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Silage varieties for Alberta

Description

Cattle producers grow ever increasing amounts of annual crops for feed (silage, green feed and swath grazing). Measuring those crop varieties that produce the highest forage yield becomes... More ≫

Description

Cattle producers grow ever increasing amounts of annual crops for feed (silage, green feed and swath grazing). Measuring those crop varieties that produce the highest forage yield becomes increasingly important. Silage is an integral forage source in feedlots across the province and has become more prevalent in cow herds as well. With many producers trying to lower production costs, swath grazing of cow herds has increased dramatically in the last few years. It could also be argued that there is more grain forage than cereal grain fed to take a market animal from conception to plate.

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Alberta custom rates survey : hay and silage operations

Description

Since 1975 Alberta Agriculture & Rural Development has annually surveyed custom rates and rental rates to provide information to farmers and custom operators. This publication presents a... More ≫

Description

Since 1975 Alberta Agriculture & Rural Development has annually surveyed custom rates and rental rates to provide information to farmers and custom operators. This publication presents a summary of custom work and rental rates. These rates are only intended as a guide. They are not to be interpreted as the rates you must charge or pay. The goal is to report what is being charged, not what should be charged. The data presented in this report was obtained by contacting producers and custom operators and thus represent actual charges. The intent of the survey is to provide producers with additional information to help with their farm management decisions. The quality of data is dependent on the cooperation received by producers as well as commercial custom operators.

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Custom rates survey summary

Description

Since 1975 Alberta Agriculture & Rural Development has annually surveyed custom rates and rental rates to provide information to farmers and custom operators. This publication presents a... More ≫

Description

Since 1975 Alberta Agriculture & Rural Development has annually surveyed custom rates and rental rates to provide information to farmers and custom operators. This publication presents a summary of custom work and rental rates. These rates are only intended as a guide. The specific objective of this survey summary is to organize and report custom rates for certain custom operations on the farm. No effort is made to evaluate the fairness of reported rates. The goal is to report what is being charged, not what should be charged. Farmers may find custom rates useful as a guide for machinery management, budgeting and financial planning for credit needs. Also, custom rates can be used as a guide in negotiating settlements for work performed for neighbors or others. Lenders, educators, government institutions and others doing budgeting or planning analysis may also find custom rates helpful in their work. Custom operators can use these guides to compare their own rate with the market...

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Effect of bale processing on particle size and potential feeding losses in hay or bale silage

Description

Round bale processors are commonly used for feeding beef cattle over winter. Feeds with a higher proportion of fines after processing may be more susceptible to higher dry matter and nutrient... More ≫

Description

Round bale processors are commonly used for feeding beef cattle over winter. Feeds with a higher proportion of fines after processing may be more susceptible to higher dry matter and nutrient losses due to trampling. This factor raises the question: what is the effect of processing on particle size distribution in the windrow and potential feeding losses? To answer this question, a study was designed by Alberta Agriculture and Food and Agriculture Technology Center specialists to measure the effect of bale processing on particle size distribution in the windrow. Both dry hay and silage round bales were evaluated, and the findings indicate that bale processing will affect the feed.

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Soil and nutrient management of alfalfa

Description

Ensuring adequate soil fertility levels and effectively managing nutrients are two keys to growing alfalfa successfully in Alberta. Alfalfa can produce from 2 to 7 tons of dry matter per acre... More ≫

Description

Ensuring adequate soil fertility levels and effectively managing nutrients are two keys to growing alfalfa successfully in Alberta. Alfalfa can produce from 2 to 7 tons of dry matter per acre depending on water and nutrients levels. Climate, soil type and management will also affect alfalfa’s potential yield. Alfalfa has a high demand for nutrients compared to other crops. Table 1 gives the approximate amount of each nutrient removed per ton of dry matter alfalfa. Alfalfa also requires 4 to 5 inches of water for each ton of dry matter produced.

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Silo gas (NO2) safety

Description

Silo gas is formed by the natural fermentation of chopped silage shortly after it is placed in the silo. The nitrates present in silage crops are converted to nitrites through the fermentation... More ≫

Description

Silo gas is formed by the natural fermentation of chopped silage shortly after it is placed in the silo. The nitrates present in silage crops are converted to nitrites through the fermentation process; they, in turn, react with the organic acids in the silage to form nitrous acid (HNO3). As the temperature of the silage increases during fermentation,the nitrous acid decomposes to form a mixture of oxides of nitrogen, which can include NO, NO2, nitrogen trioxide (N2O3), nitrogen tetroxide (N2O4), and other oxides in lesser amounts.

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Timothy seed production in Western Canada

Description

Timothy seed is used primarily in mixes for hay, pasture or silage. It is also used in solid stands for the hay compaction industry. Most seed produced in Western Canada is used in North America;... More ≫

Description

Timothy seed is used primarily in mixes for hay, pasture or silage. It is also used in solid stands for the hay compaction industry. Most seed produced in Western Canada is used in North America; however, some proprietary varieties are grown under contract and shipped overseas, mainly to Europe.

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Bale silage

Description

Bale silage involves the preservation of perennial or annual forage crops. Either round or mid-sized square baling systems can be used to produce bale silage. The key is that the baler needs to... More ≫

Description

Bale silage involves the preservation of perennial or annual forage crops. Either round or mid-sized square baling systems can be used to produce bale silage. The key is that the baler needs to produce a dense bale. Soft-core bales are not as effective for making bale silage. Because the forage crop is baled, the silage is maintained as a long fibre forage source.

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Optimizing barley silage production in Alberta

Description

From 1994 to 1996 the Agronomy Unit of Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development conducted research trials at locations across Alberta to examine new barley varieties and their nutrient... More ≫

Description

From 1994 to 1996 the Agronomy Unit of Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development conducted research trials at locations across Alberta to examine new barley varieties and their nutrient requirements. This two-page fact sheet provides a brief summary of the findings of this research.

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