Briefly . . .

Kansas 4-H to Offer Sustainable Energy Project    

Timber Tax Seminar Scheduled for Aug. 19 in Topeka

Maximize Production, Quality of Hay from Summer Annual Forages

Crops Field Day Slated Aug. 25 in South Central Kansas 

Kansas 4-H to Offer Sustainable Energy Project    

MANHATTAN, Kan. – A new 4-H project focuses on sustainable energy and should be of high interest to Kansans, a Kansas State University spokesperson said.

The project, titled “The Power of the Wind,” is geared toward 5th-8th graders and explores basic scientific principles related to energy, the environment, and ways in which to harness energy, said Gary Gerhard, Kansas State University professor and 4-H youth development specialist

“Students choosing the project will learn about different applications of wind as energy,” said Gerhard, who noted that lessons within the project range from studying the aerodynamics of a basic pinwheel to Bernoulli’s Principle and how – and why – an airplane can fly.

More technical lessons will focus on adjusting the angle of the blades in a pinwheel to provide the desired effect.

As with all 4-H programs, age-appropriate educational materials introduce a topic and are followed up with a series of skill-building activities, Gerhard added.

The new project fits within the Science, Engineering and Technology curriculum stressed in 4-H programs, he said. Project development was funded by a grant from 3M (Minnesota, Mining & Manufacturing). The educational materials were developed at the University of Illinois.

A move toward science, engineering and technology in 4-H projects has been gradual, and includes robotics, rocketry, global positioning systems (GPS) and space technologies, said Gerhard, who noted that 4-H projects often jumpstart a lifelong interest or the basis of a career.

More information about “The Power of the Wind,” or more than 30 other educational Kansas 4-H projects and opportunities is available at: www.kansas4h.org. More information on local 4-H programs and opportunities is available at county and district K-State Research and Extension offices.

Timber Tax Seminar Scheduled for Aug. 19 in Topeka

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Landowners who sell timber – even occasionally – can qualify for tax-saving treatment from the Internal Revenue Service.

“For them, it’s another way that money literally can grow on trees,” said Charles Barden, Kansas State University forestry specialist

To help Kansans learn about the tax-saving regulations, the Kansas Forest Service and K-State Research and Extension are offering a day-long Timber Tax Seminar Wednesday, Aug. 19, at the Shawnee County Extension Office in Topeka (next to the Kansas Expocentre).

“The subject is something that’s still unfamiliar to a number of agricultural accountants, consultants, attorneys and educators. Yet, it can make a big difference in how well a landowner’s tree harvests pay,” Barden said.

The special regulations address landowners’ choices on how to handle timber-related income, improvements, weather losses, management costs, and estate taxes. Nationally recognized experts from Mississippi State University’s College of Forestry will lead the discussions.

Registration for the seminar is $45, which will cover the cost of lunch and an array of resource materials. More information is available by calling Barden at 785-532-1444 or visiting the Kansas Forest Service Web site at http://www.kansasforests.org.

Maximize Production, Quality of Hay from Summer Annual Forages

HUTCHINSON, Kan. -- Many summer annual forages grown in Kansas may be cut for hay multiple times. With reasonable care, those forages -- sudangrass, hybrid pearl millets, and even sorghum-sudangrass hybrids -- can produce two and even three cuttings with excellent feed value, said Kansas State University agronomist Vic Martin.

One exception is forage sorghums which are excellent as silage or green chop but poor for haying, said Martin who is a specialist in annual forages and alternative crops with K-State Research and Extension.  Forage sorghum can produce high tonnage, good quality hay, especially the newer BMR (brown mid-rib) hybrids, but producers need to take care to condition stems properly so they will dry down properly before baling.

Sudangrass and hybrid pearl millet are well suited for haying and grazing, and while they may also be ensiled or green chopped, these are less-efficient options. In order to maximize quality, hay should be cut before heads emerge. If these crops are allowed to grow until head emergence before cutting, they will produce more tonnage but feed quality will be substantially reduced.

Sorghum-sudangrass hybrids may be successfully used for hay, but have thicker stems than sudangrass and pearl millet. As a result, it is important to crush or crimp the stems of sorghum-sudangrass hybrids to allow for rapid drying. Sudangrass and hybrid pearl millet produce better quality hay than sorghum-sudangrass hybrids as they have smaller stem diameters and their composition is typically 50 percent or less stem.

When planning on multiple cuttings, raise the cutter bar high enough to allow for rapid regrowth, typically six inches for sudangrass and sorghum-sudangrass hybrids and eight inches for pearl millet, Martin said. To further stimulate growth and hay forage quality (protein), apply 30 pounds of nitrogen per acre after harvest. If yields are especially high, it may be advisable to apply up to 50 pounds per acre.

Finally, after baling, to insure hay quality is maintained, producers should move bales to proper storage as soon as possible, he said.

Crops Field Day Slated Aug. 25 in South Central Kansas

HUTCHINSON, Kan. – Kansas State University Research and Extension will host a field day Aug. 25 at its South Central Kansas Experiment Field near Hutchinson.

The day begins at 8:30 a.m. with registration and a complimentary biscuits and gravy breakfast. The program starts at 9 a.m.

Presentation topics and presenters for the morning will include:

• Cropping Systems and Carbon Sequestration – Bill Heer, Agronomist-in-Charge, South Central Experiment Field and Scott Staggenborg, K-State agronomist;

• Cover Crop Species and Mixtures – Kevin Arnet, K-State agronomist;

• Weed Suppression by Cover Crops – Justin Petrosino, K-State graduate research assistant;

• Maximizing Sorghum Yield – Kraig Roozeboom, K-State agronomist;

• Latest Spray Nozzle Technology- Bob Wolf, K-State agricultural engineer; and

• Wheat Test Results and Wheat Varieties to Consider for Fall 2009 – Jim Shroyer, K-State agronomist and Extension agronomy state leader.

More information about the field day is available by calling the research field at 620-662-9021.

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