By Randall Greenfield, Vita Plus dairy specialist Producers often ask for help assigning fair prices to buy or sell forages. Corn silage is one of the easier forage values to calculate. Use these tips and considerations if you are trying to price your corn silage.
By Jerry Ruetten, Vita Plus dairy specialist Handheld near-infrared (NIR) spectrometers promise dairy producers instant feedstuff analysis in the palms of their hands. While the technology is still fairly new, we tested some of these devices and have some advice to help you get the most out of them.
By Phil Krueger, Mycogen Seeds nutritionist Although corn silage planting has been significantly delayed this year, it is still the preferred forage of choice, and here are some things to keep in mind as we head into late-June and early-July.
By Wyatt Smith, Vita Plus dairy specialist Particle size is important to consider when feeding cows, but it is also important at the time of ensiling. With many producers growing grasses in place of alfalfa this year, the theoretical length of cut will need to be adjusted to get the most out of these forages.
By Dr. Michelle Der Bedrosian, Vita Plus forage products and dairy technical specialist The excessive rainfall this growing season has many forages going into the bunker wetter than normal, which predisposes these feeds to some bad bacteria. If you suspect you have some bad bacteria in your feeds, here are some options you have available.
By Nathan Hrnicek, Vita Plus forage consultant Producers will soon be wondering when they should harvest alfalfa to maximize yield and maintain quality. These eight practices can help you control alfalfa quality throughout the harvest process.
By Dr. Damon Smith, University of Wisconsin-Madison assistant professor and extension specialist In the last 10 years, foliar fungicide applications have gained popularity in alfalfa meant for dairy production. These applications can be used to target foliar diseases, but they are now also being used to boost plant health and to protect yield potential.
By Steve Murty, Vita Plus forage products specialist In the pursuit of greater alfalfa yields, farmers have inadvertently selected seed that requires heavier equipment to harvest. Research has shown driving on fields, especially when conditions don't support it, can cause soil compaction and significant yield reductions.
By Jon Erickson, Mycogen Seeds commerical agronomist Uniform plant emergence is one important factor to grow a successful crop each year. Hopefully you don't have an issue with emergence, but if you do, use these guidelines to help you work through this process.
By Abby Neu, University of Minnesota extension educator Ash can be internal or external. External ash is undesirable soil contamination, provides no nutritional value, adds unnecessary weight to forage, which increases cost, and can be influenced by the type of hay rake used.
Posted on February 1st, 2019 in Forage Foundations
By Dr. Eric Schwab, Vita Plus dairy technical specialist Mycotoxins are present in a wide range of livestock feeds. If you determine that a mycotoxin challenge exists, here are 3 mitigation strategies to help alleviate the situation.
Posted on February 1st, 2019 in Forage Foundations
By Steve Murty, Vita Plus forage products specialist Seed treatments, such as seed coatings, can provide the seed more protection once it is planted, but examining the individual components of the treatment will help determine its value.
Posted on February 1st, 2019 in Forage Foundations
By Meghan Gebhardt, Silostop regional manager Each year, silo plastics help preserve quality silage, however, it also creates several thousand pounds of waste. Luckily, other options to limit plastic waste are growing in popularity.
Posted on February 1st, 2019 in Forage Foundations
By Barry Visser, Vita Plus dairy technical specialist With the introduction of reduced-lignin alfalfa, some producers wonder if pairing it with BMR corn will result in too much digestible fiber. Although research is limited, some producers are having success with this feeding strategy.
Posted on February 1st, 2019 in Forage Foundations
By Nathen Nysse, Peninsula Pride Farms, LLC agronomist Soil health is a complex concept that takes years of patience and care to complete. Yet it can have many positive implications for your crops, water quality and more. Use these steps to help increase your soil health.
Posted on September 26th, 2018 in Forage Foundations
By Dr. Michelle Der Bedrosian, Vita Plus forage products and dairy technical specialist Gas production during fermentation is normal and it will occur for roughly a week after a silo is sealed. While most gases are harmless, others are deadly.
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