In the News: A Little Grazing Data Goes a Long Way, Forage Seed Supplies Mostly Adequate, Feeding Corn Silage to Cattle Can Add Value, Alfalfa Breeding Has Big Potential
In "A little grazing data goes a long way," Amber Friedrichsen, Associate Editor of Hay & Forage Grower magazine reminds farmers that the end of the grazing season is an opportune time to reflect on pasture management and assess grazing data. Amber visits with Sandy Smart of South Dakota State University who added, "It is often said you cannot manage something that has not been measured. The same can be applied to range management." The article, found by clicking here, explains how climatic, topographic, edaphic (soil), and biotic factors of a grazing system influence nutrient cycling and energy flow in a pasture.
Forage seed supplies are seen as mostly adequate for spring plantings, according to Dan Foor in an article in Hay & Forage Grower magazine. Foor, senior vice president of distribution for DLF, notes forage seed supply for spring plantings looks to be in good shape to support what is expected to be higher demand for new seedings. Additionally, alfalfa is expected to have good availability across the spectrum of fall dormancies and trait packages. To read the full article, click here.
Feeding corn silage to cattle can add value according to NDSU Extension in a recently published column. With the vast majority of corn silage harvest now finished, and the process to preserve the silage in well-packed and covered corn silage piles well underway, farmers should consider the value of feeding corn silage to their own cattle.
According to Zac Carlson, North Dakota State University Extension beef cattle specialist, “Silage is an excellent energy source, providing digestible fiber while improving the palatability and conditioning of the diet with added moisture.” Corn prices have generally been more expensive in the past few years. Replacing a larger portion of corn in beef cattle diets with corn silage may be an economical solution. To read the full article, click here.
Alfalfa breeding has great potential, but only if there is a will to support research funding in the future, according to the University of Minnesota's Craig Sheaffer. In a recent article in Hay & Forage Grower Magazine, titled, "Alfalfa breeding has big potential," Amber Friedrichsen visits with Sheaffer about the value of alfalfa research. According to Sheaffer, alfalfa research pales in comparison to that of corn and soybeans, as well as less economically valuable field crops like cotton and rice, even though alfalfa's ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration, nitrogen fixation, and soil stabilization make growing alfalfa much more sustainable than corn and soybeans. Sheaffer said there must be a push for more research funding in the future. There is potential to improve existing resistant varieties and discover new ways to prevent pests and diseases if the industry has sufficient support.
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