Have trouble sorting out PENDF, NDF and PEF? Pioneer Hi-Bred nutritional sciences veterinarian, Bill Seglar, explains these acronyms and their value to producers. “This information offers producers the ability to add up physically effective fiber coming from all different types of forages that are being brought into the ration to see if it meets the requirements of the total ration,” says Seglar. Hear more about this topic in this edition of the Pioneer Forage Forum.
Bill Seglar on Alphabet Forages (5:30 min MP3)
To see all archived Pioneer Forage Forum podcasts, click here.
Previous Forage Forum podcasts are also archived at the Pioneer GrowingPoint website. To access them, go to www.pioneer.com/growingpoint and click “Livestock Nutrition” and “Forage Blog.” Those not registered for Pioneer GrowingPoint website can call 800-233-7333 Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT for assistance.
Moldy silages can create a variety of concerns for producers. Pioneer nutritional sciences veterinarian, Bill Seglar, discusses the effects of moldy silages. Additionally, Seglar explains how to identify moldy silages as well as how to reduce and remove the problem. Seglar says moldy silages are the result of an energy-consuming, spore-forming microbe, known as molds, that deplete the silage of its energy value. From the start, the cattle are going to be consuming a much less energy-dense forage.
Bill Seglar on Moldy Silages (5 min MP3)
To see all archived Pioneer Forage Forum podcasts, click here.
Previous Forage Forum podcasts are also archived at the Pioneer GrowingPoint website. To access them, go to www.pioneer.com/growingpoint and click “Livestock Nutrition” and “Forage Blog.” Those not registered for Pioneer GrowingPoint website can call 800-233-7333 Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT for assistance.
As we head into the summer months and temperatures begin to rise, producers need to monitor feed rations. Inevitably, dairy cows will go through an intake depression. Bill Mahanna, coordinator of global nutritional sciences for Pioneer, says we need to pay close attention to our starch digestibility – how much effective fiber is in the ration. Producers need to have a ration balanced properly at that lower-level intake.
Bill Mahanna on Heat Stress (4:15 min MP3)
To see all archived Pioneer Forage Forum podcasts, click here.
Previous Forage Forum podcasts are also archived at the Pioneer GrowingPoint website. To access them, go to www.pioneer.com/growingpoint and click “Livestock Nutrition” and “Forage Blog.” Those not registered for Pioneer GrowingPoint website can call 800-233-7333 Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT for assistance.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District, is conducting a unique and interesting program, the Precision Feed Management Program. Helping N.Y. dairy farms implement cow feeding methods that will keep the state’s watersheds free of pollution and improve the quality of the farm’s milk is the goal of the program.
In Delaware County, New York the program is led by the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Delaware County along with a multi-agency team that includes the Corps’ New York District, Delaware County, the New York City Watershed Agricultural Council and the Delaware County Soil and Water Conservation District.
The program is showing dairy farms ways they can reduce the amount of phosphorous and nitrogen in their cow’s feed. Phosphorous and nitrogen can runoff into the water sources from cow excrement in the farm’s soil. So far the program has reduced phosphorous and nitrogen levels in the watersheds on
participating farms by over fifty percent.
To reduce phosphorous and nitrogen in the cow feed, the program is encouraging dairy farms to create better feed mixes for their dairy cows. The program is showing dairy farmers how to create more balanced blends that contain less phosphorous. One way they are doing this is by encouraging the farmers to purchase less commercial feed, which can be expensive, and grow more of their own home grown crop to feed their cows.
To grow their own feed, the program works with farms to adopt crop production methods that are beneficial to the farms in many ways, including no-till crop planting. This method eliminates the need to use gas guzzling machinery that requires expensive fuel. Doing less soil tillage also reduces soil erosion from the watershed. This is soil that may contain phosphorous and nitrogen.
“The real strength of the Precision Feed Management Program is that by working with farmers this closely we’re achieving quantified benefits for the environment and the farms - it’s a win-win situation.”
With rising hay prices, growers are looking to management practices to achieve a high-quality crop. Bill Mahanna, coordinator of global nutritional sciences for Pioneer, discusses alfalfa management and suggests growers refine alfalfa curing practices to maintain integrity of harvested hay. Rapid, uniform curing of alfalfa is most desirable. However, recent research reveals forages don’t dry at a uniform rate. Proper cutting and management techniques can help offset curing time and potential quality losses, says Mahanna.
Bill Mahanna on Haylage Drying (4:30 min MP3)
To see all archived Pioneer Forage Forum podcasts, click here.
Previous Forage Forum podcasts are also archived at the Pioneer GrowingPoint website. To access them, go to www.pioneer.com/growingpoint and click “Livestock Nutrition” and “Forage Blog.” Those not registered for Pioneer GrowingPoint website can call 800-233-7333 Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT for assistance.
