Posted: January 27, 2010 at 9:47 pm
By Cindy Zimmerman
New technologies make data sampling easier and more efficient. Bill Curran, Pioneer research scientist, discusses some of the technologies that measure silage traits. Curran also talks about how this information benefits producers.
Listen to the podcast here:
Bill Curran on new technologies for data sampling (5:00 min MP3)
To see all archived Pioneer Forage Forum podcasts, click here.
Posted: January 15, 2010 at 10:48 am
By Cindy Zimmerman
Understanding how inoculant organisms interact with other organisms can have a large impact on how well an inoculant organism affects the organisms in the silage. Hear more about the cutting-edge microbial ecology from Pioneer research coordinator Bill Rutherford.
Listen to the podcast here:
Bill Rutherford on Microbial Ecology (5:00 min MP3)
To see all archived Pioneer Forage Forum podcasts, click here.
Posted: November 19, 2009 at 4:07 pm
By Cindy Zimmerman
Have you ever wondered where the heat comes from in silage?
This really cool infrared camera can read the temperature of a silage bunker and provide a color picture of the variations in heat levels on the face. The camera has gotten cheaper since it first came out a couple of years ago, but it still retails for several thousand dollars.
A great way to measure silage heat, but not practical for most producers, so Pioneer ruminant microbiologist Scott Dennis suggests using a thermometer to quickly and easily determine whether heat is physiological or microbial.
Dennis explains more about this topic along with management techniques to reduce heating in this edition of Forage Forum, recorded at the Pioneer Forage Media day held in September at the Livestock Nutrition Center in Johnston, IA.
Listen to the podcast here:
Scott Dennis on Silage Heat (5:00 min MP3)
To see all archived Pioneer Forage Forum podcasts, click here.
Posted: October 29, 2009 at 3:44 pm
By Cindy Zimmerman
Dr. Bill Mahanna, nutritional sciences manager for Pioneer, discusses ideal moisture percentages for high moisture corn. Mahanna says high moisture corn and snaplage benefit digestion. He also comments on corn particle sizes and inoculants for high moisture corn.
This edition of Forage Forum was recorded at the Pioneer Forage Media day held in September at the Livestock Nutrition Center in Johnston, IA.
Listen to the podcast here:
Bill Mahanna (4:45 min MP3)
To see all archived Pioneer Forage Forum podcasts, click here.
Posted: October 7, 2009 at 8:54 am
By Cindy Zimmerman
This year, many producers are seeing a delay in corn silage harvest. Bill Curran, Pioneer research scientist, discusses harvest timing factors and how the growing season impacts the nutritional value of the silage.
Curran spoke to agricultural media recently at the Pioneer Forage Media day held at the Livestock Nutrition Center in Johnston, IA.
Listen to this edition of Forage Forum here:
Bill Curran on Delayed Forage Harvest (4:00 min MP3)
To see all archived Pioneer Forage Forum podcasts, click here.
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:
Leo Brown from Farm Progress Show (5:30 min MP3)
To see all archived Pioneer Forage Forum podcasts, click here.
Posted: September 2, 2009 at 6:18 pm
By Cindy Zimmerman
Pioneer has a pretty major presence at the 2009 Farm Progress Show in Decatur, Illinois where I met up with silage expert Scott Dennis and talked about silage – past, present and future.
Pioneer likes to help producers “get more mileage” from their silage. Dennis explains how Pioneer is unique as a seed company with what they have to offer producers during these challenging economic times to get the most from their silage crop. He talks about where Pioneer is now in terms of silage corn varieties and technology, where they were 20 years ago, and where they are going in the future.
Listen to this edition of Forage Forum here:
Scott Dennis Talks Silage at Farm Progress Show (6:00 min MP3)
To see all archived Pioneer Forage Forum podcasts, click here.
Posted: August 19, 2009 at 4:14 pm
By Cindy Zimmerman
Bunker management can have a serious impact on the nutritional value of silage. Most management revolves around keeping oxygen out of the forage mass. Paul Porter, Pioneer dairy specialist, looks at some keys to bunker management.
Listen to this edition of Forage Forum here:
Paul Porter on Bunker Management (5:45 min MP3)
To see all archived Pioneer Forage Forum podcasts, click here.
Posted: August 6, 2009 at 4:05 pm
By Cindy Zimmerman
The most important thing a quality inoculant can do is maintain or retain more of the forage that is put in a bunker. Paul Porter, Pioneer dairy specialist, says that improvement in dry matter recovery can add up to some substantial dollars.
Paul Porter on Inoculants (5:30 min MP3)
To see all archived Pioneer Forage Forum podcasts, click here.
Posted: July 22, 2009 at 9:51 am
By Cindy Zimmerman
Leo Brown, Pioneer livestock information manager, explains how to improve the nutritional value of corn silage by chopping at an optimal time. Brown also suggests packing well for good fermentation and adequate aerobic stability at feedout.
