DEKALB CORN SILAGE GUIDE 1

DEKALB CORN SILAGE GUIDE 1

DEKALB BREEDING PROGRAM OFFERS THE RIGHT PRODUCTS FOR THE RIGHT REGIONS GLOBAL Farmers around the globe seek innovation to optimize yield sustainably on their farms. Monsanto s research and testing spans around the world, supporting breeding and biotechnology advancements. This provides access to superior corn germplasm, which allows our plant breeders to bring together the best traits from around the globe into new products. Plant breeding is the foundation for all products in Monsanto s R&D pipeline. It is through breeding that the improvements in high yield potential begin. Monsanto has developed breeding technologies that enable our scientists to know what characteristics plants have even before the seed is planted. LOCAL By the time the best products hit the marketplace, farmers can be confident they re growing products that are proven to be successful. All DEKALB products undergo extensive testing in local geographies to provide opportunity for consistency and performance. Incorporating the latest testing techniques with potential products in multiple environments helps identify the right products for the right regions. All of this helps provide the agronomics farmers need and deliver the yield potential farmers want. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, CONTACT YOUR DEKALB DEALER OR VISIT DEKALB.COM DEKALB and Design and DEKALB are registered trademarks of Monsanto Technology LLC. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. 2017 Monsanto Company.

Sponsored Content Silage success starts with planning, and the Silage Resource Guide was developed with that in mind. It s packed with best management practices (BMPs) to help you create quality corn silage. Let it serve as a reminder for those who have been making silage for years and to educate those who are just starting out. We ve also asked two prominent dairy producers to share their BMPs for growing quality silage. Read it front to back or go straight to the area that interests you most but be sure to pull it out and keep it handy for the rainy day when you re making decisions about your silage crop. A reminder: Throughout the entire silage season, don t forget to plan for safety. Serious accidents can happen at any time. Think through the danger points during every step of the season, and take time to discuss them with your employees or family who are helping you. Table of Contents 4 Planning your Silage Corn Crop Describes how to select the right forage for your operation, along with how changes in commodity prices can impact your forage choice. 4 6 6 Plan to Grow Outlines how to balance soil fertility with the right amount of micronutrients. 7 Plan for Harvest Explains how to plan to harvest at the correct moisture, along with tips to avoid shrinkage and losses. 7 8 8 Plan for Feedout Defines how to assess silage quality and provides safety tips. 12 Dairy Producers Plan for Silage Success Hear firsthand how dairy producers plan their season to get the most value from their silage crops. 12 14 14 Silage Technology Trends Learn about precision ag, big data and the latest tech underway. DEKALB CORN SILAGE GUIDE 3

During the growing season, work with your agronomist to monitor products and identify any issues that crop up, like disease or inconsistent yields. Performance in silage is often difficult to assess due to the lack of silage-yield monitors, but new technology is on the horizon that could be an effective tool to help make better silage-product decisions, Roth says. Commodity Prices Impact Planning Decisions Planning your Lower commodity prices can provide an opportunity to pull back from growing all the farm s grain resources. When commodity prices peaked, producers adjusted their rotation to harvest some acres for grain and some for silage, which necessitated heavy continuous corn rotations. More small-grain crops were also harvested to add to the forage supply. Farmers have become so successful with that rotation that it s very popular in many areas, Roth says. Choosing a product that can be managed flexibly and function both as a silage product and as a grain product is certainly an advantage. However, if drought stress is not a big concern, I d suggest considering backing away from a heavy corn rotation and including more perennial forages. Roth recommends producers do a Greg Roth, agronomy professor at pre-harvest yield estimate to have an Pennsylvania State University idea of how many acres are needed for silage harvest and how many should be reserved for grain. During the season, watch For operations utilizing corn-on-corn acres, commodity prices for opportunities to purchase consider products with rootworm-trait grains at lower prices. packages and high-yielding performance over For example, if a large soybean crop is multiple locations that are adapted to local planted this year, the soybean-meal price soil types. Also target products that have a could dip lower this summer, and wise dairy combination of high-energy starch content producers will take advantage of forward and above-average fiber digestibility. pricing their feed input needs at that time, Look at the performance of existing he says. products in your lineup and be thinking about If you don t properly plan for your which ones should be replaced, says Greg silage needs, you ll be making last-minute Roth, agronomy professor at Pennsylvania decisions that are limited by time, but if you State University. There s nothing wrong start the process early, you end up with a with planting consistently performing older better outcome, Roth notes. Corn silage is products while evaluating new genetics a big part of the ration of many dairies, so on a portion of your acres, with the goal of take time to plan so you can maximize the incorporating the best new genetics on a potential of your silage crop. larger scale in future years. Silage Corn Crop Product selection is typically thought to be the first step of planning for the silage season, but it s time to start thinking bigger. The first step of planning is to work with your nutritionist to outline a comprehensive ration-production plan, including your crop rotation and the feeds you want to produce for the year. This could include decisions like how much full-season corn should be planted and how much might be double-cropped after a small-grain crop or first-cutting alfalfa. Once you have your production plan in hand, it s time to begin working with seed company professionals to identify products that match your production plan. 4 DEKALB CORN SILAGE GUIDE

