Redesigning Forages for Sustainable Dairy Production

2007 Intermountain Pre-Nutrition Conference

January 23, Red Lion Hotel, Salt Lake City, UT

Neal P. Martin, R. D. Hatfield, D. R. Mertens and M. D. CaslerUSDA-ARS, Madison, WI

This talk will explore . . .

• Trends in corn silage & alfalfa production and use

• Barriers to increasing alfalfa in dairy diets

• Redesigning alfalfa for dairy cows• Resigning grasses for dairy cows

Trends . . .

Top 10 States–65 % of U. S.–66 % of Acres–6 states NC–2 states NE–2 states West–7 Lead Dairy

Leading Corn Silage States, 2006

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000

16,000

1,000 tons

WI CA NY PA MN ID SD IA NE MI

Corn Silage Production - West

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

1,000 tons

CA ID CO NM WA MT UT WY AZ OR NV

2004-06 average

Trends . . .

Top 10 States–61 % of U. S.–56 % of Acres–6 states NC–4 states West–5 Lead Dairy

Leading Alfalfa Forage States, 2006

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

9000

10000

1,000 tons

WI CA ID MN IA NE MI KS MT CO

Alfalfa Forage Production - West

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

1,000 tons

CA ID MT CO WA UT AZ OR WY NV NM

Alfalfa Hay Production

Trends . . .

Trends . . . Alfalfa Silage Production

0.0 10.0 20.0 30.0 40.0 50.0 60.0 70.0 80.0

VT

NY

WI

PA

MI

OH

MN

ID

IA

IL

NM

TX

MO

CA

WA

NE

SD

KS

% Alfalfa Harvestewd as Haylage, 2006

Trends . . .

Hay acreage remains unchanged

Dairy cattle feeding – declining amounts

For many years the Rule of Thumbfor feeding alfalfa to dairy cattle was. . .

30 %30 %

40 %40 %30 %30 %

Forage or Forage or ConcentrateConcentrate

ConcentrateConcentrate

ForageForage

CA-AZ YIELD TRENDS

Californiay = 0.0467x - 86.223

R2 = 0.9729

Arizonay = 0.0824x - 156.6

R2 = 0.8935

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000 2020

Yiel

d (t/

a)

California

Arizona

Alfalfa Yield Trends . . .

CA Hay Production Per Dairy Cow

y = 0.0071x2 - 1.0507x + 52.834R2 = 0.9432

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

5519

68

1971

1974

1977

1980

1983

1986

1989

1992

1995

1998

2001

2004

2007

2010

(lbs alfalfa/cow/day)

???

Source: Dan Putnam, 2005 Consortium for Alfalfa Improvement

Competition with corn silage

Why this declining trend?

California

1

3

5

7

9

11

13

15

19951996199719981999200020012002200320042005

Year

Fora

ge P

rodu

ctio

n,

mill

ion

ton

18000

18500

19000

19500

20000

20500

21000

21500

22000

Milk

, lb/

cow

Corn Silage, million ton Alfalfa Hay, million ton Milk, lb/cow

SOURCE: Jim Linn, 2006 NAAIC

Wisconsin

1

3

5

7

9

11

13

15

1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Year

Fora

ge P

rodu

ctio

n,

mill

ion

ton

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

14000

16000

18000

20000

Milk

, lb/

cow

Corn Silage, million ton Alfalfa Hay, million ton Milk, lb/cow

SOURCE: Jim Linn, 2006 NAAIC

Competition from byproducts•Canola Meal•Soybean Meal •Cottonseed•Distillers Grains•Bakery By-Products•Almond Hulls•Citrus Pulp•Tomato Pumice•Etc. Etc. Etc. Etc. Etc.

Why this declining trend?

