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Infographic explains integration of Livestock + Crops

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ST. PAUL, Minn. — The SARE grant project “Match Made In Heaven: Livestock + Crops” has released a new infographic depicting integration of livestock and crops at a glance. The infographic was developed by and for farmers and service providers, in collaboration with the design firm Background Stories. Digital files of the infographic are available at the project’s website.

“We invite people to download the infographic and add their own local contact information in the space provided,”
said Jane Jewett, project co-director. “Our hope is that it will be shared widely!”

Farming practices that integrate crops and livestock, such as grazing cover crops or crop residue, can create mutual benefits on both the crop and livestock sides. Crop enterprises can save on fertilizer costs, break pest and disease cycles, add soil organic matter, market their cover crop as forages, and potentially receive ecosystem service credits; while livestock enterprises can use cover crops and crop aftermath to stretch the grazing season into winter.

“A key feature of crop and livestock integration is that the same farmer need not do all the work to make it happen,” said Laura Paine, Grassland 2.0 outreach coordinator and another of the project’s co-directors. “It’s exciting to think about the potential for partnerships between crop producers, livestock producers, and custom operators and how that can support local economies and build relationships.”

Beginning farmers are another group that can benefit from such partnerships. The infographic acknowledges some of the many challenges of integration as well and suggests places to start.

“Match Made In Heaven: Livestock + Crops” is a three-year, six-state project funded by North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (NCR-SARE). The centerpiece of the project is a broad survey of crop and livestock farmers across the Upper Midwest to learn about their successes, interests, needs, and challenges around integration of crops and livestock. .

The collaboration is led by Green Lands Blue Waters and currently includes over 50 participating organizations across the six Upper Midwestern states (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri and Wisconsin), including crop and livestock associations, educational institutions, and service agencies; plus two farmers from each state. The collaborative group welcomes new organizations as they head into the survey design phase of the project. Those interested in participating can learn more at the project website: https://greenlandsbluewaters.org/match-made-in-heaven-livestock-crops/. If you have questions about the infographic or any other of the project’s activities, contact Amy Fenn, project coordinator.

— Green Lands Blue Waters

Third of Georgia counties under drought conditions

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MACON, Ga. — A total of 57 Georgia counties are experiencing moderate or severe drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor report released on May 12.

Three counties – Bryan, Chatham and Effingham – had at least some portion of their area under the D2 (severe drought) designation, including all of Chatham and most of Effingham. Across the southern and east central portions of the state, 52 counties had D1, or moderate, drought. An additional 19 counties were under D0, or abnormally dry, conditions.

Also on May 12, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released its El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) report, in which the agency indicated that the current La Niña pattern is expected to last until late in the year.

UGA Climatologist Pam Knox wrote in her climate blog that the extended La Niña pattern would likely mean warmer and drier conditions across the South. Knox pointed out that spring ENSO updates tend to be less reliable than those in other periods of the year because of the volatility of spring weather.

“In the Southeast, the wild card is the Atlantic tropical season, since La Niña years are also associated with more tropical systems than usual,” Knox wrote.

Knox’s blog can be seen here. The Georgia Drought Monitor map can be seen here.

Meanwhile, the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released its first crop production report of 2022 on May 12, and the state’s on-farm hay stocks have dropped dramatically, from 290,000 tons on May 1, 2021, to 190,000 tons on May 1, 2022.

According to UGA Extension Forage Specialist Lisa Baxter, the drought is compounding other challenges hay producers faced entering 2022.

“It’s going to be a hard year,” Baxter said. “We’ve been saying that for a while. What most people are usually thinking about is that it decreases forage production overall, and we know that. But I think we’re going to see a bigger decrease than just hay produced because of other challenges, like high input costs and decreased hay reserves.”

–Jay Stone, Georgia Farm Bureau

Ethnobotanist gets grant to improve conservation of Pa. medicinal, edible plants

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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Eric Burkhart, associate teaching professor of ecosystem science and management, has received a $31,600 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to study and compile wild plant use by foragers in the state.

