As our ability to analyze forage for more and more specific parts of fiber, protein and fats grows, the metrics we use are often confusing to the many who read the reports. Are they necessary? Which parts are important and for what? Are they for the nutritionist?

Alfalfa and corn silage are the most widely used forages for dairy cattle in the Midwest, while grasses and pasture are used more in beef cattle diets. Alfalfa became the forage of choice in dairy cow diets because it was higher in crude protein compared to grass and thus would lower purchased protein costs.

Forage tests give us very valuable information about the forages we are feeding. But which numbers should we be looking at? Which are the important ones? The forage report (Table 1) gives some very good examples of numbers to compare to your forage tests.

With the world population recently passing the seven billion mark, many questions have been asked concerning the ability of our planet to feed this growing population. It is predicted that in the next 40 years, two billion more people will be eating on Earth.