ADVANCED BREEDING PROGRAM DELIVERS KEY PERFORMANCE ATTRIBUTES FOR DEKALB SILAGE PRODUCTS Silage growers look for specific attributes in corn products that are critical to meeting their feed needs. The breeding program for DEKALB silage products focuses on traits that enhance silage value to deliver better tonnage, quality and performance reliability. Mladen Radoev, Monsanto s North America hybrid commercial development lead, said this silage-specific breeding process delivers exclusive DEKALB genetics that target all of the key silage traits: Products with consistent high-yield potential for maximum tonnage. Quality with a special emphasis on energy content (high starch) and energy availability (improved cell wall digestibility). Disease tolerance and standability. High tonnage and quality ensure the high returns in milk per ton and milk per acre that growers are looking for, Radoev said. ADVANCED BREEDING TOOLS Radoev said dairy producers who plant DEKALB silage corn benefit from advanced breeding technologies, tools and elite germplasm geared toward the silage market. This includes global germplasm sourcing that provides beneficial, unique silage traits, and genome wide selection, which targets markers associated with high silage value. Breeders, he added, also utilize near infrared imaging, which allows screening a large number of samples to deliver highquality, high-digestibility products that offer more milk per ton. SILAGE-SPECIFIC FIELD TESTING Christian Buffard, Monsanto North America commercial development breeder, noted that wide-area, silage-specific field testing ensures good adaptation to growing conditions and reliable performance on the farm. The testing footprint focuses on the primary silage growing areas across the U.S., from the Northeast to California. The testing process includes: Cooperative field testing efforts with leading silage industry partners that support better performance evaluation and optimal placement of silage products An extensive grain testing network in parallel to silage screening to confirm high starch content and products with great dual-purpose potential Expertise and innovation in germplasm, advanced technologies and data mining are at the core of DEKALB silage breeding, said Buffard. The DEKALB brand delivers a strong pipeline of high-quality, high-performing products for all maturities and growing environments to meet the needs of the silage grower. FOR MORE INFORMATION, DAIRY PRODUCERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO CONTACT THEIR DEKALB ASGROW DEALER OR VISIT DEKALB.COM. Individual results may vary, and performance may vary from location to location and from year to year. This result may not be an indicator of results you may obtain as local growing, soil and weather conditions may vary. Growers should evaluate data from multiple locations and years whenever possible. ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW PESTICIDE LABEL DIRECTIONS. Asgrow, DEKALB and Design and DEKALB are registered trademarks of Monsanto Technology LLC. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. 2017 Monsanto Company.

