Forage Analysis

Porosity: The true measure of silage density

kebr@novonesis.com — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0400

You invest in every ton of forage; oxygen turns that investment into shrink by converting valuable nutrients into waste.

Does forage quality have an equation?

katie_raver@rockriverlab.com — Sun, 31 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Defining forage quality for your operation sets the benchmark needed for ongoing ration improvement.

A brief, cautionary rant about soil testing

dustin_sawyer@rockriverlab.com — Fri, 15 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Amid constant promises of reinvention, soil testing remains one of agriculture’s most reliable tools.

Don't stop at RFV and RFQ

jackie.mccarville@wisc.edu — Sun, 10 May 2026 00:00:12 -0400

RFV and RFQ give a fast way to rank forage lots, but both reduce a complex feed to a single number. A full forage analysis is essential for understanding true feeding value.

Don’t overlook potassium needs in forage systems

michael.howell@nutrien.com — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Potassium is the quiet workhorse of forage nutrition, driving stress tolerance, regrowth and overall stand longevity.

Nitrogen needs for pasture yield and quality

Tue, 17 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Understanding how N becomes available – and how plants convert it into usable energy – helps producers get more from every acre.

Positioning 2025 feed for success in 2026

marian@agproud.com — Tue, 27 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Producers may not have harvested a perfect crop in 2025, but thoughtful pairing, management and a focus on gut health can still set rations up for success.

Measuring silage packing density is important for high-quality feed

shines@uidaho.edu — Tue, 06 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Packing density can make or break corn silage quality, yet many southern Idaho operations still struggle to hit the minimum standard.

Unwrapping the bale: Look, smell, flake

cwillmore@uidaho.edu — Tue, 23 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0500

Hay test results provide critical insight into forage quality, but numbers alone don’t capture the full picture.

Four forage parameters to watch after a wet haying season

rkern@wardlab.com — Thu, 06 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0500

After years of drought, Nebraska hay producers faced a new challenge in 2025: too much rain. This high-moisture hay raises new questions about winter feeding strategies.

Touring the USDA Dairy Forage Research Center

marian@agproud.com — Tue, 16 Sep 2025 00:00:00 -0400

The U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center in Madison, Wisconsin, is one of 90 locations of the USDA Agricultural Research Service.

Soil and crop additives for improving forage digestibility for milk production

david.casper10@jcwifi.com — Tue, 12 Aug 2025 00:00:00 -0400

As early-lactation dairy cows demand increasingly digestible forages, producers continue to challenge the limits of nutrient delivery. New data and decades of USDA-ARS research confirm that digestibility is key to unlocking forage value.

Interseeding cover crops in corn silage systems: Impacts on forage quality and soil health

marian@agproud.com — Thu, 24 Jul 2025 00:00:00 -0400

See how three farmers are rethinking corn silage with early interseeding strategies.

Nutrition to prevent lameness in horses

rkern@wardlab.com — Fri, 27 Jun 2025 00:00:00 -0400

There is more we can do nutritionally to prevent lameness in horses. Ensuring a well-balanced diet along with monitoring body condition can go a long way in preventing lameness and delaying the onset of some metabolic issues.

Is it grunt work or just unpleasant work?

rkern@wardlab.com — Mon, 16 Jun 2025 00:00:39 -0400

What was once "grunt work" is now a critical piece of the puzzle, handled by a team that knows its impact.

Alfalfa: A misunderstood crop in the West’s water crisis

emeccage@foragegenetics.com — Thu, 10 Apr 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Nationwide, 14.6 million acres are cultivated for alfalfa. Critics argue this is too much for regions with limited water, yet they fail to compare these numbers to other staple crops.

Tools for a successful forage crop

nickward@wardlab.com — Wed, 12 Feb 2025 00:00:00 -0500

Discover how selecting weed-competitive varieties, testing soil and irrigation water, adjusting soil pH, monitoring plants, controlling weeds and timing your harvest can have a significant impact on forage quality.

Protecting silage: Understanding risks from field stressors

jodie_myers@diamondv.com — Mon, 10 Feb 2025 00:00:00 -0500

As spring approaches, the planning and decisions that affect feed quality should begin now.

Are you baling soil?

rkern@wardlab.com — Tue, 19 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Most of what we read and talk about when it comes to improving forage quality is increasing protein, decreasing fiber and improving digestibility. However, this season, I have been observing more samples with high ash content bringing down RFQ values in comparison to RFV.

Yeasts in silage

rschmidt@lallemand.com — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Just like we don’t want to eat moldy bread, cows can’t thrive on contaminated silage. If you want better outcomes for your herd, it’s crucial to focus on feed quality. Clean, high-quality feed minimizes the risk of contaminants and harmful microbes that can compromise cattle health and performance. Among these microbes, spoilage yeasts are particularly concerning due to their significant impact on silage quality and animal well-being.

‘Moo juice’ helps fuel California dairy’s success

emeccage@foragegenetics.com — Mon, 28 Oct 2024 15:01:55 -0400

As a researcher, I spend all day, every day working alongside people in the forage industry to develop solutions for farmers to overcome the countless challenges facing their operations.

Winter supplementation: More than just protein

rkern@wardlab.com — Thu, 17 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0400

During the winter months when fresh forage on pastures is unavailable to most cow-calf producers, they typically turn to feeding one low-quality forage with a protein supplement. In Nebraska and other states where corn is a commonly grown commodity crop, many producers use grazing cornstalks as their low-quality forage source.

Are all bales harvested from a single hayfield created equal?

mike.reuter@dairyone.com — Wed, 18 Sep 2024 00:00:00 -0400

As the calendar has turned to autumn and the hay harvest season continues in full swing across the country, forage analysis labs expect to be hit by a tidal wave of samples from clients.

Is this alfalfa stand good enough to keep?

djunders@wisc.edu — Mon, 16 Sep 2024 00:00:00 -0400

As an alfalfa stand ages and thins, the primary question becomes: Is this stand good enough to keep? Now is a good time to evaluate stands as more time is allowed for planning crop rotations than when stands are evaluated in the spring and determined to be uneconomic.

Invest in quality and tonnage to maximize on-farm forage use

lkrentz@vitaplus.com — Wed, 14 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Maximizing homegrown forages is appealing to many dairy producers, especially as they face tough market conditions.

Building integrity in the soil

Mon, 01 Jul 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Over time with many common farming practices, we start to lose some of those minerals to insolubility, erosion or crop exportation. As with sentences, a soil's integrity can deteriorate as these minerals are depleted, leading to reduced plant health, more pest pressure and overall harvest productivity decline.

A collaboration for data collection

Tue, 18 Jun 2024 00:00:00 -0400

There are infinite factors that go into producing a quality forage. Soil microorganisms, nutrients, composition and compaction all play a huge role in the ability of a forage crop to thrive, and that’s before the seed is even planted and the weather plays its role.

Clean, consistent feed can improve cow resilience

benjamin.saylor@churchdwight.com — Fri, 31 May 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Cows crave consistency, and it’s imperative that we provide them with a consistent ration, using clean feed mixed properly and delivered at the same time every day.

Artificial intelligence in animal feeding

rkern@wardlab.com — Mon, 13 May 2024 00:00:00 -0400

I am sure we have all heard about how artificial intelligence (AI) is taking over the arts. Need an article written or a picture? Just ask ChatGPT. Well, the film industry has been open about their fear of being replaced by AI.

Herbicide residuals can reduce alfalfa stand establishment

djunders@wisc.edu — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 00:00:00 -0400

The most effective weed control programs for summer annual weeds in many crops include herbicides that deliver long-lasting, residual weed control.