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Dairy Grist
Dear Milk Producing Friends,
After experiencing another variable growing season for wheat, forages, corn and soybeans, we pray that dairy producers across the country will have adequate and decent quality harvest. The manner in which crops are harvested, processed and stored can pay big dividends throughout the entire year in terms of herd productivity, efficiency and profitability. With this in mind, you will find a number of informative and helpful articles in this edition of the Grist by Gennadii Bondarenko, and Jeff Kuenen.
You are beginning to read the words "sustainability, GHG emissions and carbon credits" in this and recent editions of the Grand Valley Grist as our company continues to research and learn, seeking to assist milk producers in navigating this complicated topic and finding ways for them to further improve their operation's efficiency for improved profitability and carbon credit potential. After completing our own research over this past year with Agolin on 9 dairies in Ontario and British Columbia, we are confident in the efficiency and productivity gains that Agolin promotes. In
Planning the Corn Silage Harvest: Time to Think About Cutting Height
by: Jeff Keunen, M.Sc., Ruminant Production & Robot Improvement Specialist and Gennadii Bondarenko Ph.D., Ruminant Nutritionist
Corn silage cutting height has always been a topic of discussion among dairy producers, especially in years of above average yields or significant carryover from the previous year. Many dairy producers in Ontario consider 12 inches as the optimal cutting height.
Cutting height may significantly impact silage quality, simply because lower portions of the corn stalk are more fibrous and less digestible than the middle or
addition to significant ROI on Agolin itself, it is wonderful to witness producers who have fed this blend of plant extracts to their herd receiving carbon credit payments this fall. We are proud of the Canadian dairy industry for already being the most GHG efficient producers of milk in the world, and we will continue to work together to ensure that this remains the case, while improving Canadian producer profitability and sustainability.
In this edition of the Grand Valley Grist, we are pleased to announce the appointment of JD D'Elia to President of the GVF group of companies. JD officially stepped into this new role on August 6th having served as Chief Financial Officer for about three years with the company. As CEO, it will be my pleasure to continue to serve and lead with JD for many more years as we continually seek to serve the producers we are privileged work with, empowering them to produce meat, milk and eggs profitably and sustainably for the advancement of human lives, nutrition and health.
Wishing you a bountiful harvest season.
Sincerely, Ian Ross Chief Executive Officer, GVF group of companies
upper portions. Harvesting the same number of kernels but less stalk increases the percentage of starch in the silage as cutting height rises. However, while higher cutting height improves silage quality, it also reduces yield. Research from Penn State University indicates that raising the cutting height from 7 to 19 inches can reduce total NDF by 7%, increase NDF digestibility by about 5%, and increase starch by about 6%, though dry matter yield drops by about 7% (from 8.1 T/acre DM to 7.5 T/acre DM).
Several factors should be considered when deciding on higher cutting height of the corn silage:
01. Abundant inventories and expectation of high yields: Higher yields allow for the option of harvesting less tonnage, but higher quality silage, which should be stored in optimal conditions to minimize losses, rather than harvesting more tonnage of lower quality silage.
02. Weather Conditions: Wet weather during the growing season can lead
to corn plants accumulating more lignin and reducing fiber digestibility. Cutting at a higher height leaves more indigestible fibre in the field, which can improve fiber digestibility of the corn silage.
03. Low quality haylages: Unfavourable weather during haylage cuts can result in lower quality haylage. For farms that may not have had great success with their haylage harvest, improving corn silage quality by increasing the cut height offers the opportunity to compensate for the lack of digestible fiber in poorer quality haylages.
04. High Forage Diets: Some producers aim to minimize or eliminate cob meal or added corn in dairy rations, opting for a higher forage ration. With a higher cutting height for corn silage, there are positive benefits with higher starch and adequate digestible fiber coming from the corn plant. In some cases, if enough corn silage is fed, supplemental grain corn may not be required.
In 2023, the growing season was very favorable for high yields of corn silage and at the end of September 2023 we were able to complete some practical trials on a couple of Ontario farms and test various cutting heights.
At the first farm we compared 12 inches vs 21 inches cutting height. Small experimental plots were harvested in the TMR mixer wagon, that helped us to estimate the yield (Figure 1). Representative samples were taken from each plot and sent to the lab for analysis (Table 1). Adding 9” of cutting height resulted in DM yield reduction at 0.9T/acre (about 0.1T DM yield loss per every 1” of cutting height above 12”). At the same time, we observed slight increase of DM%, improvement in starch and reduction of total NDF and undigestible NDF content in 21” corn silage vs 12” corn silage.
Having more starch and less undigestible NDF will result in much higher potential intake of the 21” corn silage, that will help to make a higher forage diet with less supplemental corn in it.
