| Grass & Silage
Be aware of potential silage pitfalls of this season’s
forward grass growth
Dairy and other livestock farmers facing this season’s
widespread forward grass growth need to be aware of the
pitfalls this could pose to silage making, if they are to
maximise silage yield and quality, says Ecosyl product
manager Derek Nelson.
ccording to Mr
Nelson, old grass
that has continued
growing through
the winter will not
only be of poorer
quality than fresher grass, in terms
of energy and protein, but will also
have a higher loading of naturallypresent undesirable
microorganisms that could add to
clamp losses.
“Wherever you have old grass
that has been growing since
autumn, it is of poorer quality,” he
says.
“Instead of having young, leafy
growth, some of it will be dying
back, which provides nutrients for
a wide range of bacteria and fungi
to grow on. This will increase the
numbers on the crop at harvest,
increasing the risk of a poor
fermentation and reducing aerobic
stability at feedout, both of which
A
will lead to significantly higher
losses.
“If slurry is also applied too
close to grass cutting, this adds to
the problem by introducing more
undesirable bacteria, such as
enterobacteria and clostridia.
“Also, compared to shorter and
more open grass crops, thicker
grass crops create an ideal
microclimate for undesirable
microorganisms to thrive.
Extended wilting will encourage
their growth further.
“In these circumstances, it is
even more important that wilting is
rapid and the clamp filled and
sealed quickly. This will be
particularly effective at limiting
yeast and mould activity.
“But you also need to ensure
the fermentation gets going
quickly as a rapid pH fall will inhibit
the undesirable bacteria”, adds Mr
Nelson. “This is brought about by
lactic acid bacteria, which are
normally in short supply on fresh
crops. An effective silage inoculant
will apply large numbers of
specially selected strains of lactic
acid bacteria, ensuring a fast,
efficient fermentation that will
inhibit the undesirable bacteria
quickly.
“This will reduce DM losses but
has other benefits too as it
preserves more true protein and
increases digestibility, both of
which are beneficial for animal
performance.
“A good quality silage inoculant
offers benefits even in good silagemaking conditions, but the
benefits can be even more
obvious in seasons like this when
grass growth is more challenging.
“Bear in mind that all inoculants
are not the same, so always check
there is independent evidence to
back any claims, especially those
for improved animal performance,”
he adds.
IBERS forage research
Greater profitability and reduced environmental impact
from livestock farming are key objectives for a new three
year forage breeding research project that started in
February 2016 at IBERS Aberystwyth University.
unded by Innovate
UK and sponsored
by Germinal, the
project will lead to
the development
of new varieties of
perennial ryegrass and white
clover that combine the best in
yield and quality attributes with
enhanced nitrogen and
phosphorus utilisation.
Ultimately, this research will give
livestock farmers the opportunity
to produce quality forage with
lower nitrogen and phosphate
fertil