St. Moor Farm

Assessment and Proposed Recommendations

Farm Visit – December 20, 1013

Participants:

Billy Camm

Brian Camm

Kevin Camm

Don Yancey (NRCS District Conservationist)

J.B. Daniel (NRCS Grassland Agronomist/Grazing Specialist)

John Benner (VCE, Amherst ANR Ext. Agent)

St Moor and it’s

boundaries

Soil Map of the farm

Main Points from Visit

• Assessing soil fertility – amending pastures with lime and fertilizer

• Improving grazing management which reduces need for hay

• Renovating bamboo field using annual forage rotation coupled with herbicide to reduce weed problems

• Installation of water line and trough in New Field• Conduct stockpiling and strip-grazing

demonstration in New Field during Fall / Winter of 2014

Soil Fertility

Acceptable pasture growth and nutritional balance in the forage, begins with proper soil fertility management.

All plants have specific requirements for 17 basic nutrients. Of those 17 nutrients, fourteen (including the primary nutrients of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) are derived from the soil. No pasture management plan is complete without a plan to manage the important nutritive elements in soils with emphasis on the individual needs of specific forage species (grasses, alfalfa, clovers, vetches and other legumes, etc.), or common mixes of species.

Field Ac. Ph P K Major

MUS

Yield Est.

(T/ac)

Est.

Tons/

Field

Improved

Yield

(T/ac)

Improved

Tons/

Field

Quarter 16.3 5.6 10 L+ 169 M+ 5C 3 49 4+ 66

Hay West 4.3 5.9 77 H 46 L 38A 3.5 15 5 22

Hay East 5.4 5.9 48 H- 43 L 38A 4 22 5 27

Bamboo

New 16.6 5.9 10L+ 59L+ 45B 2.8 46 3.5 - 4.0 60

Arrowhead

Orchard 5.1 46C/4D 3.0 15 4.0 20

Bull 14 5.9 9 L+ 158 M+ 5B/5C 3.0 42 4.0+ 56

Tobacco 5.1 22M 166M+

Silo 5.6 23M 319VH

Horse Pasture

Total 62 open and manageable acres for productive pasture use

Soil type, fertility, and productivity summary by field.

Recommendation of 2 tons of lime per acre in

the fields with the arrows

Soil Fertility and Recommended lime and nutrients by field

Field Ac. Ph P K Major

MUS

Recommended

Lime early 2014

(Tons/ac)

Recommended Fertilizer

(P2O5) (K2O)

Quarter 16.3 5.6 10 L+ 169

M+

5C 2.0 100 lbs. 0 lbs.

Hay West 4.3 5.9 77 H 46 L 38A 2.0 0 lbs. 175 lbs.

Hay East 5.4 5.9 48 H- 43 L 38A 2.0 0 lbs. 175 lbs.

Bamboo 2.0

New 16.6 5.9 10L+ 59L+ 45B 2.0 100 lbs. 175 lbs.

Orchard 5.1 46C/4D 2.0

Bull 14 5.9 9 L+ 158

M+

5B/5C 2.0 100 lbs. 40 lbs.

Grazing Management Strategy

Grazing Strategy

• Implementation can improve:

– Livestock Flow

– Forage Utilization

– Increased rest periods between grazing events to benefit the growth and production of the pasture

Using what we have now…starting now

Silo/ Tobacco

Bull Field

Orchard Field

Jack Lot &

Bamboo

New Field

East /West Field

(Bottom)

Quarter

Arrow-head

HayWhat are the

yields now?

What are we losing?

What resources

are we using?

Bamboo Field

• After initial green up and grazing in April / May, we will assess the actual weeds present in the field

• Utilize appropriate IPM• Plant annual forage mix for renovation no late than the end of May• Should get two grazing events before another planting in late

August• This can be grazed in late October/early November• Regrowth will come back strong in march 2015 for another grazing

opportunity in early April• Plant annual forage mix for renovation no late than the end of May• Plant permanent perennial forage mix in August/September

…What to plant and how will this work?

Mid May – Annual Forage Mix

35 lbs of Pearl Millet and 2 lbs of tillage radish

For what?

• Easy to plant, reaching full growth within 30 days• Taproot typically reaches over 30" – deeper depending on soil and

planting conditions• Drills through soil compaction thatstops other cover crops cold • Soaks up N, P, Ca and other key soil nutrients• Winter kills when temperatures reach mid teens for a couple nights• Rapid spring decay results in massive soil voids for air and water

movement• Spring soil warms up and dries quickly for better planting conditions• Improves drainage and air movement• Helps suppress nematodes• Attracts earthworms like a magnet• Shades out winter annual weeds with dense foliage cover• Plant-available N released during radish decay• N, P, Ca available when new plant seeds need it most

August 2014 planting

Spring Oats, Ryegrass, Tillage radish

New Field