Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture

Completed Competitive Grant

Corn silage test plot to increase profitability for dairy farmers and reduce winter wind & water erosion

Project ID: E2009-02

Abstract

This project looked at two ways to help dairy farmers - improvement of corn silage used in feeding their herds and adding a cover crop with potential for feed and erosion control.

Key Question: 1) Can the use of a fall cover crop be incorporated after corn silage harvest to improve land and protect it from water and wind erosion while providing a usable feed source? and 2) what tools are available to evaluate important corn silage yield traits relevant to dairy producers?

Findings: 1) Results showed how rye was planted, maintained, and harvested and how timing of planting can affect the growth and overall use of rye. 2) Twelve locally grown hybrids were selected to evaluate corn silage yield traits and used in the MILK2006 Equation and Corn Picker analyses. Producers learned how traits are analyzed and what tools are available to them to make a profitable decision.

Lead investigator: Jennifer Bentley, ISU Extension

Co-Investigator(s):

Dave Lawstuen, Northeast Iowa Dairy Foundation
Brian Lang, ISU Extension

Year of grant completion: 2011

This competitive grant project was part of the Leopold Center's Ecology Initiative.

Topics: Water quality, quantity and management