News

Cereal rye trials can help growers decide which varieties to grow for end use in distilled spirits

10.14.22

Photo by Brook Wilke.

A recently published article based on a multi-year study aims to help growers and distillers select the best rye varieties for Michigan crops.

A team of scientists at Michigan State University, including Brook Wilke, associate director of agronomy for the W.K. Kellogg Biological Station’s Long-term Agroecology Research site, among others, has been evaluating cereal rye varieties at three different Michigan locations since the fall of 2019 to determine what varieties are best suited for end use in distilled spirits.

About the project

Photo by James DeDecker.

In research plots at KBS in Hickory Corners and at sites in the Upper Peninsula town of Chatham and in Gratiot County, more than 20 varieties were evaluated for attributes including yield, protein content, spirit yield, and flavor, managed with either normal or enhanced practices. A report summarizing two years of trials details some of the findings.

The next steps in the ongoing project are to produce a subset of these rye varieties in larger quantities at multiple locations to facilitate higher volume spirit production, allowing professionally trained tasting panels to evaluate specific flavor profiles of unique varieties grown in different locations.

Read the full article.

Phil Robertson honored by LTAR Network for local, national contributions

10.14.22

Phil Robertson, Michigan State University Distinguished Professor of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences at the W.K. Kellogg Biological Station, is the recipient of two awards from the U.S. Long-term Agroecosystem Research Network, or LTAR.

Phil Robertson smiles at the camera while crouching in an agricultural field at KBS. — Phil Robertson

Robertson, an internationally recognized crop and soil scientist, received the honors at the 2022 LTAR Annual Meeting, which was held in July in Pullman, Washington. The Founders Award and Network Impact Award recognize his co-leadership of the Croplands Common Experiment Workgroup and other contributions to the LTAR Network.

Stephen Hamilton, MSU professor of ecosystem ecology and biogeochemistry and a KBS colleague of Robertson’s, wrote the letter of nomination for the awards. He noted Robertson’s key involvement in the early stages of the formation and operation of the network.

“His 2008 paper in BioScience outlined the need for this network,” he wrote. “As LTAR developed, he actively contributed by sharing his insights and perspectives from his years of experience with agroecological research at KBS.”

He added, “Many aspects of our scientific activities, including the experimental design, measurements, and data management, have benefitted greatly from his input.”

KBS Director Fredric Janzen also acknowledged Robertson’s enduring contributions to the network. He said, “Phil’s understated, longstanding, multifarious efforts on behalf of sustainable, regenerative agriculture—locally and nationally—are long overdue for prominent recognition and gratitude.”

Phil Robertson

Robertson has been a faculty member in MSU’s Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences since 1981. He served as director of KBS’s Long-term Ecological Research program from 1988 to 2017, and is on the leadership team for the Department of Energy’s Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center. He also is director of the KBS LTAR site.

His research interests include the biogeochemistry and ecology of field crop ecosystems and in particular nitrogen and carbon dynamics, greenhouse gas fluxes, and responses to climate change.

Robertson is a Fellow of the Soil Science Society of America and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In 2005, he received MSU’s Distinguished Faculty award. He earned his Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Indiana University.

Long-term Agroecosystem Research Network

The USDA’s Long-term Agroecosystem Research Network is a partnership of 18 premier, long-term research sites across the United States, charged with researching national strategies for the sustainable intensification of U.S. agriculture. Key to this effort is establishing collaborative experiments that are informed by stakeholders. The sites all were well-established research locations prior to joining the LTAR network, and continue to study local agricultural issues in addition to LTAR research goals.

The KBS LTAR site joined the network in 2015 and was fully funded in 2020. The KBS site is focused on helping to meet future sustainability challenges for cropping systems of the upper Midwest, with research designed with stakeholders to advance both food production and positive environmental and societal outcomes for agriculture.

At the time the KBS site received full funding, Robertson remarked, “What’s new and exciting about LTAR is its emphasis on a long-term partnership between scientists and stakeholders such as farmers and others interested in agricultural outcomes to design durable, sustainable farming systems in Michigan and beyond.”