Plan to Grow Planning begins with a recent (no more than 4 years old) soil sample that is representative of the field or portions of the field. Once the results are back, evaluate and build a plan that will feed the crop through the season. Often overlooked, soil ph is the cornerstone of a sound soil-fertility program. If your soil ph isn t right, you aren t going to grow a good crop, so if ph is low, apply lime ahead of planting the crop, says Carrie Laboski, professor of soil fertility at the University of Wisconsin. Corn s target ph level is 6.0, and alfalfa s is 6.8. While hitting the ph target is not as crucial for corn, Laboski says she s seen many fields with dead spots because the ph level is too low, so plan to test and monitor. For all recommended Carrie Laboski, professor of soil fertility at the University of Wisconsin Starter Fertilizer nutrient rates, refer to local land-grant universities for guidelines. The use of starter fertilizer is controversial in some corn-production areas because the benefits in some scenarios are questionable. We ve seen benefits on soils that are testing optimum or low in phosphorous and potassium, Laboski says. Benefits mean it has to translate to a higher yield, not just an early season crop that looks a little bit bigger. The benefits of starter fertilizer on soils that test very high in phosphorous and potassium are not always consistent. Zinc Corn has a high relative need for zinc, but fertilization is not always necessary in the Midwest. Zinc availability tends to be lowest in sandy soils, eroded soils or in generally lower organic-matter fields. If fields fit these conditions, then pay attention to zinc. Manure contains zinc and other micronutrients, so routine application may eliminate the need for zinc fertilizer on many soils. Zinc plays an important role in enzyme functioning in the plant. A visual sign of zinc deficiency appears as light interveinal striping at the base of young leaves. Sulfur We re seeing more sulfur deficiencies in the Midwest; alfalfa is a great indicator crop for sulfur deficiencies, she says. If you re seeing problems, it s time to apply ammonium sulfate or potassium sulfate to supply 10 lb. to 25 lb. of sulfur per acre. Another application option for growers is elemental sulfur, but it takes longer to become available to the crop. Thus, a sulfate form is a better short-term solution; elemental sulfur will be available a year after application. Potassium Corn silage and alfalfa take up a large amount of potassium during the growing season. Depending on your rotation, this is a key nutrient to pay close attention to with corn silage to ensure the crop has an ample supply. Nitrogen Because nitrogen can be very mobile in the environment, it requires planning and monitoring throughout the season. On first-year corn following alfalfa, the crop won t need much nitrogen fertilizer, which can improve profitability. Consult land-grant university guidelines when selecting a nitrogen rate for corn. Consider using in-season or split applications on poorly drained soils. If growing corn silage on sandier soil, reduce losses by splitting nitrogen fertilizer applications. The pre-sidedress soil-nitrate test can be used to verify nitrogen credits from alfalfa and forage legumes as well as manure. It requires an in-season soil sample to be taken just prior to sidedressing corn that indicates current nitrogen levels. Properly crediting on-farm nutrient sources improves profitability and reduces nitrogen loss to the environment. Manure Management Dairy manure is an excellent nutrient source. When receiving your soil test back from the lab, it provides a notice of the nutrients to apply. If you ve applied manure, make sure to subtract manure nutrient credits from the fertilizer rate on your soil test report so as not to over-apply nutrients. Manure contains many micronutrients, so regular applications either every year or every other year can really add up in nutrient credits, she says. Planning your manure application as part of your fertilizer program can improve the overall profitability of your operation. 6 DEKALB CORN SILAGE GUIDE

Plan for Harvest It s time to harvest, which means it s go time. Yes, harvest should be as fast as possible, but ultimately, the speed of harvest is determined by your forage harvest equipment and your ability to fill your storage properly. See harvest planning, bunker silo and silage pile packing-density articles that are available at http://bit.ly/bunkdenscalc and http://bit.ly/piledenscalc. Each allows users to consider what-if scenarios based on factors including harvest rate, silo height, silage thickness, packing equipment Holmes, emeritus professor of weight and number of packing agricultural engineering at the tractors. Use these tools to University of Wisconsin. decide if you have the capacity Brian Holmes, emeritus professor The ideal moisture range of agricultural engineering at the to pack storages properly. for corn silage stored in University of Wisconsin It s important to plan bunkers or piles is 65% to how many forage harvesters are needed. 70%. As the corn matures, it will reach the That usually hinges on the window of time maximum 70% range. So, it s best to closely available to harvest, while making sure the monitor moisture and be prepared to harvest. crop gets out of the field before it gets too If weather interrupts harvest for an extended dry. In the case of hay silage, before winter period, then the top surface of bunkers and comes; in the case of corn silage, while the piles will be exposed to rain and oxygen crop is at optimum moisture, says Brian during downtime. Tips to Avoid Shrinkage and Loss During Harvest 1. Size bunkers and piles so at least 6 per day of silage will be removed during feed-out. 2. Monitor moisture content; alfalfa harvested too dry will experience significant leaf shatter and loss. 3. Ensure hauling trucks are properly positioned before starting the forage harvester to avoid silage being blown onto the ground. 4. Continually fill your storage by always placing forage on top of forage. 5. Minimize periods of time when the forage surface is exposed to air or rain. 6. Keep the packing equipment on the forage pile rather than drive off of the forage and onto the ground and back up again; forage is easily carried off of the pile and lost. 7. Avoid overfilling your truck to minimize forage being blown off of the truck during driving or tipping off if not stable. 8. Avoid shoulder spoilage by lining walls with plastic before filling and lapping over the forage top before applying top plastic. 9. Use two sheets of plastic rather than one to cover silage piles and bunkers. 10. Overlap plastic sheets so water drains over sheet joints, not into joints. Deere & Company Harvest Safety Tips 1. All equipment shields should be in place. 2. Operators should not exit equipment while it s running. 3. Wear seat belts when you re in the equipment cab. 4. Stay away from moving equipment parts. 5. Truck drivers should stay in their trucks; avoid walking in areas with moving equipment. 6. Operate trucks at safe speeds on the highway. 7. Don t overfill storage so as to create a steeply sloped top surface. 8. Hire or use experienced operators, and provide safety training. 9. Only use a tractor with rollover protection. 10. Dump trucks should not unload while they re on the pile; unexpected soft spots could cause trucks to overturn. 11. Post signs around the work zone that warn people to stay back. 12. Discourage visitors, especially children, from entering the work zone. 13. Wear safety vests to improve visibility of workers. 14. Build a guide fence on the top of a bunker silo wall to give the tractor operator a sense of where the wall is. 15. When working on a bunker silo top, always face the wall so you know where it is. 11. Inspect plastic weekly in the summer and every other week in the winter; seal holes with plastic sealing tape. DEKALB CORN SILAGE GUIDE 7

