MANAGEMENT

Winter is a good time for reflection. The year 2020 has given us quite a bit to reflect on. As we think about the year and try to learn from it, resist the urge to look over the fence and be jealous of your neighbor who is doing “better than you.”

Every day, it seems, we hear about a new idea, concept, program or way of thinking that will dramatically improve our lives. Agriculture is a particular target of these new ideas and emerging technologies.

Forages have always been an integral part of the feeding program for dairy cows. As a ruminant, the dairy cow needs forage in her diet. Whether forages are grazed or fed as preserved feeds, they are critical to the success of the dairy cow and the dairy farm.

When it comes to efficiency, it’s tough to beat soil testing. What else can you do for less than a dollar an acre that has such a large potential impact on crop yield, quality and farm profitability?

It may be too early to conduct an export year in review but, given the roller coaster ride of 2020, exporters should be forgiven for wanting to look forward to a new year and a clean slate. So far, this has been a year of challenges and risks, requiring new skills and methods.

Acute nitrate toxicity occurs when animals consume high-nitrate forages for a short period of time. Nitrate is converted to nitrite by rumen microbes as an intermediate step in converting the nitrate to microbial protein. Ruminant animals are specifically at risk, as they bring up the feed bolus for chewing and inhale the nitrite.