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Cost Effective Balancingof Yield and Quality
with Forages
Dr. Dan UndersanderUniversity of Wisconsin
Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2008
Milk Production with Varying Levels of Grain and Alfalfa Forage Quality
Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2008
Yield of three vs four cuttings of alfalfa
Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2008
Yield of three vs four cuttings of alfalfa
Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2008
Yield of three vs four cuttings of alfalfa
Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2008
Alfalfa Growth Each Day after Cutting
Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2008
Crude Protein Change over Time, 2007
Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2008
Alfalfa RFV loss with Advancing Maturity in the Spring
Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2008
Change in fiber digestibility over time
Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2008
Comparison of RFV to RFQ for 3 Wisconsin Counties, 2006 and 2007
Y= 1.20x + 36.88R2 = 0.99
Y= 1.34x + 14.33R2 = 0.96
Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2008
Alfalfa Digestion
Comparison of 24 to 48 hour In Situ NDF of alfalfa Digestion
y = 0.949x + 6.2257R2 = 0.9018
20304050607080
20 30 40 50 60 70 80
24 hour digestion (% of NDF)
48 h
our d
iges
tion
(% o
f ND
F)
Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2008
Effective Balancing of Yield and quality
Feed the lowest quality necessary for performance
Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2008
Dairy, 1st trimesterDairy Calf
Dairy, last 200 daysHeifer, 3-12 monthStocker cattle
Heifer, 12-18 moBeef cow & calf
Heifer, 18-24 moDry cow
Forage Quality Needs of Cattle
________________________________________________
100 160140120110 130 150Relative Forage Quality
Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2008
Effective Balancing of Yield and quality
Feed the lowest quality necessary for performanceIf both grower and dairyman, benefit to quality in milk production
Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2008
Effective Balancing of Yield and quality
Feed the lowest quality necessary for permanceIf both grower and dairyman, benefit to quality in milk productionIf grower selling to dairyman – consider value of quality
Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2008
Effective Balancing of Yield and Quality
Parameters
Yield change/day 100 lbRFV change/day 5$/RFV $1.00Cost to harvest
additional ton $15.00
Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2008
What can Grower Do to Decrease Production Cost?
Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2008
What can Grower Do to Decrease Production Cost?
Maximize yield
Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2008
What can Grower Do to Decrease Production Cost?
Maximize yieldHarvest for quality
Timely Harvest
100
120140
160180
200220
240260
280
5/3 5/13 5/23 6/2 6/12 6/22
Date
RFV
20032002200120001999
Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2008
What can Grower Do to Decrease Production Cost?
Maximize yieldHarvest for quality
Timely HarvestMultileaf neutral
60
70
80
90
100
110
120
130
85 90 95 100 105 110M
ilk/to
n (%
of c
heck
)
NDF (% of check)
Quality of Multileaf Alfalfa
trifoliatemultileaf
Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2008
What can Grower Do to Decrease Production Cost?
Maximize yieldHarvest for quality
Timely HarvestMultileaf neutralMinimize ash
Ash Content of Forage Samples UW Marshfield Lab
Type Statistic % AshHaylage Average 12.3
Max 18.0Min 5.7
Hay Average 10.3Max 17.6Min 8.8
Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2008
What can Grower Do to Decrease Production Cost?
Maximize yieldHarvest for quality
Timely HarvestMultileaf neutralMinimize ash
Cutting heightKnife angleHay on stubbleRaking
Ash Content of Forage Samples UW Marshfield Lab
Type Statistic % AshHaylage Average 12.3
Max 18.0Min 5.7
Hay Average 10.3Max 17.6Min 8.8
Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2008
What can Grower Do to Decrease Production Cost?
Maximize yieldHarvest for quality
Timely HarvestMultileaf neutralMinimize ash
StorageWho stores?Minimize Loss
Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2008
New Traits for Forage Quality
Low lignin alfalfaHigh bypass protein alfalfaBiomass
Separate leaves and stems
Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2008
Questions or comments?
Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2008
Short cutting cycle -Alfalfa yield from 21 and 35 day mowing
1st cut 2nd cut 3rd Cut 4th Cut Total
21 day cutting schedule
IA 1.31 0.67 0.18 0.36 2.52
WI 1.17 0.62 0.60 0.55 2.93
35 day cutting scheduleIA 1.25 1.05 0.58 2.88
WI 1.75 1.44 1.07 4.26
