Indianapolis, Indiana
October 3, 2008
MYCOGEN® brand SILAGE-SPECIFIC™
corn hybrids produced four grand champion entries at the World’s
Forage Analysis Superbowl en route to a highly successful
overall showing. Winners were announced at the World Dairy Expo
in Madison, Wisconsin on Oct. 1.
“We are very excited about the outstanding results our customers
achieved in the World’s Forage Analysis Superbowl,” says Greg
Cannon, Forage Products Marketing Specialist,
Mycogen Seeds.
Vreba-Hoff Dairy of Hudson, Mich., was named the competition’s
overall grand champion in the Corn Silage division with its
Mycogen TMF2Q716 entry. Packard Farms of Clare, Mich., was
tabbed the first-time entrant grand champion with its TMF2N422
entry.
BMR placings
MYCOGEN brand BMR hybrids swept the competition in the Brown
Mid-Rib (BMR) Dairy Corn Silage rankings by taking all 10
placings. Spring Prairie Colony of Hawley, Minn., was named the
grand champion of the BMR Corn Silage division with its F2F485
entry.
Other BMR hybrid winners included Andrews University, Berrien
Springs, Mich.; Jake Tanis, Centre Hall, Pa.; Pleasant View
Dairy, Jonesville, Mich.; Kevin Lee, Magnolia, Ohio; West
Vale-Vu Dairy, Nashville, Mich.; Steve Kanagy, McVeytown, Pa.;
Vreba-Hoff Dairy, Hudson, Mich.; Pine Tree Dairy Farm, Rittman,
Ohio; and Sand Creek Dairy, Hastings, Mich.
“Our line of MYCOGEN brand SILAGE-SPECIFIC corn hybrids are bred
for nutritional quality and offer the most digestible nutrients
for optimal animal performance,” Cannon explains. “The diverse
lineup allows growers to select the proper hybrid for their
geography and management practices.”
Dairy corn silage winners
MYCOGEN brand hybrids also performed very well in the Standard
Dairy Corn Silage (non-BMR) category, earning six of eight
possible placings. Stardust Dairy of South Solon, Ohio, was
named the division’s grand champion with its TMF2Q759 entry.
Other winners in the Standard Dairy Corn Silage division
included: Wezbra Dairy Farm, Continental, Ohio; Elam Zimmerman,
Martinsburg, Pa.; Goettemoeller Dairy, Maria Stein, Ohio; Earl
Jentes, Wooster, Ohio; and Assen Dairy, London, Ohio.
Corn silage samples are analyzed for dry matter, crude protein,
acid detergent fiber (ADF), neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and
neutral detergent fiber digestibility (NDFD). All entries of
whole-plant corn silage must have been ensiled and show signs of
fermentation.
The corn silage class was selected based on digestibility, and
finalist samples were judged according to the following
criteria:
• Forage Analysis 60%
• Visual 20%
• Herd Production Info 10%
• Milk Per Ton 10%
Alfalfa winners
Several of MYCOGEN’s alfalfa varieties also placed well in both
the Dairy Hay and Dairy Haylage divisions at the World’s Forage
Analysis Superbowl.
Jacob Walz, Glen Haven, Wis.; Sweet-Lan Farms, Celina, Ohio; and
Andy Bruggeman, St. Henry, Ohio, all placed in the Dairy Hay
division. Sand Creek Dairy, Hastings, Mich.; Luke Haywood,
Hastings, Mich.; and Hooks Farm, Breckenridge, Mich., each
placed in the Dairy Haylage class.
“We offer top-performing alfalfas that provide superb yield
potential, high-quality forage, and disease and pest
resistance,” Cannon explains.
Hay and haylages are analyzed for dry matter, crude protein,
acid detergent fiber (ADF), neutral detergent fiber (NDF),
neutral detergent fiber digestibility (NDFD) and relative forage
quality (RFQ). RFQ is a ranking based on digestibility and
should not be confused or compared with relative feed value
(RFV). All entries of haylage must have been ensiled and show
signs of fermentation.
The hay/haylage finalist samples were judged according to the
following criteria:
• Forage Analysis 60%
• Visual 20%
• Herd Production Info 10%
• Milk Per Ton 10%
The commercial divisions of
hay/baleage were judged on these criteria:
• Forage Analysis 70%
• Visual 30%
The organizing partners of the
World’s Forage Analysis Superbowl are AgSource Cooperative
Services, DairyBusiness Communications, Hay and Forage
Grower/Webb Publications, USDA Forage Research Center,
University of Wisconsin-College of Agriculture & Life Sciences
and World Dairy Expo.
Mycogen Seeds is a retail seed company of Dow AgroSciences
LLC and a developer and marketer of leading grain corn hybrids,
the market leader in SILAGE-SPECIFIC corn hybrids and sunflower
hybrids, as well as an industry leader in canola, alfalfa,
soybeans and sorghum. For more information on MYCOGEN brand
products, visit www.mycogen.com.
Dow AgroSciences LLC, based in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, is a
top-tier agricultural company that combines the power of science
and technology with the “Human Element” to constantly improve
what is essential to human progress. Dow AgroSciences provides
innovative technologies for crop protection, pest and vegetation
management, seeds, traits, and agricultural biotechnology to
serve the world’s growing population. Global sales for Dow
AgroSciences, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical
Company, are $3.8 billion. Learn more at
www.dowagro.com.
®™MYCOGEN, the MYCOGEN Logo, SILAGE-SPECIFIC and the
SILAGE-SPECIFIC Logo are trademarks of Mycogen Corporation.
©2008 Mycogen Seeds. Mycogen Seeds is an affiliate of Dow
AgroSciences LLC. |
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