Managing Nutrients Managing Nutrients through Precision through Precision Feed ManagementFeed Management

Paul CerosalettiPaul Cerosaletti

Cornell University Cooperative Cornell University Cooperative Extension Extension

of Delaware Countyof Delaware County

New York StateNew York State

The Delaware County Precision Feed The Delaware County Precision Feed Management Program: – Where are we?Management Program: – Where are we?

Why is P Increasing?Why is P Increasing? MASS BALANCE:MASS BALANCE:

INPUTS to basin

= 171,300+ kg/yr

NET P ACCUMULATION =

106,300+ kg/yr in basin (soils)

OR

~ 5 kg P/ha agr. land/yr

OUTPUTS from basin in kg/yr = 65,000 kg/yr

The Dairy Farm The Dairy Farm Mass Nutrient BalanceMass Nutrient Balance

Feed

Fertilizer

Bedding

Animals

Imported Nutrients

Exported Nutrients

Crops

Milk

Animals

Manure

LeachingRun off

Nutrient Losses to water

Farm Boundary

Nutrients remaining on

farm

Feed Management Feed Management RecognizedRecognized

Council for Agricultural Science and Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) – Issue Paper 21, Technology (CAST) – Issue Paper 21, 20022002

Animal diet modification to decrease the Animal diet modification to decrease the potential for nitrogen and phosphorus pollutionpotential for nitrogen and phosphorus pollution

USDA-NRCS 592 Nutrient Management USDA-NRCS 592 Nutrient Management Planning StandardPlanning Standard

Identifies Identifies Feed ManagementFeed Management as part of a as part of a comprehensive nutrient management plan comprehensive nutrient management plan

The Delaware County Precision The Delaware County Precision Feed Management ProgramFeed Management Program

What are we?What are we? A program where county based A program where county based

Extension specialists and University Extension specialists and University faculty work with dairy farmers and faculty work with dairy farmers and their feed advisors to improve farm their feed advisors to improve farm economic viability and reduce nutrient economic viability and reduce nutrient imports, accumulations, and manure imports, accumulations, and manure nutrient excretions on dairy farms nutrient excretions on dairy farms through through feed managementfeed management..

The Delaware County Precision The Delaware County Precision Feed Management Program:Feed Management Program:

What do we do?What do we do?

Research & Development

Farm Precision Feed Planning

Education

Integration

Research & Development

Farm PFM Planning

Education

Integration

•Farm PFM plan development

•PFM plan implementation

• Documenting Impacts

• Farmer education

• Feed Industry training

• Field research

• Model Application/Development

Precision Feed ManagementPrecision Feed Management::The ProcessThe Process

Precision Diet Formulation & Delivery

Implementation of High Forage Diets

Improved Homegrown Forage Production

- Reduced Purchased Feed Nutrient Imports - Reduced Purchased Feed Nutrient Imports - Reduced Manure Nutrient Excretions - Reduced Manure Nutrient Excretions - Reduced Nutrient Accumulations - Reduced Nutrient Accumulations

- Improved Farm Profitability- Improved Farm Profitability

Reduced Nutrient Overfeeding Improved Nutrient Utilization

Precision Feed Precision Feed Management Management

PlanningPlanningWhat it EntailsWhat it Entails

PFM PlanningPFM Planning

What it entailsWhat it entails Forage Management PlanningForage Management Planning Feeding Management PlanningFeeding Management Planning Diet modeling and monitoring Diet modeling and monitoring

Farm Precision Feed Planning

PFM PlanningPFM Planning

PFM Team meets with Farmer and Feed ConsultantPFM Team meets with Farmer and Feed Consultant Set goalsSet goals Evaluate Corn, Hay and Pasture systemsEvaluate Corn, Hay and Pasture systems Assess weak linksAssess weak links Develop Annual farm forage plan (strategies/tactics)Develop Annual farm forage plan (strategies/tactics) Provide technical assistanceProvide technical assistance

Forage Management Planning

Forage Planning Forage Planning ProcessProcess

Forage Forage SystemsSystems

Management ManagementStrategy examples:Strategy examples:

Wide Swath silage harvestWide Swath silage harvest MIG Pasture MIG Pasture Intensive Grass mngmtIntensive Grass mngmt Crop species selectionCrop species selection Crop Rotation mngmtCrop Rotation mngmt

Precision Feed Precision Feed Management:Management:

Feeding Management Planning Feeding Management Planning and Implementationand Implementation

Diet Modeling and MonitoringDiet Modeling and Monitoring

““If you can’t If you can’t measure it, and measure it, and monitor it, you monitor it, you

can’t manage it.”can’t manage it.”