The research will include plants such as ramps and Indian pipe that are collected for personal use as well as plants such as goldenseal, which is sold in domestic and international medicinal trade networks.

Burkhart and students in the College of Agricultural Sciences will use the funding, which comes from the department’s Wild Resource Conservation Program, to establish information about culturally and commercially important wild plants and to help develop educational resources to promote sustainability within Pennsylvania.

“Sudden increases in consumer demand for a particular medicinal plant, due to ‘fads’ or social and popular media, drives interest in collecting culturally and commercially important wild plants,” Burkhart said. “Many wild plants can tolerate collection for medicinal or edible purposes — due to their vigor, abundance or inherent regeneration capabilities. However, collection of some plants — such as slow-growing perennial forest plants with low annual reproductive output and/or low population numbers — may require knowledge and restraint to be sustainable.”

Additionally, working with partners at Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, the researchers will utilize existing databases, such as the Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program, and assessment tools to examine and summarize the ecological context of important wild foraged plants and highlight conservation threats beyond collection by humans.

“Pennsylvania is a big state, with many wild plants facing pressure from habitat loss due to regional development, or habitat change due to nonnative exotic invasive species.” Burkhart said. “This project will not focus on wild plant foraging as a conservation threat, but rather we will examine the importance of wild plants to Pennsylvanians and work with the public to identify stewardship education needs around any particular wild species.”

As a result, in addition to research, a major component of the project will be to develop educational materials and webinars/workshops that can contribute stewardship for wild plants found to be of cultural or economic significance in the region. Throughout the project cycle, Burkhart noted, the researchers will be looking to establish partnerships.

“We want to hold collaborative events with wild foragers and product sellers and buyers to help facilitate dissemination of good science and gather forager input to develop into needed information,” he said. “This project is an opportunity to take stock of wild plants people are gathering in the state and develop resources that can be helpful to folks interested in pursuing wild foraging as an outdoor lifestyle, hobby or commercial activity.”

Melissa Kreye, assistant professor of forest resource management, will assist Burkhart in project-related extension education efforts.

–Jeff Mulhollem, Penn State University

Rupp Seeds doubles down on vegetables, divests grain and forage business

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WAUSEON, Ohio — Ohio-based Rupp Seeds recently sold its grain and forage seed business to Rob-See-Co, of Elkhorn, Neb. This divestment provides Rupp Seeds the opportunity to focus its investments and research efforts entirely on their vegetable seeds business.

“I’m excited to focus on vegetable seeds going forward,” says Philip Rupp, Rupp Seeds president. “We have great opportunity to expand our product line, our research and our support for commercial growers. For the grain and forage business, we’re excited for our dealers and employees as they continue with a like-minded business.”

Rupp Seeds was founded in 1946 with the grain and forage division that served Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana farmers. The vegetable seed business started in 1985 with the goal of leveraging the company’s previous seed expertise into vegetable seed to help growers maximize returns while meeting the needs of the end consumer.

Today, the company continues with that same goal, except now it’s their singular focus.

“There is such an exciting story to tell about vegetables,” Rupp says. “We want to be a resource for not only commercial growers, but people who sell to farmer’s markets and their customers. There is so much we’re looking forward to doing as we work alongside growers.”

The renewed focus on vegetable seeds will lead to expanded research, trials, and product lines. For vegetable growers and consumers, the future is bright with an eye toward improved production, better nutrition, and enhanced connections at every level in the food value chain.

Grain and Forage Seed Business Moves to Rob-See-Co

When the Rupp family began considering a change to their business, it was an exercise they didn’t take lightly. After more than a year of consideration, Rob-See-Co rose to the top as the perfect fit for the grain and forage seed business.

“They provide a similar company culture and have knowledge and access to information and products in the grain and forage market we didn’t have on our own,” Rupp says. “This sale presents outstanding career and business opportunities for those involved in the grain and forage business. We’re excited for their future.”

Expanded opportunities for the grain and forage business include access to Rob-See-Co and Innotech corn hybrids and Innotech soybean varieties. Current dealers and sales managers will continue selling and supporting Rupp corn and soybean branded products through the 2022 growing season, and work through preparations for the 2023 season.

