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Have You Been to Silage U?

April 19th, 2011 by Courtney Beck

Have you taken advantage of one of the latest NutriDense offerings, Silage University?

If you are a dairy producer, seed representative or just plan curious about what corn silage is all about, head on over to Silage U. There you’ll find a training module that walks you through animated diagrams, visuals and quotes from university researchers about silage.

You’ll learn about:

  • Why corn silage is important to dairy production
  • How the cow’s digestive system works
  • The definition of high-quality corn silage and why it’s so important
  • How corn silage quality is measured

Why Silage U? Listen to Greg Jones, NutriDense Silage product manager, explain more in this podcast.

Greg Jones Discusses Quality Forage Programs on DairyLine Radio

March 15th, 2011 by Courtney Beck

At the Western Dairy Management Conference last week in Nevada, our very own Greg Jones, NutriDense Silage Product Manager, was interviewed by DairyLine Radio.

Greg was asked to share his insight on how dairy producers should maintain a quality forage program and the importance of capitalizing on a good forage season. Additionally, he gave a recap on last year’s harvest and what it meant for different regions of the country.

To listen to the full interview, click here.

Podcast: Silage U

February 24th, 2011 by Karlie Justus

For our final installment in this podcast series with Greg Jones, NutriDense Silage product manager, I learned more about Silage University, one of the newest projects at NutriDense.

Silage U is an online learning tool for dairy producers, seed representatives and others involved in the dairy industry. The training module features information portrayed through University researcher quotes, animated diagrams and visuals. Listen in as Greg discusses the reasoning behind Silage U and how it can be a valuable tool for those in the dairy industry.

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Also check out these previous podcasts with Greg:

Have questions for Greg? Contact him at gregory.jones@basf.com.

Podcast: Looking forward to 2011 for NutriDense Silage

February 10th, 2011 by Karlie Justus

We’re back again this week with another podcast with Greg Jones, NutriDense Silage product manager. After looking back on NutriDense Silage’s highlights in 2010, Greg is back to talk about his team’s goals for 2011, including partnerships with seed partners and upcoming research projects.

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Have questions for Greg? Contact him at gregory.jones@basf.com.

Podcast: Looking back on NutriDense Silage in 2010

January 27th, 2011 by Karlie Justus

For our next podcast series, I was able to sit down with Greg Jones, NutriDense Silage product manager, to discuss some of the highlights of the last year at NutriDense.

Listen in to the interview below to hear more about 2010, including the Cornell University study results, the World Dairy Expo and feedback he’s received from dairy producers across the country.

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Have questions for Greg? Contact him at gregory.jones@basf.com.

Dairy Herd Management Article Stresses Importance of Nutritionist, Agronomist Collaboration

December 14th, 2010 by Greg Jones

With a variety of factors involved, producing quality corn silage can be challenging. Farmers can benefit by coordinating their efforts with nutritionists and crop consultants in 2011 to ensure they are planting the right hybrids for their acres and cows.

In an article featured in the October issue of Dairy Herd Management, BASF Plant Science’s own Jerry Weigel, manager of nutrition and technical service, and Mark Schultz, sales agronomist, address the benefits of incorporating nutritionists and agronomists in the development of effective dairy programs.

The article, titled “Three’s Company,” discusses the importance of a producer sitting down with both a nutritionist and an agronomist when planning the upcoming year’s crop, and looks at the benefits of taking a holistic approach to achieving quality corn silage.

If you aren’t currently working with your producers on silage hybrid selections, this is an excellent article to share with them regarding the benefits of collaboration on the dairy operation. The full article can be found here.

Greg Jones is the NutriDense Silage product manager for BASF Plant Science. You can contact him at gregory.jones@basf.com.

Make the Grade at Silage U

October 14th, 2010 by Greg Jones

Interested in learning more about corn silage and the role it plays in dairy production? NutriDense Silage is excited to announce Silage University, an online learning tool for dairy producers, seed representatives and others involved in the dairy industry.

This training module features information portrayed through University researcher quotes, animated diagrams and visuals, and is a way to learn more about high-quality corn silage and the role it plays in improving profitability through increased feed efficiency.

Here are a few of the topics covered in Silage University:

  • What is high-quality corn silage?
  • Why is corn silage important to dairy production?
  • How can high-quality corn silage increase feed efficiency?
  • What are the different types of corn silage, and why are some better than others?

To “attend” Silage University or to get more information, visit www.silageu.com.

Greg Jones is the NutriDense Silage product manager for BASF Plant Science. You can contact him at gregory.jones@basf.com.

Cornell University Feed Efficiency Study Featured in Progressive Dairyman

August 11th, 2010 by Greg Jones

With the dairy industry facing economic constraints, producers are looking for ways to cut costs without sacrificing milk production. One place to look is feed — when feed efficiency increases, producers are able to get the same milk with less feed.

The results of a recent feed efficiency study performed by Dr. Larry Chase, professor and dairy nutrition extension specialist at Cornell University, were featured in the July 1 issue of Progressive Dairyman in an article titled “Improve feed efficiency, increase profitability by selecting high-quality corn silage hybrids.” Dr. Chase revealed results that found NutriDense Silage to be six to eight percent better in feed efficacy, or converting feed to milk, than other high-quality corn silage in the study.

Click here to learn more about the study and how NutriDense stacked up against other hybrids.

Greg Jones is the NutriDense Silage product manager for BASF Plant Science. You can contact him at gregory.jones@basf.com.

