NNYADP Crops Research Advances Opportunity for Maximum Alfalfa-Grass Mix Quality

January 26, 2021.  The latest results of research to help regional dairy farmers achieve high quality forage grown as alfalfa-grass mix are now posted on the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program website under the Research: Field Crops tab at www.nnyagdev.org. The research evaluates the use of perennial meadow fescue varieties developed by European grass breeders.

“Our results continue to show that meadow fescue has great potential in a mix with high quality alfalfa to significantly improve forage quality. However, our data reveals that the grass yield and quality are not consistent across growing environments, highlighting the need for regional testing,” says project leader and Cornell University Animal Science Professor Debbie J.R. Cherney.

More than 120 meadow fescue varieties are certified in Europe; most have not yet been evaluated for yield or quality opportunity in North America. Almost all alfalfa grown in northern New York is seeded with a companion cool-season grass.

To test the meadow fescue varieties in northern New York, Cherney has established trials on four regional farms. Trials at Graceway Farm in Lowville, New York, and at Pominville Farms in Croghan, New York, were planted in 2018 and 2019 respectively. Trials at Garden of Eden Farm in Philadelphia, New York, and Paluck Farm in Constableville, New York, were established in the spring of 2020.

In 2021, the ongoing trials are focused on a specific set of meadow fescue varieties that have shown high fiber digestibility and that are potentially less competitive in a mix with alfalfa. The research goal of these trials is to identify the optimal grass variety selection and grass seeding rate needed to achieve a mix of 20 to 30 percent grass in combination with alfalfa under regional growing conditions.

One farm site with sandy loam soil that was very dry in summer 2020 showed visible variation in forage growth in the trial plot. Plant height varied by more than 12 inches within a given plot, with sharp lines delineating differences in soil condition.

The forage quality factors being evaluated by this research include crude protein, neutral detergent fiber (NDF), invitro true digestibility, NDF digestibility, acid detergent fiber, and lignin.

Cherney notes, “With a consistently high crude protein content for alfalfa, the crude protein content of grasses in the mixture is always going to be sufficiently high enough for lactacting dairy cattle. Most of the crude protein variation in our test results is due to the range of grass percentages in the mixtures. The less grass in the mix, the higher the crude protein will be in the grass.”

The research team includes Cornell University soil and crop scientist J.H. Cherney, animal science specialist Rink Tacoma-Fogel, Cornell PRO-DAIRY dairy forage specialist Joe Lawrence, and Cornell Cooperative Extension regional field crops specialist Mike Hunter. A collateral study is underway at the University of Vermont; the results of that study will be noted in the final report for this NNYADP project.

Funding for the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program is supported by the New York State Legislature and administered by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets.

January 20, 2021.  The latest results of Northern New York Agricultural Development Program (NNYADP)-funded research to help regional dairy farmers achieve high quality forage grown as alfalfa-grass mix are now posted on this NNYADP website under the Research: Field Crops tab at www.nnyagdev.org/index.php/2020-nnyadp-projects. The research is evaluating the use of perennial meadow fescue varieties developed by European grass breeders and grown in combination with alfalfa on participating NNY farms.

“Our results continue to show that meadow fescue has great potential in a mix with high quality alfalfa to significantly improve forage quality. However, our data reveals that the grass yield and quality are not consistent across growing environments, highlighting the need for regional testing,” says project leader and Cornell University Animal Science Professor Debbie J.R. Cherney.

 

At left, a grass percentage graph from the NNYADP-funded Maximizing Alfalfa and Grass Quality in Mixtures research project. Find more interesting details and graphs in the complete report (see link above).

 

Funding for the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program is supported by the New York State Legislature and administered by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets.

At left: Cornell University entomologist Elson Shields holds an alfalfa root protected by biocontrol nematodes applied in an NNYADP-funded research trial in Belleville, New York. Photo: NNYADP

Act Now to Reduce Alfalfa Snout Beetle, Corn Rootworm Impact in NY and U.S.

Northern New York; January 19, 2021.  Cornell University entomologist Elson Shields, Ph.D., has written a paper on the true cost of alfalfa snout beetle to a farm to encourage dairy and crop farmers to act now to reduce populations of the alfalfa pest on their farms. Shields says, “We estimate that if alfalfa snout beetle becomes fully established on a dairy farm growing its own alfalfa, it can cost the farm $300 to $600 per cow per year.”

