September 26, 2007

BASF'S NutriDense corn silages show feed efficiency by 11 percent

A recent study completed at the University of Missouri showed that cows fed BASF's NutriDense® corn silage improved feed efficiency by 11.4 percent over cows fed conventional corn and corn silage.

The study, which was conducted by Dr. Jim Spain at the University of Missouri in 2005 and 2006, concluded that adding NutriDense® corn and corn silage to lactating rations can improve efficiency while maintaining high levels of production. The control group, which was fed conventional corn and corn silage, consumed the most feed of the three groups, while cows fed diets with NutriDense® corn silage and NutriDense grain ate the least. However, each group produced the same amount of milk. Therefore, the NutriDense® silage-grain group showed an 11.4 percent improvement in milk production efficiency over the control group.

The group fed NutriDense® silage-grain increased volatile fatty acid (VFA) production by 13 percent, a direct indicator of fibre digestibility. Produced by rumen microbes, VFAs heavily influence production of milk and milk components, as well as the environment inside the rumen.

"By using NutriDense® in your cropping system, you can produce a corn hybrid that has higher levels of effective fibre while lowering lignin content," said Jerry Weigel, Manager Nutrition & Technical Service for BASF Plant Science. "This makes more energy readily available to the cow, which can then be used for the production of VFAs."

Because of the improved efficiencies, NutriDense® can lower ration costs especially at this time of high feed prices and finding a quality substitute to corn can be a challenge. Because NutriDense® is 3.5 to 5 percent higher in net energy for lactation than conventional corn silage, replacing conventional corn silage with NutriDense®-based corn silage decreases the amount of grain that needs to be fed. Bottom line-NutriDense® can reduce feed costs and deliver more effective fibre to make cows more efficient and more profitable milk producers.