SUMMARY

This winter’s unusually warm weather brought several questions concerning how alfalfa would respond in terms of winter injury. While much of this issue will be settled by the time you receive this, it is valuable to review these events.

First, let's consider the basic biology of alfalfa overwintering. The shorter days in the fall initiate hardening (the development of cold tolerance) in cold tolerant varieties. Temperature is also a factor as hardening begins when mean air temperatures are near 50°F. and appear to accelerate when temperatures approach 40°F. Think of hardening as a matter of degree, not a yes or no situation. (In other words, how much did the plant harden?) The degree of hardening will depend on two primary factors: the genetics of the plant (which sets the maximum hardening limit), and the fall weather (which determines how much of the potential hardening was realized). Maximum cold hardiness is normally attained by the time the soil becomes permanently frozen, but cold hardening can continue under snow. Freezing temperatures are necessary to attain maximum cold hardiness. Generally, we had a good fall with a long period of cool and fluctuating temperatures and near maximal winter hardening developed. Other factors such as adequate plant food reserves, unsaturated soils, adequate potassium level and lack of rapid fall growth are necessary for hardening.

Hardening involves an increase in cell sugars and soluble protein. The plant cell also increases fatty acid content, especially of polyunsaturated types, that have lower melting points than the saturated fatty acids of the same length. Unhardened alfalfa plants can be injured by temperatures below 40°F. while hardened plants can withstand temperatures down to 15°F. Lower temperatures will normally kill most plants. Note that these are temperatures at the plant crown and root, so that plants insulated by residue, soil and snow can withstand much colder air temperatures.

Cold air temperatures are important in the retention of cold tolerance. Dehardening may occur if temperatures rise above 50°F. for a few days. In fall or winter, less winterhardy types deharden more rapidly and initiate growth faster than more winter hardy types. Rehardening can occur under cold temperatures provided that no growth has occurred and that sufficient food reserves are available as an energy source.

There are three concerns with the type of warm weather we experienced this year:

1. Warm weather will cause a loss of cold hardening, and then the alfalfa will be killed by a sudden cold snap.

2. Warm weather will cause periodic freezing and thawing and heave the plants out of the ground. Alfalfa can tolerate some of this, but if the plants are heaved over one inch, the likelihood is that the taproots are broken and the plant will die later this summer.

3. Warm weather will cause the alfalfa to break dormancy and then the shoots will be frozen back. Generally, three to four days of 50 degree weather will cause this to happen (may occur at slightly lower temperatures on south slopes with bright sunshine and no plant residue). Begin counting after the snow has gone from the field. Breaking dormancy this early will likely mean that another frost will occur and freeze the alfalfa shoots. Most alfalfa can withstand this once, and sometimes twice, but if it happens too often, the plants simply run out of stored energy to regenerate new shoots and die. This type of injury may delay green-up as new buds must form in the spring to replace the frozen ones. Watch fields carefully and dig a few plants before deciding to plow up a stand. These fields should be allowed to go to at least first flower once during the season to help the plant accumulate stored reserves and recover from the injury .

Custom Harvesting Charges in Wisconsin

by Dennis Cosgrove, UW-River Falls and Dan Undersander, Extension Forage Agronomist

Custom forage harvesting is rapidly increasing in popularity for Wisconsin dairy producers. Custom harvesting has several advantages over more conventional systems including:

Cost savings. While most farmers are aware of variable costs of production such as seed, fertilizer and pest control, many do not take into account the equipment and labor costs associated with producing alfalfa. Table 1. shows production costs and allocated overhead charges for producing an acre of alfalfa. Assuming a 4 ton yield, total cost per ton $66.25. Of this $22.83 or 34%, is attributable to equipment expenses, interest and depreciation. If one considers labor, which is primarily associated with harvesting, this figure increases to $37.38 or 56% of the total cost of production. Production costs for corn silage based on 1995 Green Gold Program participants averaged $45.00/ton. Of this, 67% or $30.15 were equipment and labor charges.

These figures point out the high cost of producing forage when equipment and labor charges are considered, and that, in many instances, custom harvesting may be an economic option to owning expensive equipment. These values will vary considerably on individual farms. It is important to do these calculations to determine your own costs.

Consistent Forage. Quality may vary a great deal throughout a silo. Research has shown that ADF may vary up to 10 points, and moisture content up to 15 percent depending on where in the silo it was taken from. This variability would make it very difficult to accurately balance rations over time. Much of this variation is attributable to the length of time needed to harvest haylage or corn silage. Moisture content, quality and many other factors will change as harvest time increases. Many custom harvesters are capable of harvesting an enter farms haylage acres in a single day, making for a very consistent product.

