Introduction High quality whole-plant corn silage (WPCS) contributes greatly to supplying the energy, starch and forage NDF needs of high-producing dairy cows, reducing purchased feed costs from expensive grain and byproduct supplements, and generating milk revenues for dairy producers throughout the world. The purpose of this paper is to review selected recent developments and strategies that ...

This study examined ruminal microbial community composition alterations during initial adaption to and following incubation in a rumen simulation system (Rusitec) using grass or corn silage as substrates. Samples were collected from fermenter liquids at 0, 2, 4, 12, 24, and 48 h and from feed residues at 0, 24, and 48 h after initiation of incubation (period 1) and on day 13 (period 2). Microbi...

Beef and dairy industries form the base of livestock production in New Mexico. In 2003, Curry, Roosevelt, and Chaves counties accounted for over 48% of all livestock cash receipts in the state (New Mexico Agricultural Statistics, 2003). Milk is the state’s number one cash commodity, producing over $790 million in 2003; and these three counties accounted for over 63% of milk cow numbers and milk...

Ten Holstein steers (141 kg) were used in two 5 X 5 Latin-square experiments conducted simultaneously to determine the effects of offering different levels and types of feeds with endo: phyte-infected rescue given ad libitum. In Exp. 1, steers wer e given ad libitum access to infected fescue hay in the afternoon; in the morning fescue was given ad lihitum (basal) or bermudagrass or clover hays ...

PURPOSE The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of feeding a high-concentrate corn straw (HCS) diet (65% concentrate+35% corn straw) on the epigenetic changes in the mammary tissue of dairy cows in comparison with a low-concentrate corn straw (LCS) diet (46% concentrate+54% corn straw) and with a low-concentrate mixed forage (LMF) diet (46% concentrate+54% mixed forage). EX...

Starch from corn is less susceptible to equine small intestinal digestion than starch from oats, and starch that reaches the hindgut can be utilized by the microbiota. The objective of the current study was to examine the effects of starch source on equine fecal microbiota. Thirty horses were assigned to treatments: control (hay only), HC (high corn), HO (high oats), LC (low corn), LO (low oats...

The Penn State Particle Separator has led to widespread measurement of forage and total mixed ration (TMR) particle size. However, a large proportion of small particles may pass through both sieves when a TMR is analyzed, and field research has suggested that both shaking frequency and sample dry matter may affect the results. The objectives of this project were to test the effects of an additi...

Brown midrib (BMR) is a genetic mutation in several grass species. The BMR gene reduces lignin content in plant cell walls and vascular tissue and improves fiber and whole plant digestibility. Lignin is mostly indigestible and plays a critical role in forage quality by affecting digestibility of cell wall polysaccharides. Lignin also plays in important role in plant rigidity. During the past se...

Effects of winter cover crop management on nematode densities associated with a subsequent corn (Zea mays) crop were examined in five sites in north Florida. Two sites had received winter cover crops of lupine (Lupinus angustifolius), and one site each had rye (Secale cereale), hairy vetch (Vicia villosa), and crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum). In each site, five different management regime...

Intercropping systems could be a potential source of nutrient-rich forage production in cool climates on podzolic soils common boreal ecosystems. In this study, we evaluated the effects corn–soybean intercropping (IC) nutritional quality forage. Two silage corn varieties were cultivated as monocropping (MC) or intercropped with three soybean using randomized complete block design. IC significan...