Bill Verbeten

Posts by Bill Verbeten

Bill’s Forage Files: Fertilizing Hay Crops, Part 3: Nutrient Movement Into the Plant: Soil Chemistry

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Bill’s Forage Files: Fertilizing Hay Crops, Part 3: Nutrient Movement Into the Plant: Soil Chemistry

Hope all of you had a Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and have been able to dig out from the snow storms. In Fertilizing Hay Crops Part 2 the five sources of nutrients for hay crops were discussed. From these five sources nutrients can move into the plant roots through the soil or into the

Bill’s Forage Files: Fertilizing Hay Crops, Part 2: The Sources of Nutrients in the Soil

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Bill’s Forage Files: Fertilizing Hay Crops, Part 2: The Sources of Nutrients in the Soil

These next three articles will outline the sources and chemistry of nutrients when applied to the soil and the plant itself. Later articles will refer back to these chemical pathways, nutrient sources, and concepts when discussing specific fertilizers.
When fertilizing hay fields, farmers apply nutrients to the soil or to the plant itself. There are

Bill’s Forage Files: Fertilizing Hay Crops, Part 1: Soil & Tissue Testing, Planning Applications

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Bill’s Forage Files: Fertilizing Hay Crops, Part 1: Soil & Tissue Testing, Planning Applications

Now that most of the harvest is in for the year it’s time to start planning next year’s fertilizer program. There are a lot of products and claims on the market, but one thing everyone can agree on is that hay crops, whether they are alfalfa, cool season grasses, warm season grasses, other legumes, or

Bill’s Forage Files – Getting More From Forages – Part 2

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Bill’s Forage Files – Getting More From Forages – Part 2

Greetings everyone, I apologize for the long delay between these last two articles, but now that I’ve caught up on my research field and lab work, I can complete this two-part series. From July 29th – 30th the USDA Forage Research Center held the “Getting More From Forages” conference in Madison, Wisconsin explaining their current

Bill’s Forage Files – Getting More From Forages –  Part 1

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Bill’s Forage Files – Getting More From Forages – Part 1

From July 29th – 30th the USDA Forage Research Center held the “Getting More From Forages” conference in Madison, Wisconsin explaining their current research efforts to account for ration variability on dairy farms and to improve forage crops and their management to meet the demands of the diverse range of dairy farms. Day 1 focused

15th International Silage Conference Highlights – Part 3

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15th International Silage Conference Highlights – Part 3

This article continues to summarize the topics discussed at the XVth International Silage Conference held in Madison, Wisconsin July 27-29.
Session 4: Silage and Animal Performance
Dave Mertens of the USDA Forage Research Center described how changes in dry matter (DM) of silages lead to dietary problems of high milk producing dairy cows. These high performing

15th International Silage Conference Highlights – Part 2

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15th International Silage Conference Highlights – Part 2

This article continues to summarize the topics discussed at the XVth International Silage Conference held in Madison, Wisconsin July 27-29.
Session 3: Silage Management
Dr Brian Holms of University of Wisconsin-Madison and Dr. Keith Bolsen formerly of Kansas State University outlined the recent changes in order to improve the overall management of silage making. He began

15th International Silage Conference Highlights – Part 1

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15th International Silage Conference Highlights – Part 1

Researchers, nutritionists, and agronomists from across the globe met in Madison, Wisconsin from July 27-29 to discuss the most recent research efforts concerning many silage topics. This article will recap the topics most likely to impact farmers in near future.
Session 1: Silage and the Environment
A number of large dairies in California have been recently sued

Getting the Most Out of Round Bales

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Getting the Most Out of Round Bales

Round bales of hay are fed to cattle across the country and represent the largest cost to many livestock producers. This article will examine some ways farmers can reduce the losses in the field operations, storage, and feeding of round bales.
In the Field
The most challenging part of hay making is

Reducing Drying Time of Hay and Hay Silage In the Field

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Reducing Drying Time of Hay and Hay Silage In the Field

Harvesting high quality hay and hay silage has been a challenge in a number of hay growing regions because of the unpredictability of rainfall. Rain falling on hay that’s laying down in the field causes a number of problems. Soluble nutrients are lost, reducing feeding value and fermentation potential. Wet hay may also spontaneously combust.