Corn School: Selecting Hybrids for Silage Production

Corn in July. Photo credit: Bernard Tobin, 2014

In 2011, over 13000 farms
reported growing corn
for silage, over 50% of
which were dairy
operations. 
In the cattle industry, interest in new corn varieties stems from a desire to increase efficiency and production, whether utilized as a grain source, ensiled or left standing for winter grazing.

Ensiled, corn offers high energy, a key to high milk production. And, although much of a silage’s quality is determined by in-field management, harvest and storage, there are certain factors to consider as early as seed selection.

silage feed quality by crop

In this video, filmed at the Canadian Dairy Xpo, Bernard Tobin drills into some of the nitty gritty of selecting corn hybrids for silage production with Aaron Stevanus of Pride Seeds. The duo touch on starch production, digestibility, yield and some of the key learnings from last year’s silage season.

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