Prize winners in the World Forage Analysis Superbowl hailed from as far away as Wyoming, Pennsylvania, New York and Ohio and as close as Michigan, Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin.
Results of the annual contest were announced at this year’s World Dairy Expo in Madison, WI. Overall winner Diane Pounder, Delavan, WI, took home $2,500 for her baleage entry, a mix of Roadrunner alfalfa and Niva orchardgrass that she, her husband, John, and son, Bryan, raise. The entry had a relative forage quality (RFQ) score of 281, testing 49.8% dry matter, 19.6% NDF and 22.5% crude protein (CP).
Familiar finalist Kendall Guither, Walnut, IL, won the commercial baleage category with a sample of WL 320HQ alfalfa that tested 24% CP, 22.5% ADF and 26.5% NDF, with a 258 RFQ score. Second place went to Chase Holschbach, Baraboo, WI, for SpringGold alfalfa with a 22.9% CP, 23.2% ADF, 24.7% NDF and an RFQ score of 262. Third place went to Benjamin Fisher, Jr., Greens Fork, IN, for KingFisher 222 alfalfa with 21.5% CP, 22.6% ADF, 32.3% NDF and an RFQ score of 204.
The commercial hay winner was Lori Hetzel, Powell, WY, with a Simplot alfalfa variety that tested 22.4% CP, 20.4% ADF and 25.8% NDF, with a 268 RFQ score. Two other Wyoming growers, Mark Bappe of Riverton and David Hinman of Wheatland, placed second and third, respectively. Bappe’s entry was a Simplot variety testing 20.7% CP, 20.8% ADF and 26.4% NDF, with a 259 RFQ score. Hinman’s was an NK alfalfa with 25.4% CP, 23.3% ADF, 28.8% NDF and a 235 RFQ score.
A sample of Pioneer 54V46 alfalfa won the dairy hay championship for David and Donald Schlies, Denmark, WI. It had a 207 RFQ score, testing 21.4% CP, 23.4% ADF and 32% NDF and producing 3,128 lbs of milk per ton. David Olson, Lena, WI, finished second with a Kora tall fescue-KingFisher 444 alfalfa mixture testing 16.8% CP, 25% ADF and 35.8% NDF, with an RFQ of 201 and 3,248 lbs of milk per ton. Placing third was Randall Geiger, Reedsville, WI, whose NK 6417 alfalfa tested 24.4% CP, 23.9% ADF and 30.4% NDF, with a 224 RFQ score and 3,122 lbs of milk per ton.
A Croplan Genetics alfalfa won the dairy haylage championship for McClellan Farms, another entrant from Delavan, WI. It tested 23.1% CP, 22.8% ADF and 27.6% NDF, and scored 241 for RFQ and produced 3,267 lbs of milk per ton. Maple Downs Farms, Middleburgh, NY, took second with a Mycogen variety testing 18.6% CP, 27.4% ADF and 35.5% NDF, with a 200 RFQ score and milk per ton of 3,237 lbs. Genart Hillcrest Dairy, St. Cloud, WI, placed third with Garst 6415 alfalfa testing 22.1% CP, 24.6% ADF and 28.2% NDF, with a 231 RFQ score and producing 3,246 lbs of milk per ton.
The BMR dairy corn silage category was won by Frazee Farms, Fabius, NY. Its Mycogen F2F485 entry tested 34.3% starch, 38.8% NDF and 64.5% NDF digestibility, producing 3,671 lbs of milk per ton. Second place went to Champion Farms, Clinton, NY, with the same Mycogen hybrid testing 34.7% starch, 36% NDF, 68.5% NDF digestibility and producing 3,697 lbs of milk per ton. Placing third place was Crist Dairy Farm, Homeworth, OH, with Mycogen F2F797 with 33.8% starch, 39.2% NDF and 70.3% NDF digestibility, producing 3,631 lbs of milk per ton.
Lightland Farms, Stanley, NY, topped the standard dairy corn silage category with a Mycogen TMF94 sample testing 38.2% starch, 35.1% NDF and 59.3% NDF digestibility and producing 3,640 lbs of milk per ton. Greg Koster, Falmouth, MI, placed second with Mycogen TMF2N494, testing 34.5% starch, 36% NDF, 58.7% NDF digestibility and producing 3,531 lbs of milk per ton. VanDer Made Dairy, Sherwood, OH, took third with Mycogen TMF2W726 testing 37.3% starch, 34.9% NDF and 57.4% NDF digestibility and producing 3,543 lbs of milk per ton.
Tony Pecha, Bloomer, WI, became champion first-time entrant. Phil Saunders, Dansville, NY, and Yippee! Farms, Mount Joy, PA, took home Quality Counts awards.
Cash prizes totaled more than $20,000, including $2,500 for the overall winner, $1,500 for first-place entrants, $500 for second-place, $250 for third-place and $100 for fourth-place finishers.
Organizing partners of the Forage Superbowl are Hay & Forage Grower, AgSource Cooperative Services, DairyBusiness Communications, U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center, University of Wisconsin and World Dairy Expo.