In this issue: Irrigation guidance for wheat and small grains, What stage of development are my small grains? Baleage Tips! How Do I Determine the Proper Moisture Content of My Forage? When can I fertilizer my bermudagrass hay fields? I want to establishment of bahiagrass!
The Colquitt County Cattlemen’s Meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 17, 2026 at 7 PM. This meeting will start at 7PM. Dr. Pedro Henrique Vilela Carvalho, UGA Beef Cattle Specialist, will be the keynote speaker. If you are interested in attending please contact the Colquitt County Extension office at 229-616-7455.
Current situation: This past week was interesting. The corn crop ranges from just planted to V2. Cotton and peanut burndown herbicides were applied this past week. The majority of the oat crop is in stem elongation to early boot. According to the latest drought monitor, 100% of Colquitt County is experiencing D3 drought. Pam Knox, UGA Climitologist, mentioned this past week that this March is warmer and dryer than normal.
Irrigation guidance for wheat and small grains:
Grain yields benefit from timely irrigation, particularly during the grain fill period. Dr. Wes Porter (UGA) recommends irrigating to replace crop evapotranspiration (ET). Data from the UGA Weather Station at the Sunbelt Ag Expo showed daily ET rates ranging from 0.08 to 0.16 inches per day, with a total of 0.92 inches for the week of March 8–14, 2026.
What stage of development are my small grains? Below is a illustration by Dr. Lisa Baxter that explains how to figure out the stage of development for small grains.
Baleage Tips! This time of year, I get numerous calls and questions about baleage. One of the most common is, “When do I cut?” Cut the forage crop at the maturity stage that combines yields and nutritive value sufficient for your feeding requirements, similar to hay. In general, cut legumes at 10% bloom and grasses at the boot stage or just as the head emerges. Ideally, rye and triticale should be cut no later than the boot stage. In general, early‑maturity forage has higher soluble carbohydrate content, which is essential for proper ensiling. Conversely, overmature forages will not ferment well because they have lower soluble carbohydrate content, and their coarse, stemmy nature can trap more oxygen in the bales.
How does the stage of development of small grains affect forage quality? This is a common question this time of year. If you are reading the reference “Understanding and Improving Forage Quality“ it stages that if the boot-early head stage is missed, take the first harvest at the dough stage for forage quality. The quality of small grains starts to decline rapidly after the boot stage. However, as the grain fills, it adds NFC (starch, in particular), and this partially offsets the decline in quality. Once it gets to the soft dough stage, however, the fiber in the forage becomes far more concentrated and more highly lignified, so it sharply declines thereafter.
When Should I Bale? Bale when moisture content reaches 60%. The time required to reach this moisture level will vary from hours to more than a day after cutting, depending on drying conditions. Baling at the proper moisture content is a key to success in producing baleage. Baleage can be made between 40% and 60% moisture, but fermentation is best when whole plant moisture is 50% to 60%. Forage containing less than 40% or more than 65% moisture should not be baled for silage to avoid excessive molding or spoilage.
Baling above 65% moisture increases the chance of undesirable butyric acid fermentation by Clostridia bacteria. Producing bales with too much moisture also reduces forage nutritive value. Forage with less than 40% moisture will not ferment well but can still be good feed as long as anaerobic conditions are maintained. However, baling with low moisture reduces fermentation and increases mold production, which greatly increases storage losses.
How Do I Determine the Proper Moisture Content of My Forage?
- Perform a “dish rag” test. Take a handful of forage and wring it out as one would wring out a dishrag. If moisture can be out squeezed out of the forage, it is generally above the 65% moisture range.
- Use a commercially available tester. These are less accurate than forced-air dryer or microwave methods. Obtain at least three moisture readings to create an average value. Commercial testing equipment can be costly, and moisture testers for hay are not calibrated for the moisture content of baleage.
- Use a Koster moisture tester. These are heated, forced-air dryers that are used in silage production to dry down the forage. The Koster system has a scale to measure weights, but it takes longer than a microwave moisture test.
- Determine whether your silage baler can be equipped with sensors that provide a continuous readout of moisture content while the bale is formed.
- Use a microwave and follow the method below, adapted from the book Southern Forages (Ball et al., 2007, p. 303): Measuring the Moisture Content of Forage Using a Microwave Oven
- Chop fresh forage into short lengths (< 1 in.) for ease of handling and uniform drying.
- Weigh out at least 100 g (3.5 oz) of chopped forage. You will need scales capable of measuring small quantities, such as postal scales (available at office supply stores).
- Spread forage thinly on a microwave-safe dish and place into microwave. A cup of water placed in the microwave beside the sample will help prevent the sample from igniting once dry.
- Heat for 1–2 min and reweigh.
- If forage is not completely dry, shake and redistribute the sample, and repeat the heating cycle until the sample reaches a stable weight. If charring occurs, use the previous weight. (Microwaves vary considerably in drying capacity. It is better to dry for short intervals and reweigh until the last two weights are constant, rather than run the risk of burning the sample and damaging the oven.)
- Calculate moisture content using the following equation:
% Moisture Content = (W1- W2) / W1
where W1 = weight of forage before heating; W2 = weights of forage after heating - Dry matter (DM) is the percentage of forage that is not water. DM equals 100% minus the % moisture content.
When can I fertilizer my bermudagrass hay fields? This has been a challenge this year for sure. Warm season perennial grasses, such as bahiagrass or bermudagrass, green-up when nighttime temperatures remain above 60 degrees F for several days in the spring and soil temperature reaches 65 degrees at the 4-inch depth. For bermudagrass or bahiagrass to utilize any fertilizer, it should be applied after green-up and as active growth begins.
I want to establishment bahiagrass! This time of year, I get questions about planting bahiagrass. Let’s discuss a thing or two about this. It is suggested to apply 35-50 pounds of nitrogen per acre after the seedlings emerge and start to grow and a second application of 50-75 pounds of N per acre in mid-summer to promote rapid coverage. Do not apply nitrogen at or before planting because this will increase competition from annual grass weeds.
What about phosphorus? I would suggest applying phosphorus before planting according to soil test recommendations; incorporate into soil if using the stale seedbed method.
Potassium is very important. It is suggested to apply before planting according to soil test recommendations; incorporate into soil if using the stale seedbed method.
Lime: Apply 6-12 months before planting according to soil test recommendations. Incorporate into soil if possible.
Have a great week,
Jeremy M. Kichler
Colquitt County Extension Coordinator
The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension does not endorse or guarantee the performance of any products mentioned in this update