Posted: January 4, 2012 at 2:24 pm
By Cindy Zimmerman
The Nebraska Alfalfa Marketing Association (NAMA) will launch an online alfalfa evaluation tool at the upcoming Mid-America Alfalfa Expo & Conference, to be held at the Buffalo County Fairgrounds in Kearney, Nebraska, February 7 and 8.
“The evaluation tool allows users to calculate a sound value of their alfalfa based on a nutrient comparable basis or a market comparable basis,” said Kyle Lechtenberg of Spencer, Nebraska, a member of the NAMA board who is helping to develop the tool. “The goal is to have a specific value for buyers and sellers to use as a starting point when marketing alfalfa, instead of simply asking neighbors or coming up with a ballpark guess.”
Lechtenberg explained that the nutrient comparable basis model allows users to input current prices of corn and soybean meal. The formula then provides a value of the alfalfa on a comparable nutrient basis. The market-based model, however, uses U.S. Department of Agriculture hay price reporting for inputs. It then adjusts those values based on the natural tendency of buyers to pay better for higher quality hay and flatten out for lower grade commodity hay.
“It will be possible to have both models weighted to get an average of the two,” he said. “This is useful in years like this when the market basis model shows a higher value than the nutrient basis model because of short hay supplies. It’s really a great tool that will benefit buyers and sellers alike.”
The Mid-America Alfalfa Expo & Conference is for alfalfa producers, livestock/dairy producers and others who are involved in alfalfa production, purchasing, hay feeding or processing.
Registration is $10 per person in advance (tickets must be purchased by noon, February 3, 2012) and $20 at the door. Participants under the age of 18 are admitted at no charge. Registration is available online at www.AlfalfaExpo.com.
Posted: July 26, 2011 at 2:33 pm
By Joanna
Demand for animal feed is on the rise worldwide and dairy cattle is no exception. But where will all the feed come from? One emerging option is algae meal, a product or co-product from algal biofuels production. To study algae meal as feed for dairy cattle, University of Minnesota recently completed a feed-trial of PetroAlgae‘s micro-crop meal to determine how it performed. The trial discovered that it performed as well as alfalfa in dairy cattle diets. The global market for dairy feed from alfalfa alone is estimated at 400 million metric tons by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization.
The study encompassed a continuous 6-week feeding trial of a statistically significant sample of 36 dairy cows living in barns housed at the University of Minnesota. It measured the algae meal against a 17.5 percent protein alfalfa diet and measured nutrient intake, milk yield and composition. With the positive results, PetroAlgae anticipates its micro-crop meal will be highly competitive in the feed market.
The University of Minnesota study is the first to validate PetroAlgae micro-crop meal in the dairy diet against the industry standard. Several key findings included algae meal having higher dairy efficiency values, higher energy values than alfalfa, and algae meal matched the alfalfa diet in milk, milk yield, body score, and body weight.
“The results of this study show that PetroAlgae micro-crop meal is a desirable ingredient for high producing dairy cattle and that it performed comparably to high-protein alfalfa meal,” said Dr. Noah Litherland, who performed the study at the University of Minnesota. “We are encouraged to see this product perform so well against one of the more universally understood products in dairy nutrition.”
Litherland added, “There is also an intriguing opportunity to alter the lipid composition of the meat and milk for added human health benefit.”
Who knows, in the not to distant future farmer’s may be growing algae for feed and fuel alongside alfalfa and other crops.
Posted: May 11, 2011 at 5:58 pm
By Cindy Zimmerman
Planting delays seem to be consuming the thoughts and energy of most growers this spring. But with the alfalfa crop maturing, don’t be tempted to delay that important first crop cutting. Hear what Alan Patterson, dairy specialist with Pioneer Hi-Bred, says about spring alfalfa challenges in this edition of Pioneer’s Forage Forum.
Listen to the podcast here:
Forage Forum on Spring Alfalfa
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Subscribe to Forage Forum here.
Posted: March 14, 2011 at 1:21 pm
By Cindy Zimmerman
Roundup Ready® alfalfa is back on the market again. Robin Newell, Pioneer senior forage business manager, discusses this recent decision and Pioneer® brand alfalfa offerings in this edition of Pioneer’s Forage Forum.
Listen to the podcast here:
Forage Forum on Roundup Ready Alfalfa
To see all archived Pioneer Forage Forum podcasts, click here.
