Prepare for Earlier Hay Harvest This Year

By: Andrew Frankenfield, Montgomery County PA Extension

The above normal temperatures this spring has sped up the maturity of the hay fields. Unfortunately the dry weather has stressed them as well and limited their height.

Although the crop appears short and not near harvest stage, some forage species are nearing heading, we are beginning to see heads emerge from orchard grass as of May 1st. Alfalfa is also approaching bud stage, which is an indicator of mowing to achieve the best quality forage.

Penn State Forage Specialist, Marvin Hall recommends timing forage harvest based on the growth stage of the crop, not the calendar. Taking a timely cutting soon will likely promote excellent regrowth and set up a good potential for a second cutting prior to a possible hot and dry June.

Maturity is the most important factor affecting forage quality. As plant cell wall content increases, indigestible lignin accumulates. In fact, forage plant maturity changes so rapidly that it is possible to measure significant declines in forage quality every two or three days.

For more information on forage quality see Agronomy Facts 30, "Forage Quality in Perspective". http://cropsoil.psu.edu/extension/facts/agronomy-facts-30