14 Ate Today? Thank a Farmer. Better Farming | September 2024 managing corn Silage Imagine waking up and making one meal that you would eat for the next 365 days! You would want to make sure you get it right from the start. As dairy producers, growing corn silage and harvesting it properly is one of the most important priorities on the farm. In this article, I will explore tips from seed to feed to help maximize corn silage tonnage and nutritional value. Hybrid selection One of the most critical choices dairy producers will make is hybrid selection. A lot of factors need to be considered, not only from an agronomic standpoint but also from a nutrition standpoint. There are lots of thoughts surrounding hybrid selection. Producers ask me: Do I pick one of the many distinct types of silage specific to brown mid-rid (BMR), or do I select a dual-purpose grain corn? Using the University of Wisconsin suggestions on hybrid selection, the first place we would start is with our agronomic and technology traits. We want to make sure the corn has all the tools it needs to stay healthy through the year. Grain yield and whole plant dry matter yield work in tandem – traits that are highly correlated because of the importance of grain yield in overall final silage yield. Yield is highly influenced by genetics, so where possiDiane Kuhl/iStock/Getty Images Plus MANAGING YOUR CORN SILAGE FROM SEED TO FEED BY PAUL HERMANS
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTc0MDI3