A partial list of hay probes is shone below. No endorsement is given for the probes listed.
AMS Hay & Forage Probe
Address: AMS, Inc.
105 Harrison Street
American Falls, Idaho 83211
Phone: (800) 635-7330
Website: http://www.ams-samplers.com
Direct Link to Hay & Forage Probes: http://www.ams-samplers.com/itemgroup.cfm?CNum=219&catCNum=91
Description: AMS Hay & Forage Probes are ideal for obtaining 12" or 24" representative core samples for quick visual inspection and laboratory analysis. The basic model is a 7/8" OD probe with a heat-treated serrated tip and chamfered extraction slot. The deluxe model includes the same probe body, and a (1 liter) removable plastic canister capable of holding approximately 20 cores. Both models require 1/2" chuck drills for operation (24V recommended).
Best Harvest Hay/Forage/Soil Sampler Probe
Address: Best Harvest
4115 7 Mile Rd
Bay City, MI 48706
Please Call: 888-947-6226
Fax: 206-339-7334
EMail: sales@bestharveststore.com
Website: http://bestharveststore.com
Direct Link to Hay & Forage Probes: http://www.bestharveststore.com/Hay-Probe-Samplers-c10
Description: Our unique probe collection system incorporates a bagging process that allows over 20 samples to be collected contaminant free. It is ideal for gathering random samples to send a representative sample out for lab analysis.
•Attach a cordless drill
•Gallon size ziplock bag holds over 20 core samples
•18 inch probe depth
•5/8" Heat-treated hardened steel sharp serrated tip, 7/8" inside diameter probe
•Protective shield covers sample collection area where baggie attaches
•Cleanout brush used between samples, a brush ensures complete cleanout
•No clogging, no contamination by hands, etc. Collection area is enclosed
•Attractive pricing
•1 Year Warranty
Colorado Hay Probe Contact: UDY Corp.
Phone: (970) 482-2060
Website: http://www.udyone.com/hayprobeinfo.htm
Description: "PUSH TYPE" Aluminum alloy barrel, 5/8" diameter X 18" long, with stainless steel angled tip (>45 degrees, resharpenable). Collection chamber holds 10-15 cores.
Forageurs Hay Probe
Contact: Forageurs Corp.
Address: P.O. Box 564 Lakeville, MN 55044
Phone: (952) 469-2596
Description: "DRILL TYPE" Stainless steel probe barrel, either 14" or 24" long, 3/4" outside diameter. Hardened steel cutting tip, 0.60" cutting diameter. Steel canister ring with hexagonal steel shaft, fits hand brace or drill. Canister: 100 cu. inches, holds 20-30 cores, 4" PVC body with clear plexiglass top.
Frontier Mills 'Yankton' Hay Probe
Contact: Frontier Mills, Inc.
Address: 2002 South Dakota Highway 314, Yankton, SD 57078
Phone: (650) 665-2441
Description: "DRILL TYPE" 30" long X 1" inside diameter conduit pipe shaft with round 7" long X 4" diameter canister. External auger pulls the long probe into the bale. Different ends allow use as hand brace or with drill. Comes with replaceable tip and wooden dowel for cleaning.
Hay Chec Hay Sampler Contact: A.M. Hodge Products, Inc.
Address: P.O. Box 202005, San Diego, CA 92120
Phone: (619) 444-3147
Description: "PUSH TYPE" This is a 12" long hand probe with an internal diameter of 7/16 inch with a well-built stainless steel body and a clear plastic catch sample collection jar, and two foam-padded handles. Probe has a sample clearing stick. The body is weighted for helping to push into bales. This is one of the shortest of the hay probes.
HMC Hay Probe Contact: Hart Machine Co.
Address: 1216 SW Hart St., Madras, OR 97741
Phone: (541) 475-3107
Description: "DRILL TYPE" Stainless steel barrels 12", 18", 24", or 30" long X 3/4"outside diameter and 5/8" inside diameter. Hardened smooth re-sharpenable tip, 1/2" diameter. Aluminum and steel collection canister holds 25-30 12" cores. Hub for brace or drill.
Oakfield Probe Contact: Oakfield Apparatus, Inc.
Address: P.O. Box 65, Oakfield, WI 53065
Phone: (920) 583-4114
Website: http://www.soilsamplers.com/
Description: It is made of stainless steel with a replaceable serrated screw-on tip. The tube is 18" long and cuts a core of 0.75" in diameter. Cores are removed from an open area on the side of the tube between samplings. The Probe is available for use with an electric drill or hand brace. Extension adapters are available for deeper sampling.
Penn State Probe Contact: Nasco Corporation
Address: 4825 Stoddard Rd., Modesto, CA. 95356-9318
Phone: (800) 558-9595
Description: "DRILL TYPE" Stainless steel 1 1/8" diameter X 18" long. Available with 3/8" round shank adapter for use with electric or breast drill or square shank for use with hand brace. Replaceable cutting tip. Comes with dowel plunger to remove sample.
