For the first time, a Canadian was selected the Forage Superbowl Champion at the 1998 World Dairy Expo, held recently at Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.A.

Andre and Teresa Grenier, of St. Leon, Manitoba are the winners of this coveted award. Their sample of alfalfa hay was judged the Overall Best and Superbowl Winner from the six different classes of preserved feed.

The Greniers winning alfalfa variety was PICKSEED 892OMF. This cultivar was registered in Canada in 1991 and may be the most widely sold proprietary alfalfa in Canada. PICKSEED 892OMF, a multifoliolate variety, was the first variety identified by the Ontario Forage Crop Committee as "significantly superior in intake and in vitro cell wall digestibility. " When the level of these traits were analyzed through the University of Wisconsin milk production formula the conclusive evidence indicated that PICKSEED 892OMF will produce 12-15% more milk per acre than a conventional unimproved alfalfa variety. Similar productivity gains were established for beef production in trials conducted at the Kemptville Campus of the University of Guelph.

Andre Grenier says, "Two words that come to mind when I think of PICKSEED 892OMF are Quality and Protein." The tests the contest organizers conducted on his forage sample back up Andre's statement. His winning sample tested an amazing 27% Protein, 24.8% Acid Digestible Fibre (ADF) and 33.8% Neutral Digestible Fibre (NDF) for a Relative Feed Value of 191. Pounds of milk per tonne of feed were 2,499.

The Greniers milk 55 cows, however commercial hay sales constitute a major segment of their production. Andre commented that their winning first cut sample "was very leafy and the relative feed value was so much higher than the others (there were 320 entries) which helped it to win."

Pickseed Canada Inc. is proud to have been a part of the Grenier's success. The certified seed they planted was grown and processed through the Winnipeg, Pickseed facility. The productivity, persistence and superior feeding quality of enhanced varieties such as PICKSEED 892OMF alfalfa represent real, on farm production opportunities for forage growers across the northern tier of North America.

N1320