Expert suggest three easy steps to good second cut silage prep
“Before the gates close after first cut silage making it really is worth considering the following three key areas now, as they could make all the difference when it comes to the quality and yield of a second cut,” said Dr Dave Davies.
- Assess field condition:assessing condition of fields is easier once they are cleared, and particularly with soil contamination one of the biggest causes of poor silage fermentation and listeria contamination, Dr Davies believes it makes sense to consider rolling and introducing mole control in areas of potential risk.
- Don’t over fertilise:although it may be tempting to try and encourage more growth after what may well have been a low yield first cut given winter conditions, it could be a false economy, said Dr Davies.
“Reduced yields following poorer growth this spring may indicate that some fertiliser nitrogen remains un-utilised,” he explained. “And if you are trying to cut costs by using slurry, remember that surface spreading increases contamination risks – and that undesirable bacteria will result in poor silage fermentation.”
SilAC recommends an absolute minimum of six weeks between slurry spreading and harvesting to help prevent contamination.
- Remove residual grass:failure to remove residual herbage – areas which were missed during pick-up or where grass was flattened – will result in rotting, leading to undesirable bacteria, yeasts and moulds on forage during the subsequent harvest.
“Encouraging undesirable bacteria, yeasts and moulds in this way will lead either to poor fermentation or increased risk of aerobic spoilage and mould growth in bales or clamps,” said Dr Davies. “Time spent now will result in better quality forage later, so it’s worth taking that attention to detail seriously.”
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.
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About the Silage Advisory Centre
The Silage Advisory Centre is an industry initiative that promotes the science of silage to aid farmers’ decision-making on baled silage production, forage and grassland management. Its mission is to aid UK and Irish livestock farmers produce quality and nutritional silage at a reasonable profit through research, demo farms, seminars, knowledge transfer and advisory tools. For more information, please visit www.silageadvice.com
For more information, please contact:
Sergio Di Gesù ︳phone: +32 (0) 2 413 06 57 ︳sergio@silageadvice.com
