The Drought Plan
By Clif Little
OSU Extension Educator Agriculture and Natural Resources, Guernsey County
Each farm is different in terms of what practices can best help during a drought. In the article below we will discuss some of the concerns producers can face during drought.
First report losses to:
Your local USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) office
Deborah Finley
Program Analyst in Charge
USDA Guernsey/Noble FSA Office/ USDA Belmont/Monroe FSA Office
arm Service Agency, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Guernsey/Noble FSA Office
1300 Clark St., Unit 10, Cambridge, Ohio 43725-8875
p: (740) 432-5621 ext. 2 | 800-367-5762 ext. 2
Other local FSA offices:
Guernsey Noble phone number – 740-432-5621 this office is open Monday thru Friday
Belmont Monroe phone number 740-425-2300 ** please note this office is only open on Tuesday but the phone will take messages that go to the Guernsey office. The same staff work in Belmont Monroe and Guernsey Noble offices.
Harrison Jefferson phone number -740-937-2500 ** Please note this office is only open on Monday and Friday but the phone will take messages that go to the Tuscarawas office.
Tuscarawas Carroll phone number 330-339-5585 this office is open Monday thru Friday and will be able to assist producers from Harrison and Jefferson County. The same staff works in Harrison Jefferson and Tusc/Carroll.
Farmland owners should keep accurate records during a drought. Keep forage loss records, water hauling/expense records, increased feed expenses and anything else that differentiates this year from a normal year.
Each summer brings slowed forage growth. Temperature, rainfall, grazing management, and forage species all influence the extent of forage regrowth during the summer. One should strive to maintain proper grazing heights throughout the season, especially during dry periods. Grazing height is of utmost importance in terms of reducing plant stress, maintaining forage species diversity, productivity and maximizing livestock forage consumption. A post grazing residual plant height of 3 inches will reduce the negative affects hot and dry weather can have on cool season perennial grass. Grazing too close during the summer will slow pasture recovery when rain and cooler weather returns. Furthermore, animals grazing endophyte infected tall fescue too close in the heat of the summer may be consuming elevated levels of ergovaline, a toxic alkaloid. Where possible, select forages other than tall fescue to graze during the hot summer months.
For some, having a hay field fenced can provide a grazing alternative if soil conditions are favorable. Summer forages can be significantly different in terms of palatability and nutritional quality. Always transition animals slowly when changing to forages that are significantly different than what they have been grazing. Locate a sacrifice area and start feeding hay during a drought. Secure enough hay for winter feeding now.
One option to reduce forage needs during a drought is to cull unproductive animals. Reducing the livestock inventory prior to forage shortages helps to extend pasture mass and reduce forage and feed requirements. Another option is to supplement animals with hay and or concentrate. Supplementation can reduce the pasture forage requirement. Feeding hay and supplementing with feed concentrates can stretch pasture reserves. Feeding hay in a sacrifice paddock or on a heavy-use pad will allow for an extended pasture recovery period while preserving forage mass. When supplementing forage with grain concentrates, remember grain can increase total dry matter consumption and the digestibility of poor-quality forage.
Some grazers utilize warm season perennials or summer annuals to provide forage during dry periods. There are many options to choose from here. One must consider which livestock species will be grazed, cost, and how the forage is to be utilized. Keep in mind summer warm season annuals such as sorghum, sudangrass, and corn can accumulate excess amounts of nitrates during periods of drought and should be checked before grazing. Alfalfa is an example of a cool season legume that does grow well during dry conditions.
With a drought comes increased potential for livestock plant poisonings. Grazing animals will eat things they don’t normally eat during a drought. The black cherry tree is well established in Eastern Ohio. This tree is very common and potentially very lethal to pastured livestock. During summer thunderstorms, often damaged limbs break off and fall into pastures. Livestock are most often poisoned from consuming the wilted leaves that contain a hydrogen cyanide toxin which can quickly kill grazing animals. Inspect pastures frequently after storms and remove broken limbs immediately.
Prussic acid, also called hydrocyanic acid, is another compound that can build to toxic levels in some plants when they are under stress from drought or frost. Sorghum, Sudangrass, Sorghum-Sudangrass, Johnsongrass, and unimproved varieties of Reed Canarygrass can all pose a threat of prussic acid poisoning. Prussic acid is not usually a concern in dry hay that is fully cured or in completely fermented silage. However, when these forages are in the boot stage of growth, have new shoots, are fed heavily with nitrogen fertilizer and grazed or fed as green chop during a drought or after a frost, there is reason for concern. When it comes to reducing the risk of prussic acid poisoning, time is our friend. Don’t be in a hurry to graze the above-mentioned drought stressed or frosted forages. It is recommended to wait 3 weeks before feeding silage if you have reason to be concerned. Sorghum that has wilted and dried for 6 days or more after a frost is generally considered safe. It is possible to test forages for prussic acid. Dr. Mark Sulc, retired OSU Forage Specialist, describes the process in the Sept. 2012 issue of this newsletter, https://u.osu.edu/beef/2012/09/26/testing-for-prussic-acid-content-in-forages/.
Plants naturally contain some nitrate, but forages and some weeds grown under stress conditions such as drought may contain excessively high nitrate concentrations. Nitrates accumulate in plants when there is a relatively large amount of available soil nitrate, and plants take up the nitrates but don’t completely metabolize them into plant proteins because of poor growing conditions. High rates of nitrogen fertilization and drought are factors that contribute to nitrate buildup in plants and can harm animals when these forages are grazed, fed as green chop, or when not fermented long enough. Nitrate accumulation tends to be highest in the lower portions of the stalks and stems of these plants. How the forage is offered can make a difference in the likelihood of nitrate poisoning. Hungry animals fed fresh or green chop corn silage are more likely to consume a deadly portion. The older and more stressed mature animals are most susceptible since their ability to transport oxygen is already compromised. In addition, rapid changes in diet, parasitism, and anemic animals are more at risk. Test any forage before it is fed if you have reason to be concerned. One option is to locate corn silage fields with the lowest nitrate content, ensile it, and let it ferment then re-test for nitrates before feeding.
Examples of Forage Testing laboratories that can test forages for Nitrates, Prussic Acid indicated by (*), and mycotoxin indicated by (**). There are possibly other labs not listed, no endorsement implied. Provided for educational purposes only.
Penn State Ag Analytical Services Lab
https://agsci.psu.edu/aasl/plant-analysis
Brookside Laboratories, Inc.
www.blinc.com/
419-977-2766
Cumberland Valley Analytical Services (*)
www.foragelab.com/
800-282-7522
Dairy One (**)
dairyone.com
800-344-2697
Holmes Lab (**)
holmeslab.com
330-893-1326
Rock River Lab
www.rockriverlab.com
330-462-6041
Spectrum Analytic
www.spectrumanalytic.com
800-321-1562
Midsummer also requires livestock producers to think about pasture weeds. During this period our main objective is to prevent more weed seeding. Clipping can accomplish this task and slows weed maturity development. Herbicide effectiveness, when temperatures are at or approaching 90 degrees Fahrenheit, can be reduced and cause them to be more subject to drift. Use caution with pasture herbicides during the summer. Most products will perform better when weeds are actively growing and not fully mature.
Drought conditions can also contribute to mycotoxin formation in grains. Our OSU C.O.R.N. newsletter contains numerous articles related to mycotoxins and can be searched for specific information at https://agcrops.osu.edu/search/site/newsletter/. Our OSU Beef Cattle Letter, http://u.osu.edu/beef/, can be searched for numerus articles relating to drought and poisonous plants.
For available OSU Extension drought management resources, please visit: https://kx.osu.edu/page/early-drought-response