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Estimating Alfalfa RFV in the Field Using PEAQ
Step 1: Choose a representative 2-square-foot area in the field. Step 2: Determine the most mature stem in the 2-square-foot sampling area using the criteria shown in the table to the right. Step 3: Measure the length of the tallest stem in the 2-square-foot area. Measure if from the soil surface (next to plant crown) to the […]
Effect of seedling year stress on future alfalfa yields
Stress in the seeding year reduces future yields of alfalfa. This occurs because the seeding year determines the stand plant density as well as individual plant size and vigor. The following paragraphs will show that autotoxicity, potato leaf hopper, cover crop, and, possibly, drought stresses in the seeding year will reduce alfalfa yield in future years, even when the stress is gone.
Diagnosing and managing winter aflafa injury
Winter Injury occurs someplace in Wisconsin every year. Being able to diagnose and manage winter damaged stands may help prolong stand life and increase production. Below is a brief discussion on diagnosing and managing winter damaged alfalfa.
Drive-over silage pile construction
Farmers have been making silage pile for years, but some methods have allowed huge storage losses. Typically, a pile is constructed by unloading silage into an elevator and piling up the silage, much as a quarry piles sand or gravel. This piling method misses the most important step – PACKING.
Ryegrass Types for Pasture and Hay
Increased awareness of ryegrass as a potential forage has occurred in the upper Midwest. Ryegrasses are excellent, high quality forage, establishing rapidly and producing good yield in the seeding year if cool (50 to 75°F) exist and adequate moist is available. Ryegrasses have low tolerance for water stress. Several ryegrass types exist and species within […]
Frost Seeding Legumes and Grasses into Established Pastures
Frost seeding legumes and grasses is common means to improve forage yield or change the species composition of a pasture. Frost seeding offers several potential advantages: the ability to establish forage in an undisturbed sod, a reduced need for labor and energy compared to conventional seeding methods, the ability to establish forages with minimum equipment investment, a shortened “non-grazing” period, and a means to maintain stands at productive levels with both grasses and legumes.
Big Bale Storage Losses; how different options stack up
When harvesting baled hay, it’s not always easy to control weather-related losses, but storage loses should be more controllable. After all, a lot of time, energy and expense have gone into producing a high quality and high value baled product.
Planting Corn for Silage after a First-cut Alfalfa Harvest
It’s early May, you’re looking at a rather marginal alfalfa stand, the haylage silo is nearly empty, and you generally use some corn silage in the dairy ration. Here are the options: What are the advantages and disadvantages of each option? With Option 1, you give-up all alfalfa production on the field for the current year […]
Update on starch utilization by dairy cows
“Update on starch utilization by dairy cows” was presented by Randy Shaver, University of Wisconsin. Two-to fourfold increases in corn prices in recent years over historical trends have prompted many questions about the utilization of starch by dairy cows.
Quality and feeding
Quality of corn silage is determined by energy content and intake potential as well as content of protein and minerals. Methods used to evaluate corn silage quality include chemical methods such as fiber analysis, biological methods such as fermentation with ruminal microbes, and instrumental methods such as near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) which predicts nutrients rather than measuring them directly.