Forage harvesting

As this year’s crop plans and seed hybrids are finalized, some producers are considering pairing reduced-lignin alfalfa with brown midrib corn silage. The question arises, can pairing these technologies result in too much digestible fiber?

Maximizing homegrown forages is appealing to dairy producers, especially as they face tough market conditions. Many considerations should be made to ensure you don’t lose money in the quest to save it.

By Cody McCary, Vita Plus | It is an exciting time of year!  In northern states, fields are greening up and life seems to be coming back from what may feel like a frozen tundra at times. In southern states, warmer temperatures have returned and, in many areas, annual crops have been planted, providing hope for the year to come.

By Michelle Chang-Der Bedrosian, Vita Plus | A rapid decline in pH is crucial to achieving an optimal silage fermentation, preserving silage nutrients, and maximizing the feed’s value. Research-proven bacterial inoculants are valuable tools in driving this rapid pH decline amidst the variables that can affect the ensiling process.

By Michelle Chang-Der Bedrosian, Ph.D., Vita Plus | When harvesting and storing forage, getting everything right results in better yields and high-quality forages.  But stars must align for success.

By Steve Murty, Vita Plus, forage products specialist | The same questions arise several times every spring.  "Will my alfalfa stands survive another season?  Will there be enough forage this coming year?"  A proactive approach to answering these questions begins in late fall after you have filled the silos, pumped the pits and seeded cover crops.

By Michelle Chang-Der Bedrosian, Ph.D., Vita Plus, and Adam Durrin, Aurox | In the agricultural industry, efficient silage management is crucial for maintaining a steady and reliable supply of feed for feedstock.  One of the challenges in this process is accurately estimating shrink during storage.  Traditional methods of estimating these losses, such as measuring the density of the pile with a drill and probe and then measuring pile disappearance, can be time consuming and prone to errors.  However, with the advancements in drone technology, there is now a more efficient and precise solution.

By Paulina Letelier, Ph.D., Vita plus | Many farms throughout the Midwest reported harvesting drier-than-ideal corn silage this season. Here are some strategies to get the most from these dry corn silages.

By Jon Rasmussen, Vita Plus | Routine feed inventory assessments are critical for managing your livestock operations. We need to have enough feed (but not too much feed) and we also need to plan feed budgets based on what will be available. When Mother Nature interrupts normal harvest intentions, we need to measure inventories more frequently and discuss alternatives to fulfill the feed budget.

By Rick Grant, William H. Miner Agricultural Research Institute | Forage quality is an overlooked component of cow comfort. Forage particle size, NDF degradability, fragility and dietary forage percentage must allow the cow to consume feed within 3 to 5 hours per day. Too much forage fiber, poorly digested and/or coarsely chopped forage will extend eating time beyond 5 hours per day and probably limit dry matter intake (DMI).

By Erin Schwandt, Ph.D., and Paige Gott, Ph.D., dsm-firmenich | The presence of mold on grains and feed ingredients has been shown to negatively impact the nutritional value, impacting energy, vitamin and amino acid digestibility. Mold also can reduce feed palatability.

By Cody McCary and Michelle Chang-Der Bedrosian, Ph.D., | Butyric fermentations occur in silages that are wet and have a high pH, which creates the ideal growth environment for Clostridia. A low pH is our best tool to combat clostridial fermentations, and the faster the pH can decrease the better.

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. 

By Luke Daninger, Ag Partners Coop | As we approach warmer temperatures and alfalfa greens up throughout the countryside, it is good to think about a key factor in alfalfa production: minimizing ash content during harvest. Main concerns of high ash content in forage include the fact that it has no energy value and that elevated soil contamination could potentially result in Clostidria being found in the silage.

By Keith Lesmeister, Ph.D., Vita Plus dairy specialist and Michelle Chang-Der Bedrosian, Ph.D., Vita Plus forage specialist | The silo was sealed well, the applicator was winterized, the chopper was cleaned and put away, and hopefully, the harvest crew finally caught up on some much-needed sleep.  Temperatures dropped and, hopefully, so did the silage pH.  Now it’s time to start feeding that corn silage.

By Luiz Ferraretto, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison | Forage needs vary vastly within and among dairies across years.  Implementation of practices targeting greater yields is key; however, finding the sweet spot between yield and nutritive value is no simple task, especially when producing silage with high fiber digestibility.