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Manitoba Forage & Grassland eBulletin
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Choosing the right round bale wrapping
If you're producing round bales, you have three bale wrapping choices: twine, net wrap or plastic wrap. Which is the right choice for you? Curtis Hoffman, Crop Packaging Products Marketing Manager at New Holland, the hay and forage experts, outlines the pros and cons of each type of wrap.
Although sisal or poly twine is the least costly wrap, it takes more bale revolutions to produce twine-wrapped bales than net or plastic," says Hoffman. "This extra time often negates cost savings. Net wrap is a woven material designed to shed water away from the bale surface while promoting greater airflow. It normally requires only two to three revolutions to wrap a bale. Storage losses are less than those with twine when the exterior bale density is the same. Net wrap may reduce leaf loss from the chamber during bale formation compared to twine wrapping. Plastic wrap is a solid plastic barrier that sheds water completely and provides ultraviolet light protection. Dry matter losses during storage are up to five times less with plastic wrap compared to unwrapped bales on the ground. However, plastic wrap has a much higher purchase price."
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 MFGA Board Chair Jim Lintott and Claude Lesperance of New Holland connect at Ag Days, held this week in Brandon.
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New from KAP: help with farm safety inspections
KAP and SAFE Work Manitoba have teamed up to help farmers prepare for safety inspections that are being conducted by the provincial Workplace Safety and Health department. We'll provide the services of an expert safety consultant who will come out to your farm, explain what to expect during an inspection, and identify safety issues. If you're being re-inspected after receiving an improvement order, she'll come out to your farm prior to re-inspection and let you know if you're complying with the order. Call the KAP office to make arrangements at 204-697-1140.
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MFGA has been
"on the move" in January working with various organizations for the benefit of our producers:
- Visit & network at Ag Days
- Attend Vita Beef and Forage meeting
- Meet as a Board & Staff
- Welcome Lawrence Knockaert, Dairy Farmers of Manitoba, to the MFGA Board
- Say Farewell to Board Members Fraser Stewart and Kim Streker - we will miss them
- Connect with Aquanty & AAFC
- Attend the Minister of MAFRD's Christmas Reception
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Establishing pasture and the deception of forage mixture labels
Once you have made the decision to re-establish a worn out pasture there are a number of factors you need to consider before going ahead.
1) Evaluate the current management of the site. If you're ready to reseed, then you must not like what is growing on the site. However, remember that what is growing there now is best adapted to the current site management. If the area is reseeded, but the management is not changed, the site will soon return to its present condition.
2) Look at the forage species that best match your situation. After you have looked at how the pasture is being managed and what (if any) changes are needed, you need to look at the forage species that best match your situation. Knowing that forage mixtures are listed as a percentage of weight and not as a percentage of stand can be key in helping you develop and/or purchase the appropriate blends. It's important to understand that 10% of a blend doesn't always mean it will be 10% of a stand, but could end up being 30%, and know the implications this can have on your management.
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Ramping up for the 2015 Green Gold Program
For 20 years, the Green Gold program has put forage quality up front for alfalfa producers during the spring growing season - a time when forage quality is especially difficult to assess. This increased awareness of forage quality is significant because the first cut typically produces more forage than any other cut. Knowing the forage quality decline of an area helps develop a trend for producers to judge how the current season is shaping up and when to start the first cut on their farms. Since sampling is real-time, the effect of weather conditions on quality is accurately reflected in the results.
In 2013, the program was expanded and now covers alfalfa development in the north and south areas of the Eastern, Central and Western areas of the province. For 2015, MFGA will again be expanding the program by inviting more forage growers to participate in the program and submit samples from their farms.
Producers growing alfalfa who would like to participate and those wishing to receive the timely reports should contact John McGregor at jbmcgee@shaw.ca.
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Become a 2015 Green Gold Sponsor!
To run the program successfully, MFGA relies heavily on sponsor support from the ag industry, producer groups and financial institutions. "We are very appreciative of the sponsorship for the program - it demonstrates that they take agriculture seriously especially in the area of forage management," says Mr Pelletier. Approximately 500 producers and industry personnel receive this information.To become a sponsor, contact our coordinator John McGregor at jbmcgee@shaw.ca. Learn more about the Green Gold Program.
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Attention Industry Partners:
We would love to share your important information with our readers! Please send us your organization updates, articles, events, research, etc that you would like included in our monthly eBulletin.
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The MFGA eBulletin is published by the Manitoba Forage & Grassland Association (MFGA). Articles in this publication do not imply endorsement by MFGA.
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