Leo Brown on Harvest Timing (5:30 min MP3)
To see all archived Pioneer Forage Forum podcasts, click here.
Posted: July 8, 2009 at 9:19 am
By Cindy Zimmerman
Chop height can have an impact on silage nutrient composition. Leo Brown, Pioneer livestock information manager, discusses how to determine the optimum harvest window for corn silage and how that time frame can impact its nutritional value.
Leo Brown on High Chop Effect (5:00 min MP3)
To see all archived Pioneer Forage Forum podcasts, click here.
Posted: June 24, 2009 at 10:27 am
By Cindy Zimmerman
Different crops have different requirements, which is why Pioneer offers crop-specific inoculants. Scott Dennis, Pioneer Hi-Bred ruminant microbiologist, says the goal is to get maximum performance for each crop.
Scott Dennis on Crop Specific Inoculation (5:00 min MP3)
To see all archived Pioneer Forage Forum podcasts, click here.
Posted: June 11, 2009 at 11:07 am
By Cindy Zimmerman
Inoculating silage is a standard practice, but have you wondered why or how it works? Pioneer Hi-Bred has the world’s largest collection of lactic acid bacteria, the beneficial organisms used in silage inoculants. Scott Dennis, Pioneer ruminant microbiologist, looks at why inoculates work. Dennis says the purpose of making silage is for year-round feed, and preserving nutrients aids in accomplishing that.
Scott Dennis on Silage Inoculants (5:00 min MP3)
To see all archived Pioneer Forage Forum podcasts, click here.
Posted: May 27, 2009 at 8:04 pm
By Cindy Zimmerman
Silage evaluation can be a timely process. Following harvest, a sample needs to be bagged and sent to a lab for evaluation. At Pioneer Hi-Bred, experts are using near-infrared technology (NIR) on research choppers which offers a much faster turnaround time for evaluating the nutritional value of silage hybrids. Kevin Putnam, Pioneer dairy specialist, discusses the benefits of Pioneer using NIR on their research choppers.
Kevin Putnam on Using NIR on Choppers (5:28 min MP3)
To see all archived Pioneer Forage Forum podcasts, click here.
Posted: May 13, 2009 at 1:13 pm
By Cindy Zimmerman
High moisture corn offers growers both agronomic and nutritional benefits. Fred Owens, Pioneer senior research scientist, discusses some of these benefits, including, high digestibility, earlier harvest window and increased nutritional energy value.
Fred Owens on Feeding High Moisture Corn (5:00 min MP3)
To see all archived Pioneer Forage Forum podcasts, click here.
Posted: April 30, 2009 at 11:25 am
By Cindy Zimmerman
Growing conditions can vary from year to year and this variance can impact the nutritional value of the silage. In this edition of the Pioneer Forage Forum podcast, Pioneer livestock information manager Jim Smith explains the effects of solar radiation, moisture and heat at different stages of plant growth.
Jim Smith on the Impact of Growing Conditions on Nutritional Value of Silage (5:00 min MP3)
To see all archived Pioneer Forage Forum podcasts, click here.
Posted: April 16, 2009 at 11:07 am
By Cindy Zimmerman
In this edition of the Pioneer Forage Forum podcast, Bill Ramsey, Pioneer livestock information manager, discusses several ways to measure feed quality performance. Ramsey looks at three questions producers should consider when evaluating the nutritional value of their feed. Some ways to measure feed value include, NIR on choppers and the physical makeup of the silage.
Bill Ramsey on Measuring Feed Quality Performance (5:00 min MP3)
To see all archived Pioneer Forage Forum podcasts, click here.
Posted: April 1, 2009 at 10:36 am
By Cindy Zimmerman
Breeding corn for silage is very much like a conventional program for grain. The main difference is the equipment used to measure the end product. Bill Curran, Pioneer research scientist, discusses some of the key traits producers and breeders are looking to achieve. Some key traits include dry matter, tonnage and starch digestibility.
Bill Curran on Breeding Corn Hybrids for Silage (5:00 min MP3)
To see all archived Pioneer Forage Forum podcasts, click here.
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.
Dave Miller on Assessing Spring Alfalfa Stands (5:20 min MP3)
To see all archived Pioneer Forage Forum podcasts, click here.
New technologies make data sampling easier and more efficient. Bill Curran, Pioneer research scientist, discusses some of the technologies that measure silage traits. Curran also talks about how this information benefits producers.
This really cool infrared camera can read the temperature of a silage bunker and provide a color picture of the variations in heat levels on the face. The camera has gotten cheaper since it first came out a couple of years ago, but it still retails for several thousand dollars. 
A great way to measure silage heat, but not practical for most producers, so 
Pioneer likes to help producers “get more mileage” from their silage. Dennis explains how Pioneer is unique as a seed company with what they have to offer producers during these challenging economic times to get the most from their silage crop. He talks about where Pioneer is now in terms of silage corn varieties and technology, where they were 20 years ago, and where they are going in the future.