Posted: October 18, 2011 at 3:17 pm
By Cindy Zimmerman
When it comes to forage inoculants, Pioneer believes that one size does NOT fit all.
“Just like we have right product, right acre with corn, soybeans and alfalfa, we have right bacteria, right crop,” says Alan Patterson, Dairy Specialist with Pioneer in Wisconsin. “Like our 11H50, we found specific lactic acid strains of bacteria that will drive that pH done very quickly on alfalfa.”
Pioneer has a number of incoluant offerings and they are continuing to do research to bring even more products to the marketplace. “We try to have something in every category,” Patterson says. “We have products for both haylage and corn products specifically. And then we’ve got our fiber technology line-up which includes 11CFT for corn silage, 11AFT for alfalfa haylage and 11GFT for grasses or cereal grains, so it’s not as simple as ‘here’s a bottle, put it on your forage’ anymore.”
And picking the right one can make a big difference. “If you look at the high feed costs and how we can impact that with our inoculants and helping dairymen make those right choices, particularly with the size of the dairies we’re dealing with, we’re talking tens of thousands of dollars to the bottom line,” he says.
Find out more in my interview with Alan from World Dairy Expo: Alan Patterson with Pioneer
Posted: October 5, 2011 at 10:04 am
By Cindy Zimmerman
Pioneer Hi-Bred is pleased to present a new silage brown midrib BMR hybrid for producers at World Dairy Expo this week.
The company is releasing Pioneer® hybrid P1376XR, a 113-day BMR hybrid, in limited quantities to growers primarily across the northeastern United States for the 2012 planting season. “P1376XR is our first BMR hybrid corn product,” says Kyle Whitaker, Pioneer senior sales and marketing manager for global forages. “To develop it, we back-crossed the brown midrib trait into our best silage inbreds and it resulted in some really nice advantages over competitive products.”
Among those advantages are good digestibility, improved agronomics, increased yields, high starch, strong drought tolerance, disease and pest resistance. This hybrid contains Herculex® XTRA insect protection as well as the Roundup Ready® Corn 2 trait and the LibertyLink® gene.
Kyle is pictured here at the Pioneer booth at World Dairy Expo where the new BMR hybrid is on display. We did an interview last week over the phone prior to the official release of the hybrid.
Listen to or download that interview here: Pioneer's Kyle Whitaker
Read more about it here.
2011 World Dairy Expo Photo Album
Posted: September 21, 2011 at 7:21 pm
By News Editor
Participants from 23 states have entered the World Forage Superbowl for a chance at over $22,000 in cash prizes. A record 398 entries have been submitted this year, a 43% increase over last year.
Forage categories include standard and brown midrib silage, dairy hay, haylage, commercial baleage, commercial hay, and the new grass hay.
Finalists will be notified in September and invited to attend the Mycogen Seeds Awards Luncheon at World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wis. on Wednesday, October 5. In addition, all winning entries will be on display in the Arena Building at Expo for all show attendees to view. Producers are also encouraged to attend any of the seven free Dairy Forage Toolbox educational seminars that will be held in the east end of the Arena. Visit the website for further details of the contest and the seminar schedule.
Cash awards are made possible by the contest’s sponsors and include Ag-Bag, Barenbrug USA, Bridon Cordage, Croplan Genetics, Kent Nutrition Group, Kuhn North America, Mycogen Seeds, National Hay Association, NutriSave Forage Management System, Syngenta and W-L Research.
The 28th Annual World Forage Analysis Superbowl is organized in partnership with AgSource Cooperative Services, AgSource Laboratories, DairyBusiness Communications, Hay & Forage Grower, U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison and World Dairy Expo.
Source: World Dairy Expo
Posted: September 7, 2011 at 2:35 pm
By Cindy Zimmerman
Idaho is synonymous with potatoes, but there is more corn in the ground there these days to support a growing dairy industry.
USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists have found that some Pacific Northwest farmers can increase corn yields by using strip tillage and banding fertilizer instead of conventional tilling. Strip tillage and banding involves excavating a single row for planting about 6 to 12 inches wide and 6 to 8 inches deep with a knife-like shank that can also inject fertilizer directly below the seed.
The scientists found that using these practices increased corn grain yields on severely eroded soils st higher elevations by 12 percent the first year and 26 percent the second year. This translated into yield increases between 11 and 26 bushels per acre.
Read more from ARS here.
Photo courtesy of David Tarkalson, ARS.
Posted: June 29, 2011 at 7:35 pm
By News Editor
The World Forage Analysis Superbowl is seeking entries for the 2011 contest. Big cash prizes are available! The deadline for corn silage entries is August 18, 2011, and all other entries are due September 7, 2011.
Over $22,000 cash is being awarded this year with each category champion receiving a check for $1,500. Additional cash will be awarded for additional winners in each category. This valuable prize package is made possible by generous supporters, including Platinum Sponsor Mycogen Seeds.
Contest categories include: Champion Grass Hay, sponsored by Barenbrug USA; Champion Dairy Hay, sponsored by Syngenta; Champion Dairy Haylage, sponsored by Kent Nutrition Group; Champion Commercial Baleage, sponsored by W-L Research; Champion Commercial Hay, sponsored by Bridon Cordage; Champion Standard Corn Silage, sponsored by Ag-Bag; and Champion Brown Midrib Corn Silage, sponsored by Mycogen Seeds.
All category winners will compete for the coveted Grand Champion Forage Producer honor and the $2,500 cash award, sponsored by NutriSave Forage Management System. In addition to the above categories, winners of the Quality Counts Hay/Haylage and Quality Counts Corn Silage categories will be named and each will be awarded a $1,000 cash prize, sponsored by Croplan Genetics. The Quality Counts category will be based on a predetermined quality factor, which will not be announced until World Dairy Expo.
Corn silage entrants are encouraged to select a corn silage sample now and simply store it in a 2-gallon air tight container in the freezer until August 18, 2011 when the entries are due. All corn silage entries must be from the 2010 growing season.
All other samples must be received at AgSource Laboratories in Bonduel, Wis. before September 7, 2011. Your $25 entry fee provides entry into the contest and the opportunity to win cash prizes, along with a detailed laboratory analysis of the sample. Participants may enter as often and in as many categories as desired; however, the Commercial Hay category is intended for hay growers who raise and sell hay for a living.
For entry forms and information, call 715-758-2178 or visit online. The World Forage Analysis Superbowl is held annually in conjunction with World Dairy Expo, October 4-8, 2011 in Madison, Wis. The winners will be named at the Mycogen Seeds Awards Luncheon at Expo, held this year on October 5.
Source: World Forage Analysis Superbowl
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
To see all archived Pioneer Forage Forum podcasts, click here.
Subscribe to Forage Forum here.
Posted: March 18, 2011 at 8:21 am
By Cindy Zimmerman
Thanks to a farmer’s report, a USDA grass breeder has rediscovered a long-forgotten forage grass called meadow fescue that seems perfect for intensive rotational grazing.
Charles Opitz found the grass growing in the deep shade of a remnant oak savannah on his dairy farm near Mineral Point, Wis. He discovered that his cows loved it and produced more milk when they ate it, so he reported the find to USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS). It was geneticist Michael Casler with the U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center in Madison who acted on the report and identified the grass as meadow fescue, which was once popular after being introduced about 50 to 60 years before tall fescue. Casler used DNA markers to identify Opitz’s find.
Meadow fescue is very winter-hardy and persistent, having survived decades of farming. It emerged from oak savannah refuges to dominate many pastures in the Midwest’s driftless region, named for its lack of glacial drift, the material left behind by retreating continental glaciers. Casler and his colleagues have since found the plant on more than 300 farms in the driftless region of Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota.
