Forage quality and its impact on milk production was the topic of discussion at a World Dairy Expo seminar sponsored by Mycogen Seeds. Featuring presentations from Dr. Greg Roth, Penn State University, and Dr. Ray Hinders, Hinders Nutrition Consulting, California, the seminar showcased findings from research recently conducted by each speaker.

Roth and his team used the Cornell Net Carbohydrate and Protein System (CNCPS) and Milk 2000 to evaluate the various corn hybrids grown for silage. In order to predict the effects of hybrids on milk production and feed costs, Roth and his team evaluated two conventional hybrids, two leafy hybrids and one brown midrib (BMR) hybrid for yield and forage quality. Roth�s team used CNCPS to evaluate the effects of feeding these hybrids on two groups of dairy cattle at the Miner Institute in Chazy, NY.

�We found commercial corn hybrids consistently varied in yield and fiber digestibility, with the BMR hybrid having the lowest yield but the highest fiber digestibility,� says Roth. �Results from our research support the concept that the largest source of improvement in milk production from BMR silage is from the improved dry matter intake, not from the higher energy level of the silage.�

When results from the CNCPS study were compared to those achieved using the Milk 2000 spreadsheet, potential milk production per ton and milk production per acre showed milk per ton was highest for the BMR hybrid and lowest for the conventional hybrid.

�This suggests that high and medium producing groups of animals may respond to improved fiber and whole plant digestibility levels and that these responses could compensate for some reduced agronomic performance,� says Roth.

The milk per acre values predicted by the Milk 2000 model integrate the milk per ton and the yield of the hybrids.

�In this case, the Milk 2000 milk per acre rankings showed the conventional and leafy hybrids superior and the BMR was substantially lower than the other two hybrids,� says Roth. However, according to Roth, these findings were not representative of the economic rankings of the hybrids in the CNCPS model.

�Our results suggest that if the responses to changes in silage quality predicted in our study are real, hybrid selection should be based more on milk per ton than milk per acre predicted by Milk 2000,� says Roth.

�Forages with a lower percent fiber and increased digestibility result in increased dry matter intake, which means more milk produced per cow per day,� says Hinders. �By increasing the milk production per cow per day, producers can increase income above the feed cost.�

In Hinders� research, a ration containing low fiber forages was compared to a ration containing high fiber forages. The income over feed cost cwt milk favored the low fiber forage ration by $0.61 even though the low fiber corn silage was priced in the ration $5 per ton higher and the low fiber alfalfa hay was priced $15 per ton higher than the high fiber forages.

In a California field trial, Hinders observed an average 8.6 lb. increase in milk production from high producing cows (over 110 lbs. milk) receiving BMR over cows fed regular corn silage. Hinders emphasized the fact that high producing cows fed a BMR will receive the most benefit from it.

In a Michigan State trial by Oba and Allen, the value of low fiber corn silage was also shown. Oba and Allen observed an average of 4.2 lbs. more milk from rations containing BMR corn silage than from regular silage with cows in early lactation increasing more than those in late lactation.

�All of this means that if the only ration change is the source of corn silage and corn silage is fed at 50 lbs. per cow per day, a 1lb. increase in milk per cow per day makes this corn silage worth an extra $5 per ton,� says Hinders.

Mycogen Seeds is a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company and is an affiliate of Dow AgroSciences LLC. Mycogen Seeds is the leader in Silage-SpecificTM corn, the largest sunflower seed producer, and a leading producer of seed corn, alfalfa, soybeans and sorghum. For more information on Mycogen Seeds, visit www.mycogen.com on the Internet.

Contact Information
Name: Greg Cannon
Phone: 317-337-7568
Email: [email protected]

Name: Ronda Pick
Phone: 262-938-5479
Email: [email protected]