By Michelle Der Bedrosian, Ph.D., Vita Plus | In the world of silage production, achieving optimal fermentation and a rapid pH decline are key to preserving forage quality and maximizing feed value. The pH of the silage is one of the most crucial factors in this process, affecting the overall nutritional quality of the feed.
By Mark Leggett, Ph.D., Volac International Ltd. | Bacteria are the driving force in the silage’s fermentation. Silage inoculants are applied to speed up the fermentation and preserve silage dry matter. Ensuring your silage is fermented by the best and most efficient bacterial strains starts in the laboratory.
Maximizing homegrown nutrients is a key strategy to manage costs in today’s volatile markets. Vita Plus consultants are committed to providing service and technology to help you get the most from your forages.
By Michelle Chang-Der Bedrosian, Ph.D., Vita Plus | A key component of reducing purchased feed costs is maximizing the nutrients available from your forages. Quickly dropping the silage pH to preserve dry matter and preventing spoilage puts more homegrown nutrient in front of your cows. Crop-N-Rich Nexus silage inoculant helps you economically achieve that goal.
By Michelle Chang-Der Bedrosian, Ph.D., Vita Plus | The initial phase of making silage is the aerobic phase and it is characterized by the presence of oxygen. The aerobic phase begins when the plant is cut in the field and continues until the silo is sealed (either the plastic is laid on top of the silo or the bag silo is sealed) and oxygen is consumed by the upfront fermentation.
One strategy to control costs on your dairy is to retain of much of your homegrown forages - and the nutrients they contain - as possible. Choosing the right inoculant and oxygen barrier plastic will help you limit dry matter (DM) loss and spoilage.
By Renato Schmidt, Ph.D., Lallemand Animal Nutrition | Quality forage inoculants can be used to control the fermentation and quality of forages, as well as enhance the overall value at feedout. A newly available inoculant offers flexibility in feedout by allowing a silage to be fed as soon as 15 days post-ensiling.
Contact your consultant to book today! Vita Plus Crop-N-Rich inoculants are pure, effective bacterial inoculants that offer unmatched ease of use and are backed with immense research.
By Steve Murty, Vita Plus | Equipment repairs are the last thing you want to deal with when a crop is ready to harvest. Supply chain issues we often face today add to the frustration. This applies to inoculant applicators like any other equipment. A little time invested now can save headaches next spring.
Dr. Michelle Chang-Der Bedrosian, Vita Plus – The value of silage has skyrocketed, which means the penalty of dry matter loss has also skyrocketed. In today’s markets, we cannot afford to skip inoculants.
By Dr. Michelle Chang-Der Bedrosian, Vita Plus forage products and dairy technical service
Laboratory analysis of yeast counts finds the majority of silages in the Midwest are undergoing active spoilage during the spring, summer and fall months. However, when asked, most producers say they do not have a spoilage problem. This hidden spoilage problem can be a major source of forage shrink and can also lead to decreased milk production, intakes, animal health, and farm profitability.
One way to control costs on your dairy is to retain as much of your homegrown forages as possible. Learn about our line of Crop-N-Rich forage inoculants and Silostop oxygen barrier plastic.
By Eugene Rodberg, Kemin product manager
When should we use an acid and when should we use a bacterial inoculant? This question is not easy to answer because the answer changes from day to day. To understand when to best use these products, we need to understand why we use these products.
By Dr. Michelle Chang-Der Bedrosian, Vita Plus forage products and dairy technical services
Price will always be a consideration when purchasing a forage inoculant, but before you purchase a cheap inoculant, take a moment to understand the amount of research and money that goes into creating and marketing a viable forage inoculant.
By Dr. Luis Ferraretto, University of Wisconsin-Madison assistant professor and extension specialist
As you make final preparations to harvest this year's corn crop, make sure you are using the best inoculant for the crop you are harvesting, this includes corn silage and other fractionated corn silages, such as earlage.
Stephanie Jens, Lallemand Animal Nutrition, joins Michelle Chang-Der Bedrosian, Vita Plus, to offer a few tips to harvest and store high moisture corn, including choosing the right inoculant, keeping inoculant lines from freezing, and grinding the corn to optimize starch digestibility.