July 27, 2023

Testing for heat damaged protein in hay/forage put up too wet

Two regional laboratories that could test for heat damaged proteins are:

Cumberland Valley Analytical Services (CVAS)

DairyOne Laboratory

 

Below is some information and factsheets below that may be useful about hay and forage that is put up too wet.

The upshot is that when hay is put up too wet it can undergo a process called called enzymatic browning that promotes a process called the Maillard reaction.  This occurs in the presence of protein and sugars when forage overheats.  The resulting “Maillard” products will make protein in forage unavailable to the animal and hay may be unsuitable for ruminant digestion.  The only means I know of determining the level of heat damage is by analyzing the forage for ADIN (Acid Detergent Insoluble Nitrogen).  This value can be compared to total protein and the level of damage determined.  I know of no one on campus who does this.  One of the regional forage labs would conduct this routinely.
  • High temperatures in bales (>170°F) can result in reactions between proteins and sugars called the Maillard reaction
  • Hay impacted by Maillard reactions will be sweet/tobacco smelling and brown/caramel colored
  • While highly palatable, the reaction creating this hay ties up protein, making it unusable for animal digestion
  • If significant signs of Maillard reactions are seen in your hay, add a Head Damaged Protein (HDP) test to your forage analysis to get accurate Crude Protein contents for feeding decisions
  • Caramelized hay also has a high likelihood of containing larger than normal amounts of mold growth.  Feeding free choice is a good option to minimize risk when feeding moldy hay
  • Please don’t forget other contaminants that can be concerns in wet or dry years such as mycotoxins, nitrates, etc.
  • Diluting the bad forage with good forage or grain is a possibility
  • Check with an extension agent or other authority before feeding
The following two University of Nebraska factsheets may be helpful.
Please don’t forget other contaminants that can be concerns in wet or dry years such as mycotoxins, nitrates, etc.

 

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock, Food Safety, Uncategorized
July 27, 2023

Heat damaged protein in hay/forage put up too wet.

Below is some information and factsheets below that may be useful about hay and forage that is put up too wet.

The upshot is that when hay is put up too wet it can undergo a process called called enzymatic browning that promotes a process called the Maillard reaction.  This occurs in the presence of protein and sugars when forage overheats.  The resulting “Maillard” products will make protein in forage unavailable to the animal and hay may be unsuitable for ruminant digestion.  The only means I know of determining the level of heat damage is by analyzing the forage for ADIN (Acid Detergent Insoluble Nitrogen).  This value can be compared to total protein and the level of damage determined.  I know of no one on campus who does this.  One of the regional forage labs would conduct this routinely.
  • High temperatures in bales (>170°F) can result in reactions between proteins and sugars called the Maillard reaction
  • Hay impacted by Maillard reactions will be sweet/tobacco smelling and brown/caramel colored
  • While highly palatable, the reaction creating this hay ties up protein, making it unusable for animal digestion
  • If significant signs of Maillard reactions are seen in your hay, add a Head Damaged Protein (HDP) test to your forage analysis to get accurate Crude Protein contents for feeding decisions
  • Caramelized hay also has a high likelihood of containing larger than normal amounts of mold growth.  Feeding free choice is a good option to minimize risk when feeding moldy hay
  • Please don’t forget other contaminants that can be concerns in wet or dry years such as mycotoxins, nitrates, etc.
  • Diluting the bad forage with good forage or grain is a possibility
  • Check with an extension agent or other authority before feeding
The following two University of Nebraska factsheets may be helpful.
Please don’t forget other contaminants that can be concerns in wet or dry years such as mycotoxins, nitrates, etc.

 

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock, Food Safety, Uncategorized
July 20, 2023 and

New Peach Varieties – ‘Felicia’, ‘Evelynn’ and ‘Anna Rose’

Felicia peach The Rutgers/NJAES stone fruit breeding program, led by Joe Goffreda, continues to create, and release exciting new peach varieties. We, in collaboration with growers, also continue to develop the varieties by evaluating their performance in plantings in commercial orchards and at Rutgers Agricultural Research and Extension Center. During this key time of the season, historically Redhaven season, it is important for our area to capture a substantial market share with premium fresh peaches. We are glad to feature some new and improved peach options for this season.

Felicia is a recent release from Rutgers University. It is a very attractive freestone yellow-fleshed peach variety. It has attractive red to dark red skin, little pubescence, with traces of red in the flesh. It ripens a few days before Redhaven; however, unlike Redhaven, it retains firmness for longer while maintaining the balance of sweetness and acidity (Table 1). Fruit is large and firm-fleshed, which is essential for post-harvest handling. It has low susceptibility to bacterial spot.

