Dr. Cardoso to speak at Form-A-Feed Professional Dairy Conference in January

On January 19th and 20th, Form-A-Feed will hold its 16th Professional Dairy Conference at Jackpot Junction Convention Center & Hotel in Morton, MN.

Dr. Cardoso will lead two sessions:

Impact of Feeding Amino Acids on Reproduction
Feeding dairy cows for their amino acids needs is a strategy that is getting more and more popular in the dairy industry. Rumen-protected amino acids are here to stay. Every year, researchers around the world help dairy farmers, veterinarians, and nutritionists to better understand the biological mechanisms that make cows utilize and effectively convert feed into milk. We’ve learned a lot since the last edition of the Nutrient Requirements of Dairy Cattle in 2001. Dr. Phil Cardoso from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign will discuss different aspects of this technology such as its effects on milk, health, and reproduction of dairy cows.

Corn Silage: Fungal Disease, The Silent Killer
Fungal disease of corn can cause a multitude of problems including yield loss of the corn, mycotoxin contamination, and decrease in plant quality for animal feed. In 2012, fungal disease caused a 10% loss in corn yield, and 24.4% of grain harvested was infected with mycotoxins. These diseases can increase lignin content of the plant. Lignin content can be influenced by plant stress as a response to drought, cold, or other disease such as fungal infestation. Fungal infection in corn can also cause a competition for nutrients, which can decrease the Non-Fiber Carbohydrates (NFC) such as sugars and starch. Dr. Phil Cardoso from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign will discuss some strategies for improved corn silage quality and its effects on cow performance. We have found that cows fed corn silage from corn plants treated with foliar fungicide had higher feed conversion than cows receiving corn silage from corn plants not treated with foliar fungicide. The increased nutritive value of corn silage from corn treated with foliar fungicide may have economic benefits to dairy farmers.

To register, fill out and mail the registration form (pdf) or register online at http://www.formafeed.com/dairyconference. Registrations must be received by January 12th, 2017.