Dr. David Miller, director of alfalfa research for Pioneer, talks about the importance of forage quality. Forage quality has several definitions, depending on whether you are a beef producer or a dairy producer. Forage quality cannot always be expressed through a number, but rather how well an animal will perform when it is fed alfalfa, says Miller. Achieving high forage quality starts with management – timing cuttings, looking at weather forecasts and baling or chopping techniques.
David Miller on Alfalfa Management (5:30 min MP3)
To see all archived Pioneer Forage Forum podcasts, click here.
Previous Forage Forum podcasts are also archived at the Pioneer GrowingPoint website. To access them, go to www.pioneer.com/growingpoint and click “Livestock Nutrition” and “Forage Blog.” Those not registered for Pioneer GrowingPoint website can call 800-233-7333 Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT for assistance.
Best practices and cutting management will provide growers with an optimum alfalfa crop, says David Miller, director of alfalfa research for Pioneer. With a slow spring green-up, Miller takes a look at the impact of a cold winter on alfalfa as well as alfalfa genetics and management. Growers who tend to harvest late in the fall may be seeing more winterkill this spring, Miller says.
David Miller on Alfalfa Management (4:30 min MP3)
To see all archived Pioneer Forage Forum podcasts, click here.
Previous Forage Forum podcasts are also archived at the Pioneer GrowingPoint website. To access them, go to www.pioneer.com/growingpoint and click “Livestock Nutrition” and “Forage Blog.” Those not registered for Pioneer GrowingPoint website can call 800-233-7333 Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT for assistance.
The PEAQ (Predictive Equation for Alfalfa Quality) method was developed around the relative feed value (RFV) which looks at the quantity of fiber. Dr. Bill Mahanna, coordinator of global nutritional sciences for Pioneer, takes a look at determining not just the quantity of fiber but the digestibility of that fiber through RFQ or relative feed quality testing. Mahanna also comments on timing the first alfalfa cutting.
Bill Mahanna on Integrated Forage Program (5:30 min MP3)
To see all archived Pioneer Forage Forum podcasts, click here.
Previous Forage Forum podcasts are also archived at the Pioneer GrowingPoint website. To access them, go to www.pioneer.com/growingpoint and click “Livestock Nutrition” and “Forage Blog.” Those not registered for Pioneer GrowingPoint website can call 800-233-7333 Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT for assistance.
Managing the gaps in today’s agriculture can be an issue, says Dr. Bill Mahanna, coordinator of global nutritional sciences for Pioneer. When visiting an operation, several factors come into play before a crop becomes feed. Pioneer can offer expertise to deal with the full continuum – managing the gaps between growing and cutting the feed to packing the silo and feed management. Mahanna comments on Pioneer’s integrated forage approach and the expertise available to producers.
Bill Mahanna on Integrated Forage Program (4:30 min MP3)
To see all archived Pioneer Forage Forum podcasts, click here.
Previous Forage Forum podcasts are also archived at the Pioneer GrowingPoint website. To access them, go to www.pioneer.com/growingpoint and click “Livestock Nutrition” and “Forage Blog.” Those not registered for Pioneer GrowingPoint website can call 800-233-7333 Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT for assistance.
Why does Pioneer have so many different silage inoculants? Pioneer microbiologists have focused on bacterial strains unique to each crop. Bacteria have special niches that they fill. Like humans in a room, some like it a little colder or warmer – bacteria works much the same way, designed for a specific environment. Dr. Bill Mahanna, coordinator of global nutritional services for Pioneer, says Pioneer is improving the nutritional value and preserving the quality of the crop by using specific products.
Bill Mahanna on Corn Specificity (4:00 min MP3)
To see all archived Pioneer Forage Forum podcasts, click here.
Previous Forage Forum podcasts are also archived at the Pioneer GrowingPoint website. To access them, go to www.pioneer.com/growingpoint and click “Livestock Nutrition” and “Forage Blog.” Those not registered for Pioneer GrowingPoint website can call 800-233-7333 Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT for assistance.
Posted: February 11, 2008 at 5:55 pm
By Chuck Zimmerman
With all the talk about ethanol production and potential impacts on feed prices and availability not much seems to get said about an important by-product of the process - ddg’s. However, the Nebraska Corn Board has a new resource for dairy producers regarding the feeding of corn co-products.
Current research suggests that it is possible to feed dairy cows up to 30 percent distillers grains on a dry matter basis when the feed ration is properly balanced, according to information included in a new resource publication entitled Utilization of Corn Co-Products in the Dairy Industry, produced by the University of Nebraska and the Nebraska Corn Board.
