Clinic To Help NW Iowa Livestock Producers Improve Corn Silage Quality

Northwest Iowa beef and dairy producers depend on quality corn silage to build profitable rations. To help them accomplish this, the Iowa Beef Center and Iowa Extension Dairy Team are hosting the NW IA Corn Silage Clinic on August 28 at the Northwest Iowa Research and Demonstration Farm in Sutherland.

“The NW Iowa Corn Silage Clinic will feature top experts from the upper Midwest with the most current information on topics that affect corn silage and earlage quality and economics” notes ISU Extension Dairy Field Specialist Fred M. Hall. Presentations will begin promptly at 9 am and will break at 12 noon for lunch. The program will adjourn by 3:30. Each expert will be available to answer questions.

Topics and speakers include:

• Agronomic practices impacting corn silage digestion- Dr. Fred Owens, feedlot nutrition specialist.
• Silage and kernel processing equipment- Aaron Ostrander, John Deere silage specialist.
• Silage additives and inoculants- Dr. Scott Dennis, Pioneer.
• Evaluating corn silage and earlage: What’s typical, Dr. Dan Loy, ISU Beef Center director.
• Quality corn silage going in and coming out, Dr. Hugo Ramirez, ISU dairy specialist.
• Pricing corn silage, Dr. William Edwards, retired ISU ag economist.

In addition, there will be two concurrent session featuring feeding corn products to the beef animal with Owens and feeding corn products to the dairy cow with Ramirez.

Producers will also be able to walk through corn silage variety plots and talk with seed company technicians. “In addition, there is a trade show which will allow producers to compare equipment and products used in putting up quality silage,” says ISU Extension Beef Field Specialist Beth Doran.

Registration is $25, with payment at the door. Pre-registration is required for the meal count and can be made by calling the Sioux County Extension office at 712.737.4230.

For more information, contact ISUEO Beef Field Specialist Beth Doran or ISUEO Dairy Field Specialist Fred M. Hall. Both can be reached at 712.737.4230 in the Sioux County Extension office. Read more about 2018 NW Iowa Corn Silage Clinic