Cost Comparision
A noted forage consultant and educator, Jim Gerrish, recently made some interesting cost comparison observations: In 1973 beef producers got $54/cwt for their cattle; today they get around $128/cwt. However, back then, diesel was $0.17/gallon; now its +$3.50. Farm laborers were available for $1.50/hr.; now it takes $15/hour. Farm equipment that could be bought for $4,000 now costs $40,000. Makes you appreciate a good steak, (or a bag of grass seed for that matter) even if it costs “only” 2.5 times what it did 40 years ago!
University of Kentucky
Annual Ryegrass Trials (Tons DM/A)
2010-2011
| Variety | April 21 Yield | Total Yield |
|---|---|---|
| Barmultra II | 1.99 | 5.03 |
| GR-AS10 | 1.76 | 4.25 |
| Attain | 1.95 | 4.18 |
| Feast II | 1.49 | 4.11 |
| Fox italian | 1.66 | 4.07 |
| Winterhawk | 1.91 | 3.93 |
| TAMTBO | 1.88 | 3.82 |
| Bruiser | 1.85 | 3.76 |
| Jackson | 1.91 | 3.74 |
| Fria | 1.85 | 3.58 |
| Brangus | 1.42 | 3.56 |
| KB Royal | 1.31 | 3.12 |
| Gulf | 1.34 | 2.93 |
| HS-1 | 1.13 | 2.72 |
| lsd | 0.34 | 0.49 |
Attain Ryegrass Produces Big In Kentucky
Data from The Univ. of KY’s 2010-11 Annual Ryegrass Trial, shows Attain to be a great option for Transition Zone annual ryegrass users. The trial was planted in September 2010, with yield data gathered the following January, April, May, June, and July.
Not only did Attain have higher yield scores than most all other entries, Attain also had high yields all season long, expressing its strong re-growth ability. This strong regrowth ability has been observed in numerous trials sites throughout the south, including Georgia, Florida, Texas, and Louisiana.
Learn more about Attain Tetraploid Annual Ryegrass at www.SmithSeed.com.
Persist Has Top Yields Again in Tennessee
The Univ. of TN recently published their 2011 Orchardgrass report. Included in the report was data from Greeneville and Milan Tennessee - on opposite sides of the state.
As shown on this chart, Persist again displayed its ability to provide top yields. High yields mean increased profitability.
To learn more about the profitability of planting Persist, watch the “Persist Equals Profit” Powerpoint presentation at PersistOrchardgrass.com. Simply click on the “Persist=Profit” link in the menu and follow the instructions.
University of Tennessee
Orchardgrass Trials (3-Yr Totals)
Multiple Locations
|2009-2011
| Variety | Greeneville, TN Total | Milan, TN Total | Both Location Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Persist | 11.24 | 7.49 | 18.73 |
| MegaBite | 10.48 | 6.95 | 17.43 |
| BO7.IC1 | 10.57 | 6.59 | 17.16 |
| Olympia | 9.55 | 7.61 | 17.16 |
| Benchmark Plus | 10.07 | 6.65 | 16.72 |
| Warrior II | 9.76 | 6.98 | 16.71 |
| B-7.0103 | 9.82 | 6.62 | 16.44 |
| Profit | 9.7 | 6.49 | 16.19 |
| Shiloh II | 9.2 | 6.73 | 15.93 |
| LSD ( P=.05) | 2.18 | 0.84 |
Great Reasons for Growing Clover
Reason #10 - Increased Profit
“Clovers lower nitrogen fertilizer expense, which typically accounts for 20-50% of the cost of producing forage from grasses.” “Legumes usually provide higher nutrition levels than grasses. Better nutrition means more milk production, higher weaning weights and increased likelihood of high reproduction efficiency. These factors obviously impact gross income.”