Sierra Hay Probe Contact: Sierra Testing Service
Address: 9450 E. Collier Rd., Acampo, CA 95220
Phone: (209) 333-3337
Description: "PUSH TYPE" golf club type probe. This is a 16 1/2" stainless steel golf club shaft that cuts a 1/2" core. The shaft has a 7 1/2" x 1 7/8" tube handle attached at 90o at the end of the golf club shaft. The probe is self-unloading and provides for easy continuous sampling of baled hay. The probe has a clean out rod that aids in cleaning out the probe when the sample is completed. The rod also protects the cutting edge during storage.
Star Forage Probes Contact: Star Quality Samplers
Address: 5719-114A Street, Edmonton, AB, Canada, T6H 3M8
Phone: (780) 434-3367
Website: www.starqualitysamplers.com
Description: "PUSH TYPE" Star Multi-Forage Sampler: Stainless steel 5/8" diameter probe barrel, 18" long. 3" or 4" diameter PVC canister is the handle used to push probe, with a plastic bag attachment. Star Uni-Forage Sampler: Stainless steel 1 1/8" diameter X 18" long. Spring clip fastens the handle to the sampler and core poured out. Star Standard Cutting Tip fits Uni-Forage Sampler and is a replacement for most wood brace samplers (eg. the Penn State sampler).
2012 Great Lakes Forage & Grazing Conference
The 2012 Great Lakes Forage & Grazing Conference held at the MSU Kellogg Center during Ag & Natural Resources Week was a great success. Many producers remarked how timely the sessions were for today's forage producers. One of the sessions, Soil Fertility for Alfalfa, was a short session due to time constraints. Here is the PowerPoint presentation for producers wanting more detailed information.
For unbiased research-based, up-to-date agronomy and livestock knowledge, download this brochure to get the name and contact information for your local MSU Extesnion Educator that can help your farm or business.
Many field studies have been conducted over the years to establish the nature of the relationship between corn grain yield and N addition. For many years MSU’s N recommendations for corn were provided in tabular form based on the yield potential of the soil. Click here for the full story and all the recommendations:http://www.css.msu.edu/PDF/NEW%20corn%20N%20recs1.pdf
New Custom Machine Work Rate Estimates Report for 2011-2012
A presentation for phosphorus management has been added to this site to provide an educational tool for MSU Extension Educators to use at local Pest Management meetings or other soil fertility meetings in their area.
There are two versions of the presentation. One has Turning Point incorporated, the other is without Turning Point. Click on the link below for the correct PDF file.
Integrated pest management (IPM) is a sustainable approach for managing insects, weeds and plant diseases that combines the use of biological control, cultural, physical, and chemical tactics in a way that minimizes economic, health, and environmental risks.
The Crop Advisory Team (CAT) Alert newsletters feature timely pest management information based on current conditions. MSU faculty and Extension field staff write and pest management concerns. Select one of the four editions: fruit, vegetable, field crop and landscape. With the exception of the landscape edition, the information is primarily for commercial production of crops.
Diagnostics Services was established in 1999 as a multi-disciplinary plant health and pest diagnostic facility. Clients (growers, nusery managers, greenhouse operators, home-owners, etc). may submit samples for diagnosis of many types of problems. Samples can be analyzed for the presence of insect pests, pathogens or nematodes. Our weed scientist performs weed identifications and deals with herbicide related problems or issues.
This Web site provides information from Michigan State University, the Michigan Department of Agriculture, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the USDA Forest Service, and the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to help you find answers to your questions about EAB. It also provides links to other EAB-related Web sites. Please refer back often, as information changes frequently.
For the best local information check with your local MSU Extension office, listed by county in the directory.
Soybean Grower Resources
Selecting Corn Hybrids and Soybean Varieties for 2010 Mike Staton, MSU Extension Agricultural Educator and Soybean 2010 Coordinator
Selecting corn hybrids and soybean varieties is one of the most important management decisions producers make. The hybrids and varieties you select will directly affect your yield potential and profits. Because of this, you should select your hybrids and varieties carefully. Consider the following factors when selecting the best adapted varieties for your farm -- yield, pest resistance or tolerance, maturity and standibility.
Yield
Yield is probably the most important characteristic to look for when selecting corn hybrids and soybean varieties. Refer to tables 1 through 4 to see how critical hybrid and variety selection is to your profitability. Yield potential under ideal growing conditions varies among hybrids and varieties. The maximum yield potential of a given hybrid or variety is also affected by weather and other environmental conditions. A hybrid/variety that has the highest yield potential under ideal conditions may not yield as well as others when confronted with yield limiting factors. The best way to account for this variability is to look at yield data from as many different environments as possible. Research has shown that evaluating performance over a wide range of locations and over multiple years will help you select the best adapted hybrids and varieties for your farm. Since hybrids and varieties have relatively short life spans, multiple-location data is easier to obtain than multiple-year data. The “Michigan Soybean Performance Report” and “Michigan Corn Hybrids Compared” are excellent sources for this information. Both publications are posted online at www.css.msu.edu/varietytrials soon after their release. The 2009 “Michigan Soybean Performance Report” should be posted by mid-November and “Michigan Corn Hybrids Compared in 2009” should be available in early December. Both publications are also published in the Michigan Farm News.
