b'Corn silage digestibilityAlmost 100 years ago, BMR (Brown MidRib) corn plants with different coloration and higher fiber digestibility were first noted by scientists at the University of Minnesota. It took about 80 years, however, for various BMR corn silage hybrids to be launched on the market as a forage. The BMR gene has now also been introduced into sorghum, sudangrass and millet. While early BMR corn silage hybrids had serious agronomic and drought-tolerance issues, much breeding progress has since been made. Todays BMR corn silage hybrids can achieve total dry matter and starch levels comparable to conventional silage hybrids. Porter says that new Pioneer Bovalta BMR corn silage hybrids have the highest level of fiber digestibility on the market compared to non-BMR hybrids.However, Sylvia Megens, manager of product development at DLF, stresses that fiber digestibility is only one trait in the overall nutritional picture of forages. While improved fiber digestibility acts as a key energy Valor (Timothy) is a perennial bunchgrass which is one of the mostsource for ruminants by providing increased meat and/or milk winter-hardy cool season forage grasses.production, improved plant health (for example, improved PHOTO: DLF disease resistance or improved winter hardiness) contributes to nutritional benefits a variety may contain as well, she explains. These factors all play a major role in providing an adequate energy source to ruminants for meat and milk production. She notes that while breeding is a slow process, incremen-tal improvements are made each year, and over the past decade, we have made great strides in species such as alfalfa, orchardgrass and meadow fescue. Species and management matterOn that note, Megens explains that a mix of alfalfa and dif-ferent grasses is recommended as forage for cattle, whether dairy or beef. Each species of grass and legume has its indi-vidual traits and characteristics that make it outstanding over other species, says Megens. Within North America, we have sustainable mixtures designed to provide the best milk and/or meat production to specific end users. This includes our selections of legume and grass mixtures that provide excellent winter-hardy pasture forage.The Bison Producers of Alberta (BPA) notes that bison cows, as natural foragers, do very well on winter pasture, but the mix of species and how the pasture is managed are both critical for suc-cess. Alberta and Saskatchewan are home to most of Canadas bison, which are also ranched across several northern U.S. states. Regarding best winter forages, BPA points to the analysis by the Western Forage Beef Group that concludes creeping red fescue, Kentucky blue grass, orchardgrass and meadow brome-grass consistently have higher crude protein levels in the winter compared to other forages. This helps beef cattle and bison maintain their weight in very low temperatures. However, Racey Padilla, small grains research director at TriCal Superior Forage, says more beef farmers (and dairy farm-Establishing plots with increased digestibility plants for identifyingers as well) should consider how growing a small grains forage DNA markers associated with improved forage nutritive value. can provide higher overall forage nutrition throughout each year. PHOTO: DR. DEB SAMAC32/ SEEDWORLD.COMOCTOBER 2023'