Shields’ biocontrol nematodes protocol for managing alfalfa snout beetle (ASB), highlighted in the paper, also shows great promise for managing corn rootworm.

The research foundation for the use of biocontrol nematodes to save alfalfa crops in New York State, and now being used or evaluated in multiple other crops and in other states, was established with the support of the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program (NNYADP). The “What is the True Cost of Alfalfa Snout Beetle on Your Farm” paper and “Persistent Biocontrol Nematodes: What, Why, How, When, and Where to Get Them” fact sheet are posted on the NNYADP website at www.nnyagdev.org.

Shields began the quest to find a solution to alfalfa snout beetle in 1989 on the Peck Homestead Farm in Great Bend, New York, where ASB damage to alfalfa crops was significantly decreasing milk production.

Due to the importance of alfalfa as a forage crop in the dairy, beef cattle, equine and other livestock sectors, the farmer-driven NNYADP made a firm commitment to fund the research needed to find a solution. Today, the inexpensive biocontrol solution developed by that research benefits dairy farmers and alfalfa, corn, and berry growers in northern New York, organic farmers throughout the Northeast, and corn growers across the U.S. and in Ontario, Canada.

“To date we have applied biocontrol nematodes to nearly 28,000 acres in northern New York on more than 140 farms. In those fields, the alfalfa stand life has increased back to 4 to 6 years compared to the previous ASB-ravaged 1-2 years. Neighboring farms should work together to control ASB on both farms,” says Shields, who will speak virtually about the biocontrol nematodes with corn growers in the American Southwest in late January, and recently shared the research results with the Ontario Ag Conference.

Shields breaks the $300 to $600 per cow per year cost of ASB into two areas: the cost of forage loss from the field with the cost of replanting, and the cost of purchasing off-farm protein to replace the alfalfa protein lost with the ASB-damaged crop.

Analysts with the W.H. Miner Agricultural Research Institute, Chazy, New York, and Oak Point Agronomics, Hammond, New York, have estimated the cost of losing and reestablishing an alfalfa stand at $200 to $500 per acre. The cost of additional purchases of soy protein once ASB becomes established and damages a farm’s alfalfa crop ranges from $4.70 to $16.80 per cow per month.

How do you know if you have ASB? Shields says that alfalfa stand loss that is often blamed on winterkill may actually be a result of ASB. He notes, “Alfalfa snout beetle often kill out the alfalfa on the high spots in the field first, a symptom which should draw attention from the truck as you are driving past.” The best time to survey a field or farm for ASB is in October when yellowing alfalfa plants can be dug up to examine for ASB larvae.

What can you do if you have ASB? Alfalfa snout beetle can be controlled for many years with a single application of native New York biocontrol nematodes on each field, using a protocol developed by Shields and Cornell University Research Support Specialist Antonio Testa while working with more than 120 dairy farmers in northern New York. The cost to apply the biocontrol nematodes is a one-time expense in the range of $40 to $60 per acre. More recent research has shown the biocontrol nematodes can be applied as part of a liquid manure application.

Do the biocontrol nematodes also control corn rootworm? “We first began to see indications that the biocontrol nematodes were having an impact on corn rootworm on one of the northern New York farms rotating its alfalfa crop with corn. Recent trials with the biocontrol nematodes in New York and now in other U.S. states are showing their effectiveness at reducing corn rootworm populations including rootworm populations becoming resistant to Bt-RW-traited corn,”Shields says.

Are the biocontrol nematodes effective against other crops? Shields and Testa have successfully applied the biocontrol nematodes to control pests in berry crops and have trials underway to examine their effectiveness in managing wireworms and Colorado potato beetle.

Who can you call for help? For more information on the use of biocontrol nematodes, farmers should contact their local Extension office. In northern New York, contacts include Cornell Cooperative Extension field crops specialists Michael Hunter: 315-788-8450, and Kitty O’Neil, Ph.D.: 315-379-9192, and Cornell PRO-DAIRY Dairy Forage Systems Specialist Joe Lawrence: 315-788-4815. Mary DeBeer, 518-812-8565, is a northern New York-based provided of the biocontrol nematodes.

To see a history of the NNYADP alfalfa snout beetle research projects, visit the Research: Field Research: Alfalfa Snout Beetle pages on the website at www.nnyagdev.org. Funding for the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program is supported by the New York State Legislature and administered by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets.