Plan for Feedout Regardless of whether you are feeding 500 cows or 5,000 cows, creating an evolving recipe for several groups of cows is tricky, so you re going to need a plan. When planning for silage feedout, first work with your nutritionist to determine how much total tonnage will be needed over the next 12 to 16 months. Don t forget to factor in dry-matter loss, because not every acre harvested is going to give you available yield. Then, consider the type of diet that s going to be fed to each group of cows and the best mix of corn silage, alfalfa and/or grass silage for each group. Next up, determine the number of months you re trying to feed your total tonnage and what must occur to meet your target. For alfalfa or grass silage, how many 8 DEKALB CORN SILAGE GUIDE cuttings will be taken? For corn, a year s worth of storage from one fall harvest to the next is needed. To achieve high starch digestibility, three to four months of carryover is desirable, so it s not necessary to feed newly harvested silage until about January of the following year. Dr. Randy Shaver, dairy nutritionist at the University of Wisconsin, says, It really starts with knowing the animals that you re feeding and projected intakes. Also key to the process is trying to minimize losses throughout the year field losses, harvest losses, storage losses and feeding losses so you can meet your projections. Evaluating Corn Silage for Quality Corn-silage quality is impacted by the digestibility of the starch which changes over time while the kernel is in storage. A standard silage feed analysis is needed either once or twice a month, examining dry matter, crude protein and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) content. To monitor digestibility, the analysis should examine fiber digestion, undigested NDF, the processing score and in vitro or in situ starch digestion along with detailed analyses of digestion rates as requested by some nutritionists to fuel their nutrition models. A good feed analysis starts with getting a homogenous sample. After the silage has been removed from the face evenly with a front-end loader or facer, take sub-samples at a safe distance from the silo face and mix together to create a composite sample, Shaver says. Several key factors can influence starch digestibility of corn silage. Kernel processing is necessary to break up the kernel to further

Randy Shaver, dairy nutritionist at the University of Wisconsin expose the starch, aiding in digestion. There have been a lot of changes to improve kernel processing, including increasing the speed differential between the rolls, Shaver says. Those rolls move at different speeds, and many have increased the speed differential so it creates more aggressive processing. Along with speed differential, kernel processing is impacted by many factors, including roll gap, length of cut and silage dry-matter content. Regularly monitor roller wear and perform necessary maintenance or replacement. Remember to watch your kernel-processing score. It s a good indicator of a properly functioning processor. The amount of time silage is in storage has a significant impact on starch digestibility, and Shaver recommends at least four months in storage before feeding. While starch digestibility continues to increase, Shaver says storage beyond four months can become an economic trade-off of having so much feed on hand and the storage space required for it. Keep in mind, if you have a carryover of four months and start feeding, the silage continues to change as you re feeding it. As you feed, some corn silage will be in storage for six to 12 months, he says. If you have a drought and don t have enough inventory, you may get caught short and have to feed right away. But if you plan for 15 to 16 months rather than 12 months of silage storage, you ll be in a better position if supplies become tight. Another driver for starch digestibility is stage and maturity at harvest. If the wholeplant dry matter is 40% or greater, it can lower starch digestibility and require extra packing to achieve high silage density. Silage-quality Evaluation Programs To help producers evaluate corn-silage products and estimate expected silage quality coming from the field, there are two evaluation programs MILK2006 and Cornell Net Carbohydrate Protein System (CNCPS). MILK2006 can predict intake potential and energy value. From that information, it can estimate milk yield per ton of corn-silage dry matter, using the most important nutrient parameters NDF, NDF digestibility and starch content. As soon as the new National Research Council data is available, we hope to update MILK2006. Starch digestibility is an area we plan to improve upon, Shaver says. We ll be using measurable silage nutrients and possibly digestion parameters in vitro or in situ to project feed intake, digestibility and energy value of silage to project milk production. Within just the last year, the team at Cornell University developed and began using a new model, CNCPS, with their corn-silage plots in the Northeast. Shaver says CNCPS is an alternative approach that may take evaluation a step forward. But, comparative data analyses are not available yet. In both systems, we need to better assess starch digestibility, which is difficult, largely because it can be affected by kernel composition, the physical aspects of the starchy endosperm, particle size and how mature, dry and hard the kernel is, he says. Practical Use of MILK2006 MILK2006 helps producers evaluate data about a selection of silage products. Producers and agronomists can review the information using an index basis to project the best milk per ton of silage, helping to shorten the list of acceptable products. From there, you consider which product will perform best in your specific fields and that helps shorten the list even further, he says. Based on needs for specific groups of cows, you can select your products. The index has been a great tool for producers to narrow the product list and find those top performers that can work on their particular farms. DEKALB CORN SILAGE GUIDE 9