Many of these byproducts are high in protein

Why this declining trend?

protein

protein

protein

proteinprotein

protein

N

Protein SourcesCP, % RDP, %

CPAlfalfa 20+ 70Dist grains -ethanol

30 60

SBM – biodiesel 50 65Corn gluten feed 22 70

Wheat midds 19 75

Corn silage 8 65Corn grain 10 50Dairy Cow Ration <17 65

Blood 87 30

Corn gluten meal 67 45

SOURCE: Jim Linn, 2006 NAAIC

Last updated: Oct. 30, 2006

Forage Fiber Sources –Dairy Rations

Straw – Use is increasing• Low nutrient value• Effective fiber

Hay Price, Particle Size and $Ground hay - Quality (125 – 175 RFV) may

not have extra value

Long hay - Unchopped - Quality has value ($)

SOURCE: Jim Linn, 2006 NAAIC

Key Issues with alfalfa quality/value

• It must be measured• Breaking the yield/quality

tradeoff• Problems with rapid

lignification of alfalfa stems under hot conditions

• Enhancing/complementing other feeds

• Solving Waste ProblemsSOURCE: Putnam, Dan. 2005SOURCE: Putnam, Dan. 2005

Less alfalfa being fed in dairy rations

• Lower yield of alfalfa

than other crops

• Increased use of corn

silage

• Minimized forage in

rationCheap grainGreater quality consistency of grainInability to accurately estimate energy of forage

Dairy Nutritionist Survey

MAJOR CHALLENGES1. Forage quality - consistency2. N and P excretion3. Transition cows4. Ethanol – starch and

Distillers Grains5. Ration formulation –

modeling6. Fiber digestion7. Milk price and feed cost

Source: Hutjens – 2006 ADSA meeting

WATER AVAILABILITY

Dairy Ration Overview

FORAGES

FORAGE, GRAIN OR BYPRODUCTS

CONCENTRATES• CORN• PROTEIN• MINERALS/ADDITIVES

40

40

% OF DM

20

FIBER Physical & Chemical

Protein, minerals, CHO

Non-Fiber CHOStarch

Protein RDP & RUP

Minerals

Nutrient needs and $

We don’t want to see reduced perennial forage crops in rotation because . . .

Perennial forage crops are good for environmentGood for cow health

Challenges . . .

. . . of the dairy forage industry

Research strategies and opportunities . . .. . . of the U.S. Dairy Forage

Research Center

Barriers to increasing alfalfa in dairy dietsRedesigning alfalfa for dairy cows

Improve protein utilizationIncrease fiber digestion

Increase yield

Forage Quality…

Description CP EE Ash Starch Pectin aNDF ADF ADL

ALFALFA HAY

Exceptional 25.4 2.7 10.4 3.1 14.2 30.0 24.0 4.53

Very high 24.0 2.6 9.9 2.9 13.2 34.1 27.0 5.38

High quality 22.5 2.5 9.5 2.7 12.3 38.2 30.0 6.23

Good quality 21.0 2.4 9.1 2.5 11.4 42.2 33.0 7.08

Fair quality 19.5 2.2 8.7 2.3 10.5 46.3 36.0 7.93

CORN SILAGE

V. high grain 8.3 3.2 4.1 31.1 1.7 36.0 21.0 1.57

High grain 8.6 3.1 4.6 27.2 1.6 40.5 24.0 1.91

Normal 8.8 3.0 5.1 23.2 1.5 45.0 27.0 2.25

Low grain 9.0 2.8 5.7 19.2 1.4 49.5 30.0 2.59

V. low grain 9.3 2.7 6.2 15.3 1.3 54.0 33.0 2.93

Source: Mertens, 2003.Source: Mertens, 2003.

Apparent Dry Matter Digestibility of AH and CS

Item AH AH CS proc CS proc

24%ADF 27%ADF 24%ADF 27%ADF

% aNDF 30.0 34.1 40.5 45.0% dNDF 15.6 16.0 24.9 27.3% NDS 70.0 65.9 59.5 55.0% dNDS 68.6 64.6 58.3 53.9% True DMD 84.2 80.6 83.2 81.2

Source: Adapted from Mertens, 2003.

