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On January 13, 2018

It is well known that the transition period is one of the most sensitive times in the life of a dairy cow. Many metabolic and physiological changes are experienced by the cows during this period that in conjunction with management practices can affect the health and the performance of the animals.

The Penn State’s Extension Dairy Team is organizing a several workshops that will focus on strategies and practices to prevent health issues and improve the performance of transition cows. Topics will include: animal comfort, feed management, physiology, metabolic profile and health monitoring.

Two new Extension Veterinarians and Research Associates, Drs. Hayley Springer and Adrian Barragan will be featured in these workshops. They both have great experience working in transition cows and bring a new and different perspective to the program. Also, two well-known PSU educators, Dr. Bob Van Saun, Extension Veterinarian and Professor of the Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, and Virginia Ishler, Extension Specialist in the Department of Animal Science, will be joining these meetings.

As part of these workshops, Mauricio Rosales, Dairy Extension Educator, will be leading a hands-on activity that will allow participants to use and learn more about different on-farm tests to monitor the health status of the cows. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own samples (urine, milk) to be analyzed during the workshops.

Workshops will be held on January 16 at Hoss’s Steak House, 9016 William Penn Highway, Huntingdon. The meeting will be repeated on January 23 –Farm and Home Center, 1383 Arcadia Road, Lancaster.

Both sessions will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and registration fee is $30 which includes lunch and materials. Registration deadline is Jan. 12, 2018 for the Huntingdon workshop and Jan. 19, 2018 for the Lancaster workshop. Registration can be done online at https://extension.psu.edu/transition-cow-management or calling to 1-877-345-0691<tel:1-877-345-0691>. For more info contact Mauricio Rosales, 717-394-6851<tel:717-394-6851> or amr486@psu.edu<mailto:amr486@psu.edu>

To Welcome Charlie White To The Extension Agronomy Team

New team member Charlie White shares his thoughts on his new position. “It is a pleasure to introduce myself as the new Soil Fertility and Nutrient Management Extension Specialist on the Agronomy Extension Team.  I am humbled to take over leadership of this important topic area from my predecessor, professor emeritus Doug Beegle, who built a world class program that many of you participated in.  I look forward to maintaining many of the programs that were developed over those years and working with you to explore new areas of interest and need.

Although this position will be a new one for me at Penn State, I have been working here since 2009, first as an Extension associate and for the past two years as a research associate.  Over this time, I had the great fortune to work with many farmers, agronomists, and agency personnel to test and develop recommendations for cover cropping, soil health testing, and nitrogen management.  As a research associate, I also developed computer models to simulate the effect of different crop management practices on yields and nutrient availability.  As both the technological capacity and environmental sustainability of our crop production enterprises continue to increase, I hope that my skills can make a strong contribution to the success of Pennsylvania agriculture.

In the coming year, I plan to share results and updates from a number of new projects.  I am working with on-farm collaborators and at the Rock Springs research station to test variable rate nitrogen prescriptions that credit nitrogen availability from cover crops and soil organic matter.  With colleagues on the Agronomy Extension Team, we have also developed and field-tested an online calculator to aid the management of cover crop mixtures to prevent nitrate leaching over the winter while supplying nitrogen to the following corn crop.  There is a strong need to update soil test calibrations and fertility recommendations given today’s high-yielding crops, which is a project that I will work closely with the Penn State Agricultural Analytical Services Lab and other interested parties to develop and implement.  As nutrient management regulations and oversight continue to evolve in Pennsylvania and the surrounding region, I will provide scientific input to policymakers, work with the Nutrient Management Program to develop planning tools and trainings, and keep the agriculture sector aware of the latest guidance and best management practices.

Over the next few months, I hope to see many of you at the Crops Conferences<https://extension.psu.edu/crops-conferences> and Crops Days<https://extension.psu.edu/crops-days> our team is hosting around the state.  Please feel welcome to introduce yourself to me at these meetings and tell me what’s on your mind regarding soil fertility and nutrient management issues.  If we don’t have a chance to meet in person, please feel free to contact me<http://plantscience.psu.edu/directory/cmw29> via phone (814-863-1016<tel:814-863-1016>)  or e-mail (cmw29@psu.edu)<mailto:cmw29@psu.edu)> at any time.  I look forward to working with all of you to keep our farms and environment healthy and productive.”

To Manage Stored Grain In Cold Weather

Extension Agronomist John Rowehl  reports he once read a statement; “Grain quality can never be improved during storage.” The change to very cold temperatures serves as a reminder that if grain stored in bins has not already been cooled it should be aerated to adjust its temperature to be close to the outside air temperature.  Otherwise the difference in temperature will cause movement of the warm air in the center to the top where it can condense as it approaches the cooler air.  This causes moisture pockets, which can allow mold to start and attract insects.

Aeration should begin when the average daily temperature (high + low / 2) is 10-15°F cooler than the grain.  Be sure to keep aerating until the cool air front has moved through the entire bin.  The time needed depends on the airflow rate of the fan used.  See the accompanying table.

If air is pushed up through the grain, the grain temperature should be checked about 1 ft down in several locations to confirm this.  If it is pulled down, check the air temperature in the duct before it is exhausted by the fan.

Be sure to have the grain level, not peaked, in the bin before aeration.  Otherwise airflow my not be uniform. Also, if a moisture pocket has already formed at the top of the bin and caused the grain to crust from mold, or freeze from contact with cold air above the level of the grain, aeration flow will not be uniform.

After completion of the cooling cycle, aeration fans should be covered to prevent air from being drawn into the bin that can cause moisture migration.

One other note, that comes from an article by Dr. Ken Hellevang, grain drying and storage expert and extension engineer at North Dakota State University, is that there is no advantage to cooling the grain below 25 degrees F. If it is extremely cold, it is best to not run the fan and wait for an appropriate air temperature.

For more information see the Purdue University Grain Quality Fact Sheet # 6, Shifting from Corn Drying to Storage<https://mdc.itap.purdue.edu/item.asp?itemID=9402> and Penn State Entomological Notes Managing Stored Grain on the Farm<http://ento.psu.edu/extension/factsheets/managing-stored-grain-on-the-farm>.

Quote Of The Week: “I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You’re doing things you’ve never done before, and more importantly, you’re doing something.” Neil Gaiman