“We are excited to welcome the Rupp Seeds team to our Rob-See-Co family,” said Rob Robinson, Rob-See-Co CEO. “Rob-See-Co and Rupp Seeds share the culture of a family-owned company. Both companies offer a simple, transparent business model and value the customer relationship. Given the similarities between the two companies, we see a mutually beneficial relationship.”

To learn more about Rupp Seeds visit ruppseeds.com.

About Rupp Seeds

With more than 75 years of experience in the seed business, Rupp Seeds is Ohio’s go-to vegetable seed source. The company diligently researches and trials many products on-farm to ensure that growers receive the highest quality products specifically aligned with their markets and consumers. From farm to table, productivity and taste matter and both are taken into consideration in the research process.

–Rupp Seeds

AI season is just around the corner

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LINCOLN, Neb. — Some spring calving herds are starting to gear up for the breeding season by utilizing either natural service, artificial insemination (AI), or a combination of both.  According to a recent NAHMS survey, 84.85% of operations utilize natural service only and 10.3% utilizing AI and exposure to bulls. The implementation of estrous synchronization has the potential to shorten your calving window, concentrates labor, allows for more uniform management of cows, and can create a more uniform calf crop. Artificial insemination allows producers to advance the genetic merit of their herd, reduces the number of bulls used during the breeding season, can increase weaning weights, and when combined with estrous synchronization it can shorten the calving season.

Preparing cows for the Breeding Season

There are a few things we need to be thinking about to prepare our cows for the breeding season and to have successful AI rates. These management options would include  cows being in a positive plane of nutrition, a good yearlong mineral program to meet any deficiencies (NebGuide G2340), cows in 5 to 6 body condition score (BCS;ECS281), and inventory your supplies. Furthermore, we recommend having conversations with your veterinarian to ensure you have appropriately timed your pre-breeding vaccination program (at least 30 days prior to breeding for successful conception) and it is also a good time to get any synchronization products you may need. Other things to consider are making sure your working facilities are in good working condition, have accurate records to identify females and record breeding information. In addition, a successful AI program depends on understanding what protocol you are using and following it exactly as it is recommended.

Keep in mind that moving to pasture or transporting cows should be done shortly after breeding (1 to 4 days post AI) or waiting after 35 days. This will help reduce the incidence of early fetal loss, since maternal recognition of pregnancy is established around day 16. When you are transporting or moving a large group of animals, make sure you keep stress, heat, and working stress to a minimum.

For those summer calving and breeding herds, it is important to remember that forage may be declining during this critical time. Review some helpful considerations with supplementation and body condition recommendations from last year’s article on managing summer calving herds during breeding season (https://beef.unl.edu/beefwatch/2021/managing-summer-calving-herds-during-breeding-season).

Selecting a synchronization and AI protocol

The goal of estrous synchronization is to bring cows into heat at the same time. If producers decide to use synchronization, understanding how different protocols can fit their operation, goals, and facilities will all be important to consider. Perhaps you are wanting to start with a smaller group of animals, synchronization of heifers before the cow herd can be an option to start implementing these reproductive technologies. Review this past article about protocols that can be used with heifers (https://beef.unl.edu/beefwatch/estrus-synchronization-protocols).

Not every producer may know how to AI, so identifying AI technicians or working directly with bull stud/AI companies to help with that process will be important to secure prior to breeding. What supplies do you need to have for AI? Proper equipment and facilities should be used to ensure the safety of the animals and technicians, this includes good working chute(s) and facilities such as a breeding barn, low stress animal handling, access to warm water, water bath to thaw semen, paper towels, OB sleeves, and a person to keep records of cows being bred. For more information, refer to the UNL Extension beef publication Estrous Synchronization Handbook (EC283) or this great review in a March issue of BeefWatch Newslette(https://beef.unl.edu/beefwatch/2022/estrus-synchronization-and-breeding-season-resources-review-2022.

