Making one big bulky cut, may appear to get you more silage in the yard, however with delayed/late first cut silage, both quality and quantity are compromised. A delayed heavy first-cut reduces annual yield/ha and can create problems when it comes to salvaging second/third-cut crops later in the year. Alongside this, grass growth rates are typically at their highest over the next few weeks, so delaying first cut means that farmers are not taking full advantage of rapid regrowth.

A general rule of thumb is to target a 50:50 split in quantity in both first and second cut (E.g., 20 tonnes per acre to be achieved in total. Ideally, this is a 10-tonne high quality crop in both cuts. Where first-cut is let go to a 13-tonne crop, the ideal quantity of harvest for second-cut crops may only be approximately 7 tonne).

Farms that routinely take earlier first cuts have higher and better-quality annual silage yields. Not only this, but in years such as 2012/13 or 2018 when farmers faced fodder shortages across the country, having higher quality silage was far more valuable. When high-quality silage is available in the yard, options of stretching supply are endless (e.g., dilution with straw, using cheap alternative straights, restricted intakes where headspace is sufficient). However, from a nutritional point of view, the option with poor quality silage is simple, ad-lib access and more meal.

Completing a fodder budget?

A good starting point is how much silage is leftover this spring. Check the current silage stock on your farm. From there, estimate how long you typically feed for in the winter months and always allow for a 3–4-week safety reserve. Finally, complete an assessment of stock numbers that will be carried over the winter months.

Silage requirements based on animal type: 

Measuring pits on farm

Length x breadth x average height in metres, divided by 1.35 = tonnes of grass silage

Or

Length x breadth x average height in feet, divided by 45 = tonnes of grass silage

Can we get more silage in the pit?

Agritech’s GrasZyme Sugarboost is proven to retain a higher proportion of silage in the pit post-harvesting. Losses on average will be reduced by 6.1%, this would equate to 6.1 tonnes of extra silage in every 100 tonnes ensiled. For example 1,000 tonne silage pit, + 61 tonne more available silage. With current silage costs, this would equate to a return on investment of 2:1, before taking animal performance benefits into account from treated silage.

More Information: 

For more information on assessing current silage stocks, and on GrasZyme Sugarboost, contact your local Agritech Sales Advisor.

Silage harvesting is a major cost on Irish farms, therefore it is most important that the desired level of quality is achieved.

Dry Matter Digestibility (DMD) indicates the feeding value of a forage crop. In grass silage, it refers to the percentage of grass dry matter that an animal can digest to support their feed requirements. To make high DMD silage, the grass sward needs to contain a high leaf content. DMD is also linked to harvest date, with research showing that a crop harvested on June 2nd versus a harvest date of May 20^th, resulted in a DMD drop of as much as 5%.

Key considerations
Weather will be the main dictating factor with silage harvesting. However, during periods of broken weather, where a window of opportunity appears, avoid delaying harvest. Delaying first cut will cause a large drop in quality and reduce second cut yields significantly.

Grass sugars are the main consideration for crop preservation (Sugar being the food required for fermentation bacteria). The target for good preservation is 3%. Cutting time (early afternoon) and cutting conditions will have the greatest impact on sugar content in grass.

Grass nitrates can affect preservation by increasing buffering capacity. A grass crop will on average use up 2 units of N per day for first cut. Nonetheless, this is only a general rule and should not delay cutting date. Wilting silage to approximately ˃28% will help decrease nitrates.

Wilting is very beneficial to silage preservation where sugars are marginal and/or nitrates remain elevated. The aim should be to increase crop dry matter to 25-30% with pit silage and 30-35% with baled silage. Over wilting can cause issues when feeding out silage, such as heat loss/secondary fermentation.

Using a silage additive

The application of a proven silage additive, such as Agritech’s GrasZyme Sugarboost, at ensiling is a very important part of securing as much of the quality in the winter forage as possible – speeding up preservation and retaining more of the feed value within the pit, alongside less waste/losses.

From a total of 19 independent trials, GrasZyme Sugarboost has proven to deliver:

• + 1 litre of milk per cow per day and .09% milk protein increase
• + 110g daily live-weight gain in beef animals
• 1% reduction in dry matter losses

For further information, contact your local Agritech Sales Advisor.  

One of the biggest challenges facing Irish farmers is being able to feed stock in a way that will give the biggest return on investment. As a standalone feed, silage is expensive to produce, and when a land charge is factored in, first cut silage is now costing in the region of €300 per acre to grow and ensile. It is therefore most important that the desired level of silage quality is achieved as often as possible.

Maximising silage quality has never been more important for Co. Tipperary farmer, Albert Purcell. Albert is a beef and tillage farmer who up until recent years, placed more attention on making quantity versus quality silage. As a result, silage quality and animal performance was poor, leading to an over reliance on purchased concentrates.

With the help of Agritech’s Technical Nutritionist, Bil Ryan, Albert put a plan in place to overcome these challenges. He now gives close consideration to reseeding with good quality grass seed, careful management of the silage pit and using a good quality silage additive.

