The data you need to make improvements to your cropping and environmental compliance programs can come from a variety of places. Our Agricultural Consulting Services (ACS) agronomists and environmental planners use a number of different Dairy One services to help clients make effective decisions. Soil, weather, feed, and milk are all things that should be looked at when working towards improved feed efficiency and environmental compliance.
Solvita Soil Health Testing
The Solvita® CO2 Burst test measures the amount of CO2 released from the soil as an indicator of the level of microbial activity present. The rate of CO2 released is generally regarded as an indicator of soil health, which can be improved with practices such as cover cropping, manure application, and reduced tillage. For a comprehensive analysis of the soil that measures attributes associated with physical, chemical, and biological processes, add the Solvita CO2 Burst, SLAN, and VAST to your usual soil analysis. Healthy soils are key to optimal crop performance and improve the ability of your cropping system to handle environmental extremes.
Weather Stations and Camera Monitoring Systems
Herd and feed management software can also play a role in setting the foundation for an efficient nutrient cycling system that benefits any crop program. Hardware, such as weather stations and camera systems, can improve the ability to run a tight environmental compliance program as well. Weather stations allow a farm to have the on-site weather data necessary for compliance programs. If coupled with record-keeping software, the weather data can be paired with manure spreading data. A camera system provides a way to monitor people and activities across the farm. This can be especially helpful for employee training or compliance purposes.
Corn Silage Processing Score and Fecal Starch Test
One goal of the crop production system, and any consulting agronomist, is to produce high-quality corn silage for the most efficient use in the milk production system while simultaneously reducing excreted nutrients. Managing equipment during harvest to stay on top of the kernel processing is highly recommended, as processing effectiveness may change from field to field and from day to day. Based on past results for Corn Silage Processing Scores. There is room for improvement here. During silage feed-out processing, effectiveness can be measured using the Fecal Starch Test. The results can direct two management actions. First, determine if your cows are digesting enough starch, or if ration adjustment should be made. Second, if kernel processing needs to improve during next year’s harvest.
Milk Urea Nitrogen (MUN) Testing
Testing MUN on an individual cow or group basis allows you to compare actual MUN to ration software-predicted MUN in order to fine-tune diets. This can help determine if your forage requirements for efficient diets are different than what is currently coming out of the bunk and off your fields. These are great discussions to engage in with your agronomist. Monitoring MUN can help keep a handle on your nitrogen feeding program, fine-tune the needs of your crop program, and improve animal nitrogen use efficiency while reducing feeding costs and nitrogen excretion to the environment.
Environmental compliance, feed efficiency, and quality milk production all begin in the field. In order to start off on the right foot, you’ll need to look at a variety of data, from soil and weather to feed and milk. For more information on any of the services mentioned above, visit us online at dairyone.com or call 800-344-2697.
Having the right data to make informed management decisions is only part of the formula when looking to enhance your cropping program or environmental compliance. The other part is working with the right team. If you’re looking for a certified crop consultant to bring your cropping program to the next level or help navigate environmental regulations, Agricultural Consulting Services can help. Email [email protected] for more information.