Beef and dairy producers who want to control twinning rates may soon get some help. Researchers have identified three regions of the cattle genome that contribute to an increased frequency of double ovulation in the animals.

Feeding some tallow is a good way to pack extra energy into a dairy diet, but too much tallow can disrupt rumen function and depress milk fat production, particularly when diets are high in corn silage. Some studies have shown that adding alfalfa hay to corn silage diets can revive some of that fat production. However, alfalfa silage may not have the same curative powers as alfalfa hay, University of Wisconsin-Madison research has shown.

A University of Wisconsin faculty committee has recommended funding of a stray voltage research project, one of a handful underway across the country.

Dairy Industry Needs: Wisconsin dairying is in the midst of major restructuring, brought on by changes in national and international competition, new federal marketing and pricing programs, and challenges of mature production and processing infrastructures. If the state’s dairy industry is to prosper and expand, it must find new ways to produce milk at prices competitive with other regions of the country and the world, and do that while protecting environmental quality and enhancing agriculture’s natural-resource base.

The Land O’Lakes Foundation recently presented a $75,000 check to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the first installment in a three-year $225,000 grant to help finance a major expansion of the University’s integrated dairy research and teaching programs.

Fifty percent or more of Wisconsin farmers now own computers, receive most of their household income from off-farm jobs, and favor restricting development on agricultural lands, according to a recent University of Wisconsin-Madison study.

Current dairy management strategies aimed at increasing milk production per cow may be leading to an increase in the rate of twinning in dairy cattle, according to a recent University of Wisconsin-Madison study.

The Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has announced the appointment of five people to its Citizens Advisory Council. The new members will help set the agenda for Wisconsin research on food production, marketing, and distribution systems that are profitable, environmentally friendly, and good for local communities.

Some Wisconsin farmers harvest red clover three times during the summer, as if it were alfalfa; others take two cuts that are often made too late for optimal forage quality. University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers say neither of those approaches is best.

Six CALS faculty members will be honored at the Gamma Sigma Delta banquet Monday, April 24 at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Memorial Union. Banquet tickets are $20. For more information, please call CALS Outreach Services, (608) 263-1672.