LINKS:
.  “The True Cost of Alfalfa Snout Beetle on Your Farm”

. Persistent Biocontrol Nematodes: What, Why, How, When, and Where to Get Them

Cornell entomologist Dr. Elson Shields, who, with long-term funding support from the farmer-driven Northern New York Agricultural Development Program (NNYADP), pioneered the use of native nematodes to manage alfalfa snout beetle (berry crops pests and now corn rootworm as well) has shared an article (also posted below) on “The True Cost of Alfalfa Snout Beetle on Your Farm.”  

The alfalfa snout beetle and biocontrol nematodes science and protocols built through nearly three decades of NNYADP-funded research on farms in northern New York has been requested by farmers and agricultural professionals in multiple U.S. states and Canada, and has even brought visitors from as far away as Russia to learn about this groundbreaking research. To see the NNYADP Alfalfa Snout Beetle Solution Research History: visit https://nnyagdev.org/index.php/field-crops/research-projects/.

Our Canadian neighbors are now experiencing ASB destruction in their alfalfa crops. The “Field Crop News” recently published by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) recently posted the Shields’ article. OMAFRA Forage and Grazing Specialist Christine O’Reilly wrote this following introductory note: Alfalfa snout beetle is an invasive species. A 2008 survey confirmed its presence in Leeds & Grenville, Prescott & Russell, and Stormont, Dundas & Glengarry counties. At that time, over 150 km² were infested. Dr. Shield’s research on biocontrol nematodes was originally to help producers manage ASB, but more recent results suggest they are also effective against corn rootworm when used in conjunction with other best management practices.

FUNDING ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:
The long term funding of the pioneering biocontrol nematode research by the NNYADP was made possible by the funding support of the NNYADP by the New York State Legislature and administration of that funding by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets.

The True Cost of Alfalfa Snout Beetle on Your Farm
by Elson Shields, Department of Entomology, Cornell University

January 2021.  When alfalfa snout beetle (ASB) becomes fully established on your farm, its presence cost you $300-$600 per cow annually.  The higher producing dairies are hit harder than the lower producing dairies because the higher producing dairies are more reliant on their production of high quality alfalfa and grass forage to maintain their high milk production.  This is an unbelievable amount of loss caused by ASB and is ignored by many in the NNY Agribusiness community.

It takes about 10 years for alfalfa snout beetle to become fully established on individual farms after its initial invasion.  ASB damage is frequently missed and stand loss is often blamed on winter kill, until there is a massive migration of adults out of a field or someone uses a shovel to dig yellowed plants in the fall and finds the larvae.  ASB often kill out the alfalfa on the high spots in the field first, a symptom which should draw attention from the truck windshield driving past.  The best time to survey a field/farm for ASB is during October with a shovel to dig and examine yellowing alfalfa plants.  At this time of year, ASB larvae are large, white and easy to identify.

ASB is flightless and has a 2-year lifecycle, so movement around the farm is by walking or hitching rides on farm equipment.  The practice of cutting an infested alfalfa field and then moving to a non-infested field next to harvest is the most common way ASB is moved around the farm.  During 1^st harvest, ASB adults can be easily observed on the harvesting equipment.  Over the 10 year period, ASB causes more fields to die out from “perceived winter kill”, resulting in less alfalfa to harvest and more required off-farm purchases of replacement protein, so the increasing costs of feeding the cows is spread out over the 10 year period and often overlooked.

The cost of alfalfa snout beetle to the dairy operation is two prong and can be broken down into two different areas.

1) The cost of forage loss from the field loss and the cost of replanting

Alfalfa is an expensive crop to plant with the required PH adjustment for yield, cost of the seed and the cost of land preparation required for good germination and plant stands (~$140/ac).  As a general rule in a NNY 3-cut system, the cost of establishing the crop are not covered with the on-farm production of protein until the beginning of the third crop year.  If farms cannot keep their alfalfa stands viable through the 3^rd and 4^th production years, the cost of establishing the stand outweighs the benefit of growing alfalfa. Depending on the speed that ASB eliminates the alfalfa stand, the alfalfa stand could be lost in a single year or over a 2-3 year period with grass filling in the open spaces.  In a NNY 3-cut-4-year rotation alfalfa production system, the cost of alfalfa snout beetle killing out the alfalfa stand ranges between $200 and $400 an acre.  In a NNY 4-cut-3-year, the cost of alfalfa snout beetle killing out the alfalfa stand ranges between $200 and $500 an acre.  These cost estimates are a combination of the loss of crop yield and the cost of re-establishment of the alfalfa field.

