The annual California Alfalfa and Forage Symposium was held December 1-3, 2010 in Visalia, California. This annual conference is organized by the University of California Alfalfa Workgroup, and this year saw its return to the San Joaquin Valley after four years in other locations.

The San Joaquin Valley contains roughly 50 percent of the state’s acreage and is the center of the state’s large dairy industry.

This year the Symposium made a concerted effort to not only cover many aspects of alfalfa production but also to have a breakout session on corn silage and other forages. Because of the large dairy industry in the San Joaquin Valley, the area leads the state in corn and cereals production, the vast majority of it ensiled.

UC Cooperative Extension Dairy Advisors Jennifer Heguy, Noelia Silva-del Rio, and Carol Collar provided a local view of silage management in California, including opportunities to improve silage quality and the challenges facing custom choppers. PD

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