University of Wisconsin-Extension Website Offering Assistance to Farmers During the Difficult Early Planting Season
Tuesday, June 4th, 2019 -- 8:48 AM
(Wisconsin Ag Connection) -This year's wet spring is creating many challenges for farmers and setting them up to make some tough decisions.To help them navigate through their options, the University of Wisconsin-Extension is offering resources for farmers and agricultural consultants to assist in making informed choices. The site is continuously updated with articles and videos related to the current planting situation, and also lists Extension crops and soils specialists and educators across the state who are available to help farmers get the answers related to this spring's challenges. The USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service crop progress reports for Wisconsin indicate that as of May 26, less than half of the corn has been planted compared to 77 percent one year ago; and that 20 percent of soybeans have been planted compared to 59 percent in 2018.
Meanwhile, the cold winter also led to mass winter kill of the alfalfa crop in a year when livestock and dairy producers were already facing diminished feed inventories from weather conditions last year. The Extension website also provides resources on choosing and managing alternative and emergency forages and options for managing partially-killed alfalfa fields.
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