A forage expert says acid detergent fibre percentage is an indicator of harvest maturity, and can have an effect on feed costs.

Forage tests reveal harvest, storage information

How to interpret forage lab analyses to achieve quality

A recent webinar by Lactanet’s expert in forage production and nutrition offered tips on how to interpret analyses of ensiled forage. Jean-Philippe Laroche asked participants to have on hand copies of analyses for grass or legume silage so he could relate “what your forage analyses have to tell you and provide solutions” to address shortfalls […] Read more

A new guide for dairy farmer climate best practices has been created.

Canadian dairy carbon-neutral guidebook released

Kitchen table meetings may be the next step for the introduction of the guide to farmers

There are no financial incentives and the adoption of practices isn’t mandatory to continue shipping milk, but Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) insists there are strong reasons why the country’s milk producers should get on board with a just-published Best Management Practices Guide to Mitigate Emissions on Dairy Farms.  The new document forms the cornerstone […] Read more

Bt-resistant corn rootworm is causing yield loss for silage growers.

Silage growers urged to protect feed supply from Bt-resistant corn rootworm

Pest has caused significant yield loss in both Canada and the U.S.

Some livestock producers in the U.S. corn belt have had to make a difficult and costly decision. They’ve harvested their silage corn for grain to salvage some financial return. Now a provincial entomologist says Ontario producers may face the same decision if resistance to the Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) trait in corn continues to grow. Bt-resistant […] Read more

The Enogen corn hybrid line was originally developed for the U.S. ethanol industry.

Transgenic corn touted for dairy feed efficiency

Originally developed for the U.S. ethanol industry, Syngenta’s Enogen could benefit dairy producers

A transgenic corn variety originally developed for the United States ethanol industry is being officially launched by Syngenta in Canada in 2023 for cattle feed. The Enogen line of hybrids contains a bacteria-derived transgene that produces alpha amylase, a naturally occurring enzyme that speeds the breakdown of starch. Since its introduction in the U.S. in […] Read more

The goal of producing high quality haylage and silage is to minimize variability and help lactobacillus to dominate during the ensiling process.

Forage management vital to achieve top-quality feed

Low-lignin alfalfa is a new tool that requires changes in harvest timing

Attendees at the recent 2021 Forage Focus webinars were reminded of knowledge gained from 1889 silage quality research and gained more contemporary insights from experts. Renato Schmidt discussed dry matter and quality losses during pre-ensiling and ensiling and Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs specialist Anita Heeg delivered a talk about understanding feed […] Read more