Subscribe to Forage Forum here.
Posted: January 27, 2011 at 6:36 pm
By Cindy Zimmerman
USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) today announced its decision to grant non-regulated status for alfalfa that has been genetically engineered to be resistant to the herbicide commercially known as Roundup.
“After conducting a thorough and transparent examination of alfalfa through a multi-alternative environmental impact statement (EIS) and several public comment opportunities, APHIS has determined that Roundup Ready alfalfa is as safe as traditionally bred alfalfa,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said. “All of the alfalfa production stakeholders involved in this issue have stressed their willingness to work together to find solutions. We greatly appreciate and value the work they’ve done so far and will continue to provide support to the wide variety of sectors that make American agriculture successful.”
Needless to say, Monsanto is pleased by the decision.
“This is great news for farmers who have been waiting for the green light to plant Roundup Ready alfalfa,” said Steve Welker, alfalfa commercial lead at Monsanto. “USDA’s action gives farmers the choice to enjoy the benefits of this product, including superior crop safety and high-quality yield opportunity.”
Roundup Ready alfalfa was developed by Monsanto and Forage Genetics International (FGI). The USDA decision comes in time for spring planting, the company noted. Monsanto, FGI and other alfalfa seed companies have varieties of Genuity Roundup Ready alfalfa seed in stock and ready for sale.
The U.S. House Agriculture Committee just held a hearing last Thursday to review the biotechnology product regulatory approval process where biotech alfalfa was in the spotlight and Secretary Vilsack testified.
Posted: January 21, 2011 at 4:44 pm
By Cindy Zimmerman
The future of biotech alfalfa was in the spotlight as the U.S. House Agriculture Committee held a hearing Thursday to review the biotechnology product regulatory approval process.
Prior to the hearing, committee chairman Frank Lucas (R-OK) joined Senate Republican colleagues in sending a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack requesting that the department “return to a science based regulatory system for agriculture biotechnology and to deregulate without conditions genetically engineered (GE) alfalfa.” The letter noted that while science strongly supports the safety of GE alfalfa, USDA’s proposal politicizes the regulatory process and could set a harmful precedent for open pollinated crops in the future.
Vilsack was the main witness at the hearing and in his testimony he pointed out that the legal challenges related to GE alfalfa have taken years. “APHIS made its initial decision to deregulate GE alfalfa in June 2005. Yet here we are nearly six years later with the process not yet concluded,” said Vilsack. “The situation needs to be resolved. The legal challenges, and the resulting effects, have created uncertainty for all growers. Growers need to order seed and make planting decisions, but have difficulty when the legal challenges cause so much uncertainty. There are companies and researchers who have devoted significant resources to developing safe products that can help us meet our food security needs, but find themselves fighting in the courts, or waiting to see how a judge’s decision in a separate case will affect them.”
When asked about the issue during a press conference on another subject Thursday, Vilsack made several points. “Number one, we recognize our responsibilities under the plant protection act and we take them very seriously,” said Vilsack. “Number two, we understand that our decision needs to be done in a timely basis so that folks that are waiting to decide what to do and when to do it and how to do it will have enough time and enough direction to be able to do it. Number three, we recognize that any decision that is made has to be science based, that is what the law requires and that is what we will do.”
Listen to those comments from Vilsack here: Vilsack comments on GE Alfalfa
Vilsack also commented on the issue during his address at the recent American Farm Bureau Federation annual meeting. “What we’re trying to do is to stimulate a conversation and to ensure that every person, every farmer, every rancher, every grower has the capacity to do on their land what they wish to do,” he said. “If you want to grow GM crops you ought to be able to do that, if you want to grow identity-preserved conventional you ought to be able to do that, if you want to be an organic farmer you ought to be able to do that.”
Listen to Vilsack’s comments on the alfalfa issue from AFBF here: Vilsack at AFBF
Posted: December 16, 2010 at 10:52 pm
By Cindy Zimmerman
Roundup Ready alfalfa could be headed back to a field near you by next spring.
On Thursday, USDA released the long-awaited final environmental impact statement (EIS) that evaluates the potential environmental effects of deregulating genetically modified alfalfa resistant to Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide. Announcing the EIS, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said they are considering two possible alternatives for deregulation of the crop.