Alfalfa for Dairy Rations

• Currently using harvesting management to improve alfalfa quality– Immature alfalfa has many

appealing nutritional properties• Low in fiber

– High digestibility– High intake potential

• Rapid rate of digestion• High in crude protein

Source: Adapted from Mertens, 2003.

Milk Yield from Alfalfa Silage and Hay Diets

Milk, lbs/day

80

82

84

86

88

90

92

AlfalfaSilage

Silage +FishMeal

AlfalfaHay

Hay +FishMeal

Milk, lbs/day

80

82

84

86

88

90

92

AlfalfaSilage

Silage +FishMeal

AlfalfaHay

Hay +FishMeal

+ 4.0 lbs+ 4.0 lbs + 0.5 lbs+ 0.5 lbs

• Fish meal is beneficial in alfalfa silage diets, but not alfalfa hay diets.

• Bottom line:alfalfa silage nitrogen is not efficiently used by the cow

Source: Vagnoni and Broderick, 1997

Feed Storage ProblemsFeed Storage Problems

However in alfalfa, our primary forage:However in alfalfa, our primary forage:

Feed Storage Problems

• However in alfalfa, our primary forage:

0102030405060708090

% N

FreshAlfalfa

Alfalfa Hay AlfalfaSilage

ProteinNonprotein

FeedProtein

Rumen

Cecum & L.I.

Manure

Escape Feed Protein Absorbed

Protein

S.I.

Microbes

Ammonia & Carbon Skeletons

Carbohydrate

UrineLiver

UreaMilk

RecycledRecycled

Source: Mary Beth HallSource: Mary Beth Hall

Research Challenge/ Opportunity . . .

Protein utilization:high-quality forage reduces N use efficiency . . .leading to higher manurial N loading back to fields . . .creating an increased risk of N leaving farm via runoff, leaching, or ammonia emissions.

Protein utilization: PPO

Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and o-diphenols --A process for preserving protein in ensiled forages

Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and o-diphenols in red clover

PPO oxidizes o-diphenols to o-quinonesResponsible for post harvest browningPPO and o-diphenols are abundant in red clover

PPO and o-diphenols prevent post-harvest proteolysis• Evidence for PPO/o-diphenol

role– Alfalfa lacks PPO/o-diphenols– Proteolytic inhibition O2-

dependent» Inhibition involves a heat labile

factor

• Experimental demonstration– Loss-of-function in red clover– Gain-of-function in alfalfa

Expression of red clover PPO1 in transgenic alfalfa

In alfalfa, browning is dependent on:

A PPO transgeneExogenous o-diphenol, e.g. caffeic acid

SOURCE: Sullivan, Michael L. and Ron D. Hatfield. 2003 DFRC ReSOURCE: Sullivan, Michael L. and Ron D. Hatfield. 2003 DFRC Research Reportsearch Report

Red Clover vs. Alfalfa Silage

020

406080

100120

Red clover Alfalfa Alfalfa +Caffeic acid

PPO Alfalfa PPO Alfalfa+ Caffeic

acid

Protein breakdown (% of alfalfa)Protein breakdown (% of alfalfa)

Protein Utilization: Tannins

Tannins have been shown to improve protein utilization and animal performance.

Milk Yield (lbs/day)-Alfalfa and Birdsfoot Trefoil Silages

60

65

70

75

80

85

Alfalfa Low TanninTrefoil

NormalTrefoil

High TanninTrefoil

60

65

70

75

80

85

Alfalfa Low TanninTrefoil

NormalTrefoil

High TanninTrefoil

HymesHymes--Fecht et al., 2005Fecht et al., 2005

+ 11 lbs+ 11 lbs

Added value of forage with tannin (per ton dry matter)

Alfalfa silage $ 23

Alfalfa hay $ 11

Some compounds bind with alfalfa protein to decrease rate of post-harvest proteolysis. Transgenic alfalfa will be produced that contain these compounds.

