The fall armyworm invasion across much the Corn Belt has reduced hay production but an extension specialist says the pest’s full impact won’t be known until next spring.
Ben Beckman is with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. “But if we really hit some cooler temperatures pretty quickly here, that’s going to put that alfalfa in a little bit of a deficit going into winter. We might see a little more winter kill and winter injury on our stands and that’s going to affect and decrease production next year.”
In the latest USDA supply, demand and production report, the agency is projecting a year-to-year decline in hay production due to slight decreases in planted area and average yield.
