All the hard work that goes into growing a quality corn crop disappears if you don't use proper harvest techniques. Use these ideas to favorably impact your forage quality, suggests Karl Nestor, senior nutritionist with Mycogen Seeds.

Use kernel processing. This allows you to chop silage at a longer theoretical length, which improves your ration's fiber level and increases plant utilization.

Use proven inoculants. They increase fermentation speed and decrease nutrient loss.

Segregate your silage. Separate high-quality silage into smaller silos or different bags so that you can feed it to cows that need it most.

All the hard work that goes into growing a quality corn crop disappears if you don't use proper harvest techniques. Use these ideas to favorably impact your forage quality, suggests Karl Nestor, senior nutritionist with Mycogen Seeds.

A study at the University of Delaware shows just how important it is to achieve a high packing density - at least 14 pounds of dry matter per cubic foot - when packing forage into a bunker.