Advantages and challenges to inter-seeding cover crops into corn

01.23.20

Growing cover crops after corn can be a real challenge. Waiting until after corn harvest to seed cover crops restricts the usable cover crop species to winter cereal grains (rye, wheat, triticale). Very little cover crop growth is expected in the fall when planting after corn grain harvest, which leads to slow growth in the spring as well. To improve cover crop performance after corn, a number of farmers and researchers (including us at the W.K. Kellogg Farm) across the country have been working on strategies to inter-seed cover crops during the corn growing season. These methods get the cover crop established earlier for more growth potential and grazing opportunities, and expand options for species selection, but inter-seeding cover crops is not without its share of challenges. Here’s what I’ve learned over the past few years.

Seeding rates and methods

When we talk about using an airplane to seed cover crops in corn, we are usually considering a late summer or early fall seeding, as the corn is beginning to show signs of maturing. The cost of hiring someone to apply these cover crops on your fields can be very competitive with drilling the cover crop yourself, but the cost does depend on how far you are located from an airport.

A cover crop that includes cereal rye and hairy vetch grows post-harvest along a row of corn.

Cereal rye and hairy vetch growing during corn harvest

The species of cover crops typically used are cereal rye, annual ryegrass, hairy vetch or crimson clover. Other winter cereal grains can be used, but cereal rye and annual ryegrass seem particularly suited to germinating on the soil surface Pictured here are cereal rye and a small amount of hairy vetch that were aerially seeded into corn in early September at 80 lbs. per acre; the photo was taken in late October at harvest time.

Cereal rye is commonly seeded around 60 lbs. per acre, and annual ryegrass around 20 lbs. per acre. Hairy vetch and crimson clover rates should be adjusted based on the following crops’ nitrogen needs. These legume seeds are more expensive, so lower rates (under 10 lbs. per acre) are ideal if you don’t need the nitrogen fixation benefits. Herbicides applied to corn can be a factor, but are generally not a concern for cereal rye cover crops seeded in September.

Early inter-seeding

Early inter-seeding of cover crops into corn typically refers to planting the cover crop between the corn rows during the early phases of corn growth. This is often at the same time as the last cultivation in organic fields, or at the time of herbicide and side-dress nitrogen application in conventional farms. This timing works well because we can still drive our normal tractors and implements through the field without damaging the corn. We’ve seeded cover crops anywhere from the V3 to V7 stage, with successes and failures across the range, including:

Successes and failures

The cover crop has not caused increases or decreases in the corn yield. One year in our trials, the V3 seeding slightly reduced corn yield, but it was more due to the weeds that weren’t controlled than the cover crop growth.

Planting the cover crop seed in the ground increases chances of success. Broadcast seeding can lead to variable success depending on rainfall after seeding. We’ve since retrofitted a rotary hoe to apply the cover crop seed ahead of rotary hoe units that fit between the corn rows and help to incorporate the seed. Other farmers have built inter-seeders that have planting units mounted on a toolbar between the corn rows.

Small seeded cover crops are better than large seeded ones. Species we’ve had success with include annual ryegrass, crimson clover, dwarf-essex rape, and sometimes radishes. Oats and peas have not worked in our trials.

A really good crop of corn (i.e., >200 bushels/acre) can out-compete the cover crop, resulting in very poor to no cover crop stands after corn harvest.

Herbicide programs often need to be restricted to avoid having a residual effect on cover crops. See website* in footnote below for information from MSU about herbicides and inter-seeding.

Corn rows: To widen or not to widen?

Crimson clover growing between two corn rows.

Crimson clover, annual ryegrass and dwarf-essex rape inter-seeded between 60” corn rows

Several farmers across the country have been trying wider corn rows (i.e., 60” between rows) to improve early inter-seeded cover crop establishment and growth. We decided to try this in 2019 at the Kellogg Farm in an experiment, primarily to test the effect on corn yields. When compared to 30” row spacing, keeping the total plant population per acre constant, corn planted in 60” rows yielded 8.5% lower (147.5 bu/A to 135 bu/A). The cover crop established in both row widths but cover crop biomass was greater in the 60” row corn plots.

