News — Hay Quality
The Warm Season Grass Playbook: Practical Tips for Millet, Sorghum, and Sudan Success
When hot, dry summers reduce cool-season hay yields, warm-season grasses like millet, sorghum, and sorghum-Sudan hybrids can fill the gap.
As Jeffrey “Alfalfa” Jackson says: “If you like to haul manure, go ahead. If you want more efficient feed, think fiber digestibility.”
Rain or Maturity: Making the Right Cut for Hay Quality and Market Fit
Neither option is ideal, but if you’re forced to choose between cutting hay and risking rain or letting it get overmature, the better choice usually depends on your end market:
The Rise of Traited Alfalfa and Advanced Harvesting Technologies
The agricultural sector is experiencing significant technological advancements that are setting new standards in forage production. Among these developments, the incorporation of yield mapping in harvesting equipment and traited alfalfa varieties like Roundup Ready and HarvXtra are leading a revolution in how forage crops are cultivated, measured, and managed.
Defining Hay Test Terms
This podcast episode features a discussion between Jon Paul Driver and Dr. Dan Putnam, Professor Emeritus at UC Davis, focusing on fiber digestibility in forage crops, particularly alfalfa. The conversation explores how forage quality is measured, including detailed explanations of NDF (Neutral Detergent Fiber), ADF (Acid Detergent Fiber), and the importance of fiber digestibility in animal nutrition. Dr. Putnam emphasizes that traditional marketing metrics like color and basic feed tests don't fully capture important quality factors like fiber digestibility, and discusses how the industry needs to better value the functionality of fiber for rumen health.