Investing in fertilizer to enhance the growth of native grass pastures and hayfields has long been theorized as a questionable practice. Eddie Funderburg, senior soils and crops consultant for the Nob

Aside from crude protein, perhaps no forage analysis metric defines its quality more so than neutral detergent fiber (NDF). A compelling argument could be made that NDF is even more important than cru

Not to be mistaken with rotational grazing or ultra-high stock density (UHSD) grazing, high stock density (HSD) grazing is the practice of intentionally grazing livestock at higher concentrations than

For spring calving herds, getting cows bred in the late spring and early to midsummer on toxic tall fescue pastures can be a challenge.“I personally prefer fall calving, but I also believe that we

Picking corn hybrids, especially for silage, isn’t quite as easy as it used to be in terms of the sheer volume of candidates now available. However, what has changed from when Dad or Grandpa tackled

After a rather challenging growing season last year, the possibility for mycotoxin production in feedstuffs, such as corn silage, was much higher. In many cases, that possibility became a reality.Whil

Based on data from USDA’s Illinois Production Cost Report, farmers will be paying more for fertilizer in 2019 compared to a year ago.“All sources of nitrogen are higher with anhydrous ammonia

The challenging growing conditions of 2018 have left many dairy farms short on forage supplies. So, going into the 2019 growing season, what are some options to bolster forage inventories? Mark S

In many parts of the Midwest, this winter has been one for the record books and likely one that most livestock and alfalfa growers would like to forget.That, however, won’t be possible just yet as

It’s not a foreign concept; saving harvested seed for replanting has been a long-standing practice on many farms. There is also the practice of “brown bagging,” which is setting aside

Photo: University of Minnesota While most horses can typically meet their nutritional needs by grazing cool-season grasses, factors like time spent grazing and activity level can offset this bala

Photo: University of Arkansas Not all weeds are created equal in terms of their impact on forage quality and pasture productivity. Broomsedge (Andropogon virginicus), a native warm-season perenni

More cloudy days, cooler temperatures, and above normal precipitation has characterized winter conditions in much of the South this year. Such conditions not only impact livestock, but they also affec

For forage stands, spring green up is just around the corner. After a relentless winter in most regions, it is possible that forage stands sustained winter damage.The Ohio State University’s (OSU)

Have you ever been in a situation where you had great looking hay tested and were disappointed when the results came back with a low relative feed value (RFV)?

They say rotational grazing has benefits. But does it? Tong Wang is an extension advanced production specialist with South Dakota State University and recently reported on a survey that was aimed

A wide swath of weather conditions has characterized the winter of 2018 into 2019 in the Northeast and Midwest. Though winter was nearly nonexistent through the first half of January, winter’s fury

While it may still be winter, the time to start thinking about spring planting is now. A part of that thinking and planning process is choosing adapted and high-performance forage varieties. In T

Researchers at the University of Kentucky found nitrogen (N) rate to be more important than using a fertilizer source with enhanced efficiency properties when stockpiling tall fescue. They reported th

Grass tetany, or hypomagnesia, is a nutritional disease that can occur in cattle grazing lush and actively growing cool-season grasses that have been fertilized with nitrogen and potassium. This disea