2)  The cost of purchasing off-farm protein to replace the alfalfa protein which is no longer available on the farm.

A more hidden cost of alfalfa snout beetle is the cost of the increased protein purchases to compensate for the lack of protein produced on the farm due to the loss of alfalfa from ASB damage.  The “off farm purchase protein costs” is directly impacted on the farm’s ability to manage the remaining grass in the field for high protein production. Below are presented various scenarios typical of NNY farms impacted by alfalfa field loss from ASB.

Table 1:  The cost of extra soy required in the diet when ASB impacts the production of alfalfa on the farm and causes widespread alfalfa stand losses.  Estimates are based on the diet of 30% forage and 70% corn silage.  While many farmers claim to produce higher quality grass, analysis of grass forage suggests that the 15% and 11% protein cover the common range of grass quality.

% Alfalfa in Stand        15% protein grass                           11% protein grass
100                                  $9.30/cow/month                                   $16.80/cow/month
(clear seeded)                    $112/cow/year                                       $201/cow/year
100 cow dairy                     $11,200/year                                          $20,100/year
————————————————————————————————-
50:50                               $4.70/cow/month                                  $8.40/cow/month
(alfalfa:grass)                    $56.40/cow/year                                    $100.80/cow/year
100 cow dairy                    $5,600/year                                           $8,400/year

***These estimates were provided by Michael Miller, W.H. Miner Institute and Everett Thomas, Oak Point Agronomics

In summary, the cost of additional purchases of soy protein once ASB becomes establish on the farm ranges from $4.70 to $16.80/cow/ month or $56.40 to $200 per cow/year Add to this the cost of losing alfalfa stands and spending money to replant the stands and the cost per cow increases another $200-$500 /year and the loss to the dairy from ASB is significant. In NY, the “rule of thumb” is that it requires 1 acre of forage to support 1 cow.  As a result, the cost per acre and cost per cow of forages are often used interchangeably in discussions. This is the reason that money making dairies become under severe financial pressure within 10 years of ASB moving onto the farm.

The Alfalfa Snout Beetle Solution:
Due to the long-term research support by the NNY dairy farmers, Northern New York Agricultural Development Program (NNYADP), NYFVI, state of NY and Cornell University, ASB can be controlled on a farm for many years with a single application of native NY biocontrol nematodes (entomopathogenic) on each field.  The cost of this application is in the range of $40-$60 per acre.  The presence of ASB on your farm is costing you between $50-$200/year every year and the solution to ASB is a single expense of $40-$60; a one-time expense.  To date, nearly 28,000 acres of NNY ASB infested land has been treated for ASB located on >140 farms.  In those fields, alfalfa stand life has increased back to 4-6 years compared to the previous ASB ravaged 1-2 years.

Northern NY farmers who have initiated a program of applying biocontrol nematodes to your farm, please continue because it is saving/making you money to control ASB.  In addition, talk to your neighbor about controlling his ASB because your control would be better if your neighbor was not producing millions of ASB to flood into your alfalfa stands.

Northern NY farmers who have not applied biocontrol nematodes for ASB control are bleeding profits and are spending unnecessary scarce money on purchases of soy protein when they could be growing it themselves.  In addition, you are creating a problem for your neighbor who is trying to control this insect and you need to work with your neighbor to control ASB for both of your benefit.

For more information about ASB control with biocontrol nematodes contact:
. Mike Hunter, CCE Field Crops Specialist, Phone (315) 788-8450, ext. 266, Email:  meh27@cornell.edu
. Kitty O’Neil, CCE Field Crops and Soil Specialist, Phone 315 379-9192 ext 253, Email:  kitty.oneil@cornell.edu
. Joe Lawrence, CCE Dairy Forage Systems Specialist, Phone 315-778-4814, Email:  jrl65@cornell.edu

To purchase Biocontrol Nematodes for your farm, contact:
Mary DeBeer, Moira, NY, Phone:  (518) 812 –8565, Email:  md12957@aol.com

 

NNYADP Alfalfa Snout Beetle Solution Research History:

Research Projects: Alfalfa

Please see this article by Good Fruit Grower Magazine Associate Editor Matt Milkovich who interviewed project leader Michael Basedow about the NNYADP research on the value of apple thinning research and best practices.

For more information and NNYADP apple research project reports, please see the Research: Horticultural  and Local Foods Research tab at www.nnyagdev.org.