March 5, 2019.  The Journal of Dairy Science, Champaign, IL, has published a report on research funded by the farmer-driven Northern New York Agricultural Development Program to evaluate two different post-milking treatments to assess the best method for reducing winter cold-related mastitis in dairy cows.

Kimberley M. Morrill, Ph.D., a regional dairy specialist with Cornell Cooperative Extension, conducted the study in January-February 2016 in collaboration with Cornell Quality Milk Production Services. The teat dip treatment trials were held with 331 Holstein milking cows in the dairy herd at the W.H. Miner Agricultural Research Institute in Chazy, N.Y.

The research suggests that use of a powdered teat dip increases the risk of subclinical mastitis compared to using a traditional iodine-based dip. While the evaluation revealed no difference in clinical mastitis between the treatments, the powdered treatment did significantly increase the risk of Staph and Strep infections.

The Journal of Dairy Science, now in its second century of publishing, is a peer-reviewed publication of the American Dairy Science Association, an international organization of educators, scientists, and industry representatives in more than 70 countries.

The Northern New York Agricultural Development Program is a farmer-driven research and technical assistance program funding projects that not only serve farms of all interests and sizes in the northern part of New York State, but benefit farms statewide and nationally. Funding for the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program is supported by the New York State Senate and administered by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets.

Canton, N.Y.; February 26, 2019.  How does a reduction of 27 seconds add up to a gain of an important 15 minutes and more comfortable dairy cows?

Research funded by the farmer-driven Northern New York Agricultural Development Program and conducted by Quality Milk Production Services and Cornell Cooperative Extension showed nearly two dozen dairy farms just how.

Paul D. Virkler, D.V.M., a veterinarian with the Quality Milk Production Services Animal Health Diagnostic Center, Canton, N.Y., led the project that influenced a simple, but significant, change in the milking parlor settings on 23 farms milking cows two to three times a day in Clinton, Franklin, Jefferson, Lewis or St. Lawrence County.

The project demonstrated how adjusting the setting on the automatic cluster remover, or ACR, unit that controls when the milking unit detaches from the cow based on a decrease in milk flow reduces milking time with benefits to the farmer, the cows, and the farm business.

“In general terms, reducing the milking time per cow by approximately 27 seconds adds up to a gain of 15.8 minutes per milking shift. That 15 minutes could allow a producer to milk an extra turn of cows at each shift with no additional labor cost and no detrimental effects on milk production,” said Virkler.

From the cow’s perspective, taking the milking unit off more quickly by adjusting the ACR alleviates the potential for overmilking and related impact on teat tissue condition, thus making the cow more comfortable, reducing the risk of mastitis, and enhancing animal well-being.

For the farm business, Virkler noted that “Although milking time is significantly shorter, earlier research, and this trial, has shown there is no negative effect on or loss of milk yield.”

Following the main trial at Hillcrest Holsteins in Henderson, N.Y., the project team extended the research results to additional 22 farms, with a change in the ACR setting recommended to 20 of those farms. All twenty made the change with positive results.

“This research offered the opportunity to demonstrate a simple milking parlor adjustment that can be made to enhance how quickly, completely and gently milking can be accomplished,” Virkler said. “The farmers we worked with are now aware of this easy way to add to their best management practices.”

The complete report on Assessing Automatic Cluster Remover Settings on Milking Unit-On Time, Total Milk Yield, and Teat Condition in NNY Dairy Herds is posted under the Dairy Research tab of the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program website at www.nnyagdev.org.

Funding for the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program is supported by the New York State Senate and administered by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets.

Quality Milk Production Services operates four regional diagnostic laboratories in New York State, including one in Northern New York at Canton, and is a part of the Animal Health Diagnostic Center at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y.

Zone management within fields can result in better use of resources and/or more stabilized crop yields over time.

Learn more in the “Yield-Stability Management Zones for Higher Yields and Better Nitrogen Allocation” report just posted on this website.

The project work was funded by the farmer-driven Northern New York Agricultural Development Program and led by Dr. Quirine M. Ketterings, director of the Cornell Nutrient Management Spear Program.

 

Lowville, NY; February 15, 2019.  The steadily increasing presence of Western Bean Cutworm in New York State and the pest’s feeding damage to corn silage crops raised a concern for dairy farmers. Does crop damage by the insect create the opportunity for mycotoxins to form in the silage, posing a risk to livestock health, crop yield, and farm economics?

Two years of research funded by the farmer-driven Northern New York Agricultural Development Program and conducted by the Cornell CALS PRO-DAIRY Program helps put that concern at ease.

