The information below has been supplied by dairy marketers and other industry organizations. It has not been edited, verified or endorsed by Hoard’s Dairyman.
Renovo Seed announced the addition of a new forage mix, OptiHarv, into their portfolio at the 2024 World Dairy Expo. The mix is a diverse blend of millets, peas, beans, barley, and brassicas that produces immense tonnage for baleage, haylage, or grazing. The season-long growth provides high quality TMR and allows for multiple harvests from just one field.
“OptiHarv is a great option for dairy and cattle producers who are looking for a high-quality feed to give their animals. Since the blend has eight different species, it provides great nutrition and tonnage that has the potential to feed your livestock all season long,” says Justin Fruechte, Product Expert with Renovo Seed.
Nutritional tests show OptiHarv has excellent results in yield potential, crude protein levels, relative feed value, and total digestible nutrients. When tested, crude protein was 14.64% dry matter, and the relative feed value was 110.69 on a dry basis. Total digestible nutrients came in at 64.80 ADF. These values can vary depending on species maturity, weather conditions, and cutting time. OptiHarv has an overall yield potential of 8-10 tons of silage/baleage in the first cutting and an additional 2-3 tons in regrowth to graze or harvest again.
“The awesome thing about this blend is that you can get a great amount of tonnage for bales, and you can also hay it or graze it. This mix was developed based on what I need on my own farm, so creating a high-quality forage mix with multiple uses was important,” said Fruechte.
There has been a huge increase in the use of winter annuals, such as rye or triticale, after a silage harvest. OptiHarv works best being planted around the first of June, after a winter annual is harvested. The mix’s plant diversity also allows it to be used as a cover crop for producers enrolled in NRCS or carbon programs. The mix incorporates both cool and warm season species, providing a wet forage mix that is high in protein and very palatable for livestock. After planting, the mix will be ready for its first cutting after approximately 70 days.
To learn more about OptiHarv and other Renovo Seed products, visit www.renovoseed.com.
About Renovo Seed
Renovo Seed is a visionary in the seed industry, focusing on positive land use solutions. Backed by Millborn’s powerful supply chain, Renovo Seed works to improve the resiliency of the land for generations to come with a robust seed lineup and unmatched team of experts who design practical, tailored solutions for farmers, ranchers, and landowners. For more information, visit RenovoSeed.com.