TOP DEKALB CORN SILAGE BRANDS FOR 2017 DEKALB Corn Silage Brands Value Added Trait Relative Maturity Silage Yield @ 65% Moisture NDFd 30 hr % Starch Milk per Ton Milk per Acre DKC39-07RIB Blend VT2PRIB 89 2 4 3 3 3 DKC43-48RIB Blend VT3PRIB 93 2 3 3 3 2 DKC45-07RIB Blend SSRIB 95 2 1 3 2 2 DKC45-65RIB Blend SSRIB 95 3 2 3 3 2 DKC46-20RIB Blend VT3PRIB 96 2 3 3 3 2 DKC46-79RIB Blend SSRIB 96 3 3 2 3 3 DKC50-84RIB Blend VT2PRIB 100 2 2 3 2 2 DKC52-30RIB Blend SSRIB 102 3 3 3 2 2 DKC53-45RIB Blend SSRIB 103 2 2 2 2 2 DKC54-38RIB Blend SSRIB 104 2 3 1 2 2 DKC57-75RIB Blend SSRIB 107 2 2 2 2 2 DKC58-06RIB Blend SSRIB 108 2 3 3 3 3 DKC60-67RIB Blend SSRIB 110 2 3 2 2 1 DKC61-88RIB Blend VT3PRIB 111 3 3 2 2 2 DKC63-33RIB Blend SSRIB 113 2 3 3 3 2 DKC64-69RIB Blend VT3PRIB 114 2 3 1 2 2 DKC65-79RIB Blend SSRIB 115 4 3 5 3 4 DKC67-88RIB Blend VT3PRIB 117 2 3 2 2 2 DKC68-26RIB Blend VT2PRIB 118 2 3 3 3 3 DKC70-03RIB Blend VT3PRIB 120 1 3 2 2 1 Rating scale: 1= Excellent, 9= Poor, = Not Available Value Added Traits: VT2PRIB = VT Double PRO RIB Complete corn blend; Genuity VT Triple PRO RIB Complete corn blend; SSRIB = SmartStax RIB Complete corn blend. Monsanto Company is a member of Excellence Through Stewardship (ETS). Monsanto products are commercialized in accordance with ETS Product Launch Stewardship Guidance, and in compliance with Monsanto s Policy for Commercialization of Biotechnology-Derived Plant Products in Commodity Crops. This product has been approved for import into key export markets with functioning regulatory systems. Any crop or material produced from this product can only be exported to, or used, processed or sold in countries where all necessary regulatory approvals have been granted. It is a violation of national and international law to move material containing biotech traits across boundaries into nations where import is not permitted. Growers should talk to their grain handler or product purchaser to confi rm their buying position for this product. Excellence Through Stewardship is a registered trademark of Excellence Through Stewardship. B.t. products may not yet be registered in all states. Check with your Monsanto representative for the registration status in your state. IMPORTANT IRM INFORMATION: RIB Complete corn blend products do not require the planting of a structured refuge except in the Cotton-Growing Area where corn earworm is a signifi cant pest. SmartStax RIB Complete corn blend is not allowed to be sold for planting in the Cotton-Growing Area.See the IRM/Grower Guide for additional information. Always read and follow IRM requirements. Individual results may vary, and performance may vary from location to location and from year to year. This result may not be an indicator of results you may obtain as local growing, soil and weather conditions may vary. Growers should evaluate data from multiple locations and years whenever possible. ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW PESTICIDE LABEL DIRECTIONS. Roundup Ready technology contains genes that confer tolerance to glyphosate, an active ingredient in Roundup brand agricultural 10 DEKALB CORN SILAGE GUIDE

