Have trouble sorting out PENDF, NDF and PEF? Pioneer Hi-Bred nutritional sciences veterinarian, Bill Seglar, explains these acronyms and their value to producers. “This information offers producers the ability to add up physically effective fiber coming from all different types of forages that are being brought into the ration to see if it meets the requirements of the total ration,” … Read More
Managing Forage Quality
Dr. David Miller, director of alfalfa research for Pioneer, talks about the importance of forage quality. Forage quality has several definitions, depending on whether you are a beef producer or a dairy producer. Forage quality cannot always be expressed through a number, but rather how well an animal will perform when it is fed alfalfa, says Miller. Achieving high forage … Read More
Pioneer's Integrated Forage Program
Managing the gaps in today’s agriculture can be an issue, says Dr. Bill Mahanna, coordinator of global nutritional sciences for Pioneer. When visiting an operation, several factors come into play before a crop becomes feed. Pioneer can offer expertise to deal with the full continuum – managing the gaps between growing and cutting the feed to packing the silo and … Read More
New Alfalfa Varieties From Pioneer
As you know, Pioneer Hi-Bred has been a supporter of World Dairy Diary with their Forage Forum podcast. They just announced that they’ve got 3 new alfalfa products for the 2007 planting season.
Accurate Analysis Begins with Smart Sampling
At what point can inaccuracies plague the testing of corn silage? The greater potential for problems is not in the laboratory, but instead in the sampling, according to Dr. Bill Mahanna, coordinator of global nutritional sciences for Pioneer Hi-Bred. Because analysis can be no better than the samples themselves, Bill offers suggestions for performing steps safely and effectively, from acquisition to preservation to shipment. This includes alternative methods when the “magic number of 12” samples isn’t practical.
Shared Expectations for Better Corn Silage
An up-front dialogue between the nutritionist and custom cutter can pay dividends, says Dr. Bill Mahanna, coordinator of global nutritional sciences for Pioneer Hi-Bred. A nutritionist’s ration plans can change year-to-year, so variables such as length of chop and degree of processing should be adjusted accordingly. If the nutritionist shows desirable corn silage samples to the custom cutter and clarifies needs in advance, it diminishes subjectivity and improves everyone’s satisfaction. Bill has suggestions for encouraging this face-to-face planning. Listen to them and tell Bill your experiences.
Reality-Driven Pricing for Corn Silage
Should the cost of purchasing corn silage be driven by quantity or quality? Dr. Bill Mahanna, coordinator of global nutritional sciences for Pioneer Hi-Bred, believes in retiring the 30-year-old rule of thumb, the Board of Trade price for corn times six or seven. Current lab methods and credible indexes are more accurate in determining relative values to dairy operators and fairly compensating silage growers. Bill details various pricing opportunities in a spreadsheet, which he’s willing to share. For a copy, e-mail him at bill.mahanna@pioneer.com.
Cutting Edge Alfalfa Chopping
Dr. Bill Mahanna, coordinator of global nutritional sciences for Pioneer Hi-Bred, weighs in on the recent interest in the dairy industry about how alfalfa can and should be chopped. The catalyst is the popularity of disk mowers, which allow chopping much lower to the ground. This can increase yields, but at what cost in stand longevity and forage quality?
Pioneer Hi-Bred Introduces First Dairy Podcast
Announcing the first podcast for dairy producers.
Best of 2010 on World Dairy Diary
Compared to 2009, things were looking up for the dairy industry in 2010. World Dairy Diary was on an upswing this year, with traffic increasing 35 percent to over 98,000 unique visitors. Our Twitter feed surpassed 1000 followers a few months ago and continues to grow. As of today, 1114 followers are watching tweets from WDD. Our WDD reporters were … Read More