Researchers discovered that meadow fescue is 4 to 7 percent more digestible than other cool-season grasses dominant in the United States. In another study, meadow fescue had a nutritional forage quality advantage over tall fescue and orchardgrass that may compensate for its slightly lower annual yield further north, as reported in the Agronomy Journal. Also, the yield gap begins to close with the frequent harvesting involved in intensive grazing. Casler has developed a new variety of meadow fescue called Hidden Valley. Seed for the new variety is being grown for future release.
Read more here from USDA-ARS.
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: February 9, 2011 at 8:04 pm
By News Editor
New for 2011, the World Forage Analysis Superbowl will feature a Grass Hay category. This new category is in addition to the contest’s six standard categories of Commercial Hay, Dairy Hay, Haylage, Baleage, Standard Corn Silage and Brown Mid-Rib (BMR) Corn Silage, along with the Quality Counts Awards for hay/haylage and corn silage.
“The committee is excited to add an additional category to this growing contest,” said Steve Peterson, Vice President of the Soil & Forage Division at AgSource Cooperative Services and longtime Superbowl committee member. “This new category recognizes the growth and importance of grass-based forages.”
“In last year’s contest, 279 entries from 25 states went home with over $20,000 in cash prizes. We’re seeing more dairy producers and forage growers competing each year, and we hope the Grass Hay category will allow for even more to get involved,” said Peterson.
The World Forage Analysis Superbowl is held annually in conjunction with World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wis. each October. Category winners and the Grand Champion Forage Grower are named at a special luncheon at Expo. The 28th Annual World Forage Analysis Superbowl is organized in partnership with AgSource Cooperative Services, AgSource Laboratories, DairyBusiness Communications, Hay & Forage Grower, U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center, University of Wisconsin and World Dairy Expo.
Cash prize details, entry forms and contest rules will be available in March. The deadline for corn silage entries for this year’s contest is August 18, and all other entries are due September 7, 2011. Your $25 entry fee provides entry into the contest and the opportunity to win cash prizes, along with a detailed laboratory analysis of the sample.
Source: World Forage Analysis Superbowl
Posted: November 11, 2010 at 7:53 am
By News Editor
Congratulations to Syngenta Seeds, Inc.’s 8688GT brand corn hybrid for its recent Grand Champion First Time Entrant title from the 27th annual World Forage Analysis Superbowl.
The 8688GET brand from its Garst® brand recently earned Tony Pecha of Bloomer, Wis., the title of Grand Champion First Time Entrant in the Corn Silage Division at the 27th annual World Forage Analysis Superbowl held during the World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wis. With his first-ever entry into the contest, Pecha posted a final score of 95.2 out of 100 possible. Additionally, Syngenta had a total of four top-five alfalfa finishers in this year’s Superbowl – the most of any alfalfa brand.
“We are very pleased with our showing of top-performing corn silage and alfalfa winners at this year’s World Forage Analysis Superbowl and would like to congratulate Tony on his first place finish,” said Brian Walsh, corn product manager at Syngenta Seeds, Inc. “The number of finalists hailing from varying geographies is strong proof that Syngenta’s advanced technologies and superior genetics can meet customers’ individual needs and challenges wherever they farm.”
Growers using Syngenta alfalfa products placed in the top five in the Dairy Hay, Commercial Hay and Dairy Haylage divisions. Top contenders in the Dairy Hay class included Randall Geiger of Reedsville, Wis., and returning finalists Karl and Barb Wogsland of Scandinavia, Wis. Commercial Hay included finalists David Hinman of Wheatland, Wyo. and Gen Art Hillcrest Dairy, St. Cloud, Wis., who also had a top-five finish in the Dairy Haylage division.
The Grand Champion First Time Entrant 8688GT brand corn silage hybrid from Garst is the Agrisure® GT refuge version of 86T82-3000GT brand, a high volume, elite, 105-day, dual-purpose, grain/silage hybrid. The Agrisure® 3000GT triple stack provides the ultimate in yield protection and the flexibility to choose management practices that meet individual needs.
