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Successful preparation for silaging makes winter feeding simpler.30 March 2007
After planning your forthcoming winter feed requirements and possibly re-seeding certain fields to increase the field’s yield potential, it is now important to identify your target D-Value. Understanding you target D-Value will assist with ascertaining cutting dates and yield potential. The current standard D-Value is 70D, however, there is a move to increase the D-Value at the expense of the yield by cutting slightly earlier. A rule of thumb, by cutting 1½ days earlier the D-Value should increase by one point. Ensuring that all you machinery is serviced and prepared for the 2007 silage campaign, as you well know, is very important. “As well as selling new and used equipment, Cornwall Farmers also has three very well equipped workshops and trained mechanics, therefore we are able to assist with all your machinery preparation in every way” said Brian Tripcony, Cornwall Farmers’ General Machinery Manager. As well as preparing your machinery, the fields also need preparation. By rolling the silage fields this helps to eliminate silage contamination from stone and soil which in turn reduces the damage to machinery. This operation needs to be performed as soon as weather permits. “Preparation of clamps, silos and bale sites are important. Clamps and silos should have all old silage removed and thoroughly cleaned. Bale sites should be away from trees and very exposed areas, well drained, level and devoid of sharp objects which may puncture the bales. If practicable, a layer of sand to make a base layer is recommended,” said bpi.agri’s, Roger Jackson, supplier of Silotite to Cornwall Farmers. Using the correct fertiliser is another essential factor to produce high quality silage. Excess nitrogen will give rise to sub optimal sugar levels, and high free N levels in the grass. This will then lead to high ammonia losses in the clamp and achieving the correct pH is more difficult. Nigel Hester, Area Manager for Yara, Cornwall Farmers’ main fertiliser supplier, said, “With grassland we use a simple rule to calculate nitrogen fertiliser application rates, apply nitrogen at 2 units of N/acre/day of expected grass growth.” The typical silage cut will require approximately 100 units of nitrogen, 20 – 30 units of phosphate and 50 – 60 units of potash. Where grass is at risk of sulphur deficiencies applications of 20 – 30 units of SO3 is advised to reduce the risk of poor quality silage. “To identify exact nutrient requirements soil testing is advised” said Yara’s Nigel Hester, “even at high phosphate indices, some fresh phosphate helps initial growth, giving more efficient nitrogen utilisation.” It is important to apply fertiliser as soon as possible after cutting to promote re-growth. An eight day delay will lead to a 6% yield loss. Therefore order your fertiliser requirements early and before you cut. “To improve the quality of your sward, consider weed control before cutting. Weeds affect not only the quality of the forage but also reduced fresh yields. Research by Dow Agrosciences show that a 10% infestation of Docks can lead to a 10% loss in yield. An application of ‘Forefront’ will give outstanding control of Docks, Thistles and Nettles in established grassland without clover. Grass can then be cut or grazed 7 days after application,” said Cornwall Farmers’ Daniel Collins. The use of slurry is a good source of crop nutrient, however, avoid grass contamination with slurry and soil (from equipment) by not applying it too late. As well as reducing quality the soil could introduce bacteria such as listeria. The feed value of grass will decline with age, therefore, start slightly earlier to avoid feed value deterioration. It is best to cut the grass when it is dry and lay it in as wide a swath as possible to aid drying. To achieve the desired 30% Dry Matter, the cut grass should be wilted over a period of 12 – 24 hours. This will also reduce the risk of effluent production. Turning the swath will also increase drying times. To reduce the risk of soil contamination when cutting and speed up re-growth, Daniel Collins advises that the grass should be cut to leave stubble of between 5cm and 7½ cm. “The length of chop is another important factor” said Andy Hawken, Cornwall Farmers’ Ruminant Technical Specialist, “fermentation is increased by short length, however, rumen efficiency reduces. The ideal cut length should be between 2½ cm to 5 cm.” As soon as the grass has been cut, sugars within the plant start to convert into acid. The convertion is facilitated by bacteria working under anaerobic conditions and when grass contains high sugar levels. “The use of a quality silage additive will ensure you protect the quality of the grass that has been grown and ensiled. With using MTD/1, results have proven increases in milk yield by an extra 1.2 litres per cow per day” said Colin Callender of Ecosyl Products. It is important to ensure the complete process from cutting to ensiling is kept to a minimum at all times to ensure of a quality product. And finally, during filling the clamp ensure the grass is continually consolidated to remove air pockets, seal the clamp effectively to prevent air entry, keep an eye out for effluent production, especially on low Dry Matter silage and ensure no effluent enters any watercourse. If the above steps are carried out, your silage campaign should be very successful, both with harvesting and feeding. Contacts at Cornwall Farmers: Nigel Hester, Area Manager on 07799 563847 or email: nigel.hester@yara.com Contact at bpi.agri Contacts at Ecosyl Products
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