Ration Choice® Corn, The Right Corn Silage Hybrids
By Darren Kulicamp | November 17, 2022
In the dairy business the fall time of year brings the customary fall slump. While there are many factors involved in this drop in production, feed plays a big role. The transition from fermented corn silage into green feed can be a large player due to the decreased starch digestibility of new crop corn silage, at which point the quality of digestible fiber in that silage is of utmost importance as well. When planning this winter for next years corn silage needs, there may be two scenarios: Corn silage carryover will be enough to let the new crop ferment as needed. Or, you may be short corn silage and looking for ways to avoid feeding green feed. In either case, DF Seeds has a Ration Choice® corn hybrid to fill the need.
The solution that DF Seeds can provide to help mitigate feeding green feed: leafy corn. Leafy hybrids are a great tool to use when planning for short corn silage inventory because Legacy Seeds brand leafy corn products have more immediately available starch due to a less dense kernel with a floury starch. The full floury hybrids containing the Opaque-1 gene, only need 30 days in the bunk to reach maximum starch digestibility. And while they have a less dense kernel, starch content is maintained with higher starch digestibility. Leafy corn has positive benefits in the field as it can be planted at lower population (28-29,000 ppa) and does not require the stewardship practices or yield drag of other products.
If your feed inventory looks good for a smooth transition between production years, it is still important to consider what cows like – consistency. Standard corn silage is a great thing, offering easy management and flexibility for production. Not all standard corns are created equal.
DF Seeds is proud to partner in testing the Legacy Seeds product portfolio to select the right products for our unique Michigan climate. In addition to the Leafy hybrids, we have our Flexible Acre hybrids. These Flexible Acre hybrids are the answer to producing exceptional corn silage that give you options. They are standard corn hybrids that have been selected for their excellent yield potential but also have superior starch content and digestibility and fiber digestibility potential good enough to rival BMR corn. They are called flexible acre hybrids because they are also some of our highest yielding grain hybrids, which means they can produce high yielding snaplage and high moisture corn with improved feeding attributes, and will still dry down to make high test weight shelled corn. To be stamped with the Ration Choice mark takes many years of performance, ensuring they produce consistently to feed your cows season after season.
Of course, agronomic performance is of utmost importance to ensure a successful crop. We can provide the correct hybrid for your acre with a multitude of trait platforms, from DroughtGard® technology for lighter ground to triple stacked traits for above and below ground protection, down to picking out hybrid with slow dry down to extend your chopping window.
So, this winter, when planning what hybrids will build your corn silage pile next season, look to Legacy Seeds brand Ration Choice corn. Whatever the need, DF Seeds has a Ration Choice corn hybrid that will fit the bill.
