MANAGEMENT

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.

The U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center (USDFRC) is a research center of the USDA devoted to the optimization of the use of forages in improving dairy cattle production and sustainability. The center employs 20 research scientists and 40 support staff, and hosts another 40 students, post-docs and visiting scientists.

Near-infrared reflectance spectrometry (NIRS) is no longer limited to a forage testing laboratory, but prior to investing in one, it is important to thoroughly research the features that can make or break this technology as a useful forage quality management tool.