A thick, healthy stand is every alfalfa grower’s goal. Mother Nature throws plenty of curve balls, but using good management practices can help you come out the winner. To successfully establish a crop of alfalfa, you must optimize seed-to-soil contact; it is the key to optimal yield. But how do we optimize that?

Recycling is a major theme of the dairy industry, and we should hold our heads high because of the extent we are a “green” industry (Figure 1). Just like many of the byproducts we use in today’s rations, so too is the use of manure part of that case of extreme recycling. We are recycling what has already been recycled once.

One of the biggest challenges on a dairy operation is estimating how much feed you have on hand and how long it will last. However, a few simple steps can make your estimating and planning processes easier.

In my former life as a practicing veterinarian and nutritionist, I remember when the questions from producers used to be simple: “Why should I use inoculants?” or “If I use them, will I actually have better silage?” Nowadays, there is plenty of third-party research backing up the efficacy claims of inoculants. Now the questions from producers have shifted from “Should I use inoculants?” to “Which inoculant is the best for my crops?” Other questions like, “What’s in an inoculant?” and “Does bacteria type matter?” dig even deeper.

Feed efficiency has gained a lot of attention recently due to the grain market’s volatility. When corn was more than $7 per bushel and soybeans over $12 per bushel, this forced producers and nutritionists to examine ways to improve profit margins.

Grain and forage rumen starch digestibility has historically been a hot topic; however, more recently, interest and emphasis have escalated in the dairy and beef industries. This comes as no surprise as grain prices have increased as high as $8 per bushel in recent years and prices have violently fluctuated. The desire to maximize performance per bushel is on the rise, and the rumen is the focus.