“The two preferred alternatives selected in the final EIS are deregulation as one option, and the other deregulation accompanied by a combination of geographic restrictions and isolation distances on the production of GE alfalfa seed and, in some locations, on GE hay. These measures would help to protect the production of non-GE alfalfa seed,” Vilsack said. A final decision will be made by USDA’s Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), but not for at least a month.
Needless to say, Monsanto was pleased with the news. “Farmers have been waiting a long time for the choice to use Roundup Ready alfalfa and realize the dependable weed control that it offers,” said Steve Welker, Monsanto alfalfa lead. It has been three years since an injunction in 2007 by a federal district court stopped the sale and planting of Roundup Ready alfalfa seeds until USDA completed an EIS. Roundup Ready alfalfa (RRA) originally went on the market with the approval of USDA in 2005.
Forage Genetics International, co-developer of RRA, was also happy that the EIS is finally done and that some type of deregulation is imminent. “When the USDA makes a decision about deregulation of RRA, Forage Genetics International will be ready to sell RRA seed to growers,” said president Mark McCaslin.
The companies and supporters of RRA say the benefits of the genetically modified alfalfa are both economic and environmental, with a reported $110 per-acre advantage over conventional alfalfa and requiring less use of crop protection chemicals. Detractors fear GMO alfalfa will crossover fields and contaminate the feed for organic dairy cows. An attempt to appease both sides would be the compromise approval placing certain restrictions on where the crop can be grown.
Posted: April 22, 2010 at 1:48 pm
By Cindy Zimmerman
Alfalfa is an important part of Pioneer’s forage portfolio. In this edition of Forage Forum, Pioneer director of alfalfa research David Miller, discusses the company’s variety development. When it comes to choosing an alfalfa variety, he says growers should consult their local sales professional and university data to match the right product to the right acre.
Listen to the podcast here:
pioneer-podcast-73-wdd.mp3
David Miller on alfalfa varieties (5:00 min MP3)
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Posted: April 7, 2010 at 1:36 pm
By Cindy Zimmerman
Alfalfa, from a genetic standpoint, is different than other major crops growers plant. Every seed in an alfalfa bag varies genetically, unlike corn or soybeans where each seed is genetically uniform. David Miller, Pioneer director of alfalfa research, discusses the uniqueness of variety development.
Listen to the podcast here:
pioneer-podcast-72-wdd.mp3
David Miller on alfalfa varieties (4:45 min MP3)
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Posted: March 6, 2010 at 2:13 pm
By News Editor
Spring is in the air, and it’s time for dairy farmers to think and plan for the 2010 crop. Read below for information on StollerUSA’s Alfalfa Program.
Stoller’s Director of Bioscience, Dr. Ron Salzman, explained the Stoller technology while reviewing university research results and showing images from field trials. StollerUSA field representative, Don Stork also shared what Stoller’s Alfalfa Program involves and the benefits it delivers.
Stork shared results from a dairy farm that followed Stoller’s alfalfa program. The Vos family of Burlington, Wisc. began adding Stoller products to the foliar insecticide spray application used on their alfalfa. Bio-Forge® is the key to Stoller’s Alfalfa Program, applied approximately seven days after each hay cutting to boost root growth and plant vigor. Bio-Forge is a yield enhancer and stress reducer for all crops. It offsets the negative effects of plant stress caused by drought, excessive moisture, frost, herbicide damage and other crop stressors. Bio-Forge keeps the root systems functioning normally under stressed conditions promoting more normal growth activity. This allows more impressive second cuttings and improved digestibility.
Second generation dairy farmers Ray and Ron Vos, like all dairy farmers, are working to manage their operation by looking for efficiencies and improved ROI. The result of their use of the Stoller Alfalfa Program was exceptionally healthy hay with increased tonnage and feed value. With just four cuttings they calculated 6.7 tons of dry matter/acre.
The increased tonnage allowed them to manage their feed needs efficiently – eliminating the previous year’s $11,000 expense of buying alfalfa from an outside source. In addition, the quality of the feed improved significantly. The second cutting feed analysis of the Bio-Forge-treated alfalfa showed an Relative Feed Value (RFV) rating of 189 with a 21.26% crude protein level. This represents a significant increase from recent regional data showing the average RFV as 145-160. In addition, the Vos operation noted higher milk production – with over 28% of the herd averaging milk production of over 100 lbs/day.