Less Labor Problems. One of the biggest complaints heard form those undergoing expansion is the difficulty in securing and managing labor. While custom harvesting does not eliminate the need for hired labor, it is greatly reduced as forage handling is a major use of labor on dairy farms.

Time Savings. Removing the burden of harvesting provides producers with extra time to better manage the other aspects of the farming operation or perhaps spend time with family.

Charge Comparisons

In order to compare the cost of custom harvesting with conventional systems, I contacted five custom harvesters and discussed rate schedules, time and other aspects or their service. The charges were fairly uniform from one operator to the next. Most differences were attributable to the size of the equipment and how many acres could be harvested per hour. For instance, a pull -type chopper with forage wagons was generally cheaper on a per hour basis than a self propelled unit with trucks due to the increased acreage the latter units could harvest per hour. I have summarized the results of these conversations below.

Most operators said they arrived at these prices based mainly on what others were charging. Most also said that, based now on experience, they did not believe they were charging enough to cover costs, and that their prices would likely rise next year. Here it is important to note that most farmers do not charge the true cost of operations (including labor, depreciation, etc.) when doing custom work. This means that most published custom rates are below what the cost would be if the custom work was done as a business. Table 2. shows cost per ton for each operator for chopping and hauling costs (two trucks or wagons). These charges are based on the average number of acres/hour they said they could chop. This varied from 10 to 40 acres. In all cases, the costs for custom harvesting were well below that of conventional harvesting if one considers the depreciation and overhead allocated to equipment. Table 3. shows these costs on a per acre basis for comparison. These figures assume the mowing would still be done by the grower. If that was also custom done, then these figures would increase.

Table 2. Custom Chopping & Hauling Charges for Haylage & Corn Silage						Table 3. Custom Chopping & Hauling Charges for Haylage & Corn Silage
	OPERATOR						OPERATOR
	1	2	3	4	5		1	2	3	4	5
	$/Ton						$/Acre
SILAGE	9	--	7.60	--	9	SILAGE	54	--	46	--	54
HAYLAGE	6.75	9	11.50	--	12	HAYLAGE	13.50	18	23	--	24

Custom harvesting is an option for both large and small farms. As this is a relatively new practice, it is important to have a clear understanding with your custom harvester prior to the harvesting season. Questions to ask when considering this option include pricing (per acre or per hour), services provided, size of equipment, your responsibilities and payment options.

OPERATOR 1

CHOPPING (CORN OR HAYLAGE) - $180.00/HR

TRUCKS - $45/HR

WAGONS - $10/HR/WAGON

20-40 ACRES/HR

OPERATOR 2

TRACTOR AND CHOPPER (PULL TYPE) - $75.00/HR

DUMP WAGONS OR TRUCKS - $30.00/HR

MOW - $12.00/HR

RAKE - $30.00/HR

OPERATOR 3

PULL TYPE CHOPPER - $105/HR

SELF PROPELLED - $160/HR

WAGONS - $50.00/DAY

TRUCKS - $35.00/DAY

PACKING - $50.00/HR

MOWING - $9.00/ACRE (1^ST CROP)

$7.50/ACRE (2^ND AND 3^RD CROP)

ROUND BALES - $7.00/BALE

SMALL SQUARE BALES - 0.40/BALE

OPERATOR 4

PULL TYPE CHOPPER, TWO WAGONS

$85.00/HR - CORN

$80.00/ACRE - HAYLAGE

MOWING - $9.00/ACRE (1^ST CROP)

- $7.00/ACRE (2^ND - 4^TH CROP)

ROUND BALES - $7.00/BALE

SMALL SQUARES - $0.35/BALE

OPERATOR 5

HAYLAGE

CUTTING - $8.00/ACRE

RAKING AND CHOPPING - $14.00/ACRE*

HAULING - $9.00/ACRE

*estimated 15 acres/hr

CORN SILAGE

CHOPPING AND PROCESSING - $180.00/HR

HAULING - $45.00/HR

PACKING - $50.00/HR

Table 1. Economic Value of Corn Silage Compared to Shelled Corn and Soybean Meal.¹

$/bushel Shelled Corn	$/cwt. Soybean Meal (44%)	Corn silage Value/ton Dry Matter	Corn silage Value/ton 35% DM ²
$2.50	$12.00	$71.40	$24.99
	$14.00	$72.76	$25.47
	$16.00	$74.12	$25.94
	$18.00	$75.31	$26.36
$3.00	$12.00	$84.32	$28.51
	$14.00	$85.51	$29.93
	$16.00	$86.87	$30.40
	$18.00	$88.06	$30.82
$3.50	$12.00	$97.07	$33.97
	$14.00	$98.26	$34.39
	$16.00	$99.62	$34.87
	$18.00	$100.81	$35.28
$4.00	$12.00	$109.82	$38.43
	$14.00	$111.01	$38.85
	$16.00	$112.37	$39.33
	$18.00	$113.56	$39.75

¹ J.G. Hlubik and R.S. Adams, Penn State University, Estimating the Economic Feeding Value of Corn Silage, 1993.

