Dale Dewing
Watershed Team Leader
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Delaware County
Watershed Agricultural Program
Welcome to the first Forage Quality Scissors Cut report for 2013. We are sampling 31 sites in the across Delaware County. In addition to sites in the Cannonsville and Susquehanna Basins, we have added sites in the Pepacton and Delaware Tailwaters basins.
To download a pdf of the full report a click here.
We have also prepared a Google map of our sampling sites. Check it out; we think you’ll like it.
This week’s tests suggest that grass maturity is slightly ahead of average for the first week of May. The rain and cooler weather this week will spark rapid growth, and possibly slow fiber accumulation. The typical optimum harvest date for grasses has been between May 15 &19, we recommend being prepared to start harvest by then. These things are a bit hard to predict so, watch for next week’s results.
The dry conditions the past couple of weeks have gotten corn planting off to a fast start. Soil temperatures are up above 50°, so all fields should be ready to plant. Remember, when first cutting is at its prime, it’s almost always the best bet to park the corn planter and get your core hay acres in the silo.
Let’s all pray for sun and get the haybine greased. We will sample again on May 14 and send results on or about May 16.
