60 230,000 6 Early spring

red alone 60 252,000 10 Early spring to August 10

red with grass 60 252,000 6-8 Early spring to August 10

white with mixture 60 784,000 1-2 Early spring to August 10

Crownvetch -- 140,000 5-10 Late April through June

Fescue, meadow, alone 24 230,000 15 Early spring or late summer

in mixture 6

Fescue, tall, alone 24 230,000 15 Early spring or late summer

in mixture 6

Fieldpea alone 60 3,000 180 Early spring

with 1 1/2 to 2 bushels of oats 50

Indiangrass -- 170,00 10 Late April thru June

Kale -- 140,000 4 Early spring to July 1

Millet, barnyard 35 155,000 20 June 1 to July 15

foxtail 48 218,000 15 June 1 to July 15

pearl -- 85,000 20 June 1 to July 15

proso 56 65,000 20 June 1 to July 15

Oats alone 32 16,200 80 Early spring

seeded with alfalfa 32-48

Orchardgrass alone 14 653,000 10 Early spring or late summer

in mixture 2-4

Rape Forage 50 145,000 4 Early spring to July 1

Reed canarygrass alone 46 56,000 6 Early spring or late summer

in mixture 5

Ryegrass, Italian 24 227,000 20-25 Early spring

perennial 24 230,000 20-25 Early spring

in mixture 2 Early spring

Sorghum 18 to 40-inch rows 56 15,000 10-12 May 20 to June 5 for grain

6 to 14-inch rows 15

Soybeans for forage 60 2,500 90 Late spring to July 1

Sudangrass 18 to 40-inch rows 40 44,000 20 May 20 to June 10

6 to 14-inch rows 20-30

Sweet clover 60 240,000 12 Early spring

Switchgrass 28 370,000 6 Late May through June

Tall Fescue alone 25 229,000 10 Early spring or late summer

in mixture 4

Timothy, alone 45 1,234,000 8 Early spring or late summer

in mixture 2-4

Turnip -- 190,000 1.5 April to August 1

Vetch, hairy 60 21,000 20 Early spring

Winter rye or wheat 56 15,000 60 September a U.S. legal if established. If not established, weight given is that most widely accepted in the United States. b For seeding date ranges, early dates are for southern Wisconsin and late dates are for northern Wisconsin.

Page 12

The University of Wisconsin Extension provides affirmative action and equal opportunity in education, programming and employment for all qualified persons regardless of race, color, gender/sex, creed, disability, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, sexual orientation, pregnancy, or parental, arrest or conviction record or veteran status. If you need an interpreter, materials in alternate formats or other accommodations to access this program, activity, or service, please contact the program coordinator at 715-743-5121 as soon as possible (10 days is reasonable) preceding the scheduled event so that proper arrangements can be made in a timely fashion. La Universidad de Wisconsin-Extensión proporciona acción afirmativa e igualdad de oportunidades en educación, programas y empleo, para todas las personas califica-das, sin tener en cuenta raza, color, sexo, credo, discapacidad, religión, nacionalidad de origen, ascendencia, edad, orientación sexual, gravidez o paternidad, historial de detención o condena o estado de veterano de guerra.

Upcoming Meetings/Events

Make sure to listen to WCCN and WAXX for any cancellations

DATE EVENT LOCATION TIME

May 5 NCWCA Bull Evaluation Taylor County Fairgrounds Hwy 13 & 64 in Medford

By appointment

July 15 Walking and Talking Crops Field Day To Be Determined 12:30 pm - 3:00 pm

Richard Halopka Crops & Soils Educator richard.halopka@wisc.edu Matthew Lippert Dairy/Livestock Educator matthew.lippert@wisc.edu Jason Hausler Area Extension Director jason.hausler@wisc.edu Melissa Kono CNRED Educator melissa.kono@wisc.edu Nancy Vance Family Living Educator nancy.vance@wisc.edu Michael Rusin 4H Program Educator michael.rusin@co.clark.wi.us Lori Hendrickson Administrative Assistant lori.hendrickson@co.clark.wi.us Valerie Wood Program Assistant valerie.wood@co.clark.wi.us

Phone: 715-743-5121 Fax: 715-743-5129 https://clark.uwex.edu/

Fair Online Open May 1 - July 1, 2020 Things to Know When Entering

> Go to: Fairentry.com and click on FIND YOUR FAIR (towards top). > Search by keyword: Clark County Sorted by State Filter by Wisconsin Click on the blue SEARCH box Click on 2020 Clark County Fair – Open Class > You will need to create a new entry (light blue letters towards bottom of screen) - even if you showed last year. > The following information will help you determine what your total entry fee should be per person / per family at the end of the entry process:

Entry fee per person is $10.00 per person.

Stall Fees for animals are:

Beef/Dairy Beef, Dairy - $3.00 for each animal entry.

Example for a family of 2 adults/youth participating in Open Class:

Susie Clover is bringing 4 non animal exhibits – her entry fee is $10.00

Billy Clover is bringing 3 non animal exhibits, and 2 dairy (not cross over animals from 4-H) – his entry fee is $16.00

($10.00 for entry and $6.00 for the 2 dairy)

Sandy Clover is bringing 4 dairy (2 crossover from 4H and 2 non crossover) – her entry fee is $16.00 ($10.00 entry fee, $6.00 for 2 dairy non crosso-

ver, 0 for the 2 crossovers)

The total for the family is $42

THERE IS NO STALL FEE for cross over animals from 4-H / FFA > Keeping the above information in mind – if your ENTRY FEE is higher than you think it should be chances are you entered something wrong. You can

go back and double check and delete entries if needed. > Animal entry is slightly different compared to last year so there shouldn’t be any issues of duplicate stall fees - I tried to simplified the entry process. But you still need to read the information and check the appropriate boxes. Be sure to complete Animal ID information for each animal. > DO NOT SUBMIT YOUR FAMILY ENTRY UNTIL ALL FAMILY MEMBERS ARE INCLUDED. You do not have to add all members at once – you can log in and out and your entries will still be there and you can continue to add exhibits and/or youth. Once you hit submit I must approve them before any other additions can be made. > PRINT your invoice and submitted with payment to the Extension Office. > Be sure to include your invoice # on your check for reference > Credit / Debit cards are not accepted. > ALL ENTRIES and PAYMENTS MUST BE SUBMITTED / POSTMARKED BY JULY 1 to the Extension Office. > Once you submit your entry Lori receives a notification and will go in and accept exhibits. If something is incorrect entry will be rejected and you will get an email indicating why and you will need to resubmit each exhibit that was rejected. ** Questions - please do not hesitate to contact Lori at 715-743-5122.