Forage Foundations

By Peter Coyne, Vita Plus sales manager
Preparing your team to work together, to think as one, to understand the importance of safe and efficient work as they harvest, and to store exceptional feed requires deliberate planning and communication.  It is never safe to assume everyone is on the same page.

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 Stacy Nichols, Vita Plus dairy technical specialist
Producers are often enticed to take a late-season alfalfa harvest after a freeze or frost because it helps boost forage inventories, does little harm to the plant, and often has high crude protein levels and low fiber content. Despite these benefits, this alfalfa rarely feeds well, and we have some theories.

By Dr. Zach Sawall, Vita Plus dairy nutritionist and technical services specialist, and Pat Hoffman, Vita Plus dairy technical support specialist
“What else can we fit into our crop rotation to get more tonnage from the acres we have to work?” Italian ryegrass can be an effective forage option whether you’re looking to rescue a winterkilled alfalfa field or wanting to put up a grass forage.

Kevin Jarek and Dr. Matt Akins, University of Wisconsin Extension
During this year's virtual Wisconsin Agronomy Update, University of Wisconsin extension agents provided attendees with an update on Wisconsin’s alfalfa landscape and explained how alternative forages have increased in production to make up for lost alfalfa yields.

By Jarrod Blackburn, Vita Plus dairy specialist
Many different bird species make a dairy farm “home” in the cooler months, posing a risk to the health of livestock and people as well as the farm’s bottom line. Luckily, you have options to control those bird populations and protect your investment.

With Glen Jantzen, Raph Jolliffe and Jon Orr
The 2020 harvest season was a year unlike any other, but many U.S. custom harvesters adapted and chopped quality forages for their customers. We caught up with three U.S. Custom Harvesters, Inc. board members to get their reflections on this year’s harvest.

Nathan Hrnicek, Vita Plus forage consultant, introduces the SCiO Cup by Consumer Physics and demonstrates how to use it to receive instant and accurate dry matter analyses of your forages.

By Dr. Luiz Ferraretto, University of Wisconsin-Madison assistant professor and extension specialist
Recent corn silage field studies have addressed whether fermentation can make up for inadequate processing at harvest.

By Dr. Michelle Chang-Der Bedrosian, Vita Plus forage products and dairy technical specialist
Quickly eliminating oxygen from silage and keeping it out during storage is integral to maintaining silage quality. Silo plastic coverings play an important role in achieving this goal, and advancements in this technology continue meet the challenge.

By Kate McAndrews, Vita Plus sales manager
Cellphone use while operating equipment is a form of distracted driving and it is extremely dangerous. If you don’t have a safe communication system in place for you and your farm crew, developing a plan in the offseason would be time well invested. 

By Mark Case, Vita Plus dairy specialist
Depending on who you ask, you can get drastically different answers regarding how to tell if high moisture shelled corn and snaplage are ready for harvest, so we consulted the experts to make sure we get it right.

By Dr. Matt Digman and Dr. Kevin Shinners, University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Biological Systems Engineering
Corn residue, or stover, is often harvested as dry bales for roughage feed or bedding. However, the window of opportunity for drying is limited at this time of year. An alternative harvest option is to chop and ensile it as stalklage.

Stephanie Jens, Lallemand Animal Nutrition, joins Dr. Michelle Chang-Der Bedrosian, Vita Plus, to provide high moisture corn management tips to store and prevent spoilage in the silo, as well as feed it.

By Nathan Hrnicek, Vita Plus forage consultant
It is important to have the correct storage space for all of your forages. If you are considering new storage structures, keep in mind the amount of space and feed you need now, as well as in the future, and how it works into your feedout strategy.

Across most of the Midwest, corn silage harvest is complete. Vita Plus staff across the area provide a quick recap of this year's corn silage harvest and a preliminary quality assessment.