New Research Validates Feed Efficiency of NutriDense Silage

August 4th, 2010 by Courtney Beck

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC, August 4, 2010 – A recent study from Cornell University concluded that lactating dairy cows fed NutriDense Silage showed a 6 to 8 percent improvement in feed efficiency, or converting feed to milk. The other hybrids compared in the study were brown midrib and dual purpose.

“One of the most interesting conclusions from the study was the difference in feed efficiency. NutriDense Silage was about 6 to 8 percent better in feed efficacy, or converting feed to milk, than either of the other two hybrids that were used, so we did get a highly significant improvement in feed efficiency in NutriDense Silage in this particular trial,” said Dr. Larry Chase, professor and dairy nutrition specialist at Cornell University. “That means to get the same pounds of milk producers would feed about 6 to 8 percent less pounds of feed. In theory that would say they’re going to get the same milk income with a lower feed cost input or a wider difference between milk income and feed costs. It should improve profitability.”

The study, entitled “Milk production and feed efficiency in dairy cows fed corn silage hybrids varying in fiber digestibility,” was presented by Dr. Larry Chase at the American Dairy Science Association’s 2010 Joint Annual Meeting, held July 11-15 in Denver, Colo.

“Dr. Chase’s research has important implications for the dairy industry,” said Greg Jones, NutriDense Silage product manager. “At BASF Plant Science, our goal is to improve the profitability of dairy producers. We are excited to see university research continue to prove that NutriDense Silage improves feed efficiency and thus income over feed costs.”

For more information on the study, visit the NutriDense blog (www.nutridense.com/blog) to listen to a podcast with Dr. Chase.

NutriDense Silage is nutritionally enhanced corn silage developed specifically for efficient milk production. University studies show NutriDense Silage provides a four to eight percent improvement in feed efficiency, or converting feed to milk, giving dairy producers an income over feed cost advantage. The result is lower feed costs and greater profitability for dairy producers. NutriDense Silage yields equal to or greater than dual purpose and greater than brown midrib, so producers can achieve high-quality corn silage without sacrificing yields.

To learn more about NutriDense, visit www.nutridense.com, follow on Twitter @NutriDense or find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NutriDense.

About BASF Plant Science

BASF is the world’s leading chemical company: The Chemical Company. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics and performance products to agricultural products, fine chemicals as well as oil and gas. BASF Plant Science – a BASF group company – is one of the world’s leading companies providing innovative plant biotechnology solutions for agriculture. Today, more than 750 employees are helping farmers meet the growing demand for improved agricultural productivity and healthier nutrition for humans and animals. BASF Plant Science has developed an unparalleled gene discovery platform focusing on yield and quality traits in crops such as corn, soybean and rice. Jointly with leading partners in the seed industry BASF Plant Science is commercializing its products. Current projects include higher yielding row crops, nutritionally-enhanced corn for animal feed or higher content of Omega-3’s in oil crops for preventing cardiovascular diseases. To find out more about BASF Plant Science, please visit www.basf.com/plantscience.

About BASF

BASF – The Chemical Company.

BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has approximately 16,000 employees in North America, and had sales of $13 billion in 2009. For more information about BASF’s North American operations, or to sign up to receive news releases by e-mail, visit www.basf.com/usa.

BASF is the world’s leading chemical company: The Chemical Company. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics and performance products to agricultural products, fine chemicals and oil and gas. As a reliable partner, BASF creates chemistry to help its customers in virtually all industries to be more successful. With its high-value products and intelligent solutions, BASF plays an important role in finding answers to global challenges, such as climate protection, energy efficiency, nutrition and mobility. BASF posted sales of more than €50 billion in 2009 and had approximately 105,000 employees as of the end of the year. Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com.

NutriDense is a registered trademark of BASF Plant Science L.P.

Feeding Tips from the 2009 Penn State Dairy Cattle Nutrition Workshop

February 3rd, 2010 by Courtney Beck

Feed costs and milk prices were top of mind for all dairy producers in 2009, causing many to wonder what changes they could make to increase profitability. I recently had the opportunity to attend the 2009 Penn State Dairy Cattle Nutrition Workshop where Dr. Bill Weiss from The Ohio State University spoke on the topic of “Feeding Cows in Today’s Economy.” A few of the key messages on feed cost control that Dr. Weiss outlined in this presentation were:

• Economic Value of Feeds
• Ration Formulation Specifications
• On-farm Feeding Management Opportunities

Economic challenges have forced producers and nutritionists to re-think the nutritional strategies employed on today’s dairy operations. Dr. Weiss discusses rumen-undegradable protein (RUP) targets for specific lactation groups and what safety factors should be employed in RUP balancing. For example, he says “for a group of cows post peak dry matter intake, the RUP safety factor could be reduced to about 1.15 x pen average milk yield.”

Dr. Weiss and The Ohio State University provide several useful tools for evaluating and analyzing dairy management practices. The Feed Management toolbox provides a wealth of information as well as several calculators. One tool to take note of is the SESAME feed evaluation tool from Dr. Normand St-Pierre. This tool provides an analysis of feed values based on current price levels. The SESAME tool is a good way of using nutritional information to help dairy management determine the good valued feeds from those that are over valued.

If you’d like to learn more, click here to read Dr. Weiss’s paper.

Greg Jones is the NutriDense Silage Product Manager for BASF Plant Science. You can contact him at gregory.jones@basf.com.