We conducted a lactation trial with a fresh forage diet in order to evaluate 1) the effects of monensin on nitrogen metabolism, and 2) the Cornell Net Carbohydrate and Protein System (CNCPS). Thirty Holstein cows in midlactation (eight fitted with ruminal fistulas) were gradually introduced to a fresh forage diet. A concentrate mix based on corn meal was fed before the a.m. and p.m. milking times 0730 and 1730 h, then the fresh forage was fed at 0830 and 1830 h. Fifteen cows each were allocated to a control (no monensin) and a treatment group receiving 350 mg/cow per day of monensin in the p.m. concentrate feeding. A 7-d fecal and urine collection period and a 3-d rumen sampling period were conducted with the fistulated cows. After the lactation study was concluded, the fistulated cows were fed forage regrowth and a 3-d rumen sampling period was repeated. Monensin increased milk production by 1.85 kg. Milk fat and protein concentrations decreased and milk fat and protein yields increased, but the effects were nonsignificant. Monensin did not significantly affect DMI. Ruminal ammonia and the acetate-to-propionate ratio decreased with the addition of monensin in both fed forages. Monensin decreased fecal N output, and increased apparent N digestibility by 5.4%. Because of the decrease in ruminal ammonia and increase in apparent N digestibility, we concluded monensin was sparing amino acids from wasteful rumen degradation with a fresh forage diet. The precision of the CNCPS in predicting performance was high (r2 = 0.76), and the bias was low (overprediction of 3.6%). These results indicate that the CNCPS can be used for dairy cows consuming fresh forage and gives realistic predictions of performance.

Cornell Cropware 2.0 is a decision support tool used in New York State (NYS) to develop farm nutrient management plans in accordance with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) nutrient management standard (NY590), making the output of Cropware 2.0 a key component of Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plans (CNMPs) for Animal Feeding Operations (AFOs). Cropware 2.0 is used primarily by government agency employees, extension educators, private sector certified nutrient management planners, and producers. In this article we describe the features of Cropware 2.0 and summarize the results of a comprehensive survey of registered users conducted in 2005. Cropware 2.0 users were asked questions about: (1) their professional affiliation; (2) characteristics of the farms that they developed plans for; (3) level of program support; (4) use and usefulness of current features, and (5) program enhancements for future versions of the software. The survey (80 respondents, 34% response rate) showed that 579 plans were developed with Cropware 2.0 in 2004 with 323 additional plans and 561 updates scheduled for 2005. Seventy‐three percent of the plans were developed for small and medium size AFOs and 86% were dairy operations. Features considered most useful were related to field data entry and the creation of output database files and reports. Features less highly valued by private planners than other user groups were the Calendar screen and field detail and custom reports. Suggestions for further development included improvements in data linkages with other software (e.g. mapping software), user interfaces, and output reports. Implementation of these suggestions is being explored.

No abstract