Research on Manure Management, Cover Crops with Corn Silage

Producers can hear latest research on managing nutrients, cover crops

This week’s episodes of The Dairy Signal® from Professional Dairy Producers® (PDP) will share the latest research and practices for forward-thinking dairy producers. Tune in to hear from researchers who presented at the 2026 PDP Business Conference with an update on manure management on Tuesday and cover crop and corn silage research on Thursday.

Tuesday, March 31

Learn how to manage manure to retain valuable nutrients, minimize losses and protect water quality, turning a necessary task into a resource for your farm. Presenter will be:

• Laura Paletta, UW-Extension outreach specialist, agriculture water quality program

Thursday, April 2

Hear the results of a multi-year study at Arlington Agricultural Research Station that reviewed the impact of a winter rye cover crop in corn silage systems. Researchers will also discuss nitrogen recommendations for silage when cover crops and manure are used. Presenters will be:

• Dr. Matt Ruark, PhD, professor, department of soil science, UW-Madison, and extension specialist
• Hannah Francis, PhD student, UW-Madison

Episodes of The Dairy Signal are accredited through Dairy AdvanCE® (DACE), enabling dairy producers, industry professionals and students to earn continuing education units for watching live or recorded episodes. Dairy AdvanCE is an online continuing education management tool for dairy farmers and other professionals that simplifies finding, tracking and managing continuing education units (CEUs). To learn more, visit www.DairyAdvance.org.

The Dairy Signal is a weekly series of educational episodes offering practical insights and resources for dairy farmers and food-system professionals across the value chain. Episodes air live from 12:00-1:00 PM CT each Tuesday and Thursday. Live sessions offer attendees the opportunity to engage in open Q&A with the speakers; recorded sessions are available shortly after episodes are aired. Access all previously broadcast sessions at www.pdpw.org.

Professional Dairy Producers (PDP) is the nation’s largest dairy producer-led organization of its kind, focusing on producer professionalism, stakeholder engagement and unified outreach to share ideas, solutions, resources and experiences that help dairy producers succeed.