WHAT’S HAPPENING ON THE FARM

With the arrival of July comes lots of activity around the farm! Our four Summer Experience in Farm Management students are settling in and currently alternating between milking, feeding, crops, calf care, and herd health rotations, each a week long. Select Sires recently visited the farm for Artificial Insemination training, allowing students to learn the basics of bovine reproduction and apply it with hands-on training. With the Clinton County Fair approaching quickly, students have also been busy preparing and training show heifers including washing, clipping, and halter-training.

Although summer is in full swing, recent heavy rainfall has played a significant role in crop work. With June being the month to receive the most rain on average, we’ve already seen 6.8 inches in June, well over the monthly average. Although the intermittent yet substantial rain has produced abundant grass yield, it does present concerns regarding water drainage across our corn fields. With tile drainage lines set 50 feet apart, distance between the drain lines allows for the puddling of water in lower areas, which can create a series of struggles for the corn plants, starting with the saturation of the soil. The replacement of oxygen with water inhibits root growth, especially in an already-dense clay soil. The bacteria in the soil are simultaneously starved of oxygen, forcing the bacteria to uptake nitrogen instead, reducing nitrogen availability to the plant itself. These bacteria are also unable to digest organic matter, such as manure, reducing nutrient availability as well.

The effects of these complications become visibly evident in the coloring of the plants in the field. Closer to the tile lines the field is a dark green, testimony to efficient water drainage and sufficient nitrogen uptake. Further from the tile lines, especially in low-lying areas, the plants are more yellow in color because the soil is filled with water instead of oxygen, leaving the roots struggling to breathe. Side-dressing fields with manure can significantly increase nitrogen availability in the soil, as well as warmer temperatures. As the weather becomes more consistent with summer conditions, the soil is expected to dry up, decreasing saturation and allowing for improved root growth.

Despite these weather-related obstacles, the dairy and crops teams are well underway toward a successful season. The second cut of milk-cow alfalfa haylage has wrapped up, and a recent equipment addition has made a considerable difference in labor efficiency. The new self-propelled Ag Bagger not only cuts down on truck unloading time, but also reduces the need for an additional tractor while streamlining the bagging process. The dairy looks forward to scoring results from classification, happening in early July, as well as Open House coming up on August 1.

— Chloe Otterson-Taylor

cotterson@whminer.com