If you are planning on feeding corn or hay silage this year, you
may want to test your crops for nitrate levels. Drought-like weather conditions
have not only reduced the yields in many parts of the Midwest, they have also
led to some mighty high (and unsafe) nitrate levels.
According to
Christine Henderson of the Stearns County DHIA Central Lab, "the highest nitrate
concentration that we've seen in corn silage has been in the central part of the
state." They have seen silage samples with nitrate levels as high as 2,800 parts
per million. The safe feeding level cutoff is 1,500 parts per million.
With the silage harvest well underway, now is the time to test silage
for moisture and nitrates. The Stearns DHIA Central Lab analyzes feeds and
forages in-house. It typically takes less than 24 hours from time of receipt to
complete an analysis. Through 9/5/01 the Lab had seen the following nitrate
patterns in corn and hay silage samples.
GREEN CHOP CORN
SILAGE: MIXED HAY AND GRASS HAY:
500- 1000- 1500- 3000- <500 1000 1500 3000 4500 >4500 ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- Central MN 10 5 4 1 West Cent MN 2 2 Southern MN 1 1 Wisconsin 1 500- 1000- 1500- 3000- <500 1000 1500 3000 4500 >4500 ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- Central MN 4 1 West Cent MN 2 2 1 2 Southern MN 2 1 Montana 4 1 1
NITRATE-NITROGEN, ppm
NITRATE-NITROGEN, ppm
Recommendations for feeding green-chop silage are shown in
the following table. If you are filling silo, the fermentation process will
usually break down most of the nitrates within 2 to 3 weeks but you may want a
follow-up feed analysis to make sure it is safe.
| NITRATE-NITROGEN, PPM IN DAY MATTER | FEEDSTUFF RECOMMENDATIONS | |
| ------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------- | |
| 0-1500 | Safe level under all conditions. | |
| 1500-3000 | Feeds will generally be safe when introduced gradually. | |
| At the 2500-3000 limit feed to 50% of total ration DM. | ||
| 3000-4500 | Restrict to 25% of total ration DM. | |
| Over 4500 | Potentially toxic - DO NOT FEED. | |
The Minnesota Dairy Initiative (MDI), a federation of seven
dairy development and profitability enhancement teams, Minnesota Milk Producers
Association (MMPA), Private Industry, the University of Minnesota Extension
Service, MnSCU - Farm Business Management and the Minnesota Department of
Agriculture, are ready to assist producers with any production or management
issue. Many dairy producers are familiar with the old "Dairy Diagnostic
Program". This program is dairy diagnostics with added benefits.
The
Advisory Teams will work with producers virtually the same way they have in the
past. One of the major improvements has been the addition of an Initial
Assessment tool, which will provide the advisory teams with a consistent farm
assessment tool to use on all farms across the state.
Producers may choose
to participate in any one or all of MDI's three major program areas of Financial
Management, Production Systems, and Business Planning, which includes Grazing
Systems and Organic Production Management. "The farmer may have one particular
issue they want to have addressed, or they may want a team to provide
comprehensive advice on their entire operation. We leave it up to the farmer to
decide what they want an advisory team to focus on," said Allen Gulbransen,
chairman of the Minnesota Dairy Initiative Steering Committee.
MDI Teams
combine the skills and experience of Farm Business Management specialists, Soil
and Water Conservation District personnel, Industry Professionals, Extension
Educators, Dairy Producers, and others to locally manage, coordinate and deliver
the on-farm advisory services.
Interested dairy producers can call
Minnesota Milk Producers Association at 1-877-577-0741 for more information.
MMPA will have a Team Coordinator contact the producer to establish a team of
professionals to work with the producer.
Did you know Minnesota DHIA offers mastitis culturing services? All of the field reps listed below have received training in the proper sampling techniques and are available to all interested products. To learn more about culturing or to schedule a bulk tank or individual cow culturing, please call our office at 800-827-3442 or contact the field rep nearest you.
| Dave Abramson, Meadowlands | John Kelzer, Randall | Jim Sheehan, Plainview |
| Andrew Alsleben, Glencoe | Kevin Knoblach, Sauk Centre | Ed Sprout, Lake City |
| Harley Bork, Jasper | Wayne Kozitka, Howard Lake | Cyndi Stifter, Howard Lake |
| Gary Bruns, Trosky | Kevin Krist, Milaca | Eugene Stoeckel, Princeton |
| Ray Buettner, Wadena | Alan Lanners, Royalton | David Susag, Lake City |
| Bruce David, Rice | Tom Matson, Hinckley | Jason Wesenberg, Sauk Rapids |
| Ellis Holl, Kensington | Jo Pedersen, Murdock | Armond Yotter, Lake City |
| Daryl Hook, Tyler | Violet Pramann, South Haven | |
| Angie Hopp, Atwater | Jim Rahman, Thielman |
| Kerry Baumgartner, Battle Lake | Ron Klindworth, Northfield | Tom Quist, Center City |
| Jim Boser, Pierz | Greg Larson, Erhard | Judy Rickbeil, Browerville |
| Perry Tensen, Sedan |