More years of testing are needed to confirm these results, and we are considering testing some other management techniques that might narrow the corn yield gap, such as banding side-dress nitrogen next to the 60” corn row and trying different corn varieties. The wider row widths may also create opportunities for side-dressing manure during the corn growing season due to the wider driving path between rows.

We’ve found that we don’t have to wait until the corn is harvested to get cover crops established. Hopefully, the successes and failures we’ve experienced in our trials at the Kellogg Farm can improve the chances of success on your farm.

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Brook Wilke is manager of W.K. Kellogg Farm. His article was originally published in Farmer’s Exchange.
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Help! When do I send the cows out to pasture?

05.09.19

Brook Wilke, Farm Manager at MSU’s W.K. Kellogg Biological Station, helps take the guesswork out of when cows should return to pasture. This blog was originally featured in the print edition of The Farmer’s Exchange.

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One question that I get asked quite a bit, and often ask myself, is; when do I turn the cows out to pasture? I think this is a common question that all graziers wrestle with, and even if we have some hard and fast rules about how to approach the topic, there always seems to be some uncertainty. “Jumping the gun” can get you off to a really bad start to the year, yet waiting too long just makes managing the spring flush that much more challenging.

The first thought that comes to my mind is that I can let the cows out whenever I can finally get around to getting all of the fence fixed up. This is even a challenge for us at the MSU Pasture Dairy Cows heading to pasture Center every year. As we pass the spring equinox, our focus turns to calving, hauling manure, prepping fields for planting, and everything else that comes with spring. Fencing sometimes becomes an afterthought until it’s an absolute necessity because the cows are leaving the barn tomorrow.

This topic reminds me of my youth in Nebraska. Each spring, my dad would load up the truck with wood posts, barbed wire, tools, and the boys to go out and fix the four-strand barbed wire fence well in advance of sending the cows to pasture. It’s wise for graziers to prepare well in advance, and make sure the fence is in good shape so the focus can turn to letting the cows out when the grasses, legumes, and forbs are ready for the cows.

Speaking of the grasses, we want to consider two important factors when deciding when to let the cows out; the amount of forage available, and the expected growth rate over the next two weeks. It’s okay to transition the cows to pasture a bit early if you use rotational grazing, and the 10-day forecast is warm. We know that the spring flush of growth is coming, and the lightly grazed pastures that are first in the rotation will respond very rapidly. Plus, we will be well on our way to building a grazing wedge so that we always have pastures ready to be grazed in the rotation. However, if one of those cold periods is on the horizon, you are best to hold the cows for a few more days rather than make one full rotation around the pastures before the growth really gets started.

Sometimes it’s really hard to wait for the right time – especially as those cows look longingly out at the pasture from the barn or the winter grounds. They watch us carefully, all lined up along the fence or gates, as we are out in the pastures working on fencing, lanes, and water, hoping that today is the day that we are going to open the gate. Watching the old cows jump around in the pasture the first day they are let out is good for the soul. Yet, it’s worth the wait to make sure the pasture is ready, and the fence is intact.

Integrating Annuals into a Perennial Grazing System

04.29.19

Brook Wilke, Farm Manager at MSU’s W.K. Kellogg Biological Station writes about integrating annuals into a grazing system and making the most out of the investment. This blog was originally featured in the online edition of The Farmer’s Exchange.

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Diverse mixtures of perennial plants are the backbone of our grazing systems in the Midwest. Pastures planted (or occurring naturally) with these mixtures offer many benefits, including deep Cows in corn field roots to maximize nutrient and water uptake, no need for replanting, tolerance, or even benefit from, grazing the biomass, weed suppression, etc. I could go on and on regarding the benefits of these perennial plants, but there are times when annual crops might provide some unique benefits for graziers.

Planting annual crops for grazing adds cost to the system. Existing vegetation needs to be terminated, seeds need to be purchased and planted, and there’s a time period where grazing cannot occur while the new plants are getting established. But, these costs can be recovered because annual forages offer three key benefits over perennials. These include: 1) Potential for increased total biomass production, 2) Forage production during the periods of poor perennial plant growth (summer, late fall), and 3) Potential for higher quality forage for high-performance animals such as dairy or finish period of lambs or steers.