GDUs to Mid-pollination Emergence Seedling Growth Root Strength Drought Tolerance Plant Height Staygreen Gray Leaf Spot 1200 2 1 4 4 T 4 6 1235 2 2 5 3 M-T 3 2 1195 3 3 3 4 M-T 2 4 1244 2 2 3 2 M 2-1267 3 3 4 2 M 3-1200 2 3 4 4 M-T 2-1268 2 2 2 2 M 2 5 1250 3 3 4 4 M-T 4 5 1265 3 3 3 1 M 4 6 1300 1 2 2 3 M 3 4 1281 5 5 3 2 M 2 4 1249 2 2 2 4 M 2 4 1320 3 3 4 2 M 3 5 1330 4 4 3 3 M-T 2 3 1375 4 4 5 4 M 2 5 1382 3 3 3 2 M 5 5 1380 3 3 5 2 M-T 2 4 1380 3 3 5 5 T 4 5 1329 2 2 3 5 M-T 1 5 1400 3 3 4 4 T 1 5 herbicides. Agricultural herbicides containing glyphosate will kill crops that are not tolerant to glyphosate. DEKALB and Design, DEKALB, RIB Complete, Roundup Ready 2 Technology and Design, Roundup Ready 2 Yield, Roundup Ready, Roundup, SmartStax, VT Double PRO and VT Triple PRO are trademarks of Monsanto Technology LLC. LibertyLink and the Water Droplet Design is a registered trademark of Bayer. Herculex is a registered trademark of Dow AgroSciences LLC. Respect the Refuge and Corn Design and Respect the Refuge are registered trademarks of National Corn Growers Association. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. 2017 Monsanto Company. DEKALB CORN SILAGE GUIDE 11

Dairy Producers Plan for Silage Success Producers share what works best on their operations, including their planning process and best management practices. John Weller, a thirdgeneration dairy producer, milks about 3,500 cows and grows about 54,000 to 55,000 tons of corn silage annually. He works with his crop team to plant and harvest their crop, so they can control timing. We choose corn John Weller, Double Eagle Dairy, products that will Middleton, Michigan balance our needs highly digestible for the cows, yet have the agronomy package the crop team needs to grow the product, Weller says. Also, we carefully pick maturities that give us a threeweek harvest window at the right moisture content to achieve optimal quality. Weller evaluates new products every year from an agronomy standpoint but says it s tough to know if it s resulting in more milk production because individual product 12 DEKALB CORN SILAGE GUIDE results get lost in the bunker. However, he relies on Michigan State University trials, and he conducts on-farm trials with experimental silage products. Another planning strategy he employs is to plant some dual-purpose products. We ve got enough ground that we usually have more silage than we need, so we plant enough silage varieties to try to guarantee we ll have what we need. Then we also plant some dual-purpose varieties that could either go for shell corn or silage. So in case yields are down on silage, we have a safety net, he says. Four weeks prior to expected harvest, he ll harvest enough stalks to grind up and cook down to monitor moisture content. That process occurs every 10 days, so he can pick the optimal time to begin harvesting. You get one shot to harvest and put up 54,000 tons of silage, so we ve got to get it right, he says. After harvest, he says the team comes together to share information about yields and expected digestibility. We talk about the entire season the good, the bad and the ugly and it really helps us plan for the next year, he says. We also meet every two weeks with our independent nutritionist and walk the cows, check the bunkers, look at the rations and take samples. It s important to stay vigilant with the day to day. Weller says in the past his cows experienced the fall slump in production when they switched to new silage. However, now they let silage ferment for four months and then slowly introduce it with the old silage, starting at 20% of the ration, and build over time. We are constantly learning, and sometimes it s the little things you do that can help mitigate risks during the growing season, he says. I tell all the guys on the farm on the crop side and the dairy side every little thing they do has an impact on the overall profitability of the dairy operation.