Utilization of Corn Co-Products in the Dairy Industry is a 12-page electronic booklet that provides the latest corn co-product feeding information to dairy producers, nutritionists, extension educators, industry representatives and others, said Kelly Brunkhorst, ag program manager for the Nebraska Corn Board. The publication is available at NebraskaCorn.org under the Publications tab.
“The electronic publication explains the basic corn dry milling process before covering the chemical composition and nutrient availability of distillers grains,” Brunkhorst said. “It also provides some considerations when choosing between wet or dry distillers grains.”
Along with higher corn prices, the value of corn silage has tracked notably higher. The industry used to reference corn silage values at “a penny a pound” or $20 per ton. However, the higher corn market and costs related to silage harvest have boost corn silage values in upwards of $50 per ton, says Dr. Bill Mahanna, coordinator of global nutritional services for Pioneer Hi-Bred. Mahanna provides suggestions on how growers might manage their corn crop to increase starch content, and in turn, the value of their corn silage.
Bill Mahanna on Value of Starch in Corn Silage (4:15 min MP3)
To see all archived Pioneer Forage Forum podcasts, click here.
Previous Forage Forum podcasts are also archived at the Pioneer GrowingPoint website. To access them, go to www.pioneer.com/growingpoint and click “Livestock Nutrition” and “Forage Blog.” Those not registered for Pioneer GrowingPoint website can call 800-233-7333 Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT for assistance.
Posted: November 9, 2007 at 7:28 pm
By News Editor
The brown root rot, a fungus that attacks alfalfa has been detected in farm fields in New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Maine. The research was conducted by Cornell University scientists, with the first samplings conducted in 2005.
There are no effective treatments or controls for brown root rot, said Gary Bergstrom, a professor of plant pathology at Cornell. Last year, the Farm Bureau persuaded state lawmakers to spend $300,000 for research on the fungus, which can also infect vegetables and Christmas trees, he said.
Neither the Farm Bureau nor the state Agriculture and Markets Department have kept track of the number of infected acres in New York.
Brown root rot started out as a problem in Alaska and in the prairie provinces of western Canada — Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and the Yukon Territory. In eastern Canada, it has been reported only in Nova Scotia. The disease was first observed in the contiguous United States in 1996 in Wyoming and then in Idaho, Montana, Minnesota and Wisconsin. The fungus first appeared in New York in 2004 in Clinton County, Bergstrom said.
The disease’s lesions first appear as reddish-brown to dark brown areas of external discoloration, eventually progressing into the roots, said Michael Wunsch, a Cornell graduate student in plant pathology and the report’s lead author. The fungus prefers cooler soils, between 30 and 60 degrees. Infection and decay occur primarily in the late fall through early spring. Infected plants grow normally in the spring but die in mid-May to mid-June.
Bergstrom said the widespread detection of brown root rot in the testing indicates most fields already have the pathogen. He said the best thing farmers can do at this point is to buy stronger, disease-resistant alfalfa in the future.
While yeast is a common ingredient in feed rations, including yeast in silage can cause stability issues, particularly when there is significant variability in the corn crop, says Dr. Bill Mahanna, coordinator of global nutritional services for Pioneer Hi-Bred. An increasing amount of yeast can impact digestibility and palatability of the silage, but more importantly yeast can “heat up” the silage. Mahanna shares silage management practices to help minimize the growth of yeast.
Bill Mahanna on Yeast in Unstable Silages (4:00 min MP3)
To see all archived Pioneer Forage Forum podcasts, click here.
Previous Forage Forum podcasts are also archived at the Pioneer GrowingPoint website. To access them, go to www.pioneer.com/growingpoint and click “Livestock Nutrition” and “Forage Blog.” Those not registered for Pioneer GrowingPoint website can call 800-233-7333 Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT for assistance.
Does corn silage really need to be that much different for heifers versus cows? According to Dr. Bill Mahanna, coordinator of global nutritional science for Pioneer Hi-Bred, the answer is yes since high fat deposits in growing heifers can cause havoc and production issues down the line. Hear how producers can potentially manage this problem and their crops to reduce starch levels. Bill highlights some of the challenges and potential solutions for managing corn silage when feeding heifers.
To see all archived Pioneer Forage Forum podcasts, click here.
Previous Forage Forum podcasts are also archived at the Pioneer GrowingPoint website. To access them, go to www.pioneer.com/growingpoint and click “Livestock Nutrition” and “Forage Blog.” Those not registered for Pioneer GrowingPoint website can call 800-233-7333 Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT for assistance.
You only thought we were done with stuff from World Dairy Expo.
I did an interview at expo with John Deere Hay and Forage Specialist Jim Buchs on how dairy producers can get added value for forage at harvest with Harvest Lab.