For these reasons above, it’s worthwhile to consider integrating some annuals into the grazing system to improve your overall profitability. But, it’s important to take notice of the following tips to help you manage these crops to make the most out of your investment.

Plant annual forages in pastures or fields where you want to establish new perennial pastures in the long run. Crop rotations with perennials and annuals over time work very well. We’ve found that seven years of perennials followed by three years of annuals, and then back to perennials is a good rotation. Cultivating annual crops for three years helps to eliminate problem weeds in perennial pastures, making establishing perennial species easier.
Wait until June to terminate perennial pastures and plant annuals. Nearly half of the growth from perennial pastures occurs during the spring months of April May and early June, so we want to take advantage of that growth, and then establish the annual crops after the peak growth period for the perennials has passed. Herbicides and tillage both work to terminate perennial pastures; sometimes two passes are needed to get good control.
Double cropping annual forages is key to profitability. For example, plant a full season crop of sudex in June, grazing up to three times across the summer, and then follow that with a winter cereal such as triticale in the fall, which will be grazed once or twice in the spring. Similarly, spring-planted cereals such as oats can be grazed in June, and then followed with brassica crops (kale, rapeseed, radishes, etc.) for late fall/winter grazing. Mixtures can be used also, but make sure the species grow well together, rather than one species out-competing the others. The key is to have crops growing all year round in order to grow more total forage compared to the perennial mixtures elsewhere on the farm, which is essential to recover the extra cost of planting annuals.
Often times, relay cropping (planting the next crop into the previous standing crop) can be used to avoid the need to till or use herbicides to kill the previous crop. A great example is planting a winter cereal (e.g. triticale) immediately after grazing sudex in September. The sudex will die with the first frost in October but will compete with weeds until then while the triticale is getting established.
Graze annual crops by utilizing strip or mob grazing techniques. This is important to limit trampling and increase utilization of the crops, and also to encourage regrowth of those crops that will regrow after grazing.

There’s so much fun to be had with growing annual crops for grazing. Explore these options and how they might fit on your farm, but be sure to manage them well to take full advantage of the investment.

Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship is coming to Michigan

03.20.19

The Kellogg Farm and Michigan Food and Farming Systems (MIFFS) are partnering to start a regional chapter of the Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship (DGA) program, servicing Michigan, northern Indiana and northwestern Ohio. A kick-off meeting was held at the MSU. W.K. Kellogg Biological Station (KBS) in Hickory Corners on February 26^th to introduce the DGA program and provide information on how to become a Master Dairy Grazier and the benefits it could bring to dairy farms.

Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship (DGA) is a non-profit organization that was started in Wisconsin, but is currently present in 11 states. Over 150 Master Graziers are currently approved across these 11 states, resulting in a large, and growing network of experts that are available to train apprentices. The DGA is an Accredited Apprenticeship program registered with the United States Department of Labor. DGA pairs experienced grazing dairy farmers (Master Dairy Graziers) with an apprentice with little to no experience but with interest in dairy (Dairy Grazing Apprentice). The apprentices get paid while learning from their mentors, gain hands-on experience, and have other training opportunities.

Apprentices that sign up for the DGA program will be mentored by an approved Master Dairy Grazier over a two year period, often times with the opportunity for advancement after the completion of the apprenticeship. The training program lays out a series of competencies that are required to successfully own and operate a grazing dairy, including:

Measure and manage pastures for optimal quality and quantity
Manage cattle appropriately-heifers/dry cows, calves, milking cows
Manage milking operations
Assess dairy nutritional needs
Evaluate grazing and dairy farm information for effective decision making
Manage soil and water resources for productivity and health
Manage farm business operations profitably

In addition to these core management skills apprentices will complete online courses and also be a part of peer discussion groups, pasture walks, farming conferences and networking opportunities.