“Prior to this study in Northern New York, no clear relationship had been proved or disproved by any other research. Over the course of this two-year study in Northern New York, we did not see any evidence that Western Bean Cutworm damage is an added risk factor for mycotoxin development in corn silage crops,” said project leader and Cornell CALS PRO-DAIRY Dairy Forage Specialist Joe Lawrence.

The research data is detailed in the Understanding the Interaction of Western Bean Cutworm Damage and Mycotoxin Risk in Corn Silage report posted under the Field Crops Research tab on the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program website at www.nnyagdev.org.

Using the Corn Silage Hybrid Evaluation Program, a collaboration by Cornell University and the University of Vermont, as a testing platform, Lawrence sampled corn from 49 silage hybrids planted in St. Lawrence County in 2017 and from 77 silage hybrids planted in St. Lawrence and Essex counties in Northern New York in 2018.

“Results from the trials in Northern New York revealed large differences in the number of corn hybrids damaged by Western Bean Cutworm, however, despite the damage present, surprisingly few hybrids tested positive for measurable mycotoxins,” Lawrence noted.

Additionally, Cornell Cooperative Extension crops specialists and agribusiness professionals identified fields with Western Bean Cutworm damage across Northern New York and collected forage samples at corn silage harvest. Although significant damage was observed, only two of six sample sets showed any mycotoxins and toxin levels were low.

Best practices for corn production, silage management, and storage can greatly reduce the risk of mycotoxin development, but climate-stressed and pest-damaged corn can be more susceptible to mold that can spawn a variety of mycotoxins. A number of mold species may develop on corn ears, but relatively few produce mycotoxins. The most prevalent species of mycotoxin-producing mold identified each year in New York is one that favors wet weather conditions.

Lawrence advises growers to remain vigilant in their crop scouting for Western Bean Cutworm and to continue to follow the best management practices that reduce the risk for mold, particularly in years where weather conditions are more conducive to mold development.

“It is important to note that the results of this specific research do not reflect what may occur in corn harvested for grain as the time between silage harvest and grain harvest offers additional exposure time for pest or disease damage to occur,” Lawrence added.

For growers wondering how Western Bean Cutworm impacts crop economics, Lawrence offers data from the 2018 NNYADP trials that showed despite Western Bean Cutworm damage to corn kernels, in some plots with up to 60 percent of ears with some level of damage, the pest’s feeding did not correlate to any negative impact on silage yield or forage starch content.

Funding for the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program is supported by the New York State Senate and administered by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets.
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Understanding the Interaction of Western Bean Cutworm Damage and Mycotoxin Risk in Corn Silage Report

YouTube: Corn Silage Hybrid Evaluation Program 2018 Results (statewide) presentation by Joe Lawrence

News from the Farmer-Driven Northern New York Agricultural Development Program

Following written protocols helps prevent and reduce calf health issues

Northern N.Y.; February 11, 2019.   Dairy calf health research funded by the farmer-driven Northern New York Agricultural Development Program and conducted by Cornell University Cooperative Extension dairy specialists demonstrates the value of keeping good calf health records and following proper calf management and, when needed, treatment protocols.

In 2018, Cornell Regional Dairy Specialist Kimberley Morrill, Ph.D., worked with eight dairy farms in Northern New York to analyze dairy calf treatment protocol impact on calf health and costs. With assistance from Cornell PRO-DAIRY Dairy Herd Health and Management Specialist Robert Lynch, Morrill collected and analyzed more than 6,200 on-farm treatment records for non-lactating dairy heifers from birth to calving on eight Northern New York dairy farms.

The data analysis included age and treatment by illness, treatment frequency, farm compliance with established protocols, and standardized drug cost per animal per event and in total for the eight-month study period from January 1 to August 31, 2018. Written on-farm protocols were followed to treat 91.64 percent of the illnesses over the eight-month period.

“Following best management practices that have been developed with the herd veterinarian and other consultants to prevent and reduce calf health issues from ear infections to respiratory illness early in life positively impacts calf growth, future milk production, and farm costs. This type of research supports opportunities to enhance animal welfare, farm efficiency and consumer confidence in dairy products,” said Morrill.

This research builds on previous projects evaluating the impact of environmental conditions, housing, ventilation and climate stress on calves on Northern New York dairy farms. Learn more on the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program website at www.nnyagdev.org.

An abstract of this research project has been submitted for consideration for presentation at the June 2019 meeting of the American Dairy Science Association (ADSA). ADSA featured Morrill’s NNYADP dairy research focused on reducing calf respiratory illness at its 2018 annual meeting.

Funding for the Funding for the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program is supported by the New York State Senate and administered by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets.

CLICK HERE to read the full NNYADP report on calf health protocols research