Ag & Natural Resources
October 21, 2009
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Dear Friends:
FROST BRINGS FORAGE DANGER
As we move through October the likelihood of frost increases, and with it the danger of Prussic Acid poisoning in our farm animals on pasture. The primary cause of prussic acid poisoning is the ingestion of certain plants after living plant cells are crushed or otherwise ruptured, such as what happens after frost damage. Plants of the sorghum group and leaves of wild cherry trees are the chief culprits around here.
Prussic acid is one of the most potent toxins in nature. As ruminants consume plant materials containing cyanide-producing compounds, prussic acid is liberated in the rumen, absorbed into the bloodstream and carried to body tissues where it interferes with oxygen utilization. If toxin is absorbed rapidly enough, the animal soon dies from respiratory paralysis.
When lethal amounts are consumed, dead animals may be found without visible symptoms of poisoning. Symptoms from smaller amounts include labored breathing, irregular pulse, frothing at the mouth and staggering.
The risk from potentially dangerous forages may be reduced by following certain management practices:
1. Graze sorghum or sorghum cross plants only when they are at least 15 inches tall.
2. Do not graze plants during and shortly after drought periods when growth is severely reduced.
3. Do not graze wilted plants or plants with young tillers.
4. Do not graze for two weeks after a non-killing frost.
5. Do not graze after a killing frost until plant materials is dry (the toxin is usually dissipated within 48 hours).
6. Do not graze at night when frost is likely.
7. Delay feeding silage 6 to 8 weeks following ensiling.
8. Do not allow access to wild cherry leaves whether they are wilted or not. After storms, always check pastures for fallen limbs.
As we make plans for the late fall grazing and forage utilization on our farms, try to find a sequence which maximizes the forage. Because of the prussic acid danger, Sorghum sudans and fields containing Johnson Grass should be grazed before the danger of frost occurs. Once these fields are cleaned, go to the fields containing most clover. Hopefully, these fields will be adequate to last until early November, when the final alfalfa grazedown can be made. Once the alfalfa is cleared, corn stubble or orchardgrass or bluegrass fields can be grazed. After all these species have been grazed, begin using the fescue fields. Fescue, in it’s stockpiled stage, is at it’s highest quality in terms of protein and energy, with very little effect from the endophyte which wreaks havoc in the hotter months. Depending on your supply, stockpiled fescue can be used right through the winter.
In grazing any field for the final fall or winter use, strip grazing is recommended. Instead of turning the herd in on the entire field, use temporary electric fencing to make the cattle clean up smaller portions before turning them in to the next portion.
Sincerely,
Steve Moore
Henry County Extension Agent for Agriculture
DEAD ANIMAL REMOVAL
There is a new number to tape to the refrigerator for Henry County Livestock producers for Dead Animal Removal: Harmon Brothers at 859-567-2111. Most Henry County Animal producers already know that something has been going on over the past few weeks concerning Dead Animal Removal. You particularly knew this very well if you had the misfortune of having an animal die on your farm during this time and you called the old number on your refrigerator for dead animal pick up service and heard a message that they were no longer providing that service!
Immediately after learning about the halt in pickup, local officials and organizations began searching for options. In our UK Extension publication ID- 167, On-Farm Disposal of Animal Mortalities, we find that incineration, burial, or composting were legal methods for the farmer, but all require permits or at least a lot of attention to detail, and all are expensive and somewhat impractical for the small producer. We also find that Henry County farmers have a legal option to transport their own animal mortalities to the Valley View Landfill, where they would pay a tipping fee.
What was found, after some amount of searching, as the closest thing to our old system, was a business near Warsaw already engaged in Dead Animal Removal Service. Last week, a contract was signed with Harmon Brothers for service to begin officially today, April 1, 2009, so Henry County Livestock producers can now call 859-567-2111 for pickup. In a phone conversation earlier, Mr. Harmon indicated to me that they want producers to call as soon as they know about a fallen animal, any day, even Saturday or Sunday. As the warmer weather returns, possible service on the weekend may be provided. This represents a positive change from the old service, when no pick-up was available on weekends. Recall that the old service was free to the producer. The cost of the service was underwritten by the Henry County Fiscal Court and the Henry County Soil Conservation District. The new service is more expensive, and we understand that Henry County Farm Bureau has stepped forward with funds which will keep the Dead Animal Removal program cost free to the farmer, for the time being. Additional funding will be needed after a few months, or the farmer will be asked to co-pay a small fee in order to use the animal pick-up service. Please contact the Henry County Extension Office at 845-2811 for further details.
APPLE TREES IN THE BACK YARD
An apple tree usually is one of the first fruit crops backyard fruit growers think about planting in their yard. However, they are one of the more difficult fruit crops to grow, primarily because of the wide range of pests that like them, particularly apple scab. This is a fungus that causes lesions on the fruit and can also defoliate the tree and kill the spurs – the structures that produce the flower buds.
Over the past 25 years, a number of scab-immune apple varieties have been released. The following apple varieties have performed well in Kentucky and are discussed in order of ripening. Most also have resistance to several other diseases.
Redfree – a red apple that ripens in August and colors well for this time of the season. Redfree is a tart, sweet apple which will keep for several months and also has resistance to cedar apple rust, as well as sooty blotch and fly speck diseases.
Liberty – a very tart, McIntosh-type apple that ripens in late August. In a cool fall, Liberty develops dark red stripes over a green/yellow fruit.
Enterprise – a red, spicy, crisp and fine-grained apple that ripens in mid-to-late October. Enterprise has a relatively thick skin, a very good disease resistance package and stores well until February.
Gold Rush – a very firm, tart, yellow apple that ripens in mid-to-late October. It sweetens up in storage and is one of the best storing apples available, keeping up to eight months. It has a very good resistance to scab and fire blight, but is susceptible to cedar apple rust.
Sundance – a firm, yellow apple, which is more difficult to find. It is very resistant to all four of the early season problem diseases and ripens in mid-October.
Since these apples are disease resistant, many novice growers mistakenly believe they don’t need to spray them. Unfortunately, these varieties don’t have any insect resistance. Attempting to grow apples without spraying for plum curculio, coddling moth, rosy apple aphid and scale can cause major crop losses, if not complete crop loss, depending on the season.
The most important sprays for apple varieties are the early ones, the dormant oil, pin, petal fall and first-cover sprays.
The publication, Disease and Insect Control Programs for Homegrown Fruit in Kentucky with Organic Alternatives (ID-21), provides descriptions of these varieties and spray recommendations. Contact the Henry County Extension Office at 845-2811 for a copy.
