Grain producers and dairy operators annually debate the question, “What is corn silage worth this year?” The starting point to answer this question is often based on commodity grain market q...
Corn silage kernel processing score (KPS) continues along with brown midrib (BMR) corn silage and politics as the most heated topics discussed among forage growers, dairy producers, and consulta...
The author was the 2016 Hay & Forage Grower summer editorial intern and is a senior at South Dakota State University. When corn prices are high, corn silage may be a more economical feed to...
It is well known that reducing the size of corn kernels in whole plant corn silage makes it more digestible for the cows and enhances milk production...
Corn silage is the predominant forage fed to dairy cows in the United States. This is related to its unique characteristic of providing both high energy and physically effective fiber...
Long-term corn hybrid selection programs for grain yield potential have contributed to the tremendous progress in that trait observed by corn farmers...
Today’s corn silage hybrids offer high yield potential but can vary substantially in nutritional quality depending on genetics and the growing environment...
Fermentation is a biochemical reaction accomplished by bacteria as they consume the plant sugars and oxygen. They then convert those nutrients into acids, and once an anaerobic environment has been achieved...
Silage production is a competition. While the crop stands, its native microorganisms, or epiphytes, live in a low-growth, maintenance-only state of starvation...
There are different paths to optimal forage quality and animal performance for hay and haylage crops versus corn silage. With hay and haylage crops, cutting the crop at the correct plant maturity is a major decision that will substantially influence resulting quality...