Perhaps you would like to capitalize on having more calves born earlier in the calving season, but want to start simple and do not want to deal with the increase in labor, cost, and facilities to implement a multiple day synchronization and AI protocol? A simple, one shot, one time through the chute may be an option and then use bulls for natural service during the breeding season. A nice summary of this protocol can be found here (https://beef.unl.edu/beefwatch/simple-synchronization-cows-one-injection-one-time-through-chute-and-bull-breed). Data from the University of Nebraska reported that heifers born during the first 20 days of the calving season compared to those born later were heavier at weaning, pre-breeding, and calving. This in turn, produced heifers that were more likely to be cycling by the start of the breeding season and more likely to get pregnant. The benefit of conceiving early results in heifers staying in the herd longer, thus increasing profitability.

For an effective breeding season to be successful with synchronization and AI, nutrition, estrous cycle control, female management, proper facilities, labor, and expertise will need to be considered.

— Steve Niemeyer, Nebraska Extension Educator; Kacie McCarthy, UNL Cow-Calf Specialist

University of Nebraska-Lincoln

State continues quest to eradicate invasive Spartina in June

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OLYMPIA, Wash. – This year’s treatment season for Spartina, an aggressive invasive weed, starts June 1 and will continue through November, the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) announced today [May 17, 2022].

Survey and eradication efforts will take place in multiple areas, including Grays Harbor, Hood Canal, Willapa Bay, Puget Sound, the north and west sides of the Olympic Peninsula and at the mouth of the Columbia River.

This year’s work will build on the success of 2021 when Spartina was eradicated at one new site, bringing the total number of eradicated sites to 71. The Spartina eradication effort has been highly effective – reducing infestations from a high of more than 9,000 solid acres in 2003 to about two total acres this year. But significant work remains to be done. These two remaining acres are spread over 130 sites – meaning 65 percent of all tracked sites are not yet eradicated. Eradication is vital to protect Washington’s shorelines.

“Our goal is to eradicate Washington’s remaining Spartina infestations, protecting important habitat for salmon, waterfowl and shellfish,” said Chad Phillips, WSDA’s Spartina Program Coordinator. “The Spartina Eradication Program protects and restores our state’s most productive estuaries and shoreline habitats. This year, with our project cooperators, we will continue the challenging work of finding and removing the thousands of Spartina plants that remain in the Puget Sound and along Washington’s coast.”

Project partners will survey more than 60,000 acres of saltwater estuaries and hundreds of miles of shoreline. WSDA and its partners dig out small infestations by hand and treat larger sites with herbicides. Since 1995, WSDA has served as the lead state agency for Spartina eradication, facilitating the cooperation of local, state, federal and tribal governments; universities; interested groups; and private landowners. Together they located and treated over 10,000 individual Spartina plants last year.

Spartina, commonly known as cordgrass, can disrupt the ecosystems of native saltwater estuaries. If left unchecked, Spartina outcompetes native vegetation and converts ecologically healthy mudflats and estuaries into solid Spartina meadows. As a result, important habitat for salmon, forage fish, invertebrates, shorebirds and waterfowl are lost, the threat of flooding is increased, and the state’s shellfish industry is negatively impacted.

Visit agr.wa.gov to for more information on Spartina control efforts.

— WSDA

NDSU and SDSU Extension to host Beef Cattle Mineral Nutrition Field Days

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FARGO, N.D. — While minerals are a small component of beef cow diets, they are critical for a variety of functions in the body, says Janna Block, North Dakota State University (NDSU) Extension livestock systems specialist based at the NDSU Hettinger Research Extension Center.

To help producers better understand mineral nutrition, NDSU and South Dakota State University (SDSU) Extension have teamed up to host two Beef Cattle Mineral Nutrition field days.

The first field day will be held on June 9, at the NDSU Central Grasslands Research Extension Center near Streeter, North Dakota, and the second field day will be held on June 10, at the SDSU Cottonwood Field Station near Philip, South Dakota. Participants do not need to attend both field days, as the same program will be provided each day.

Each field day will begin at 10 a.m. and conclude by 5 p.m. local time. Lunch will be provided.

