Protein down on second cut

[Edwin_ah]

Weird season for us in central Missouri or just me? first cut was fantastic, but this second cut is all stemmy and the protein is way lower than usual, this one tested at 9.8% when we're normally around 13 to 14% for second cutting. I dunno if the heat dome in July messed with the maturity timing or if I just cut too late.
Third cut is coming up and trying to figure out if I should adjust anything

 

[J.peck]

9.8% isn't terrible for feeding but definitely not your best, try adjust timing on third cut and you should bounce back

 

[Brad Pith]

What's your usual interval between cuts, like 30 days?

 

[quipper]

Sounds like your second cut got hit by a perfect storm. Heat stress in July plus letting it get too stemmy can definitely drag protein down. For the third cut, try shortening the interval a bit and harvest a little earlier if possible. That usually brings protein back up without sacrificing too much yield. Also, keep an eye on soil fertility, because low N can worsen stemmy growth.