The World Forage Analysis Superbowl was organized in conjunction with AgSource Laboratories, DairyBusiness Communications, Hay & Forage Grower, U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center, the University of Wisconsin and World Dairy Expo.
Source: Syngenta
Posted: November 3, 2010 at 9:52 am
By Chuck
At the Alltech Global 500 feeding efficiency was the subject of a presentation by Mike Hutjens, University of Illinois. He says that to survive we’re going to have to become more feed efficient and since feed can make up half the cost of producing milk it’s very important. He says that with corn getting to $6/bushel we’re going to have to look at more forage in the diet. That means a closer look at the nutrition plan to control variation. He uses a term, “precision feeding” which he says is “everyday delivering the same ration, if it’s higher in forages it means you have to take that variation out based on variety selections and types of forages you’re feeding.”
You can listen to my interview with Mike here: Interview With Mike Hutjens
Alltech Global 500 Photo Album
Posted: October 8, 2010 at 2:53 pm
By Cindy Zimmerman
On this edition of Forage Forum, Kyle Whitaker, Pioneer Hi-Bred marketing manager for forage additives, highlights the Pioneer fiber technology platform. Whitaker discusses the benefits of using a crop-specific inoculant during an interview with Chuck Zimmerman at the recent Farm Progress Show.
Listen to the podcast here:
Forage Forum on Crop Specific Inoculants
To see all archived Pioneer Forage Forum podcasts, click here.
Subscribe to Forage Forum here.
Posted: September 10, 2010 at 6:56 am
By Cindy Zimmerman
On this edition of Forage Forum, Pioneer Hi-Bred dairy specialist Kevin Putnam discusses feeding the newly harvested silage crop. Letting the new crop ferment three to four months allows starch availability to increase. This year, Putnam says the crop should have a nice grain-to-stock ratio, which makes for high-energy, highly digestible feedstuffs.
Listen to the podcast here:
Forage Forum on New Silage Crop
To see all archived Pioneer Forage Forum podcasts, click here.
Subscribe to Forage Forum here.
Posted: August 25, 2010 at 3:14 pm
By Cindy Zimmerman
Jim Smith, Pioneer livestock information manager in Minnesota, discusses the impact of growing conditions on corn for silage. Moisture and heat, depending on stage of growth, have a multitude of effects on nutritional value and readiness of the corn for harvest. Smith also talks about conditions in the northern Corn Belt.
Listen to the podcast here:
Impact of Growing Conditions on Corn Silage
To see all archived Pioneer Forage Forum podcasts, click here.
Subscribe to Forage Forum here.
Posted: August 19, 2010 at 7:53 pm
By Cindy Zimmerman
The ethanol co-product distillers grains offer a way to supplement bad hay being baled for winter feed this year.
During field days this month at University of Missouri Forage research centers, extension regional livestock specialist Chris Zumbrunnen told participants that distillers grains, which offer up to 30 percent protein, can pick up the slack when the hay quality falls short. “There is a tremendous amount of high quality product available,” Zumbrunnen said. There will also be plenty of poor quality hay that was harvested late and rained on during haymaking.
Zumbrunnen explained that different types of distillers grains require different handling methods.
The dried product, known as DDGs, which has only 10 percent moisture, handles and stores easily but it can draw moisture and become caked in storage. “If you put it in a bin, you might have a hard time getting it out,” Zumbrunnen said. The wet product, with 65 percent moisture, is less expensive, but needs to be used quickly. “It’s tough to store and do anything with,” he said. “You can’t stack it, as it will spread out unless contained.”
A new modified wet distillers grain offered by some ethanol plants allows more flexibility and ease in feeding. The modified product is dried down to 50 percent moisture. It retains its shape and won’t blow away like dry product. ”The modified wet product can be fed on the ground or on top of unrolled baled hay. It stays in place,” Zumbrunnen said “Those old cows love it.”