Modelling 35 L (4.0% fat) milk rations demonstrated potential savings at $0.50/ cow/day on the ration with 21” corn silage vs 12” corn silage (Table 2.). We were able to raise forages in the ration from 61% to 68%, mainly due to significant increase of corn silage intake (by 15%).
On another farm, where corn plants averaged over 10 feet with high cobs (about 5 feet from the ground), the farmer harvested at an unusually high 27-inch cut height to maximize starch content and fiber digestibility, allowing them to eliminate supplemental corn from the ration.
We did a control plot at 12” cutting height and compared estimated yield and quality parameters with 27” cutting height corn silage (Table 3).
As was expected, we lost about 15% of the DM yield at 27” cutting height, but we need to understand that was a loss of the most undigestible part of the corn plant. This helped us to get a corn silage with much higher starch content and significantly lower level of undigestible fiber (28% reduction, from 11.4% to 8.2%).
Modelling a 40 L (4.0% fat) milk rations demonstrated potential savings of $1.36/ cow/day on the ration with 27” corn silage vs 12” corn silage (Table 4).
As we can see, making a high cut corn silage with lower level of undigestible NDF will result in much higher forage DM intake (39% increase of 27” cut corn silage DM intake as compared to 12” cut corn silage), that brings so much starch in the ration, that we may significantly reduce or totally eliminate any supplemental corn/cob meal and feed the cows higher forage diets. This will help to reduce potential sorting of the diet, maintain a more stable rumen environment and help maintain butterfat levels in milk.
Figure 1: Harvesting high cut corn silage plot during the trial.
Table 1: Comparison of 12” vs 21” cutting height.
Figure 3: Comparison of 12” vs 27” cutting height.
Figure 2: 27” cutting height corn with unusually high location of cobs at the plants.
Soil Health and Environmental Benefits
In addition to gains in cow productivity and reduction of feed costs, we may also think about some benefits to soil health environment. Leaving more stover in the field will allow producers to bring back not only carbon into the soil’s nutrient bank, but also some amount of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium and sulphur. Over the long-term perspective, it will affect soil organic matter. The impact on other soil properties can be important and immediate. These include soil cover (protection from raindrop impact and erosion control), soil microbial processing that produces materials that help "glue" soil particles together (improving soil aggregation and stability, bulk density, and root growth), total soil N, and nutrient cycling [3].
We may also try to think in terms of carbon cycling and carbon sequestration. Considering that mature corn stalks and leaves contain approximately 45% of carbon [4], leaving in the field about 1 T of DM/acre of additional corn stalk by increasing corn silage cutting height, will return to the soil about 450 kg/ acre of carbon or 45 T of carbon on a 100-acre corn field. At the start of this or future corn silage harvest seasons, it is worthwhile to take an overall assessment of forage inventories and quality. If there is a need to improve forage quality levels, or you have an abundance of forage stored away, considering chopping your corn silage at a higher height than you normally do, could provide you with some of the ration and cost saving benefits mentioned above. As always, speak with your Grand Valley Fortifiers representative about the various options available and what works best for your operation.
References:
Corn Silage Chopping Height | Cornell Field Crops News. Considerations in Managing Cutting Height of Corn Silage (psu.edu).
Carbon and nitrogen cycling with corn biomass harvest | Integrated Crop Management (iastate.edu). Nutrient removal when harvesting corn stover | Integrated Crop Management (iastate.edu).
Agolin®– Reducing Carbon Emissions
by: Hannah Simpson, M.Sc. Ruminant Nutritionist
What is Agolin® Ruminant?
The Canadian dairy industry faces numerous challenges such as improving feed efficiency, enhancing animal health, as well as reducing our environmental impact. In attempt to address these challenges, feed additives such as Agolin® have been developed. Agolin® is a proprietary blend of plant extracts which modifies the efficiency of the rumen through the modification of fermentation within the rumen, as well as the first feed additive certified for methane reduction in ruminants. Recent research suggests reducing protozoa and archaea (methane producer in cows), as well as an increase in volatile fatty acids (VFA) is directly correlated to milk and component production (NoricumboSaenz et al. 2023) Additionally, a meta-analysis has shown when feeding Agolin®, there is a 4.1% increase in fat & protein corrected milk, a 5.5% improvement in feed conversion, a 3.6% increase in milk yield, as well as a 9% increase in fertility (*when measured as pregnant on 1st service) (Noricumbo-Saenz et al. 2023). Nutritionally, feeding Agolin® is an advantageous feeding practice to improve feeding efficiency, meaning a cow needs to consume less total feed to produce the same amount of milk. Additionally, Agolin® demonstrates effectiveness to reduce methane emissions by 9-13% per day. As we begin to work towards Net Zero by 2050, Carbon Credit programs have begun allowing producers to obtain Carbon Credits by feeding Agolin®.
