Too much phosphorus fed to dairy cows creates pollution, costs producers, and provides no benefit to cows. Likewise for too much protein in dairy diets, says a University of Wisconsin-Madison researcher. Keeping tabs on milk urea nitrogen can help farmers optimize the amount of protein they feed – with benefits for both the bottom line and the environment, says Michel Wattiaux, a dairy nutritionist at the UW-Madison’s College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.

In recognition of outstanding achievements in dairy extension work, Randy Shaver, professor and extension dairy nutritionist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Dairy Science, has received the DeLaval Dairy Extension Award from the American Dairy Science Association. Shaver received the award, which cited his valuable and noteworthy contributions to the dairy industry through proactive extension programming in dairy cattle nutrition, at the 2005 ADSA annual meeting in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Roger W. Palmer, an associate professor of dairy science and dairy systems management extension specialist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, died of cancer Monday, Oct. 24, 2005, at his home. He was 62 years old.

While developing a new agricultural industry for the dairy state, a University of Wisconsin-Madison researcher is working to address a major nutrition issue in the developing world: the scarcity of milk.

One of the isomers of conjugated linoleic acid, a group of fatty acids found in milk, is a natural regulator of the COX-2 protein, which plays a significant role in cancer and inflammatory diseases such as arthritis, according to a study published recently by University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers.

A University of Wisconsin-Madison team scored 2,074 points to finish high team overall for the third year in a row at the Southern Intercollegiate Dairy […]

Richard Adamski and Valerie Dantoin of Seymour, Randall and Rosalie Geiger of Reedsville, David Heidel of Random Lake, Linda Hodorff of Eden, Roger Ripley of Briggsville, and Russell Schuler of Sheboygan Falls will receive Honorary Recognition awards Oct. 27 from the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The awards will be presented at a banquet in the Memorial Union on the UW-Madison campus.

Humans have cultivated potatoes for millennia, but there has been great controversy about the ubiquitous vegetable’s origins. This week a team led by a USDA potato taxonomist stationed at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has for the first time demonstrated a single origin in southern Peru for the cultivated potato.

The strong grip and force needed to operate a manual pruner can strain arms, wrists, hands and fingers. Using an electronic pruner is more efficient than using a manual pruner, because it reduces hand fatigue and is faster. Workers who use a manual pruner hour after hour will make slower, more ragged cuts. An electronic pruner consistently produces clean cuts, and can reduce pruning time by 20 percent because it alleviates strain.

The Wisconsin 4-H team, represented by Polk County, took third place in the Youth Dairy Cattle Judging Contest – 4-H Division at the 37th All American Dairy Show Invitational, Sept. 19 at Harrisburg, Pa. Fourteen state 4-H teams competed; Minnesota 4-H won the contest.