WATCH ALBERT’S STORY BELOW

Reseeding with quality grass seed  

Pastures can lose quality as they get older, and maintaining a high percentage of perennial ryegrass in the sward is crucial in order to maximise output from the forage. A grass sward containing 100% perennial ryegrass will grow up to 3t DM/ha more than a sward containing 15% perennial ryegrass and it also produces a higher feed quality, thereby increasing animal performance, i.e. milk output and daily live-weight gain.

Bil’s advice to farmers for optimum germination and a successful reseed is achieving a properly prepared seedbed. Applying appropriate nutrients will also help ensure optimum germination and adequate fuel to sustain the new reseed through the winter ahead. At index 3, applying at least 3 bags of 10.10.20, plus 1 tonne of lime is advisable.

Complementing your preparation efforts with the right grass seed mixture is key. According to Bil, “Agritech’s Tipperary Grass Seed Range has a mix for every situation. Our Tipperary Grass No.5 mixture is designed to produce up to five cuts of high quality forage as zero-grazing or three cuts of silage. Our traditional Tipperary Grass No.3 mixture is ideal for two cuts of silage, plus shoulder grazing.”

Reducing ensiling losses  

Reducing ensiling losses is extremely important for improved feed efficiency and greater animal performance. Following the pit management practices outlined below will help;

• Prepare pit well in advance of the expected harvest date; wash out pit and identify any leaks, cracks, and unsealed and eroded joints. Lay down protective layers of sheets inside the pit walls to facilitate an excellent seal at the pit edges.
• The pit should be filled evenly, with each layer of silage no more than 20cm. Each layer should be well consolidated to remove air.
• Use a vacuum sheet as the first sheet and cover by folding in the two side sheets and fitting the final top sheet. Weigh down with tyres to secure the clamp.

Maximising animal performance

Agritech’s GrasZyme SugarBoost Forage Additive has long proven itself as an effective silage preservation aid and has been developed with accelerated fermentation and animal performance as the primary focus. According to Bil, “the ultimate aim from the use of a silage additive is to enhance animal performance, deliver more milk and live-weight gain at feed out and increase farm profitability.”

Having undergone numerous trials on dairy and beef research institutes throughout Ireland and the UK, the additive has shown daily milk yield increases of 1 litre, a 0.09% increase in milk protein and 110 grams extra daily live-weight gain.

The technology used in the additive has also been scientifically proven to reduce unnecessary plant breakdown and ensure reliability even in difficult low sugar conditions. Independent trials have shown that in a 500t clamp, GrasZyme SugarBoost retains an extra 30 tonnes of silage and ensiling dry matter losses of 6.1% were also reported from these trials.

WATCH OUR SILAGE PRESERVATION VIDEO BELOW 

For more information, contact your local Agritech distributor or view our GrasZyme SugarBoost page

“With lengthy dry periods no longer in existence, quality silage is an essential requirement for the freshly calved cow as it will help support early lactation milk yield and allow the cow to return to cyclicity as quickly as possible.

“For beef cattle, a daily live-weight gain of 0.6 kg is considered the optimum for winter performance where the animals are returning to grass in the spring. Quality silage will again play a key role in achieving this growth level,” John explains.

Silage samples recently analysed show significant variations in quality, with many Irish beef farms estimating an average of just 66% dry matter digestibility (DMD). The difference between good and bad silage quality has a significant impact on animal performance. In the winter of 2012, Teagasc in conjunction with the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF), conducted a study on weanling performance on 18 farms when housed. The results indicated a significant shortfall in live-weight performance, despite all of the farms feeding 1 – 2.5kg of silage/head/day. Only four of the 18 farms had a daily live-weight gain in excess of 0.51 kg and seven of the farms had an average daily live-weight gain of just 0.25kg.

According to John, silage of 75% DMD in quality must be a target for farms going forward. Quality silage starts with quality grass cut at the correct growth stage. Every silage field which contains a high proportion of perennial ryegrasses will have a sward of 80% DMD by the middle of May. Once grass silage fields go past this, they lose an average of 3% DMD units per week, with this loss increasing to 6% DMD units in poor weather or lodged crops.

“The application of a proven silage additive at ensiling is a very important part of securing as much of the quality in the winter forage as possible. It speeds up the preservation and retains more of the feed value within the pit, in addition to retaining more actual silage in the pit. In fact, the extra retained silage alone will cover the cost of the additive,” says John.

Our GrasZyme SugarBoost Forage Additive has long proven itself as an effective silage preservation aid and is formulated with accelerated fermentation and animal performance as the primary focus. Having undergone numerous trials on dairy and beef research institutes throughout Ireland and the UK, the additive has shown daily milk yield increases of 1 litre, a 0.09% increase in milk protein and 110g extra daily live-weight gain.

For more information, contact your local Agritech distributor  

Maize silage offers both dairy and beef farmers an opportunity to increase animal performance from home grown forage. Milking cows that are fed maize silage as part of their total forage intake, have milk yield increases of 8%-10% and cattle have shown additional improvements in daily live weight gains. It is one of the most complementary feeds to grass silage as it is high in starch and fibre and is slowly digested in the rumen.

