Planting Alternative Dairy Forages

The deleterious impacts of nutrient and sediment runoff on the water quality of the Chesapeake Bay are well documented. Traditional row crop production practices may result in significant amounts of nutrient runoff and soil erosion from farm fields. Many dairy producers, however, depend on the high Energy content and cost-effectiveness of corn silage in their dairy feed to keep their business profitable. A potential solution to this dilemma is the use of an alternative dairy forage, cup plant. Cup plant has a number of characteristics that make it an attractive alternative to corn silage. High seeding rates and low insect and disease pressure reduce pesticide and herbicide use. Plant densities help reduce soil erosion. Nutrient applications can be timed properly with plant uptake. The purpose of this project is to demonstrate and encourage the widespread adoption of alternative dairy forages on farms in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.