b'Steady Progress and New OptionsBreeding more nutritious forages for ruminants.Treena HeinGETTING MORE NUTRITIONout of every acre of for-ages has never been more critical for North American cattle operations. With droughts in some areas of the U.S. over the last few years and the current razor-thin profit margins, every bit of performance gain is more than welcome. Cattle ranchers and dairy farmers continue to look for ways to improve productivity and profitability both in their field and in their dairy production or ranching operations, explains Drew Porter, senior director (Global Portfolio - Field Crops and Forages) at Corteva Agriscience. Farmers and ranchers are looking to preserve the quality of silage, minimize supplemental feed costs and maximize energy available for milk and animal production. In the field, farmers are looking to increase yield, while protecting against insects, pests and disease.Its no surprise that, while new forage varieties with better nutritional profiles have always been in demand to boost dairy cattles milk production and beef cattles weight gain, the high cost of feed is causing a current forage seed market boom. According to a new report from Allied Market Research, the forage seed market in 2021 was valued at $22,808 million USD and is expected to double by 2031, growing at a compoundRacey Padilla says more beef and dairy farmers should consider annual rate of 7%. how growing small grains forage can provide higher overall forage nutrition throughout the year. Pictured above, TriCal Superior Better digestibility Forage Triticale - Gunner.PHOTO: LEGACYThe more digestible a crop, the more energy can be absorbed by livestock, so boosting digestibility is an important breedingleaves for high-value purposes, while keeping the stems for goal. For three decades, the U.S. Department of Agricultureforage. We have USDA engineers creating a machine that can (USDA) Plant Science Research Unit in St. Paul, Minnesota hasstrip the leaves, she explains. The remaining stem dries down been working on nutritional improvement of forages. Researchvery quickly and can be baled in some drier areas of the U.S. as Leader Dr. Deborah Samac shares that one breeding focus hassoon as the day after leaf harvest. Alfalfa leaves contain higher been to decrease lignin in the alfalfa stem. It becomes morelevels of protein than any other crop, with 80% of it digestible by lignified and therefore less digestible for ruminants as the plantmonogastrics like humans, fish and chickens. matures.This protein is very well suited, she says, to plant-based meat Samac and her colleagues continue to make steady progressand egg substitute food products.with conventional breeding for higher stem fiber digestibility inHer work is not the first attempt to extend alfalfas utility, alfalfa. However, because each selection cycle currently spansshe says. About a decade ago, another USDA team collabo-three years, theyre also working hard to speed up breeding byrated with the Noble Research Foundation and Forage Genetics identifying DNA trait markers and improving their understandingInternational (FGI) to develop a genetically-modified alfalfa that of the physiological underpinnings of digestibility. allows a longer growing seasonand therefore more biomass Interestingly, Samac isnt only interested in alfalfas digestibil- productionwhile also retaining stem digestibility. It was mar-ity by livestock. Her team is also working with the Dairy Forageketed in 2015 by FGI as HarvExtra alfalfa. That alfalfa is still avail-Research Center to maximize alfalfas utility: isolating alfalfaable on the market today.30/ SEEDWORLD.COMOCTOBER 2023'