Dairy farms have been an important part of rural communities and economies for a long time, but recent economic challenges and lack of new farmers has resulted in a loss of 5-10% of dairy farms per year across the U.S. (higher in recent years). Now more than ever, managed grazing is a lucrative method to feed dairy cattle due to the lower feed and infrastructure costs, and ability to tap into value added markets. DGA provides a pathway for new farmers to learn the skills needed to sustain small and medium size dairy farms on the landscape.

Misty Klotz, outreach coordinator for the MSU Kellogg Farm, will be serving as the regional coordinator for DGA, and working closely with Brook Wilke (KBS Farm Manager), Howard Straub (KBS Dairy Manager), Jen Silveri (MIFFS Director) and Paola Bacigalupo Sanguesa (MSU Extension Dairy Educator) to initiate DGA in our region. Klotz will be matching up Master Graziers with Apprentices, and assisting the partners with completion of the key aspects of the apprenticeship program.

For more information about DGA, visit the website at www.dga-national.org. Interested dairy graziers or apprentices in S.W. Michigan, N. Indiana, or N.W. Ohio are encouraged to reach out to Misty Klotz or Brook Wilke (269-671-2402 or dga@kbs.msu.edu) for more information about how to get involved.

Pasture Dairy Farm featured on Great Lakes Echo podcast

02.25.19

Sustainability in the Michigan dairy industry

In this two part series on sustainability in the Michigan dairy industry, Quinn Zimmerman talks with the Kellogg Biological Station Pasture Dairy Center farm and dairy managers, Brooke Wilke and Howard Straub. Listen here.

Characteristics of a Farmer: Kera Howell

08.09.18

As I begin to reflect on my job at the Kellogg Farm, I’ve discovered from some of the people that I’ve met, that farmers have similar characteristics. Many people think of a farmer as someone who wears overalls and a plaid shirt, while riding around on a tractor all day doing farm tasks. Some of that may be true, but there is a lot more to farming than people may think! I grew up in an agriculture-based town so I have heard farm talk and my grandparents were dairy farmers so I saw farming on a short term basis, but I have never lived on a farm, so I’ve had a lot of learning to do while working on a farm!

The first characteristic of a farmer is that they are quite smart. Can you tell me the formula on how to calibrate a planter for soybeans and then correctly input that number into the GPS system in the tractor? Yeah, didn’t think so. Quite a bit of math skills are needed to understand which variables to use for the particular field you are planting to get the optimal yield. Add that together with the cost of all these variables to understand what profit you will achieve with the harvest, which will contribute to a higher profit margin. Farmers are also problem solvers. Tractor won’t start? Corn seems shorter than usual? They are quick to start thinking and review previous year’s information so steps can be developed and taken to solve the present issue.

Farmers are planners. They are always thinking about the future. Even though many farmers may not love to use this word, sustainability is a huge part of how they operate and run their agriculture system. By rotating crops like corn and soybeans, they can help restore the nutrients that may have been lost within the soil and rebuild the soil health. Farmers want to be able to maximize the land they are using in an efficient way so they can count on long-term use of the land and work to create higher yields. They are also thinking about what has to be done next on the farm to make sure all the operations are running efficiently and not wasting time or money.

With that being said, farmers are always learning. Continuous research is being done by people like my bosses, Dr. Brook Wilke, Kellogg Farm Manager, and Dr. Dean Baas, MSU Extension Educator, to educate farmers on the best ways to integrate cover crops and reduce tillage on their fields so they can increase yields of their crops, improve soil health and reduce diseases/pests. A lot of farmers realize that their “old way” of doing things might not be working anymore and want to be up to date on the latest research so their agriculture systems can be improved.

Another characteristic of farmers is that they are kind hearted. Some of them may have a hard or rough exterior, but they really care about the animals and crops they are raising. Farmers put a lot of their time and energy into making sure animals are properly cared for and that crops are growing well with the resources they have. The last thing they want people to think is that they are destroying the environment or treating animals unfairly.

That point leads me to say that farmers are some of the hardest working people I’ve met. Day in and day out, they work in all types of weather to get jobs done. Most of the time, they’re up at the crack of dawn getting ready for their day and they might not leave the farm till the sun goes down at night. During the summer, there is a lot going on and they need to make sure everything is able to get done to meet their deadlines. That means working on the weekends and holidays is sometimes the only option to get crops planted or harvested, which often means they miss spending time at home with their families.