Improving Feed Efficiency
One of the primary benefits of Agolin® is to improve feed efficiency in dairy cattle. Feed efficiency refers to an animal’s ability to convert feed to milk or meat. Having a higher feed efficiency means that less feed is required to produce the same amount of milk, which significantly reduces feed costs. Agolin® can enhance feed efficiency through the stimulation of rumen microbes by the promotion of the growth of gut microflora. The essential oils within Agolin® have been shown to modify rumen fermentation, leading to improved nutrient absorption and utilization within the cow. This methodology promotes increased energy extraction from the feed the cow is consuming, which improves overall health and performance.
Enhancing Rumen Health
Agolin® contains essential oils which play a significant role in improving digestive processes within the cow. These essential oils help to balance the microbial populations within the rumen, where fermentation occurs. Agolin® helps to create an optimal environment for fermentation by the promotion of beneficial rumen microbes and inhibiting harmful bacteria growth.
With improved microbial populations, this leads to a more efficient breakdown of feed components including starch, protein and fiber. By promoting fiber digestion, cows can better utilize forages, which is a main component in lactating dairy cow rations. Additionally, improved digestion means there is less feed being excreted as undigested feed, contributing to improved manure management as well as a reduced environmental impact.
Reducing Methane Emissions
Methane emissions from dairy cows are commonly associated with greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and climate change. Although ruminants are uniquely able to efficiently convert human undigestible feed stuffs into highly digestible protein in the form of milk, beef and lamb, they do emit some GHGs in the process. Agolin® has been shown to reduce methane emissions in dairy cows. By altering the fermentation pathways within the rumen, methane production is decreased. Additionally, the reduction in methane improves feed efficiency as previously mentioned, since less energy is lost as methane.
What is a Carbon Credit?
A “Carbon Credit” is a tradeable certificate that will be purchased by a public or private organization and can be used to compensate for emissions, with one Carbon Credit representing one tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2) which is not being released into the atmosphere. Additionally, a credit is certified and can be bought and sold to a public or private organization within the value chain (insetting) or outside the value chain (offsetting).
Agolin® fed to dairy cows at 0.5-1.5g/cow/day reduces methane emissions at a rate which results in 0.4 Carbon Credit per cow per year! Producers who have fed Agolin® to their dairy cows for over a year have received a cheque for the carbon credits earned. The carbon credit program has been established by the suppliers of Agolin®, allowing producers to benefit from the carbon trading program without having to find their own market. The credit returns have typically covered about 50% of the cost of feeding the Agolin®.
Conclusion
Agolin® is a valuable feed additive for any dairy operation, offering numerous benefits including enhanced feed efficiency, rumen function, methane reduction and overall cow health. Through the incorporation of essential oils & plant extracts, Agolin® provides a sustainable feed additive option to our industry. The economic advantages that Agolin® brings, coupled with the environmental benefits make Agolin® an option for dairy producers who are seeking to optimize their feeding programs, and contribute to sustainable agriculture practices.
is available on request in the following products
Contact your local Grand Valley Fortifiers representative to learn how you can maximize your profit and reduce carbon emissions on your farm today.
References:
Noricumbo-Saenz, J., Williams, P., & Garcia, H. (2023). Agolin® Ruminant®, an Essential Oil Blend, Increases Energy-Corrected Milk and Feed Efficiency in a High Component Dairy Herd. Open Journal of Animal Sciences, 13(3), 272-282.
Agolin® Carbon Credit Selling Process
Scene & Herd
with: Gennadii Bondarenko, Ph.D. Ruminant Nutritionist
After a season of harvesting hay crops for silage or dry hay, it is important to evaluate the yields achieved from your fields and the condition they are in going into the winter season and next year's growing season. Last year we wrote to you about extending the life of your aging alfalfa stand by interseeding winter triticale into the stand in mid-late September. (How Can We Extend the Productive Life of Our Aging / Thinning Alfalfa Stand? - Grand Valley Fortifiers) Since that time several producers have shared their results or strategies to extend/improve the yield and lifespan of aging hay crop fields. Interseeding into thinning existing alfalfa or grass stands is not a new phenomenon, but perhaps a practice that hasn’t gained significant traction. The idea is simple where a producer chooses a novel forage species to interseed/ overseed into the existing forage stand. Caution needs to be taken to ensure there is no autotoxicity issues between the chosen species. Common species that have been used to thicken existing alfalfa stands would be cereal grains (oats, barley, wheat, triticale), annual or perennial ryegrasses, sorghumsudangrass, orchardgrass, and red, berseem or ladino clovers.1 Thickening an existing aging stand with novel species can help extend the life of your stand by 1-2 growing seasons and will likely even provide a yield bump year over year rather than diminishing returns. Below are some examples that a couple producers shared with us on their interseeding/overseeding practices and what they see as a resulting benefit.
