Tennessee ranks 12^th in the nation in the use of farmland for the production of hay or for actively grazing livestock, especially beef cattle. In early March landowners will gather to discuss this lucrative, but sometimes misunderstood agricultural commodity, and University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture experts and an expert from Auburn University will be on hand to explain industry trends.

The Tennessee Forage and Grassland Council will hold a forage conference at the West Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center in Jackson, Tenn., on Tuesday, March 5. The conference will focus on practices that livestock producers can use to be more efficient in their forage programs.

The meeting will begin with a dinner at 5:30 p.m. CST, with the program starting at 6 p.m. Speakers and topics for the conference include the following experts and topics:

• Using alfalfa in tall fescue and bermudagrass, presented by Renata Nave Oakes, UT Department of Plant Sciences.

• What information can you get from a forage test? presented by Gary Bates, UT Department of Plant Sciences and director of the UT Beef and Forage Center.

• Mineral content of forage crops, presented by Kim Mullenix, Auburn University Extension specialist.

• Which is best: a 45-, 60- or 90-day breeding season? presented by Justin Rhinehart, UT Department of Animal Science.

• Using forage test results, presented by Jason Smith, UT Department of Animal Science.

• Top money eaters in cow-calf production, presented by Andrew Griffith, UT Department of Agricultural and Rural Economics.

Registration for this meeting is $25, which includes dinner and a one-year membership in the TFGC.

For more information contact Gary Bates by email at [email protected] or by phone at 865-974-7208.

Source: University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, which is solely responsible for the information provided and is wholly owned by the source. Informa Business Media and all its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset.