Plants need nitrogen to grow and produce high-quality crops. How much will be required is difficult to predict with absolute certainty. What we do know is that the soil in crop fields can be a very important source of nitrogen for crop growth.

In 2021, the level of corn rootworm (CRW) resistance to the current Bt-RW corn varieties will increase another significant level with associated yield losses.

The topic of silage density in storage has garnered a great deal of focus in the last few decades, but it remains a key opportunity area on many farms for its role in 1) minimizing storage losses and feed quality deterioration, 2) optimizing the footprint of stored feed and resources committed to feed storage, and 3) allowing for accurate inventory calculations and management.

Dairy farming is a constantly changing business. Farming for the long-term requires a facility that changes as well. Expansion, new technology and new enterprises may all be in every sustainable farm’s future.

David and Laurie Grant have infectious optimism and belief in the viability of the dairy industry.

Mold and mycotoxin development in corn ears and stalks, and the resulting corn silage, continues to be a major concern for dairy producers. Mycotoxins can result in a range of problems for livestock throughout the year as they are ingested with the feed.

What’s in the box?

Forrest Gump’s momma always said, “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get.” In a way, feeding cows is the same. You never really know the true composition of the feeds and diet that make it to the bunk or what makes it into each cow.

With so many challenges in the dairy industry today, farm managers realize they need to be “better than average” to be in business for the long-term. Running a whole-farm nutrient mass balance (NMB) can help achieve this.