In addition to the short-term feed benefits of applying Stoller products to their alfalfa, the Vos operation anticipates their alfalfa fields will be more productive for many more years to come. New seeding performance offered a glimpse into the hearty nature of Bio-Forge-treated alfalfa fields – with a tall stand and blooms appearing eight days after a hard October frost.
Source: StollerUSA
Posted: March 4, 2010 at 2:08 pm
By Cindy Zimmerman
Pioneer director of alfalfa research, David Miller, discusses Pioneer brand alfalfa varieties, traits and testing to help producers put the right product on the right acre.
Listen to the podcast here:
pioneer-podcast-71-wdd.mp3
David Miller on alfalfa varieties (4:00 min MP3)
To see all archived Pioneer Forage Forum podcasts, click here.
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Posted: October 11, 2009 at 5:29 pm
By Cindy Zimmerman
Back in 2001, Dairyland Seed released the world’s first hybrid alfalfa, HybriForce-400. This year, they took that up a notch and introduced the next generation – HybriForce-2400 Gen-2.
“It’s giving us a five percent yield advantage over generation one,” said Dairyland Seed Forage Product Manager Chad Staudinger during an interview at World Dairy Expo. “Through the hybrid breeding system we are able to commercially place F1 generation with 100 percent yield potential on-farm.”
Chad says this provides a definite yield advantage for producers and the hybrid system brings with it a uniformity of crop, which ultimately means more uniformity of feed for the animals.
Listen to my interview with Chad here:
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Posted: September 19, 2009 at 3:55 pm
By Cindy Zimmerman
Developing new varieties of “redesigned” alfalfa with reduced lignin could not only benefit provide benefits for meat and dairy animals, but also play a role in the future of cellulosic ethanol production.
Pioneer Director of Alfalfa Research Dave Miller says they believe cellulosic ethanol will need multiple feedstocks and alfalfa is a good fit for a number of reasons. “It’s great for crop rotation, its environmental benefits in terms of lack of soil erosion because it’s deep rooted and a perennial are well known, and it fixes nitrogen.”
In addition, Miller says preliminary work shows alfalfa is competitive with other feedstocks for its ability to convert to cellulosic ethanol and that a corn/alfalfa rotation creates a very favorable carbon footprint for ethanol production.
Producing varieties with less lignin would be helpful in making alfalfa even more competitive as a cellulosic ethanol feedstock. In addition, the reduced lignin alfalfa also has benefits with its more traditional use as livestock feed. “When animals are fed lower lignin forage, they perform better,” said Miller. “Both systems are digestions, one is an enzyme-acid digestion to go into a fermentation vat, the other is a digestion to make milk or meat.”
The U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center estimates that just a 10 percent increase in cell wall digestibility by decreasing lignin would increase milk and beef production by $350 million per year and decrease manure production by 2.8 million metric tons annually. Pioneer is working in cooperation with the Consortium for Alfalfa Improvement on reducing the lignin content of alfalfa.
Pioneer Forage Media Day Photo Album
Listen to or download an interview with Dave Miller here:
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Posted: September 17, 2009 at 8:39 pm
By Cindy Zimmerman
Leo Brown, Pioneer Livestock Information manager, discusses fall alfalfa management and corn hybrid selection for silage at the 2009 Farm Progress Show in Decatur, Ill. Brown says producers should evaluate alfalfa stands in the fall. Depending on stand quality, a producer can look to fertilize for optimum spring growth or apply a herbicide treatment to kill the crop for easier groundwork in the spring. Now is also the time to consider hybrid selection for corn – looking for good starch and fiber digestibility.
Listen to this edition of Forage Forum here:
pioneer-podcast-63-wdd.mp3
Leo Brown from Farm Progress Show (5:30 min MP3)
To see all archived Pioneer Forage Forum podcasts, click here.
Posted: August 15, 2009 at 5:34 am
By Amanda Nolz
Here is a story that is happy and sad at the same time. A new baby in the family. Lost barn and dead cattle. An addition to the family. A loss of hopes and dreams on the barn. Read this excerpt from the Daily Globe and check out the rest of the story… It’s amazing what good neighbors are willing to do to help others!
