Jean-Philippe Laroch is a dairy production expert specializing in nutrition and forage with Lactanet’s innovation team. He delivered the opening keynote message for the Canadian Forage and Grassland Association’s (CFGA) 16th Annual Conference: Greener Horizons: Technological Innovations in Forage and Grassland Management. The conference took place Nov. 18 to 21 in Fredericton, New Brunswick, and was organized in partnership with the New Brunswick Soil and Crop Improvement Association (NBSCIA). 
 
Jean-Philippe told attendees that farmers in Canada have an opportunity to improve forage production rates by measuring the volume of forage currently produced. For producers in Quebec, where he predominantly works, he said they could produce another tonne of forage per hectare and in the south of the province that number could be significantly more. 
 
“Here, we have on average six tonnes of dry matter per hectare and that’s been the case for at least 20 years,” he said. “The potential is much higher. We haven’t improved because producers aren’t measuring yield. In other crops such as soy, corn and other grains, almost every producer knows their yield. And we do see improvements over the years. This is not a coincidence.” 
 
He pointed to the dairy industry and how Holstein productivity has improved over the last seven decades from less than 5,000 kg to almost 12,000 kg per year per cow. Research in milk testing, cow genetics and nutrition all combined to improve overall yield.  
 
“By using data such as the cow’s body weight, their productivity and the nutritional value of feed, we are now able to implement precision nutrition. For example, by calculating amino acid requirements and supply.” 
 
This is all done using data and Jean-Philippe said it’s time to apply the same process to the field and begin measuring the data to improve hay crops to help producers manage rising costs. “Better yields help dilute fixed costs,” he said.  
 
The cost of producing forage has increased 110 per cent over the past 18 years, compared to the cost of corn, which increased 75 per cent. The difference? Corn yields increased by 19 per cent. 
 
He believes if producers begin collecting data they could, at a minimum, improve forage production by one tonne per hectare, and in the south, that number could be closer to 12 tonnes. This could also reverse the trend he sees of hay crops decreasing in eastern Canada over the last 50 years. He said there are reasons for the decline. 
 
“In Quebec there is a decline in the number of cows due to higher productivity, so fewer cows are producing more milk,” he said. “Another reason is producers are replacing part of the hay crops with corn silage. 
 
“There is a danger in this,” he warned. “Too much corn can negatively impact profitability, especially when you look at the big picture – soil health, mycotoxins, etc. Corn isn’t bad as a forage, but there is an optimal balance.” 
 
He said it is important to keep focused on the whole farm system. Adding crop rotation with hay can increase the yield of corn fields and improve overall soil health, which in turn increases drought tolerance. 
 
Jean-Philippe said measuring yields leads to comparison, which in turn leads to improvement. It begins by raising awareness, providing a data collection and compilation system. After the data is collected and reviewed it can be used to plan, assess and properly plant problematic fields, form regional comparison and calculate production costs. These steps can lead to improved hay yields long-term. 
 
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