Table 1. Yield advantage of the highest-yielding hybrids over the average yield of all the hybrids and the lowest-yielding hybrids averaged across all locations in maturity zones 1, 2 and 3 from “Michigan Corn Hybrids Compared” (2005 – 2008).
Year
High – Average (bu/ac)
High – Low (bu/ac)
2005
21.4
61.8
2006
20.0
52.0
2007
23.3
47.6
2008
15.2
33.0
Table 2. 1Economic advantage of the highest-yielding hybrids over the average yield of all the hybrids and the lowest-yielding hybrids averaged across all locations in maturity zones 1, 2 and 3 from “Michigan Corn Hybrids Compared” (2005 – 2008).
Year
High – Average ($/ac)
High – Low ($/ac)
2005
$42.80
$123.60
2006
$60.80
$158.08
2007
$97.86
$199.92
2008
$61.56
$133.65
1Economic advantage per acre was determined by multiplying the yield advantage of the highest yielding hybrids by the USDA average prices received for each marketing year ($2.00/bu in 2005, $3.04/bu in 2006, $4.20/bu in 2007 and $4.05/bu in 2008).
Table 3. Yield advantage of the highest-yielding soybean varieties over the average yield of all the varieties and the lowest-yielding varieties averaged across all locations and maturity groups from the “Michigan Soybean Performance Reports” (Roundup Ready varieties only).
Year
High – Average (bu/ac)
High – Low (bu/ac)
2006
6.8
14.4
2007
5.8
14.1
2008
5.0
10.7
2009
5.0
12.1
Table 4. 2Economic advantage of the highest-yielding soybean varieties over the average yield of all the varieties and the lowest-yielding varieties averaged across all locations and maturity groups from the “Michigan Soybean Performance Reports” (Roundup Ready varieties only).
Year
High – Average ($/ac)
High – Low ($/ac)
2006
$43.72
$92.59
2007
$58.58
$142.41
2008
$49.85
$106.68
2009
$45.50
$110.11
2Economic advantage was determined by multiplying the yield advantage of the highest yielding varieties by the USDA average prices received for each marketing year -- $6.43/bu in 2006, $10.10/bu in 2007, $9.97/bu in 2008 (estimated) and $9.10/bu for 2009 (projected).
Maturity
The maturity range of the hybrids/varieties you select also affects your net income. Always select hybrids and varieties that will reach physiological maturity prior to a killing frost. The latest maturity soybeans planted should have yellow pods just before the date when there is a 20% chance of a killing frost occurring. Selecting soybean varieties that are too early for a given area will lead to lower yields as the plants will be filling seeds under hotter and drier conditions. Selecting varieties that are too late increases the risk of frost and freeze damage.
Corn hybrid maturity can have a significant effect on harvest moisture, drying costs an
Harvest & Storage Info
The links below contain information to help farmers handle current harvest challenges, including temporary storage, storage safety and adapting silos for grain storage. There’s also a link to the USDA’s recently changed Marketing Assistance Loan Program and information about conditions at the Port of New Orleans. Other sections deal with making decisions related to delaying harvest and a series of links related to marketing options. For more information for your particular situation, contact your county MSU Extension office. Find that office by clicking here
USDA announces program assistance for on-farm grain storage
The USDA has announced changes in its Marketing Assistance Loan program to provide assistance for on-farm grain storage, including the storage of grain on the ground. Contact your local Farm Service Agency office for details.
Temporary Grain Storage This document focuses on prevent grain quality loss from weather, wind and moisture; rodents, birds and insects, and microorganisms in temporary grain storage facilities (from North Dakota State University).
Integrated pest management (IPM) is a sustainable approach for managing insects, weeds and plant diseases that combines the use of biological control, cultural, physical, and chemical tactics in a way that minimizes economic, health, and environmental risks.
The Crop Advisory Team (CAT) Alert newsletters feature timely pest management information based on current conditions. MSU faculty and Extension field staff write and pest management concerns. Select one of the four editions: fruit, vegetable, field crop and landscape. With the exception of the landscape edition, the information is primarily for commercial production of crops.
For the best local information check with your local MSU Extension office, listed by county in the directory.
Agrability
AgrAbility helps farmers and ag workers continue working with a disability or change in their health.
It offers a farm or work site assessment to identify modifications to accommodate a worker's ability so he or she can continue their agriculture employment.
Information and program referrals are also available. Assistance is available to apply for a low interest loan for persons with disabilities managed by a nonprofit service agency.
MSU is an affirmative-action, equal-opportunity employer. Michigan State University Extension programs and materials are open to all without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, religion, age, height, weight, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status, family status or veteran status. Issued in furtherance of MSU Extension work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Thomas G. Coon, Director, MSU Extension, East Lansing, MI 48824. This information is for educational purposes only. Reference to commercial products or trade names does not imply endorsement by MSU Extension or bias against those not mentioned.