Lastly, another characteristic I’ve discovered is that farmers are wise. Even 30-year veteran farmers know how to apply their knowledge to the ever-changing world around them. This information can include anything from crops, soil, the equipment, and they gladly share this knowledge with others. No matter what their age, they will teach you a lot about working on a farm. I had very little clue about how to drive a tractor before this summer and now I’m able to help rake and clip pastures because they were willing to teach me and pass on some of their knowledge to me! If you’re curious about something within the field of agriculture, ask a farmer! Most of the time, they’re more than happy to talk to you about your curiosity and will probably even invite you out to their farm for you to see firsthand.

In the end, the next time you visit the grocery store, take a minute to stop and think about how that food got there and appreciate that someone chose to make a living to put food on your table. I’m excited to continue to work in the field of agriculture and learn more from farmers and industry professionals about how to continue to produce food to feed the future.

Rotational Grazing Mitigates Greenhouse Gases

08.08.18

According to data from the United Nations, livestock generate 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and cattle are responsible for more emissions than any other livestock species.

Using rotational grazing is one way livestock farmers can do their part to decrease those emissions, while saving money on feeding their herds.

“It’s hard to be a small dairy farmer these days,” said Brook Wilke, Farm Manager for the W.K. Kellogg Farm. “The prices are horrible, so you have to adapt by increasing the quality of your product, or reducing your costs, and grazing is one way to do both.”

Cows graze at KBS

Grazing cows on pasture decreases not only the economic cost of feeding cows, but also the environmental costs often associated with conventional management. When the feeding quality and efficiency of a herd of cows is improved, farmers are doing themselves and the environment a huge favor.

Cows produce methane (CH4) during their digestive process, and decomposing manure generates both methane and nitrous oxide. While livestock like cattle produce a great deal of greenhouse gases, the grasslands they graze on also have the capacity to store those gases and prevent them from being redistributed into the air.

If cows are left to graze one area of pasture continuously, they can eat the grass down to the ground, disturbing stores of carbon. If cows are rotated between different areas of pasture, then those stores can remain intact, halting further emissions from those sources.

Rotational grazing allows cows to get the nutrients they need and maintains the health of the grass and soil over the long term, all while keeping carbon in the ground instead of releasing it into the atmosphere. With a rotational grazing system, there’s less need to feed cows grain or artificially fertilize the grass.

One study found that farms participating in sustainable agriculture practices like rotational grazing produced 19% fewer emissions than non-participating farms in the first two years, dropping to 35% fewer emissions after participating for longer than two years.

Grazing School

The W.K. Kellogg Farm’s Pasture Dairy Center uses a rotational grazing strategy for its dairy herd.

“Because of our pasture management practices, we’re a carbon sink. We’re sequestering it, which is hard to do using conventional management practices,” said Howard Straub, KBS Pasture Dairy Center Manager.

Environmentally conscious livestock farming is possible, using methods like rotational grazing. The Pasture Dairy Center manages 240 acres of pasture, which is divided up into a variety of forage mixes, and different areas are used for research experiments and comparisons.

At the Farm, data-driven management is key. From rotating cows between paddocks based on measurements of available forage biomass to irrigating based on soil moisture data from electroconnectivity sensors, Straub and Wilke are on a mission to farm smarter and more sustainably.

Straub works directly with individual farmers who are interested in adopting similar strategies to those practiced at the Farm, and the Farm offers a variety of professional development programs for farmers, like Grazing School.

The Farm’s mission, set by W.K. Kellogg, is to “operate this farm under a most modern system of farm management so that it may serve as an object lesson to the people of the region in which it is located.” Through their conservation-minded management choices and outreach efforts, the Farm’s staff are doing exactly that.

For more information on the impacts of animal agriculture on climate change, visit the KBS LTER’s website for a variety of resources. This blog post originally appeared on the main KBS website, written by Bethany Bohlen.