iPhone and iPad users can find the free app here, or search the App Store for “corn silage pricing.” The iOS version also includes links to the latest edition of the 2017 Wisconsin Custom Rate Guide. The Android app has been downloaded hundreds of times over the last two years and is still available on Google Play.

According to Greg Blonde, Waupaca County University of Wisconsin Extension agriculture agent, “A third to three-quarters of the feed consumed by more than a million dairy cows in Wisconsin comes from corn silage.” In addition, silage is also a major source of feed for many Wisconsin beef animals, providing a significant source of energy and fiber for both dairy and beef cattle across the state and nation. That’s why Blonde said one of every five rows (20 percent) of Wisconsin corn is harvested as silage.

That’s why Blonde teamed up with extension colleague Ryan Sterry in St. Croix County to develop a mobile app that can quickly estimate the value of standing corn silage. It’s based off a detailed spreadsheet Sterry developed with input from several state extension specialists. The app includes links to both current corn and hay market prices, and allows buyers and sellers to enter their own yield estimates and harvest costs. The difference in value of soil nutrients removed when harvesting silage versus corn for grain is also calculated to help the seller fine-tune final standing value per acre.

Both Android and iOS versions of the app have separate tabs for buyer and seller calculations. Using both tabs will show the range in silage value, with the seller tab being a “floor” price and the buyer tab a “ceiling” price. The Android version remains available on the Google Play Store.

For more information, contact Greg Blonde at (715) 258-6230 or via email. Or contact Ryan Sterry at (715) 531-1930 or via email.  

Greg Blonde is a Waupaca County University of Wisconsin Extension agriculture agent.

—From University of Wisconsin Extension news release