“These field days will provide a hands-on opportunity for participants to collect forage samples and observe the process of conducting liver biopsies,” says Block. “There also will be research updates from leading beef cattle mineral nutrition scientists from across the country.”

“It’s exciting to have some of the top researchers in this field joining us for the field days,” says Adele Harty, SDSU Extension cow/calf field specialist. “John Arthington from the University of Florida, Terry Engle from Colorado State University and Carl Dahlen from NDSU will be with us to share their expertise and provide information about their latest research. This is a great opportunity for producers and nutritionists to ask the experts their questions.”

The final component for the field days will be industry updates from the sponsors. They will provide information on available mineral products.

“These industry partners will provide important perspectives on mineral supplementation for producers to consider,” notes Block.

Field day sponsors include SDSU Extension, NDSU Extension, Micronutrients, Multi-Min 90 and Zinpro.

Registration is $30 per person. To register, visit https://extension.sdstate.edu/event/beef-cattle-mineral-nutrition-field-day. Select the location you plan to attend when registering.  Registration closes on June 8 for the NDSU location and June 9 for the SDSU location.

This field day is open to anyone with an interest in beef cattle mineral nutrition. For more information about the SDSU field day, contact Adele Harty at adele.harty@sdstate.edu, and for information about the NDSU field day, contact Janna Block at janna.block@ndsu.edu.

— NDSU Extension

Scientists, farmers help 'Queen of Forages' re-establish throne in the South

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CLEMSON, S.C. — Alfalfa is often referred to as the “Queen of Forages” but perceived lack of persistence and low soil pH levels in the southern United States are keeping this queen from her throne.

To help producers learn how to help alfalfa regain royalty, researchers from Clemson University, Auburn University, the University of Georgia (UGA) and the University of Florida (UF) teamed up to host an Alfalfa in the South Field Day for more than 100 participants from South Carolina, Georgia and Florida, at FoxPipe Farm in Laurens, South Carolina.

“Alfalfa once was a predominant perennial legume species in the southern United States,” said Liliane Silva, Clemson Cooperative Extension Service forages specialist housed at the Edisto Researchand Education Center in Blackville, South Carolina. “It is not grown as much today, mainly because of lack of knowledge of management requirements and soil pH levels.”

Soil pH, or acidity levels, in the southern United States range from 4.5 to 5.0. Optimum pH for alfalfa ranges from 6.5 to 7. Reed Edwards, co-owner of FoxPipe Farm, has been growing alfalfa since 2016. He said it’s important to “get the pH correct from the beginning” and keep soil acidity levels in check.

“I’ve had a lot of challenges getting the soil pH to move,” said Edwards, who also talked about growing lespedeza. “This is a red clay environment, so it’s important we have regular soil tests conducted. Soil tests can save us money.”

In addition to a proper pH level, alfalfa also requires high amounts of potassium.

To help people learn more about forage crops, Silva has a YouTube channel, Forage Drops. Videos offer research-based advice on practices to follow to create healthier forage systems.

Alfalfa companion crops

When companion crops are grown with alfalfa, management practices should be adjusted to maintain desired proportion of alfalfa crop in the mixture. Ideal companion crops include grasses, such as bermudagrass and fescue.

A presentation on alfalfa-bermudagrass systems was made during the field day. Participants learned that interseeding alfalfa in bermudagrass can improve forage yield and quality. The Alfalfa Bermudagrass Management Guide, written by Silva, Jennifer Tucker of UGA and Kim Mullenix of Auburn University, compiles best management practices for growing the forages together.

Important steps must be followed for producers growing novel fescue with alfalfa. John Andrae, fescue expert and assistant director of the Clemson Experiment Station, said some tall fescues produce ergot alkaloids that can be toxic for livestock. Andrae, noted that “fescue is a fantastic forage,” but producers should check for toxicity before using it.

“When converting a field from toxic to non-toxic, the first step is to verify if it is toxic,” Andrae said. “If a field is found toxic, you will need to get rid of the toxicity before allowing livestock to graze on it or eat from it.”

To verify a pasture is toxic, send fescue samples to a commercial laboratory.