The best time for herd owners to buy distillers product is in late summer, before demand picks up from the feed yards. “You can save $30 a ton by buying in the off season,” Zumbrunnen said. “Now is the time to buy if you can store it.” A list of prices and sources for distillers grains in Missouri is updated weekly and listed on the dairy feed page of the MU AgEBB.
Posted: August 15, 2010 at 7:49 pm
By Cindy Zimmerman
As the choppers start to roll across the country, Pioneer Hi-Bred dairy specialist Kevin Putnam discusses some management considerations for chopping corn silage. Corn heat units in many areas are ahead of schedule, triggering harvest. Putman discusses proper chopper set up, inoculant options and other factors for achieving optimum quality.
Listen to the podcast here:
Forage Forum on Silage Chopping Time
To see all archived Pioneer Forage Forum podcasts, click here.
Subscribe to Forage Forum here.
Posted: July 8, 2010 at 7:39 am
By Cindy Zimmerman
Last year many growers encountered a wet growing season which led to some concerns with ear molds. Bill Seglar, Pioneer nutritional sciences veterinarian, discusses conditions conducive to ear molds and the impact it has on nutritional value.
Listen to the podcast here:
Forage Forum 77
To see all archived Pioneer Forage Forum podcasts, click here.
Subscribe to Forage Forum here.
Posted: May 27, 2010 at 9:22 am
By Cindy Zimmerman
In this edition of Forage Forum, Bill Seglar, Pioneer nutritional sciences veterinarian, addresses questions on BT corn for silage. Seglar says biotechnology traits do not impact nutritional value of the corn, but it is usually environmental factors that affect silage quality and nutritional value.
Listen to the podcast here:
pioneer-podcast-75-wdd.mp3
Bill Seglar on Bt Corn for Silage (4:20 min MP3)
To see all archived Pioneer Forage Forum podcasts, click here.
Subscribe to Forage Forum here.
Posted: May 14, 2010 at 4:13 pm
By News Editor
Are you a dairy producer interested in hay and forages? Then the Hay Expo in Strawberry Point, Iowa, on June 16 and 17 is for you! Known as the nation’s largest two-day hay event, the Hay Expo is designed to give alfalfa and forage producers an intensive, one-stop learning and shopping opportunity.
The host farm for the 2010 expo is Matt and Jana Hamlett. The Hamletts previously hosted the Hay Expo in 2006. This year’s event is on the same farm, along Highway 3, west of Strawberry Point.
The Hamletts, with the help of herdsman Tom Falck and wife Krista, milk about 250 cows. The dairy operation has evolved since 2006 when the Hamletts were milking 200 cows. In 2006, they had recently expanded the parlor to a double-10 and had built another freestall barn. They thought having 200 cows in the milking string was about as big as they wanted to be. But with the narrow profit margins, they have had to expand the herd and milk more cows to support their family and their employees.
One reason Matt’s hosting the Hay Expo again is because of the opportunity it gives dairy producers, or anyone interested in hay and forages, to learn about the latest information and technology, to help them improve efficiency.
A 10-acre exhibit field will highlight displays from the major and shortline specialty manufacturers, seed, building and storage facility suppliers, and a range of related product suppliers. Exhibitors plan to showcase a host of new products aimed at boosting the efficiency and profitability of hay and forage production.
More than 200 acres of alfalfa will showcase mowing, conditioning, baling and silage demonstrations. Visitors will see side-by-side operational comparisons of the various equipment brands in the field demonstrations. Admission is free; parking is $7 per vehicle. The public is welcome.
Source: Hay Expo
Posted: May 6, 2010 at 9:14 am
By Cindy Zimmerman
In this edition of Forage Forum, Pioneer livestock information manager Steve Soderlund discusses the benefits of dual-purpose hybrids, which can allow a producer greater flexibility, depending on environmental conditions and feed needs.
Listen to the podcast here:
pioneer-podcast-74-wdd.mp3
Steve Soderland on dual purpose hybrids (5:00 min MP3)
To see all archived Pioneer Forage Forum podcasts, click here.
Subscribe to Forage Forum here.
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