²If prices are based on settled silage depth in tower silos, values in this table should be adjusted upward 5-10%.

Another method of establishing a price for corn silage is to use the number of bushels of grain in one ton of silage. This “quick and dirty” method uses a factor of 8 to 10 times the price of a bushel of corn grain to obtain the price per ton of silage. A factor of 8 to 9 best fits for an in the field price, where as a factor of 9 to 10 fits best for silage in storage.

Example 1. Assume the corn silage contains 9 bushels of corn grain per ton of silage

$2.50/bu. corn X 9 bu./ton of silage = $22.50/ton of corn silage

Table 2. illustrates a possible shortcoming of the “quick and dirty” method of pricing corn silage based upon grain content. Using 8 to 10 bushels of grain per ton of corn silage may be over estimating the grain content of the silage. This research is based on 1984 data, and with advances in corn breeding, it can be assumed that the amount of grain in corn silage is increasing. However, there is no current research available to substantiate this assumption.

Table 2. Estimated Grain Content of Corn Silage.¹

Corn yield Bushel/acre	Silage² Tons/acre	Corn grain % of DM	Corn grain³ Bushel/ton
50-60	9.0	40	5.9
61-70	10.5	42	6.2
71-80	11.5	44	6.5
81-90	12.5	46	6.8
91-100	13.7	47	7.0
101-110	15.0	48	7.1
111-120	16.0	49	7.2
121-130	17.0	49	7.2
131-140	18.5	49	7.2

¹Iowa State University, 1984, Steve Barhnart, Extension Agronomist

²Silage at 35 percent dry matter.

³Corn grain at 15.5 percent moisture.

Grain Plus Dry Matter Value

Another method of valuing corn silage based upon its grain content takes into account moisture content of the silage in addition to the price of corn grain. This method assumes that the dry matter of whole plant corn silage contains 50% grain. This can be adjusted if necessary. Table 2 demonstrates that as grain yield increases, so does the percent grain content of the silage dry matter.

To illustrate how to use dry matter content in combination with grain content to value corn silage, we will assume the moisture content of silage to be 65%. To arrive at the amount of dry matter in a ton of this silage, multiply 2000 pounds times .35. Next, multiply the dry matter content of the silage by .50 because we assume the corn silage contains 50 percent grain on a dry matter basis. To determine the number of bushels of grain in the grain portion of the corn silage dry matter, divide the grain dry matter by .845 because a bushel of corn grain typically contains 15.5 percent moisture (100% DM – 15.5% moisture content = 84.5 % DM). Now multiply the number of bushels of grain by the market value of shelled corn.

When using this method of valuing corn silage, it is important to obtain accurate moisture levels for the silage being priced. This method yields a lower price than some other procedures described previously. This can be attributed to the correction for moisture content in the formula.

Consider Harvesting Costs

To this point,we have considered only the economic value of the standing corn that is to be harvested for silage. The cost of harvesting the standing corn needs to be subtracted from the price of the silage in order to arrive at an equitable value for both buyer and seller.

The buyer of the standing corn who owns his own harvesting equipment must consider the ownership costs of that equipment as well as the operating costs. The ownership costs include depreciation, interest, and insurance. These costs are present regardless of the number of acres harvested. Operating costs such as fuel, repairs, and labor depend upon the number of acres covered. Once calculated, the ownership costs may be assessed per acre or per ton.

The “Minnesota Farm Machinery Economic Cost Estimates” is a publication that is helpful in calculating harvest costs. Based upon this guide the estimated cost to operate a two-row forage harvester with tractor and operator is $52.63 per hour, or $31.81 per acre at 1.65 acres per hour and 100 hours per year. Forage wagons will be needed to transport the corn silage to the storage unit. The estimated cost to operator two forage wagons is $27.02 per acre. This brings the total estimated harvest cost to $58.83 per acre. If the anticipated silage yield is 17 tons per acre, the harvest cost per ton would be $3.46 per ton delivered to the silo or bunker. Packing, and storage costs are other expenses that need to be considered as a part of harvesting. These items vary greatly from farm-to-farm because of distance involved and type of storage units.

