Silage Advisory Centre

Farmers are facing grass shortages with first cut silage yields being potentially low due to the slow spring and a low second cut due to the dry summer. With this in mind, the Silage Advisory Centre (SilAC) is urging farmers to consider digestibility and wilting rates in an effort to make the best of a tough season.

“Keeping a close eye on grass maturity is key, as when overall yields are likely to be lower it’s even more vital to produce silage with optimal D-value and ME content,” explained Dr D. Davies of SilAC.  “Digestibility of forage is of course crucial in terms of maximising productivity from a winter silage ration.

“If you want high quality silage it’s probably better to take a hit on yield than delay harvesting – leave it too long and you will end up with poorer quality forage as well as reduced grass growth following the harvest, which will lead to an even lower annual yield.”

Wilting times should also be adjusted to take account of lower yields, according to Dr Davies, who guides against wilting too long:

“Lighter crops dry much more rapidly, and clamp silage with over 35% DM can lead to aerobic spoilage if the system is not used to drier silage,” he said. 

“Alternatively, big bale silage has a wider DM window and is unlikely to spoil if harvested bales are managed correctly.”  

SilAC is an industry initiative that promotes the science of silage to aid farmers’ decision-making.  More advice on silage harvesting and use can be found at www.silageadvice.com, which also provides farmers with down to earth, pragmatic advice and tools to maximize fodder and grassland management systems using baled silage effectively.