Corn silage season is upon us. I know many farms that are going to run full-bore this week and it looks like good weather. Crop Alerts are coming to an end for the season as we are just waiting for soybeans and corn to mature. We just wanted to remind everyone to be safe out there, stay diligent, and watch out for each other.
Bunker Silo Safety Reminder from the OSHA Work Group: NYCAMH, NEDPA, NYFB and PRO-DAIRY
Pre harvest:
- Check over trucks and equipment, tires at proper inflation, worn tires changed, lights all functioning.
- Check field entry routes for wash outs and culvert problems, especially after all the rain we experienced in places this year.
- Mark driveways with flags so that drivers do not have to guess where the edge is.
- Check common routes for road crew activity or other new issues.
- Consider providing hi-visibility clothing for staff.
- Daily: remind drivers, packers and chopper operators to be safe, use safety belts and no unnecessary risks.
Filling:
- If new silage is being added to old silage, mark where the two materials are joined: the joint areas can be very unstable during silage removal and can collapse without warning. Extra caution is warranted with any activity in these areas.
- Avoid putting new silage over the top of existing piles covered with plastic. Major slippage of the top pile can occur during silage removal.
- Pile height should not exceed the reach of the unloading equipment. Staff should be told the target pile height.
- Packing tractor(s) should be ROPS equipped, operators belted in.
- Rollover hazard is obvious. Side slope steepness is an important safety concern. There are many factors that influence safe operating gradient. Minimize exterior side slopes as much as practical, beware of soft spots. Safest packing is achieved when driving up and down the pile: some references suggest no more than a 3:1 slope for this type of operation.
- Only the most experienced equipment operators should pack. Provide new packing operators with proper training.
- Due to tip-over hazard, for hydraulic dump bodies, do not back up onto the pile to dump.
- Inform all staff that only authorized personnel should be in the silo filling area, extra people should be kept out. Make sure appropriate signage such as “No unauthorized personnel” and “Danger” is posted visibly.
Covering crew:
- Conduct safety meeting before going up onto the piles.
- Designate those that will work near the edge, all others stay away!
- Make sure workers are not wearing slick surface shoes.
- Remind workers to watch out for each other and no horseplay on top.
Cover Crops Following Corn Silage
It’s September and the first corn silage fields are being chopped. What a difference a month can make when it comes to planting cover crops. Following winter wheat harvest, we had lots of options particularly in the first half of August. As we go past Labor Day, many of those crops such as clovers, peas, radishes, and oats, will not gain the biomass needed to be an effective fall cover. Who knows when that first frost will be this fall. What’s left? Planting winter cereal grains are our best option after corn silage in NWNY.
Cereal rye is always the safest cover crop when it comes to establishment and biomass accumulation in the fall and spring. However, it can also be a nightmare in the spring if weather conditions do not allow for it to be sprayed, rolled or plowed under it a timely manner. Rye seed does germinate at the lowest soil temperatures and would be the best bet on those later harvested fields.
Winter wheat also establishes well in the fall and makes good cover. It does not grow as fast in the spring and therefore provides a wider window for management. Seeding rates for these cereals should be about 120 lbs. per acre (2 bushels).
Winter triticale is a hybrid between rye and wheat. It is the best option if you plan on harvesting the cover for forage in the spring. This has become a very popular option to increase forage inventories and has shown to be a good quality feed. Planting depth should be 1.25 to 1.5 inches deep at 100-120 pounds per acre. An additional fact sheet on winter triticale forage can be found on Cornell’s Nutrient Management Spear Program site at http://nmsp.cals.cornell.edu/publications/factsheets/factsheet56.pdf.
Soybean Updates
Soybean maturity is moving right along. I have seen some zero’s up here in Wayne County that have lost all their leaves. These fields will all be going to wheat so they will be off to get planted plenty early. The early group 1’s are yellow and the late 1’s are just starting. The group 2’s are getting some good weather to continue filling pods.
I am starting to see some of the late leaf diseases start to kick in with the cool nights and heavy dews. Downy mildew has been prevalent. It forms the yellow spots on the leaf which will eventually turn brown and fall out. This disease can survive on soybean residue in the soil so rotation and tillage can help. There are no foliar fungicides that are effective against downy mildew. Fortunately, it is not considered to be of economic importance in NY soybeans.
The second disease is Cercospora leaf blight. This leaf disease usually begins to show up in August when it is humid and warm on the upper leaves and starts as a slight purple coloration. The coloring gets darker and can look leathery. These leaves will eventually turn brown and die. This disease is very evident across the region right now. It is not considered economic as far as reducing yield and fungicides are not recommended. Even though this disease will not cause yield reductions, it can cause quality issues. It can lead to purple seed stain. Some grain buyers will dock or even reject loads with a high percentage of purple seeds if it is for the edible market.
Next report will be September 11.