Several methods can be used to replace stands of toxic tall fescue. One is the spray-smother-spray method. This involves spraying a toxic pasture in the spring and planting a dense smother crop such as pearl millet. Producers should manage the smother crop as they normally would. After the cover crop is grazed or harvested, the field is sprayed again.

Another method is the spray-wait-spray method – grazing or cutting a field and spraying with a burndown herbicide 6 weeks and again at 4 weeks before the target planting date.

The third method, spray-spray-plant, involves spraying herbicides in the late summer and again four-to-six weeks later followed by planting a new fescue variety just after the second herbicide application.

Regardless of what method is chosen, UGA’s Jennifer Tucker said farmers should get rid of toxic tall fescue as soon as possible as it is the “diabetes of grasses or mix the toxic fescue with other non-toxic grasses to decrease toxicity to animals.

Cover crops and nutrient cycling

Field day topics also included planting cover crops to help improve forage production and distribution. Cover crops protect soil with plants that may or may not be used as an additional cash crop, help increase soil fertility and soil quality, manage soil erosion, improve water retention and infiltration, and help to manage weeds, pests, and diseases, as well as increase biodiversity and native wildlife. In addition, cover crops can be used for forage production and be harvested for hay or grazed.

Leanne Dillard of Auburn talked about how cover crops can improve soil health and provide weed control as well as “allow for year-round grazing.” For growers who plant cover crops, Reid Miller, Clemson area livestock and forages agent, advises scouting for insect pests and diseases to ensure a healthy crop.

Appropriate grazing management can be an ally in keeping a healthy forage stand, Dillard said, by promoting nutrient cycling – replacing nutrients in a pasture from the waste of the livestock that graze it.

Clover is a legume that can be used as a cover crop. Joe Bouton, UGA emeritus professor, talked about how clovers help tall fescue grow and are nutritious for animals. Clovers also can help build soil fertility, prevent erosion and put nitrogen back into the soil through biological nitrogen fixation.

Bouton is also credited with developing two alfalfa varieties for the South – Bulldog and Alfragraze. Bulldog 805 and Alfagraze 600RR varieties are recommended for the South; for further recommended options, consult your Extension agent.

Stanley Kottayadiel raises 160 head of Boer and Kiko goats on his farm in Elberton, Georgia. He attended the field day to learn more about growing alfalfa in his pastures.

“I want to increase my herd to 500 goats,” Kottayadiel said. “I need an around-the-year food supply for my herd, so I attended this field day to learn more about establishing and harvesting alfalfa.”

Agricultural economics

Producers are facing historically high prices for fertilizer, fuel and labor, contributing to higher costs for food and fiber production. While the outlook may look gloomy, Chris Prevatt, Extension agent with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, said “the potential for profitability is still there,” although “the next few years will be tight.” Supply chain issues and the War in Ukraine are partly to blame.

“These are challenging times for forage producers,” Prevatt said. “Fertilizer costs have increased to unprecedented highs and input prices, in general, are higher across the board. Producers are going to have to determine their needs vs. their wants.”

But producers should not worry, he said.

“Work with a budget,” Prevatt told producers. “I know inputs today are challenging, but things are going to change.”

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, fertilizer prices have skyrocketed since January 2021. The agency has plans for a program to support independent, innovative and sustainable American fertilizer production. Initially, the program was for a $250 million investment in domestic fertilizer production. A short time later, U.S. President Joe Biden announced he was doubling the initial investment to $500 million to lower costs and boost availability for farmers, so they can obtain inputs they need at prices they can afford to maximize yields. Details on the application process will be announced soon.

Calculators and web apps developed by the Clemson Extension Precision Agriculture teamcan help growers make proper management decisions and develop prescription plans for their crops. These calculators and web apps can be found at https://bit.ly/CES_Calculators_WebApps.

–Clemson University

Protein is not protein is not protein

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LINCOLN, Neb. — Protein is often the first limiting requirement when selecting diets and designing supplementation strategies for cows and growing cattle. Age and stage of production impact how much protein an animal requires. Understanding the different types of protein can help tailor supplements to meet protein requirements economically and effectively.

