Longer storage length: What does it change? – Dr. Luiz Ferraretto, University of Florida

Posted on January 25, 2018 in Forage Foundations
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By Dr. Luiz Ferraretto, University of Florida assistant professor
While ensiling has been a well-established tool to store forages without compromising nutrient availability, recent research trials have reported some alterations in the nutritive value of silage occur with extended storage length.

Evaluating cereal forages from fall to spring – Pat Hoffman, Vita Plus

Posted on November 20, 2017 in Forage Foundations
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By Pat Hoffman, Vita Plus dairy technical specialist
While the weather allowed most corn silage and crops to be harvested before a killing frost set in, the planting of winter cereal forages were delayed or not accomplished.  If you are questioning if it is too late to plant your cereal crops or if they will make it, this article seeks to provide some tips on winter cereal crop evaluation.

Grass silage: Success and challenges – Dr. Michelle Windle, Vita Plus

Posted on July 25, 2017 in Forage Foundations
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By Dr. Michelle Windle, Vita Plus forage products and dairy technical services specialist
Many factors may influence a producer’s decision to grow grass silage, such as a need for somewhere to put manure, a land topography that requires a cover crop, or a limited forage inventory that could use some quality feed to stretch it.  Grass silage can offer many advantages to both the animal and the producer. 

Windle: Managing Your Inoculants: Getting the Biggest Value Back From Your Investment

Posted on February 22, 2013 in Forage Foundations
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  Investing in microbial inoculants can pay off through improved fermentation and aerobic stability.  However, properly managing those inoculants is key to getting the biggest value back from that investment. That’s according to Michelle Windle, a graduate student working with Dr. Limin Kung in the Dairy Nutrition and Silage Fermentation Lab at the University of

Bolsen: Minimizing Dry Matter Loss

Posted on February 22, 2013 in Forage Foundations
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  Click to download presentation Over the past five years, U.S. harvesters have put up 109.9 million tons of corn silage, according to Dr. Keith Bolsen, professor emeritus with Kansas State University and private forage consultant. That means that corn silage is a $7 billion industry today.  Compare that to the $2 billion industry of

Brantsen: Earlage Moisture and Processing Survey

Posted on February 22, 2013 in Forage Foundations
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  Click to download presentation John Brantsen, a Vita Plus dairy nutritionist, remembers the 2011 harvest season well.  In his area of northwest Iowa, the late summer and fall brought high temperatures and a lot of wind.  He said harvesters in the area were racing the weather, trying to get corn silage harvested before it

Shaver: Nutritional Application of Corn Shredlage in Dairy Cattle Feeding

Posted on February 21, 2013 in Forage Foundations
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   Click to download presentation Dairy producers have expressed interest in feeding corn as Shredlage™. At the University of Wisconsin – Madison, Dr. Randy Shaver has been conducting feeding trials to see what makes it tick inside the cow. He shared his results with those looking to put up feed for dairies at the

Kung: Aerobic Deterioration of Silages – Causes, Results & Impact on Ruminants

Posted on December 4, 2012 in Forage Foundations
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Forage cannot be made better from the point it leaves the field, therefore our goal as an industry is to start with the best quality forage possible and preserve it with excellent silage management, said Dr. Limin Kung, University of Delaware. Harvesters and producers should have two goals in making fermented feeds. At the front

Charley: Buchneri 40788 – The Quality Difference

Posted on December 4, 2012 in Forage Foundations
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One simple principle makes Lactobacillus buchneri 40788 stand out against other bacterial forage inoculants. According to Bob Charley with Lallemand Animal Nutrition, that simple principle is a commitment to quality. Buchneri 40788 is the only FDA-approved, research-patented bacteria known to improve aerobic stability of high moisture corn and forages. When used with proper crop management,

Beardsmore: MTD/1 – The Commitment Behind the Name

Posted on December 4, 2012 in Forage Foundations
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Ecosyl is as committed to producing high quality inoculants as today’s custom harvesters are committed to putting up top-notch forages. That’s according to Dr. Andrew Beardsmore of Ecosyl Products Limited. Vita Plus Crop-N-Rich is a unique forage inoculant based on the scientifically proven Lactobacillus plantarum bacterial strain MTD/1. This inoculant has been shown to provide

Griswold: Corn Silage Density and Dry Matter Loss – Why and How to Make Your Customers More Dense

Posted on December 4, 2012 in Forage Foundations
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There are four types of dry matter loss – fermentation loss, loss from leaching, surface spoilage loss and feedout loss. Dr. Ken Griswold, Penn State Cooperative Extension, conducted a study to measure losses from fermentation and leaching, with an objective to refine the relationship between density and loss. Griswold worked with four relatively small bunker

Wacek-Driver: Silage Evaluation from the Cow’s Perspective – Six Course Meal or Poor Takeout?

Posted on December 4, 2012 in Forage Foundations
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With all of the factors that influence forage quality, Chris Wacek-Driver said “it’s pretty amazing we produce as many high quality forages as we do.”  Wacek-Driver, Vita Plus forage program manager, congratulated harvesters for doing such a good job during her breakout session presentation at the Vita Plus Custom Harvester Meeting 2011. Wacek-Driver said, “It’s