Though Redhaven is still the standard, yellow-fleshed, traditional peach in this season, it has a few challenges. For example, fruit can ripen faster than it changes skin color. That means it requires experience to start picking. Felicia is a good choice if one is planning a replacement for Redhaven. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Blueberry, Cranberry, Fruit, Strawberry, Tree Fruit, Uncategorized, Vegetable Crops, Wine Grape Tagged With: , , ,
July 14, 2023

What Can Summer Cover Crops Do for Soil Health and Future Crops?

Plants floweringNow that some of our spring planted crops have finished, rather than leaving fields fallow or replanting fields that may have had some issues with plant diseases or insect pests, consider replanting with a summer cover crop. It is not too late to take advantage of summer cover crop benefits. What do summer cover crops do for soil health or future crop improvements? See below:

1. Increase Soil Organic Matter– One of the best attributes of having organic matter in the soil is improvement in soil structure. Adding organic matter improves tilth, water infiltration, water holding capacity, nutrient holding capacity and reduction of soil crusting. Also, as important is the increase in beneficial soil microbes and earthworms. Beneficial microbes can compete with pathogens and help release nutrients. Earthworms can cycle nutrients and improve pore spaces in the soil.
2. Reduce Soil Erosion – Just like with winter cover crops, summer cover crops can also reduce wind and water erosion in fields, especially those with slopes. During summer rainfall events, that can be significant if resulting from tropical storms, runoff may not just include soil loss, but also fertilizer and chemical movement. Therefore, keeping cover on a field during non-production times in any season is an excellent practice.
3. Nitrogen Cycling in the Soil – Nitrogen is often the most limiting nutrient for crop production, since it is so readily lost through nitrification and leaching. Storing nitrogen through plant cycling is an excellent way to improve fertility management. Whether it is a grass or non-leguminous cover crops N is still kept in the mix by the cover crop taking up residual N that wouldPerson holding plant to show root system otherwise be lost. The cover crop plant takes up the nitrogen and after the crop is incorporated it decomposes, thus releasing the N for subsequent crops to use. If legume cover crops are planted, they have the ability to “fix” nitrogen from the atmosphere and through the same decomposition process will provide N for subsequent crops. Be sure to inoculate legume seed just prior to planting with Rhizobium bacteria in order to gain the maximum N fixation benefits.
4. Reduce Weeds – When fields are left fallow after crops are harvested, weed growth can occur. If left to produce seeds, these weeds will multiply in subsequent crops. Therefore, managing the field by planting cover crops between cash crops is a great weed management option. As the cover crop grows, it will suppress the germination and growth of weeds through competition and shading. Some cover crop species can also suppress weeds biochemically, either while they are growing or while they are decomposing, which may prevent the germination or growth of other plants (allelopathy). Research has shown some cover crops like wheat, barley, oats, rye, sorghum, and sudangrass may suppress weeds. In some cases, it has also been reported that residues and leachates from crimson clover, hairy vetch, and other legumes have shown weed suppression.
5. Impacts on Plant Diseases – Cover crop residues could possibly be beneficial when it comes to plant pathogens, or can in some cases increase plant disease organisms. Some cover crop species are in the same plant families as cash crops and may be susceptible to the same disease organisms. Therefore, carrying the pathogen to the next crop. This is why paying attention to crop rotations is so important. In other cases, the cover crop residue can improve soil health in order to produce a better environment for beneficial microbes. By improving soil health, water infiltration, air pore space and other positive attributes, some soil pathogens may not survive as well, as in the case of water molds and water fungi. Some cover crops, like sorghum-sudangrass and sunnhemp, have been reported to reduce nematodes in soils. There are multiple positive factors from cover crops that can combat plant diseases.
6. Impacts on Insects – Like with plant diseases, cover crops can be susceptible to the same insect pests as cash crops. However, they may also attract beneficial insects into an area. Insect pests should be monitored in cover crops, just like in cash crops in order to not let populations get out of control and then move into nearby fields after the cover crop is killed.

For more resources on the us e of cover crops check out these resources: Cover Crops for Sustainable Crop Rotations – SARE

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock, Fruit, Organic Production, Strawberry, Uncategorized, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: , ,
June 29, 2023

Fourth of July Cookout Costs

According to the American Farm Bureau a Fourth of July Cookout will cost $67.73 for a party of 10, down 3% from last year’s record high. Cookout favorites include cheeseburgers, chicken breasts, pork chops, homemade potato salad, strawberries and ice cream, among other products.  For more information: please see AFBF Fourth of July Cookouts.

