1. Managing Nutrients through Precision Feed Management
Paul Cerosaletti
Cornell University Cooperative Extension
of Delaware County

2. The Delaware County Precision Feed Management Program: – Where are we?
New York State
New York State

3. 106,300+ kg/yr in basin (soils)
Why is P Increasing?
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
Mass balance includes:
atm P
net dairy farm mass balance
OUTPUTS from basin in kg/yr = 65,000 kg/yr

4. The Dairy Farm Mass Nutrient Balance
Imported Nutrients
Exported Nutrients
Farm Boundary
Feed
Milk
Fertilizer
Crops
Nutrients remaining on farm
Bedding
Animals
Animals
Manure
Run off
Leaching
Nutrient Losses to water

5. Feed Management Recognized
Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) – Issue Paper 21, 2002
Animal diet modification to decrease the potential for nitrogen and phosphorus pollution
USDA-NRCS 592 Nutrient Management Planning Standard
Identifies Feed Management as part of a comprehensive nutrient management plan

6. The Delaware County Precision Feed Management Program
What are we?
A program where county based Extension specialists and University faculty work with dairy farmers and their feed advisors to improve farm economic viability and reduce nutrient imports, accumulations, and manure nutrient excretions on dairy farms through feed management.

7. The Delaware County Precision Feed Management Program: What do we do?
Farm Precision Feed Planning
Integration
Research & Development
Education

8. Farm PFM plan development PFM plan implementation Documenting Impacts
Farm PFM Planning
Field research
Model Application/Development
Farmer education
Feed Industry training
Integration
Research & Development
Education

9. Precision Feed Management: The Process
Precision Diet Formulation & Delivery
Improved Homegrown Forage Production
Reduced Nutrient Overfeeding Improved Nutrient Utilization
Implementation of High Forage Diets
- Reduced Purchased Feed Nutrient Imports Reduced Manure Nutrient Excretions Reduced Nutrient Accumulations Improved Farm Profitability

10. Precision Feed Management Planning
What it Entails

11. Farm Precision Feed Planning
PFM Planning
Farm Precision Feed Planning
What it entails
Forage Management Planning
Feeding Management Planning
Diet modeling and monitoring

12. PFM Planning Forage Management Planning
PFM Team meets with Farmer and Feed Consultant
Set goals
Evaluate Corn, Hay and Pasture systems
Assess weak links
Develop Annual farm forage plan (strategies/tactics)
Provide technical assistance

13. Forage Planning Process

14. Forage Systems Management
Strategy examples:
Wide Swath silage harvest
MIG Pasture
Intensive Grass mngmt
Crop species selection
Crop Rotation mngmt

15. Precision Feed Management:
Feeding Management Planning and Implementation
Diet Modeling and Monitoring

16. “If you can’t measure it, and monitor it, you can’t manage it.”

17. Dietary Monitoring and Modeling
Data Collected
Feed Composition and intake (inc. refusals)
Environmental conditions (temp, humidity)
Animal Production (milk, fat, prot., body condition, bodyweight)
Purchased feed costs

18. Dietary Monitoring and Modeling
Rations Modeled
Using Cornell Net Carbohydrate and Protein System (CNCPS) model
Ration metrics generated

19. Dietary Monitoring and Modeling: Ration Metrics
P density
P intake
P excretions
CP density
N excretion
NFC density
Ration Forage content,
% of ration DM
Forage NDF intake,
% of BW
Purchased grain costs
Several measures

20. Dietary Monitoring and Modeling: Ration Metrics
Benchmarks:
P intake
+/- 5 grams/d of requirement
Rumen Nitrogen Balance
<100 grams/day
Forage, % of total ration DM
> 60%
Forage NDF intake, % of BW
> 1.0%
Purchased Feed costs - ? Developing benchmarks

21. PFM Summary Report

22. The Delaware County Precision Feed Management Program: Components
Farm Precision Feed Planning
Integration
Research & Development
Education

23. Education Feed Industry Training Farmer Education
General feed management
CNCPS software training
Farmer Education
Formal classes
Written media
One on one

24. Research and Development
Cornell Net Carbohydrate and Protein System

25. Precision Feed Management
Impact

26. PFM Impact to date: - Quantified
20% of herds meet ration goals already
Reduced feed P Imports and manure P excretions avg. of 6.5 kg/cow/yr (25% & 30% respectively)
Reduced manure Nitrogen excretions an avg. of 23.4 kg/cow/yr
Reduced P accumulation avg. of 40%
Cut feed costs (as high as $128/cow/yr)
Increase milk production (as much as lbs per cow/yr)

27. Other Areas of PFM Impact:
Not yet quantified:
Animal health (economic and pathogens)
Lactating cows
Transition cows (calf health)
Heifers
Soil Erosion
Crop rotations
Crop species
Crop systems

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

29. Managing Nutrients through Precision Feed Management
Paul Cerosaletti
Cornell University Cooperative Extension
of Delaware County