Mark Hockel, master agronomist at Riverview Dairy LLP, is based in Morris, Minnesota. Riverview has built a total herd of about 70,000 Jersey cows with operations also in South Dakota, Arizona and New Mexico. They harvest 43,400 acres of silage which equals 47,032 semi loads or 974,000 tons of silage. They also have a beef operation that utilizes the silage crop. My agronomy role allows me to really focus on plant genetics and choosing products that are going to be excellent performers in our environments, and I also work with nutritionists and the seed companies on what their quality is as far as milk per ton, Hockel says. New products are first introduced into our smallplots systems, and then as they become commercially available, we try new genetics that look good, but we still grow a lot of acres with proven contenders. Riverview participates in both grain and corn-silage FieldScript Technology Network plots with DEKALB corn-silage products across multiple soil types. It gives Hockel a chance to see brand new products and assess them early, so he can evaluate multiple years of strong performance before planting a significant number of acres with a new product. I work with acres that we own and also with cooperators on many of our dairy sites, so I m helping our cooperators plan what selection of products will offer the best quality silage, he says. As part of the planning process, Hockel s target is to harvest all silage acres in a 10-day window, so he ll spread the range of maturities to keep moistures in the pile and quality as consistent as possible. Once the planters hit the field, Hockel is out scouting fields and keeping a close eye on all the products not only the new ones, but the proven contenders to monitor emergence, weed pressure and insect damage. We use normal scouting practices throughout the summer to make sure the crop has every opportunity to perform as well as it can, and I like to watch for any unique situations where we can learn for the future, he says. As mid- to late-august approaches, it s time to check and monitor the crops in preparation for harvest. Every year is different, and in a year like this with a huge planting window, the window of maturity is going to be really broad which could be a problem, Hockel says. We try to watch fields by soil type and variety and keep corn moisture consistent, shooting for the upper 60s percent moisture, he says. Then no matter what kind of weather, we try to push through to Mark Hockel, Riverview Dairy LLP, Morris, Minnesota get it chopped and covered as soon as possible to let the fermentation process start and keep additional moisture out. Working closely with Riverview s team of nutritionists and veterinarians, they are able to avoid the fall slump that a lot of dairies experience. We put up enough silage each year so that we have extra, and the new year s silage has time to ferment and break down the starches, he says. I think that s the secret at least 90 days is the ideal amount of time for us. Hockel works closely with Riverview s head veterinarian and head nutritionist. Their situation is somewhat unique because they all sit in the same office, working side by side. He says they have ongoing discussions, so the whole system runs efficiently. They are always watching costs, but the health of the animals comes first. As a team, we believe that milk production doesn t have to be maximized, but it must be consistent and efficient, he says. We are focused on milk that is primarily used for cheese production so with the extra protein and butterfat we get from our Jerseys, our goal is consistency. DEKALB CORN SILAGE GUIDE 13

Silage Technology Trends Precision ag and big data are changing so fast how do you keep up? We ll get you started and share a few new advances on the technology front. Create a spatial-data set for your fields either by grid sampling or zone sampling. From there, producers can begin to look at variable-rate application of nutrients as well as tissue sampling and crop growth. After several years, you ll have created your very own personal farm big-data set that can help drive decisions based on spatial yield variations. One of the newer technologies currently out is telematics, and it brings wireless communication Brian Luck, Ph.D., agricultural capabilities to the home engineer and specialist at the University of Wisconsin Madison farm. Data can be shared Extension with the home computer or other devices or with crop consultants or trusted advisors, who can analyze the information and respond with prescription applications or other useful information. Most people want to use precision ag to vary their input to maximize yield, but most of the time they find out that maximizing yield is not the most economically viable method, says Brian Luck, Ph.D., agricultural engineer and specialist at the University of Wisconsin Madison Extension. The goal of precision ag is to minimize input while maintaining yield, which ultimately maximizes profits. Progress in Near-infrared Spectroscopy With GPS on the harvester and near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) measuring forage properties, measurements for moisture, fiber and starch are now available on the go. The key is to look at that data on a spatial silage-quality map and find differences in quality, then try to address why the quality changed in that area. Because of NIRS s accurate moisture readings, chopper companies are now able to vary the length of cut, he says. If the crop is drier, it will shorten the theoretical length of cut. And if it s wetter, it ll lengthen it. This impacts the way it is stored and how it ferments. The end goal is a more uniform silage product. New Silage Apps Hay Pricing (University of Wisconsin Extension) The app helps producers identify hay prices and/ or negotiate the sale or purchase of standing hay. App users can also calculate standing value per acre by entering projected yield, their cutting schedule and harvest expenses. Corn Silage Image Processing App (Fall, 2017) Producers take a sample of their corn silage, conduct a quick hydrodynamic separation by floating the plant material in water and letting the corn kernels sink. Rake off the plant material, dump out the corn kernels and put a U.S. coin (size reference) by the kernels. Snap a picture with your smartphone. The app will provide a good indication of your processing score right there in the field. Our goal is to optimize corn-processor settings in the field. If the processor is set too tight, it slows your harvester down, he says. Kernel processing correlates directly to feed quality and milk production, so if your kernel processor s not doing a good job, it ll be seen in your milk production. Also, if we can optimize it, there is potential to increase milk production. Technology Driven by Automation Auto-fill systems include a camera mounted on the end of the harvester spout. Instead of the harvester operator having to direct the spout to fill the truck evenly, the auto-fill system starts filling at one end of the grain truck and continually keeps moving it until it fully loads the truck. The system takes care of a responsibility that the operator would normally have to handle, allowing the operator to focus on other tasks. We re automating a lot of processes with great new technology to help farmers who are trying to do 10 things at once and create a safer environment for everyone, he says. 14 DEKALB CORN SILAGE GUIDE

