7 Times Measuring the Moisture Content of Feeds Pays Off

Posted on September 25, 2020 in Forage Foundations

By Dr. Michelle Chang-Der Bedrosian, Vita Plus forage products and dairy technical specialist
While most producers are concerned about moisture content around harvest time, it can be beneficial, as well as profitable, to measure moisture content at these seven times throughout the year. 

Choosing an inoculant for earlage

Posted on August 17, 2020 in Forage Foundations

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.

VIDEO: Preparing your kernel processor

Posted on August 17, 2020 in Forage Foundations

Part of a successful corn silage season is having a fine-tuned kernel processor. To help you get prepared for this year's harvest, we walk you through how to check if your kernel processor is ready to hit the fields.

2020 harvest: Go time is close

Posted on August 17, 2020 in Forage Foundations

The 2020 corn crop looks good in much of the Midwest.  Vita Plus staff across the area provide a quick recap of this growing season and estimated corn silage harvest start dates.

VIDEO: Harvest for high moisture corn

Posted on August 17, 2020 in Forage Foundations

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.

When’s the right time to seed forages in late summer?

Posted on August 17, 2020 in Forage Foundations

By La Crosse Seed
August and September give many producers across the Midwest another window of opportunity to establish perennial forages, and seeding in late summer offers several advantages compared to spring.

Winning the alfalfa game: Does RFQ tell the score?

Posted on June 17, 2020 in Forage Foundations

By Stacy Nichols, Vita Plus dairy technical specialist
The goal of managing alfalfa through harvest should not be to maximize relative feed quality (RFQ). Instead, it should be to achieve a balance between digestible fiber content and effective fiber. 

Spoiling silages and TMRs

Posted on June 17, 2020 in Forage Foundations

By Dr. Limin Kung, University of Delaware professor of animal and food sciences
Silages start to spoil when exposed to air. Because total mixed rations (TMR) contain silages, they are also prone to further spoilage in the feed bunk, and the consequences of feeding these feeds can vary depending on several factors.

VIDEO: When should you use an inoculant with L. buchneri?

Posted on June 17, 2020 in Forage Foundations

By Dr. Michelle Chang-Der Bedrosian, Vita Plus forage products and dairy technical specialist
Warmer temperatures create the perfect environment for spoilage in your forages. Chang-Der Bedrosian explains how a forage inoculant with L. buchneri 40788 can help prevent spoilage, as well as when you are better off not using it.

Preserving protein in the silo and the rumen

Posted on June 17, 2020 in Forage Foundations

By Dr. Michelle Chang-Der Bedrosian, Vita Plus forage products and dairy technical specialist
Preserving as much true protein quality as possible in your homegrown forages is an important part of ensiling, and utilizing that protein efficiently will lead to greater overall profitability. One way to achieve both of those goals is with a research-proven forage inoculant.

Alternative forages can provide the nutrients cows need

Posted on June 17, 2020 in Forage Foundations

By Dr. Owen Mickley, Vita Plus dairy specialist
Last year many farmers planted alternative forage species and put up some "unfamiliar" feeds. When strategically incorporated into the feeding plan, alternative forages can provide us the opportunity to fill in the gaps without leaving milk on the table.

What’s the best crop for my soil?

Posted on April 14, 2020 in Forage Foundations

By Steve Murty, Vita Plus forage products specialist
Customers ask this question each year before planting season, and it may still be asked several times per year on the same acre. To answer this question, you need to examine the various components that make up the soil environment.

Tips for sorghum forage management

Posted on April 14, 2020 in Forage Foundations

By Dr. Matt Akins, University of Wisconsin-Madison assistant scientist
Last year’s growing season was difficult for many forage growers, and several producers made the decision to try sorghum forages with varying success. If you are looking to continue growing sorghum forages this year, keep these tips in mind.

VIDEO: Safety is first and ALWAYS

Posted on April 14, 2020 in Forage Foundations

Stephanie Jens, Lallemand Animal Nutrition, and Dr. Michelle Chang-Der Bedrosian, Vita Plus
Safety is a value at Vita Plus, and we remind all our customers, staff, and industry partners to be safe during forage harvest and throughout the year. This video offers tips to follow when working around forage bunkers and piles.

Managing alfalfa insect pests

Posted on April 14, 2020 in Forage Foundations

By Andrew Heath, Legacy Seeds agronomist
Yield is the most important component of an alfalfa crop’s profitability equation, and proper management of insect pests will preserve yield potential for greater feed quality and stand longevity.

Benefits of forage inventory planning

Posted on April 14, 2020 in Forage Foundations

By Jon Rasmussen, Vita Plus dairy technology specialist
No matter what your fields look like, it is advantageous to know when the feed in storage will be used up, and frequent measurements and projections of your feed inventory will help reduce any anxiety you may have going into planting and harvest.