Most hay producers in the Southeast irrigate their hayfields on a set schedule to provide 1/2 – 1 inch per week. Unfortunately, in a drought year, this level of irrigation may not be sufficient to replace water lost through evapotranspiration.

The U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center (USDFRC) is a research center of the USDA devoted to the optimization of the use of forages in improving dairy cattle production and sustainability. The center employs 20 research scientists and 40 support staff, and hosts another 40 students, post-docs and visiting scientists.