As you prepare for your cookout, please remember food safety risks whenever preparing food, particularly for outdoor consumption.  Please see these Rutgers Factsheets:   Serving Food Safely and Handling Leftovers Safely.  (Authored by Sara Elnakib, PhD, MPH, RDN, Family & Community Health Sciences Educator, Rutgers Cooperative Extension and Don Schaffner, Rutgers Extension Specialist in Food Science).

sCooking temperature poster

 

 

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock, Food Safety, Uncategorized
June 13, 2023

Got leaves?

Have you taken a look at your sycamore lately? Seeing any leaves this spring? Looks like a little problem!

brown, angular leaf spots on plane tree leaves

Classic angular leaf spot and twig blight of sycamore anthracnose. Photo: Richard Buckley, Rutgers PDL

Samples of deciduous shade trees diagnosed with anthracnose have steadily found their way into Rutgers Plant Diagnostic Laboratory this spring. Anthracnose is a common fungal disease of shade trees that results in angular leaf spots, cupping or curling of leaves, and premature defoliation. Green stems and twigs can become infected, causing twigs to dieback and overwintering cankers to form. We’ve had samples of sycamore and London plane tree, but have also had ash, beech, maple and a bunch of oaks.

water-soaked, necrotic spots on distorted ash leaves

Ash anthracnose causes necrotic spots and distorted leaves. Photo: Richard Buckley, Rutgers PDL

The fungi responsible for anthracnose in shade trees are all unique. The fungus that attacks sycamore is not the same as the fungi that cause ash, beech, dogwood, maple, or oak anthracnose. Each tree species has a specific fungus causing its own anthracnose disease, so for example, the beech anthracnose fungus does not infect oaks and the oak anthracnose fungus does not infect maples and so on.

brown, angular spots on silver maple leaves

Marginal necrosis and irregularly-shaped, angular leaf spots on silver maple (Acer saccharinum). Photo: Sabrina Tirpak, Rutgers PDL

Infections by anthracnose causing fungi are favored by cool, wet conditions during the budbreak period in the spring. When the weather favors one of these fungi, it generally favors all of them, so we see the disease to some degree on many different hosts. Anthracnose fungi survive winter in buds, small twig cankers, or fallen leaves depending on which types of trees and fungi are involved. In the spring, the spores are moved by wind and water to newly forming leaves. The longer the weather conditions remain cool and wet, the more damage one can expect. Once the weather becomes dry and the leaves mature, the disease cycle ends and the tree will replace lost leaves with new ones.

brown spots along beech leaf veins

Beech anthracnose. Photo: Sabrina Tirpak, Rutgers PDL

Anthracnose can cause a very visible leaf lesion, and depending on the fungus/tree species dynamic, may defoliate the tree. Sycamore anthracnose causes a very significant defoliation, while beech anthracnose rarely does. Furthermore, it is not uncommon for the causal fungus to kill the buds before they open in the spring. It’s also not uncommon for the fungus to kill new green stems and twigs. Although these diseases often seem severe, they have little long-term impact on overall tree health. Leaves and buds damaged early in the season are often replaced by mid-summer.

distorted oak leaves with small spots

Small spots with yellow borders and distorted leaves, caused by oak anthracnose. Photo: Sabrina Tirpak, Rutgers PDL

So, what do we do about anthracnose? Not much, really! Rake and remove fallen leaves. Improve plant vigor with fertilization and irrigation in times of drought, and prune all of the dead and dying limbs. Fungicides can be used to prevent the problem in high-value trees. Begin treatments at budbreak to protect the new growth and repeat the treatments 2-3 times at the label specified intervals. Proper timing and good coverage are essential, which will necessitate a licensed professional applicator to make the applications.

By the way, it is too late for fungicide protection this season!

Fungal diseases in most ornamental plants can be prevented with applications of one or a combination of the following active ingredients: FRAC M3 mancozeb; FRAC M5 chlorothalonil; FRAC 1 thiophanate-methyl; FRAC 3 metconazole, myclobutanil, propiconazole, tebuconazole, triademefon, triflumizole; FRAC 7 boscalid, flutolanil, oxycarboxin; FRAC 11 azoxystrobin, fluoxastrobin, kresoxim-methyl, pyraclostrobin, trifloxystrobin; FRAC 12 fludioxonil; and/or FRAC 19 polyoxin-D. Be sure to follow all label specifications for the host plant, the specific diseases controlled, as well as rates, dilution, and timing.

Filed Under: Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Plant Diagnostic Lab, Uncategorized Tagged With: , ,