However, to really see these benefits there are a few key steps in managing the crop at harvest that should be followed. Agritech’s Bil Ryan outlines a few tips that will have a positive impact on how your crop of maize performs at feed out.

Harvest Targets

The aim is to harvest your maize crop as close to 30% dry matter and 30% starch content as possible as this gives the best results both in terms of yield and subsequent animal performance. A rough rule of thumb is to have the plant two thirds brown and the cobs fully formed with no soft grains. Once at this stage of maturity it is ready to harvest.

When it comes to harvesting and ensiling the crop, it is best practice not to chop the crop too finely, but to use a corn cracker on the machine to ensure the grain is split open. This is to ensure that at feed out, the animal’s digestive system can fully and easily access the starch.

Pit Preparation

Due to Ireland’s unpredictable weather it can be difficult to get perfect harvest conditions thus providing an obstacle to getting good pit preservation. A helpful tip is to have the silage pit prepared well in advance of expected harvest date; washed out and protective polythene sheets laid down inside the pit walls to facilitate an excellent seal at the pit edges. The risk of soil contamination should also be minimised by having an adequate concrete apron to work off and keep machinery tyres as soil free as possible.

The pit should be filled in thin layers from front to back and each layer well consolidated to remove all air. A poorly compacted pit will run a high risk of secondary heating once opened for feeding.

Achieving Pit Stability

I will readily admit that to achieve all these elements is not easy at farm level. That is why most Irish farmers use an additive such as Agritech’s Ensile Bio. Ensile Bio is specifically manufactured to suit typical Irish conditions. It is designed to preserve the crop in the shortest time possible and does so by producing acids which minimise the growth of yeast and moulds that naturally grow on high dry matter starch crops. By producing these acids rapidly it ensures a stable pit face at feed out for up to 10 days. Pit face stability is extremely important as the energy lost at the pit face could not only reduce animal feed intake but also lead to losses of valuable energy from the clamp.

The final step is to use a vacuum sheet as the first sheet and cover by folding in the two side sheets and fitting the final top sheet. Weigh down with tyres to secure the clamp.

For any further advice on harvesting maize, contact your local Agritech distributor or find out more about Agritech’s Maize additive Ensile Bio by clicking here.

Quality Silage

In light of the current fodder situation, many farmers may be tempted to put the focus back on making bulk versus quality silage this year. However, the difference between good and bad silage quality can mean the requirement of 2-3 kgs of extra ration per animal each day.

Quality silage starts with quality grass cut at the correct growth stage to optimise digestibility and yield. A fast cool fermentation is crucial in order to preserve the quality of grass being ensiled and minimise losses from heat and dry matter. It is important to remember that this is lost energy that would otherwise be utilised by the animal at feedout, leading to greater production and feed efficiency.

According to Agritech’s Sales Director John Kenny “the aim of preservation is to retain silage quality as close as possible to the grass being harvested and avoid unnecessary ensiling losses”. He adds “having spoken to many Irish farmers across the country, it is evident that there is a renewed interest in quality silage and additive usage”. While much debate has taken place over the role and value of silage additives, research has proven that there are substantial benefits from applying an appropriate additive. A good silage additive will reduce oxygen and increase acidity rapidly, so that lactic acid bacteria grow to stabilize and preserve the forage to its full potential.

GrasZyme Sugarboost

Agritech’s GrasZyme SugarBoost Forage Additive has long proven itself as an effective silage preservation aid. The technology used in the additive has been scientifically proven to reduce unnecessary plant breakdown and ensure reliability even in difficult low sugar conditions. Independent trials have shown that in a 500t clamp, GrasZyme Sugarboost retains an extra 30 tonnes of silage. In addition, a reduction in ensiling dry matter losses of 6.1% were also reported from these trials.

Improved Animal Performance

GrasZyme Sugarboost has been developed with accelerated fermentation and animal performance as the primary focus which is dependent on effective grass preservation. GrasZyme Sugarboost has a proven track record in achieving this as it has undergone numerous trials on dairy and beef farms throughout Ireland and the UK, which have shown daily milk yield increases of 1litre, a 0.09% increase in milk protein and 110grams extra daily live weight gain. According to John, “the ultimate aim from the use of an additive is to enhance animal performance, deliver more milk and live weight gain at feedout and increase farm profitability”.

For more information, contact your local Agritech distributor at www.agritech.ie/find-a-distributor

In a recent interview in the Irish Farmers Journal, Agritech’s technical director Seamus O’Slatarra talked about how silage additives have evolved in recent years and why using additives are an essential ingredient in getting the most from grass silage. Additives work by retaining silage quality as close as possible to the grass being harvested and aim to avoid ensiling losses.

There is also ample data to show that milk protein, live weight gain and dry matter ensiling benefits from the use of a reputable silage additive. Indeed, Agritech’s GrasZyme SugarBoost Forage Additive for grass silage has been developed for effective grass preservation with animal performance as its primary focus.

Read the full article on the Irish Farmers Journal website.

Or view a pdf of the article (208kB).