Focus on Forage
Focus on Forage
About Focus on Forage
Focus on Forage is a FREE, 4-part webinar series highlighting research-based information and farmer strategies to optimize forage yield, quality, and profitability in Wisconsin. Webinar speakers include forage industry experts, UW–Madison Specialists, and Extension Educators. Certified Crop Advisor CEUs and ARPAS credits are available for each webinar.
Webinars take place online via Zoom from 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. Registration is free but required.
2025 Focus on Forage Topics
Feb. 5: Focus on Alfalfa Companions
Josh Kamps, UW–Madison Extension
Shelby Gruss, Iowa State University Extension
Marta Kohmann, UW–Madison Plant and Agroecosystem Sciences
Josh Kamps will discuss planting alfalfa green into a cereal rye cover crop, Dr. Gruss will present on the integration of warm season annuals grasses into alfalfa, and Dr. Kohmann will present on alfalfa nutrient credits.
Feb. 12: Focus on Corn Silage
Damon Smith, UW–Madison Plant Pathology
John Goeser, Rock River Laboratory
Harkirat Kaur, UW–Madison Plant and Agroecosystem Sciences
Dr. Smith will cover mycotoxin accumulation in corn and silage, Dr. Goeser will cover trends in forage quality energy & hygiene, and Dr. Kaur will present on the potential for new short corn hybrids for silage use.
Feb. 26: Focus on Forage Cover Crops
Ken Kalscheur, Lizzy French and Barbara Dittrich, USDA Dairy Forage Research Center
Dan Marzu, UW–Madison Extension
Dr. Kalscheur will present on the use of cover crops as alternative forage in the dairy ration, Dr. French and Barbara Dittrich will discuss precision feeding of alternative forages to dairy cows during early lactation, and Dan Marzu will present on preliminary trends in forage quality from the Wisconsin Cover Crop Citizen Science Survey.
March 5: Focus on the Alfalfa Toolbox
Mike Bertram, Arlington Ag Research Station
Scott Newell, UW–Madison Extension
Mark Renz, UW–Madison Plant and Agroecosystem Sciences
Mike Stanek, WI NRCS
Bertram will showcase the 2024 results of the Wisconsin Alfalfa Yield and Persistence project, Newell will showcase the UW–Madison Alfalfa Cutting Tool, Dr. Renz asks “How much weed management does alfalfa REALLY need?”, and Stanek will discuss the new Short Term Perennial NRCS scenario with money available to establish alfalfa.
2024 Focus on Forage Webinar Recordings
- Focus on Forage Insurance with Pamela Stahlke and Dr. Paul Mitchell
- Focus on Alfalfa with Scott Newell, Dr. Kim Cassida, Dr. Mark Renz, and Dr. Emily Bick
- Focus on Annual Forages with Dr. Marta Kohmann, Dr. Luiz Ferraretto, John Jones, and Chris Bandura
- Focus on Pastures with Jason Cavadini, Steve Okonek, Dr. Marta Kohmann, and Stefania Cartoni-Casamitjana