Dietary Monitoring and Dietary Monitoring and ModelingModeling

Data CollectedData Collected Feed Composition and intake (inc. Feed Composition and intake (inc.

refusals)refusals) Environmental conditions (temp, Environmental conditions (temp,

humidity)humidity) Animal Production (milk, fat, prot., Animal Production (milk, fat, prot.,

body condition, bodyweight)body condition, bodyweight) Purchased feed costsPurchased feed costs

Dietary Monitoring and Dietary Monitoring and ModelingModeling

Rations ModeledRations Modeled Using Cornell Net Carbohydrate and Using Cornell Net Carbohydrate and

Protein System (CNCPS) modelProtein System (CNCPS) model Ration metrics generatedRation metrics generated

Dietary Monitoring and Modeling:Dietary Monitoring and Modeling:Ration MetricsRation Metrics

P densityP density P intakeP intake P excretionsP excretions CP densityCP density N excretionN excretion NFC densityNFC density

Ration Forage Ration Forage content, content, % of ration DM% of ration DM

Forage NDF intake, Forage NDF intake, % of BW% of BW

Purchased grain Purchased grain costscosts Several measuresSeveral measures

Dietary Monitoring and Modeling:Dietary Monitoring and Modeling:Ration MetricsRation Metrics

Benchmarks:Benchmarks: P intakeP intake

+/- 5 grams/d of requirement+/- 5 grams/d of requirement Rumen Nitrogen BalanceRumen Nitrogen Balance

<100 grams/day<100 grams/day Forage, % of total ration DMForage, % of total ration DM

>> 60% 60% Forage NDF intake, % of BWForage NDF intake, % of BW

> 1.0%> 1.0% Purchased Feed costsPurchased Feed costs - ? Developing benchmarks - ? Developing benchmarks

PFM Summary PFM Summary ReportReport

The Delaware County Precision The Delaware County Precision Feed Management Program:Feed Management Program:

ComponentsComponents

Research & Development

Farm Precision Feed Planning

Education

Integration

EducationEducation

Feed Industry TrainingFeed Industry Training General feed managementGeneral feed management CNCPS software trainingCNCPS software training

Farmer EducationFarmer Education Formal classesFormal classes Written mediaWritten media One on oneOne on one

Research and Research and DevelopmentDevelopment

Cornell Net Carbohydrate and

Protein System

Precision Feed Precision Feed ManagementManagement

ImpactImpact

PFM Impact to date: - PFM Impact to date: - QuantifiedQuantified

20% of herds meet ration goals already20% of herds meet ration goals already Reduced feed P Imports and manure P Reduced feed P Imports and manure P

excretions avg. of 6.5 kg/cow/yr (25% excretions avg. of 6.5 kg/cow/yr (25% & 30% respectively)& 30% respectively)

Reduced manure Nitrogen excretions Reduced manure Nitrogen excretions an avg. of 23.4 kg/cow/yr an avg. of 23.4 kg/cow/yr

Reduced P accumulation avg. of 40%Reduced P accumulation avg. of 40% Cut feed costs (as high as $128/cow/yr)Cut feed costs (as high as $128/cow/yr) Increase milk production (as much as Increase milk production (as much as

3000 lbs per cow/yr)3000 lbs per cow/yr)

Other Areas of PFM Other Areas of PFM Impact:Impact:

Not yet quantified:Not yet quantified: Animal health (economic and Animal health (economic and

pathogens)pathogens) Lactating cowsLactating cows Transition cows (calf health)Transition cows (calf health) HeifersHeifers

Soil ErosionSoil Erosion Crop rotationsCrop rotations Crop speciesCrop species Crop systemsCrop systems

Other Areas of PFM Other Areas of PFM ImpactImpact

Adoption of advanced ration Adoption of advanced ration software (CNCPS/CPM Dairy) by software (CNCPS/CPM Dairy) by 50% local feed industry for their 50% local feed industry for their everyday ration work.everyday ration work.

Managing Nutrients Managing Nutrients through Precision through Precision Feed ManagementFeed Management

Paul CerosalettiPaul Cerosaletti

Cornell University Cooperative Cornell University Cooperative Extension Extension

of Delaware Countyof Delaware County