Tannins – altered expression of genes for alfalfa tannin biosynthesisPolyphenol oxidase (PPO) – gene isolated from red clover (USDA)

Strategies: reducing post-harvest proteolysis in alfalfa silage

Research Challenge/ Opportunity . . .

. . . fiber digestion

Apparent Dry Matter Digestibility of AH and CS

Item AH AH CS proc CS proc24ADF 27ADF 24ADF 27ADF

% aNDF 30.0 34.1 40.5 45.0% dNDF 15.6 16.0 24.9 27.3% NDS 70.0 65.9 59.5 55.0% dNDS 68.6 64.6 58.3 53.9% True DMD84.2 80.6 83.2 81.2

Source: Adapted from Mertens, 2003.

NDF Digestibility of Alfalfa Stems

50 54 58 62 66 70

NDF Concentration (% DM)

30

36

42

48

54

60

ND

F D

iges

tibili

ty

Source: Jung and Lamb, 2002. Unpub USDA-ARS. St. Paul, MN

•Engineering the lignin biosynthetic pathway in alfalfa

Down regulation

Low Lignin Alfalfa…Higher Fiber Digestibility

WL342 null T1 T2

85

95

105

115

125

135

% n

ull c

ontr

ol

Lignin

NDFD

Fiber digestibility of alfalfa Fiber digestibility of alfalfa stems in transgenic lines at stems in transgenic lines at Nampa, ID.Nampa, ID.

Transgenic plants have Transgenic plants have been generated that been generated that show decreased lignin show decreased lignin content and increased content and increased fiber digestibility.fiber digestibility.

Source: McCaslin et. al., 2002Source: McCaslin et. al., 2002

Alfalfa Improvement Opportunities

• Modify fiber composition–Replace with soluble CHO (pectin,

etc.)• Improve fiber digestibility

–Lower lignin–Modify lignin–Replace lignin with cellulose–Reduce physical limitations– Increase rate of digestion

Redesign Alfalfa for Dairy Cattle

Consortium for Alfalfa Improvement

• Noble Foundation

• Forage Genetics International

• Plant Science Research Unit, USDA-ARS

• US Dairy Forage Research Center, USDA-ARS

Grasses for Hay, Silage, Pasture

Grasses for Hay or Silage

• Badger smooth bromegrass -high digestibility

• Alpha smooth bromegrass -high digestibility and persistence with alfalfa

Pasture grasses• Albert orchardgrass

- high forage and seed yield, good quality, excellent disease resistance.

• Spring Green festulolium– Superior cold tolerance and winter

survival.– Over 1 million pounds of seed sold.– Will be available in 2005 as certified

organic seed.

New Pasture Grasses for 2006/07 (Listed by experimental names)

• WR00 & WR04 Reed canarygrass -improved, more rapid, stand establishment.

New Pasture Grasses for 2006/07 (Listed by experimental names)

• WMF1 Meadow fescue - superior forage yield, palatability, acceptance, and intake under management-intensive rotational grazing.

• WCO1 Festulolium - improved cold tolerance and winterhardiness, high palatibility and acceptance, excellent disease resistance.

Corn silage, alfalfa and perennial grasses main forage fed to dairy cowsDetermining attributes of ideal forage for harvest or grazing needs holistic approach

Summary

Ideal attributes – plant modificationThose that increase milk potential (per acre or per ton)Enhance digestible NDFImprove protein utilizationIncrease sugar contentReduce incidence of bloatImprove agronomic traits (insect, weed, virus, drought and cold tolerance)Increase mineral availabilityEnhance yield

Progress in attaining these attributes has been slow using traditional plant breeding, but will accelerate with the use of biotechnology

Summary

http://ars.usda.gov/mwa/madison/dfrc

Any

questions ?