Forage Newsletter | June 2021
The Dairy One Forage Lab excels in providing high quality analyses and customer service. Our goal is to provide analytical services designed to meet the expanding demands of modern agriculture. New technology and traditional methods are combined to deliver fast, accurate results.
Yeasts and Molds in Silage
Spring planting is coming to a close and farms are feeding 2020 silages. A recent talk given by Dr. Limin Kung Jr. of the University of Delaware focused on wild yeasts and molds and their impact on silage preservation. It’s important to keep silage quality in mind throughout all stages of silage creation, from planting to feeding.

The main avenues to lose energy in silo management are during respiration, fermentation, seepage, and aerobic instability during storage/feeding. Aerobic instability can account for 50-60% of total dry matter losses, an amount not always recognized. Different conditions in fermentation, storage, and feed out will affect forage quality.
Get your UPS labels online!
Changes to MUN program
Dairy One is proud to offer flat-rate UPS shipping for all sample submissions. You can now request a label to print or be delivered via email or mobile device. This new solution should allow customers to get samples to the lab affordably and efficiently.

Should you need a physical label sent to you, please contact supply@dairyone.com. You can also request labels and sampling supplies to be sent to you on your sample submission form.
All herds on DHI test with Dairy One are now enrolled in the MUN alert program. When more than 50% of a group, pen, or lactation stage is outside the desirable MUN range of 8-14, the farm will be directly emailed a Feed Management Diagnostic report, free of charge. Farms can also choose to have reports sent to consultants.

For $0.08/sample, herds can sign up for the Feed Management Diagnostic program and receive a report for every test with individual cow MUN data that can be uploaded to DairyComp or PCDART.
Non-GMO & Verticillium Wilt Update
For the past few years, Dairy One has offered genetic testing of alfalfa hay including non-GMO certification testing and Verticillium wilt testing. Combined with our longstanding nutrient analysis services, the genetic testing provided our customers with a one-stop shop for their alfalfa hay testing needs.

We recently learned that we are losing a key resource in providing our alfalfa hay genetic testing. This loss makes it impossible for us to provide alfalfa hay genetic testing at this time.

Next steps:
  • We recognize how important timely testing is to continue your business functions. Our first priority is to you, our customer. We are notifying you as soon as possible about the service interruption so you can take action as necessary for your business.
  • If you have immediate testing needs, we have communicated directly with AL&L Crop Solutions in Vacaville, CA. They can provide both the non-GMO certification testing and Verticillium wilt testing in accordance with the Chinese standards for hay exports. They are able to provide these tests immediately. Please visit their website to download sample submission forms and learn more about the testing. Please note that they charge a $120 fee for a shipment set-up and then have a per test charge of $20 per sample for Verticillium and $50 per sample for non-GMO.
  • We are aggressively reviewing how we might be able to continue offering the alfalfa genetic testing and will be back in contact as that work evolves.

Again, we sincerely apologize for this disruption in our testing services and the position it creates for your business. We appreciate your patience as we work to resolve this issue as quickly as possible.
Real-time data for real-time decisions
This spring we partnered with AB Vista to deliver a Hoard's Dairyman webinar. The webinar focused on how on-farm NIR technology can help you optimize ration formulations, delivering improved ROI. The webinar featured Bruce Hageman and Chris Piotrowski from AB Vista and Dairy One's own Sarah Fessenden. Attendees heard about the science and value of on-farm forage analysis and were able to see a virtual demonstration of the NIR4 Farm. Use the link above to see a recording of the webinar.
Data Driven News is a brand new Dairy One newsletter designed specifically for our non-farm colleagues and friends. It will give you an exclusive look at Dairy One services, staff, and upcoming innovations. We’ll show you what we are doing inside the barn, outside the barn, and what’s ahead. We’ll also share staff highlights and opportunities that may be of particular interest.
Dairy One Forage Laboratory | 730 Warren Road, Ithaca NY 14850
800.344.2697 Ext. 9962 | F: 607.257.1350