Producer A – After 4th cut each September this producer interseeds 15 lbs (6.8 kg)/acre of grass mix with a Vredo overseeder into every field they intend to keep for the following year. 4000 gallons of liquid manure is added after seeding in the fall. They are currently using a 50/50 blend of palatine tall fescue and sugar crest Festo Lium. Seed costs are about $40/acre plus your cost of seeding. Estimated yield bump is easily 0.5 DM tonnes according to their yield monitoring.
Producer B – This beef producer has an alfalfa-grass field for making hay, originally established in 2017. The alfalfa-grass stand had degraded significantly over the years, and hay yields dropped to 1.2 T/Acre on the first cut. The farmer decided to give this field a new chance with triticale and on October 10, 2023, he interseeded 80 lbs (36 kg)/acre of winter triticale seeds at a depth of 3 to 4 cm with 8.8-41.6-12.5 (NPK) fertilizer applied at a rate of 170lbs/acre. Total costs of seeding were about $150/acre (including $55/acre cost of seeds, $35/acre custom seeding fee and $60/acre cost of fertilizer). The next spring the farmer got a dense triticale-alfalfa-grass stand with almost no weeds in it. The first cut was done at triticale heading stage and resulted in 1.9 T/Acre of hay (about 60% increase in yield).
Choosing the appropriate seed type combination will be unique to each producer based on your soil type, timing of seeding, availability to apply extra nutrients if needed, what species you are seeding into and the goal for timing and yield quality at harvest time. Choosing cereals or grasses that come into maturity later will allow you to maximize growing time before the grasses or alfalfa comes into maturity. This will give you the best chance to maximize yield while minimizing the risk of losing quality. Clovers will mature similar to alfalfa plants and will provide very similar nutrient levels to that of alfalfa.
As always, the goal of forage production is to produce large volumes of highquality feeds with good fibre digestibility values that allow our dairy animals to consume as much forage as possible to keep them healthy, productive and improve your operations bottom line. Interseeding/overseeding may be a helpful solution for you to extend/improve the productive life of your hay crop fields.
Join us in Welcoming Our New GVF Group of Companies President!
As we approach September 2024, I am reminded that I will be celebrating 33 years of full-time service with Grand Valley Fortifiers and the GVF group of companies. What a wonderful, exciting, challenging, educational and experiential three plus decades it has been! After beginning my career in Human Resources, Marketing and Value Chain Development, it was an honor to become President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in April 2006.
Although it is hard for me to believe that 18 years have passed since taking on this role, looking back on these (almost) two decades, it is amazing to consider all that has transpired within the Canadian livestock industry and within the GVF of companies since then. What a privilege it has been to get to know and work alongside of so many progressive livestock producers, ingredient suppliers and professionals across the country who are passionate about the production of meat, milk and eggs to feed Canadians and people around the world!
As the company has continued to grow in size, reach, impact and complexity, and with the ambitious goals that we have set in terms of serving our current and future customers even more innovatively and well while increasing the value we bring to their livestock businesses, we have concluded that it is time to segregate the responsibilities of a President from those of a CEO.
It is within the context of this decision that we are pleased to announce that JD D’Elia is rejoining the GVF group of companies and stepping into the role of President effective August 6th
David Ross and I and the entire team are delighted to have JD rejoin our Senior Leadership Team and take on this significant new role. During his time with us as Chief Financial Officer, JD personified our company’s values, and held the humble strength of character that is becoming of a senior leader at this company.
Ian Ross David Ross
We trust that you will join us in welcoming JD D’Elia back to our GVF family.
If you wish to contact JD for any reason, feel free to email him at: jddelia@grandvalley.com | 519-621-0241 Ext. 2243
Thought of the Day!
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”
Matthew 5:5
"In popular thinking the term meek implies weakness. The word Jesus used had a different meaning. His picture of meekness is that of a stallion that has been brough into subjection to its master. Whereas it once fought against any attempt to bring it under control, resisting direction with all its strength, now it yields its will to its master. The stallion has lost none of its strength or endurance; it has simply turned these over to the control of the master."
Meekness then, as described in the beatitudes, is strength under control. Re-read the verse above with this deeper understanding of how Jesus is calling us to live.
– An exert from Experiencing God Day by Day by Henry T. & Richard Blackaby
Tricale being no til seeded in on Oct. 10, 2023 into hay field, also used as late pasture after 1st cut.
Triticale stand in full growth before 1st cutting on May 20, 2024.