DEKALB SILAGE PRODUCTS OFFER HIGH-QUALITY FEED AND INCREASED MILK PRODUCTION Dairy producers can count on DEKALB brand corn silage products to provide high-quality feed with improved digestibility to help increase milk production. Their elevated level of nutritional quality and increased-tonnage yield potential help deliver more milk per ton and milk per acre. Mark Richhart, DEKALB dairy and silage specialist, says the brand s corn silage lineup gives dairy producers a powerful advantage, offering industry-leading genetics that provide the foundation for consistent, strong performance. This performance, he notes, has been demonstrated not only on dairy farms across all of the nation s key dairyproducing regions, but also in numerous independent/ university trials. Key product benefits include: High starch content High grain to fodder ratio Soft flowery endosperm that is more digestible in the rumen High tonnage potential Increased intake and milk yield from excellent fiber digestibility We screen products to make sure we re bringing the highest yielding and highest nutritional value products to the marketplace, Richhart says. The result is high starch content, high digestibility and high protein scores, which are all vital components of today s rations. Richhart says top-performing DEKALB silage products with these attributes include DKC45-07RIB, DKC53-68RIB, DKC57-97RIB, DKC62-08RIB and DKC66-40 RIB Brand Blends. In addition to high nutritional value, these corn products also offer growers a broad selection of built-in traits that provide protection against pests like corn rootworms, corn borers and corn earworms, along with tolerance to Roundup brand agricultural herbicides in a single seed. Dairy producers tell us that DEKALB silage products continue to provide strong agronomic characteristics, high tonnage and a high amount of grain, with a dense starch ratio for their cows, he notes. These results reflect the commitment of the DEKALB brand to innovate and develop superior silage products that help promote dairy profitability. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON DEKALB SILAGE PRODUCTS, CONTACT YOUR LOCAL DEKALB ASGROW DEALER OR VISIT DEKALB.COM. Monsanto Company is a member of Excellence Through Stewardship (ETS). Monsanto products are commercialized in accordance with ETS Product Launch Stewardship Guidance, and in compliance with Monsanto s Policy for Commercialization of Biotechnology-Derived Plant Products in Commodity Crops. This product has been approved for import into key export markets with functioning regulatory systems. Any crop or material produced from this product can only be exported to, or used, processed or sold in countries where all necessary regulatory approvals have been granted. It is a violation of national and international law to move material containing biotech traits across boundaries into nations where import is not permitted. Growers should talk to their grain handler or product purchaser to confirm their buying position for this product. Excellence Through Stewardship is a registered trademark of Excellence Through Stewardship. B.t. products may not yet be registered in all states. Check with your Monsanto representative for the registration status in your state. IMPORTANT IRM INFORMATION: RIB Complete corn blend products do not require the planting of a structured refuge except in the Cotton-Growing Area where corn earworm is a significant pest. SmartStax RIB Complete corn blend is not allowed to be sold for planting in the Cotton-Growing Area. See the IRM/Grower Guide for additional information. Always read and follow IRM requirements. Individual results may vary, and performance may vary from location to location and from year to year. This result may not be an indicator of results you may obtain as local growing, soil and weather conditions may vary. Growers should evaluate data from multiple locations and years whenever possible. ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW PESTICIDE LABEL DIRECTIONS. Roundup Ready technology contains genes that confer tolerance to glyphosate, an active ingredient in Roundup brand agricultural herbicides. Agricultural herbicides containing glyphosate will kill crops that are not tolerant to glyphosate. Asgrow, DEKALB and Design, DEKALB, RIB Complete, Roundup Ready 2 Technology and Design, Roundup Ready 2 Yield, Roundup Ready, Roundup, SmartStax, VT Double PRO and VT Triple PRO are trademarks of Monsanto Technology LLC. LibertyLink and the Water Droplet Design is a registered trademark of Bayer. Herculex is a registered trademark of Dow AgroSciences LLC. Respect the Refuge and Corn Design and Respect the Refuge are registered trademarks of National Corn Growers Association. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. 2017 Monsanto Company. DEKALB CORN SILAGE GUIDE 15

Individual results may vary, and performance may vary from location to location and from year to year. This result may not be an indicator of results you may obtain as local growing, soil and weather conditions may vary. Growers should evaluate data from multiple locations and years whenever possible. Always read and follow IRM, where applicable, grain marketing and all other stewardship practices and pesticide label directions. DEKALB and Design and DEKALB are registered trademarks of Monsanto Technology LLC. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. 2017 Monsanto Company. 16 DEKALB CORN SILAGE GUIDE