“We put a unit on our forage harvester that can measure the moisture as its going through the machine,” Buchs said. “With that information, we can calculate the true tonnage that we are harvesting.”
That information can be used to adjust the harvesting rate to the receiving rate at the bunker silo so you can adjust packing tractors or other required applications.
Listen to our “Milking Parlor” podcast with Jim here:
Do all forage additives improve the nutrient quality of silage? Bill Rutherford, research coordinator, Pioneer Forage Additive Group, answers that question and explains the process of preserving high quality silage. He highlights how forage additives can rapidly lowering ph levels and impact nutrients in a positive manor. Bill offers suggestions on how producers can ensure they are buying a quality forage additive product.
To see all archived Pioneer Forage Forum podcasts, click here.
Previous Forage Forum podcasts are also archived at the Pioneer GrowingPoint website. To access them, go to www.pioneer.com/growingpoint and click “Livestock Nutrition” and “Forage Blog.” Those not registered for Pioneer GrowingPoint website can call 800-233-7333 Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT for assistance.
Jerry Weigel, with BASF Plant Sciences global nutrition and tech services, says NutriDense is a nutritionally-enhanced corn that contains a stacked set of output traits that enhance animal feed performance.
“Instead of going in and simply increasing the amount of starch, we’ve tried to improve all the constituents of corn silage, in particular the digestibility,” said Weigel.
Weigel says they will be providing information about NutriDense to dairy producers who visit their booth at World Dairy Expo and having a little fun with it as well. “We’ll be offering a quiz on their knowledge of ag trivia and NutriDense with the chance to win a free cheese sandwich and a milk shake at the Badger Dairy Club Cheese Stand.”
In addition, Weigel says they are having an “Ag Bag” promotion. “The dairymen have an opportunity to get a free “Ag Bag” with the purchase of 20 bags of NutriDense for silage and if they register by December 15 they also receive a free all-weather jacket.” Producers can register for the promotion at the booth.
Listen to Cindy’s complete audio interview with Jerry here:
Stay tuned to World Dairy Diary this week as we bring you start to finish coverage of World Dairy Expo, sponsored in part by BASF Plant Science’s NutriDense.
Posted: September 19, 2007 at 5:23 pm
By Chuck Zimmerman
Silage innoculants are discussed in this segment of the Pioneer Forage Forum, with information provided by Bill Rutherford, research coordinator, Pioneer Forage Additive Research Group. In addition to the much talked about L. buchneri, Rutherford provides information on organisms which also have an important role as components of silage inoculants. He explains why it is important to have multiple strains of organisms. The goal of the Pioneer Forage Additive Research Group is to bring products to market that help increase meat and milk-production efficiency and producer profitability.
To see all archived Pioneer Forage Forum podcasts, click here.
Previous Forage Forum podcasts are also archived at the Pioneer GrowingPoint website. To access them, go to www.pioneer.com/growingpoint and click “Livestock Nutrition” and “Forage Blog.” Those not registered for Pioneer GrowingPoint website can call 800-233-7333 Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT for assistance.
Posted: September 14, 2007 at 5:32 pm
By News Editor
Bio-Vet, Inc. has introduced a new technology for dairy producers to improve the energy balance and milk production in their cows. Dairy ProP169®, a direct-fed microbial featuring Propionibacterium freudenreichii strain P169, is a naturally occurring rumen-origin bacterium and is compatible with other technologies such as yeast, rBST and monensin.
In controlled feeding trials, cows fed strain P169 showed significant improvements in milk production, ranging from 4 to 12 percent. Milk components were positively affected in these trials, such that production of total milk fat, total milk protein and milk lactose all increased. Feed efficiency was also improved.
Supplementation of strain P169 has been shown to dramatically increase rumen propionate yield. Propionate is quickly converted to glucose (energy) in cattle and is one of the most efficient volatile fatty acids produced in the rumen.
Dairy ProP169® is effective in dairy rations:
• Fed to cows in negative energy balance, such as early lactation and very high production cows
• Limited by substrates for the production of ruminal propionate (i.e. high forage rations)
• Containing a maximum amount of concentrated energy (i.e. high starch and fat levels)
Have trouble sorting out PENDF, NDF and PEF? Pioneer Hi-Bred nutritional sciences veterinarian, Bill Seglar, explains these acronyms and their value to producers. “This information offers producers the ability to add up physically effective fiber coming from all different types of forages that are being brought into the ration to see if it meets the requirements of the total ration,” says Seglar. Hear more about this topic in this edition of the Pioneer Forage Forum.
With all the talk about ethanol production and potential impacts on feed prices and availability not much seems to get said about an important by-product of the process - ddg’s. However, the 
You only thought we were done with stuff from World Dairy Expo.
One of the exhibitors at this week’s