Crude protein (CP), the nitrogen content of the feed, is the initial measure of protein most commonly evaluated in feedstuffs. Crude Protein can be further divided into rumen degradable protein (RDP) or rumen UNdegradable protein (RUP). Rumen degradable protein is the protein that is available for rumen microbes to use. These microbes work in the rumen to break down and ferment the forage consumed by the cow. Feeds with a higher percentage of RDP than RUP (as a percent of crude protein) include forages, soybean meal, and non-protein nitrogen (NPN) sources, such as urea and ammonia. These NPN sources are typically used in protein supplements 30% or higher in protein concentration.

Rumen UNdegradable protein is the remaining portion of the crude protein protected in the rumen and available for breakdown in the lower digestive system. Feeds with a higher portion of RUP include distiller’s grains, corn gluten meal, corn grain, and blood meal.

Microbial crude protein (MCP) comes from the turnover of microbes in the rumen resulting in a source of protein digested in the lower digestive tract. As the microbes reach their lifespan, they become protein to be broken down into amino acids for the animal to absorb.

Crude protein and RDP requirements are often stated, rarely is an RUP or MCP requirement discussed. Instead, it will be represented as a metabolizable protein (MP) requirement. Metabolizable protein is the combination of RUP and MCP, or protein broken down post-ruminally. This differentiation is sometimes explained as the needs of the microbes (RDP) and the needs of the animal (RUP + MCP=MP). Metabolizable protein is essential to all ruminants but plays a critical role in immature animals for growth, development, and achieving desired gain.

For example, a 1,300 lb cow in mid-gestation can maintain on a diet that provides 7.1% CP daily. This is her lowest CP requirement in the production cycle and should include both RDP and MP. If she is consuming a forage-based diet adequate in protein and total digestible nutrients (TDN), a mature cow can turn over her rumen microbe population at a rate that meets her MP requirement. In contrast, a 1,000 lb replacement heifer mid-gestation lacks the rumen capacity to produce enough MCP to meet her required MP justifying supplementation of RUP. This is not unlike formulating diets for classes of growing calves.

In recent history, distiller’s products have provided an economical RUP supplement to growing cattle. With changes in price and supply, evaluating other feeds is warranted, depending on supplement goals. The table below lists protein sources and their composition of RDP and RUP. Pricing feeds based on nutrient content (i.e., $/lb of RUP) is the best economical way to compare feedstuffs relative to the feeding goals. If selecting a feedstuff lower in CP or RUP than what is normally used, expect animal performance to reflect that decreased nutrient content. However, the lower CP or RUP feedstuff can make economic sense within resource and management constraints.

Feedstuff

Crude Protein, %

RDP, % of CP

RUP, % of CP
Alfalfa Cubes

18.08

68.82

31.01
Dried Distillers Grain

30.79

32.00

67.93
Dry Corn Gluten Feed

22.64

63.69

37.10
Cottonseed Meal

44.98

57.19

42.70
Field Peas

25.17

80.00

20.00
Whole Soybeans

39.97

70.99

29.01

Source: Nutrient Requirements of Beef Cattle, 2016 & Effects of Field Pea Usage in Growing and Finishing Diets for Beef Cattle, 2016.

— T.L. Meyer, Nebraska Extension Educator; Hannah Greenwell, Nebraska Extension Educator

University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Iowa Hay Stocks report

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DES MOINES, Iowa — All hay stored on Iowa farms as of May 1, 2022, was estimated at 720,000 tons, up 67 percent from May 1, 2021, according to the latest USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service – Crop Production report. Disappearance from December 1, 2021, through May 1, 2022, totaled 2.40 million tons, compared with 2.00 million tons for the same period in 2021. 

United States highlights

Hay stocks on farms: All hay stored on United States farms as of May 1, 2022, totaled 16.8 million tons, down 7 percent from May 1, 2021. Disappearance from December 1, 2021 – May 1, 2022, totaled 62.2 million tons, down 6 percent from the same period a year earlier.

— USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service