Roundtable meetings scheduled for January

The Frontier Extension District will partner with Marais Des Cygnes Extension District to host a series of meetings dealing with stand loss of smooth brome this past fall. The meetings will be held on the following times and dates: 7 p.m. Jan. 13, 2022, at the Overbrook Livestock Commission; 9:30 a.m. Jan. 20, at the Marais des Cygnes Extension office; and 7 p.m. Jan. 20, at the Anderson County Community Building.

The meetings will be in roundtable fashion and everyone is encouraged to discuss their thoughts and ideas. Extension agents and KSU Forage Specialist Bruno Pedreira will be on hand to discuss brome concerns, have suggestions for forage crop alternatives, and present ideas. The meeting will also look at fertilizer expenses and seed costs.

Fall armyworm damage of brome fields varied greatly throughout eastern Kansas. The majority of the hay meadows that were damaged were those fields that were harvested late, in this case mid-July and after. The armyworm moths sought those late harvest fields as sites to lay their eggs. These fields had regrowth that was just a few inches tall when the worms began feeding and within a couple of days those fields turned brown.

Many producers weren’t concerned about the brome browning, as we were experiencing hot days and dry weather; they assumed the brome was going dormant. Questions started arising after rain in early September, and the brome wasn’t greening up. And the questions haven’t stopped. Discussion will center on what to do now? All area brome growers are encouraged to attend one of the roundtable meetings.

For more information, contact Frontier Extension District, 1418 S. Main, Suite 2​, Ottawa, Kan., or call 785-229-3520.