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Late summer cutting management of alfalfa
Difficult alfalfa harvesting conditions sometimes result in farmers being off schedule for late summer harvesting alfalfa. This raises the question of best cutting management of alfalfa harvest as the end of summer approaches. If we want good winter survival and rapid greenup for good yield next year, alfalfa must either: This has resulted in the […]
Corn plant density for maximum grain and silage production
The plant density that maximizes corn grain and silage yield has been increasing through time. The economic optimum plant density is a function of corn yield and quality responses, seed cost, and grain or silage price. The economic plant density is lower than the plant density that maximizes yield.
2019 Wisconsin Cover Crops Conference Keynote
https://youtu.be/auNX–rgz9I
Planting Corn for Silage after a First-cut Alfalfa Harvest
Introduction 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: Kill (plow or spray) the alfalfa stand now and plant a full-season corn hybrid, control perennial grasses and broadleaves with a post-emergence […]
2018 Wisconsin Cover Crops Conference Keynote
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nP5IEclSz_I
Comparison of Relative Forage Quality (RFQ) toRelative Feed Value (RFV)
We introduced Relative Forage Quality as an improvement to RFV in 2002. We released the term to better estimate energy and intake and to do it in accordance with NRC Nutrition Requirements for Dairy Animals released in 2001.
Alfalfa maturity stage is only part of the forage quality story
“Cut alfalfa at late bud for optimum quality.” We’ve heard this statement, or a similar one, many times over the past 10 to 15 years. Although forage quality is strongly correlated to morphological stage (for example, late-bud or first flower), many years of monitoring the forage quality of a standing crop has taught us that environment plays an important role in what the actual forage quality might be at a specific stage of maturity.
Frosted alfalfa
Alfalfa may start growing in the spring while some freezing nights are still occurring. This has caused many management questions among farmers.
Milk2016 (ALFALFA-GRASS): Index Combining Yield and Quality
Undersander et al. (1993) developed a method for estimating milk per ton of forage dry matter (DM) as an index of forage quality of alfalfa and grasses. The milk per ton index of Undersander et al. (1993) is based on energy content of the forage predicted from acid detergent fiber (ADF) content and DM intake potential of the forage predicted from neutral detergent fiber (NDF) content.
Packing Bunker and Pile Silos to Minimize Porosity
Attaining a high silage density is important for two primary reasons. Most importantly, density and dry matter content determine the porosity of the silage.