| Producing
Export Timothy more Management than Weather - September 12, 2002
"When it comes to producing timothy hay for the foreign market, the most important
factor is to minimize the amount of brown leaf in the crop," said Kevin Yaworski,
forage agronomist with Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives in Ashern.
Through natural processes or disease, timothy's lower leaves can turn brown before
harvest, discounting the grade by as much as 63 per cent. A Covering New Ground project in
Manitoba's Interlake is looking at ways to overcome the brown leaf problem.
"The main obstacle we had to overcome was the yield mentality," said
Yaworski. "More is not always better. While we have the ability to produce more than
three tons of hay per acre, managing that volume is very difficult. And with heavy crops,
brown leaf becomes more of a problem. It is better to sacrifice yield to gain
quality."
Hay quality is more a function of management than it is of weather, explained Yaworski.
Timothy loves nitrogen. Ensuring the plant has the proper amount throughout the growing
season can keep it green until harvest. Preventing brown leaf provides a wider harvest
window, allowing the crop to stand until the weather co-operates. Application rates should
be determined through soil testing and with a target yield in mind.
Broadcasting nitrogen in a single application in early spring results in an early burst
of growth, creating a thick crop canopy. Beneath the canopy, disease can flourish and as
the plant runs out of nitrogen, brown leaf develops.
"Banding nitrogen about three or four inches deep a little later in the spring
will maintain the proper amount of growth through to harvest," Yaworski said.
"The release is slower and it will continue to feed the plant longer."
A split broadcast application can also work, but rain is needed at the right time to
release the nitrogen. However, most producers found that delaying the nitrogen application
a little works well in keeping brown leaf out of the crop.
While brown leaf can be controlled to some degree with fungicides, many producers felt
it was unnecessary if proper management techniques were applied. Yaworski pointed out that
reducing the use of fungicides has an environmental benefit.
The elite export market for timothy hay is Japan, with an estimated two million dairy
cows. A shortage of land forces the Japanese to import much of their hay. Cows will freely
choose timothy over alfalfa, making it attractive in the export market and, according to
Yaworski, the palatability of Manitoba timothy is exceptional.
"Producing quality hay is not as hard as most producers think, but you have to
take the crop seriously," he concluded. "Treating hay as you would any other
crop is the most important thing that producers can do."
- 30 -
This is the 18th in a series of news releases on agricultural sustainability produced
by Covering New Ground, a program that funds local projects to help find economical
solutions to environmental challenges in Manitoba's agricultural community. |