When he drove his wife to the hospital July 13, the last thing on James Maus’ mind was his cows. Yet while the young Osakis dairy farmer and his wife brought their son into the world, a community of neighbors worked to save his farm.
Maus’ barn burned to the ground that night, killing 74 dairy cows.
They knew the baby was coming, so James worked until 10 p.m. baling and putting 2,000 bales of hay in the haymow above his dairy barn. Within an hour, his wife, Jennifer, said it was time to go and they were off to the hospital, leaving their 5-year-old daughter, Lynnea home with her aunt Monica.
While Monica slept on the living room couch, a fire swept through the newly piled bales. Meanwhile, some young neighbors, on their way home from Alexandria, noticed a strange glow coming from the farm…
Posted: April 4, 2009 at 10:56 am
By Amanda Nolz
I spent a lot of time at the trade show during the Central Plains Dairy Expo in Sioux Falls this week, and I stumbled upon Barron Built Products.
Based out of Ruthton, Minn., Tom and Daniel Barron work to innovate new products to help the busy dairyman. Pictured here is a hay feeder that catches the hay in barrels below to eliminate waste. This product is hand crafted and runs for $450. In addition, Barron Built contracts for customized feeders to fit your needs. They also build curved swinging doors for the calf huts.
“Sometimes I can’t sleep at night with so many ideas running through my head,” said Barron, of his innovative ideas to simplify a dairy producer’s busy life. “I keep a notebook on my night stand, and I will draw out my ideas during the middle of the night. At Barron Built, we are dedicated to creatively constructing new technologies that will help producers in their operations.”
In my opinion, these were pretty slick pieces of equipment and a good investment for anyone interested in trying something new! For more information on these products, contact Tom at 507-828-3749 or Daniel at 507-829-0085.
Posted: March 18, 2009 at 7:35 pm
By Cindy Zimmerman
Now is the time to start assessing the yield potential for alfalfa stands – looking for potential winterkill concerns. There are several factors that affect winter injury, such as stand age, variety, soil conditions, such as pH fertility and fall moisture, timing of the last cut and cutting interval. In some parts of the country, snow cover is also a factor. David Miller, Pioneer alfalfa research director, discusses winterkill concerns, spring growth characteristics and more.
pioneer-podcast-50-wdd.mp3
Dave Miller on Assessing Spring Alfalfa Stands (5:20 min MP3)
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Posted: March 4, 2009 at 7:06 pm
By Cindy Zimmerman
Spring alfalfa planting is just around the corner. David Miller, director of alfalfa breeding at Pioneer, discusses some factors to take into consideration before putting the seed in the ground. Miller looks at seedbed preparation, planting depth and soil quality recommendations.
pioneer-podcast-49-wdd.mp3
Dave Miller on Spring Alfalfa Planting (4:45 min MP3)
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Posted: February 19, 2009 at 4:32 pm
By Amanda Nolz
It’s all over the news: California state Senate Majority Leader Dean Florez (D-Shafter) introduced a bill, SB 135, which would outlaw the common procedure of docking dairy cows’ tails except “during an individual treatment, emergency or operation, if the treatment or operation is performed by a veterinarian for veterinary purposes” with proper anesthesia.
I found this article in the Los Angeles Times titled, “New tail-docking bill may make California’s dairy cows happier.” Florez, who is seen as a powerful advocate for animal welfare says in the article…
Scientific studies have shown that mutilation of the tail causes serious welfare problems for dairy cows, including distress, pain and increased vulnerability to insect attacks,” Michael Greger, director of public health and animal agriculture for the Humane Society of the United States, said in a press conference today. “Tail-docking never had a scientific rationale, and it’s been exposed now as little more than a routine and pointless type of mutilation.
Since when are L.A. politicians authorities on animal agriculture? I need your thoughts, ideas and concerns on this proposed legislation. Wherever your milking parlor is located, this rule will effect the way you do business in the future.
Posted: February 18, 2009 at 4:34 pm
By Cindy Zimmerman
Alfalfa was once considered a one-size-fits-all crop. Through alfalfa breeding and technology, new alfalfa traits offer growers options for matching the right product to the right field conditions. David Miller, director of alfalfa breeding at Pioneer, discusses these new trait advances.
pioneer-podcast-48-wdd.mp3
Dave Miller on New Alfalfa Traits (5:18 min MP3)
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