Estimating Yield of Standing Corn

Standing corn sold for silage is often priced per acre. Once a value is established per ton for the corn silage, an estimate of yield per acre is necessary to determine a price per acre. The following procedure can be used as a yield check to quickly establish an estimate of corn silage yield. This method provides only an estimate of anticipated yield and does not account for field loss during harvest. Where available, electronic weigh pads or other scales can be used to measure yield more accurately.

Determine row width by measuring across 10 rows and dividing by 10.
Cut the length of row needed based on row width using the following table:

Row Width	Length of Row to Cut
20	52 ½ ft.
30	32 ½ ft.
36	28 ¾ ft.
38	27 ½ ft.
40	26 ¼ ft.
42	25 ft.

Weigh the amount of corn cut in pounds. (Tip: It will be more convenient to weigh the corn in two separate bundles and add the weight. A hanging scale can be used for weighing.)
Divide the pound of corn harvested by four, and that is the estimated tons per acre.
Follow this method for several areas and average results.
Example: If row width is 30 inches, cut the corn from 32 ½ feet of row and weigh it. Assume the corn that is cut weighs 72 pounds. The estimated yield is therefore 18 tons per acre (72 ¸ 4 = 18).

This method of estimating corn silage yield is most effective when the crop is near physiological maturity. Price discounts will need to be made for wet, immature corn and dry overly mature corn.

After the corn silage yield has been estimated, multiply the price per ton times the number tons per acre anticipated to arrive at a price for standing corn per acre. A summary of the process of pricing standing corn is illustrated in Example 3.

Example 3.
	Value of Corn Silage per Ton	$25.00
	Harvesting Costs per Ton	-3.50
	Net Value per Ton	$21.50
	Estimated Tons per Acre	X 17
	Net Value per Acre	$365.50

Conclusion

To effectively price standing corn harvested for silage, the buyer and seller must agree upon a method for arriving at its value. The method selected should consider three key variables: economic feed value of the corn silage, harvest and transportation costs and yield potential. These variables should be applied based upon local market conditions that cover an entire growing season and not a particular day within the growing season.

A Note from Your President:

Welcome, and hello to our new members and returning members. A reminder for membership – be sure to use your coupon books when planning spring inputs. There are discounts available in it that more than pay for the cost of membership. Also, as indicated earlier in the newsletter, if you have not received your Proceedings from the January 1998 Annual Meeting (which are free of charge with a paid membership in 1998), please contact your local council. These Proceedings discuss many topics happening in forages, and are a good reference and thought provoking source.

The state Wisconsin Forage Council Board encourages any local council or individual to submit articles for The Forager. We are especially interested in local demo projects, production and utilization tips and marketing ideas you can share with other members.

The local councils are in the process of setting up this year’s demonstration projects. Dan Undersander has sent out suggested projects, and the board hopes all can share in these demonstrations. As individuals and local councils, it is important we participate and share data from all of Wisconsin, so as members, we can learn and advance forages in our state. We look forward to putting the data together before the Appleton meeting next year, and also have the local councils publish their results in The Forager.

The state board needs your input on direction, projects, ideas, etc. you may have. We are always open to input. We are also looking to increase membership, so if you have a neighbor or business associate that may be interested, TELL THEM about the Forage Council.

Thank you for your time, and see you this summer at the Expo at the UW-Arlington Experimental Station.

Greg Kerr --- Board President

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page 2	Freezing, Thawing Of Alfalfa May Cause Heaving
Page 3	Effect Of Warm Winter Weather On Alfalfa Winter Survival?
Pages 4-6	Custom Harvesting Charges in Wisconsin
Page 6	Fifteen Trifolium Conference in Madison in June
Page 6	Upcoming Events
Pages 7-11	Pricing Standing Corn For Silage

Wisconsin Forage Council	$20.00	$__________
(you will receive a forage Newsletter, coupon book & local mailings)
American Forage and Grassland Council	$7.00	$__________
(join national organization and receive AFGC Newsletter)
	TOTAL ENCLOSED	$__________

by Timothy Jergenson, Agriculture Agent, Polk County UW-Extension

Introduction

Economic Feeding Value of Corn Silage

Nutrient Value

“Quick and Dirty” Method

Corn yield

Tons/acre

Bushel/ton

Consider Harvesting Costs

Conclusion