How can I obtain energy-rich grass silage?

You might consider re-sowing if the grassland has been damaged, is severely affected by weeds, or has the wrong composition.

The grass crop can often be corrected by targeted re-sowing. The existing top soil is sown at the start of vegetation in spring, using special disc-type sowers. Intensive cultivation may require re-sowing once every year, or every two years to ensure a stable and well-balanced grass crop.

'Degraded' crops with lesser quality species, and possibly even toxic plant species, require new sowing. This offers the possibility of adjusting the crop composition to the local conditions in a targeted manner. Chambers of Agriculture and private companies carry out regular trials and compile grassland mixtures consisting of tried and tested and recommended species and types of grass.

To obtain silage with a high energy content, the crop should be harvested at the optimum cutting time. This is when ears are emerging on the dominant grass species. A raw fibre content of 220-250g / kg of dry matter is a guarantee for feed which is rich in sugar and energy. Even if cutting at a later time would carry the promise of higher yields, the highest energy content is achieved through feed harvested at the right time.

Do not cut grass too short (>7-8 cm). Cutting grass to the right length prevents the inclusion of stalks, dirt and dead plant parts which have no nutritional value, and of bacteria and other elements which negatively affect fermentation. And furthermore, a top soil which has been "shaved" will only regenerate slowly, delaying the subsequent harvest. Cutting the grass too short encourages Clostridia, leading to unwanted butyric acids. And more dangerously, bacteria which can produce botulism may be produced which may also end up in the silo.

Special care must be taken if fields are not flat as the blades of the mowing mechanisms may hit the ground and bring up soil and dead plant parts.

Wilting

A wilting degree of 30-40% is ideal for grass. Leaving the crop out in the field too long leads to field losses and a decrease in nutrients, so it is vital that the grass is ensiled as quickly as possible.

If weather conditions are such that wilting is not possible, the grass should be ensiled without any delay, adding KOFASIL LIQUID or KOFASIL PLUS GRANULAR. This is an effective solution to prevent butyric fermentation. Excessive wilting is no use either. If the grass is too dry, there is the risk of secondary fermentation where yeasts break down the lactic acids created in the silo; the silo heats up; the pH value increases; mould spores will sprout and the silaged crop will mould. Extra care is required if the weather is hot or if there is a lot of wind.

A short chop length gives lactic acid bacteria better access to the vegetable sugar and makes it easier to compact the silo, to expel the air from the silo, and to prevent moulds spreading. To ensure sufficient compaction, the grass should be cut to a length of 6 - 8 cm, whereas under relatively dry conditions 4 cm is better.  

Introducing silage additives

Silage additives can only be applied in a reliable manner using suitable dosing equipment directly on the self-loading forage wagon or forage harvester. For the dosing amounts, see the specifications for the product in question.

In principle, the cut grass should be moved as little as possible to prevent field losses. The tines of the turning units / swathes must be adjusted so that they do not unnecessarily scrape over the top soil, preventing them from bringing up earth and dead plant parts, which will be introduced into the silo afterwards. Swathing should take place immediately before chopping / ensiling.

The silo must be laid out such that a feed-out speed of approx. 1.5 metres a week is guaranteed in the winter months (a feed-out speed of up to 3 metres a week is required in the summer). When in doubt, a long silo is to be preferred over a wide silo, or two silos can be filled.

The silo face should be in the opposite direction to the prevailing wind direction. This prevents the wrap being "pumped up" by the wind, which might lead to an excessive introduction of air into the silo, resulting in aerobic deterioration (see above).

To initiate lactic acid fermentation as quickly as possible, the silo must be filled as fast as possible. Filling the silo evenly and properly compacting the silaged crop are important to expelling atmospheric oxygen from the silo. The silo filling speed must not be determined by the forage cutters or the forage wagons, but by the tractor compacting the silo. If the roller tractor is relatively light, it should be fitted with narrow tires and drive slowly to increase the pressure per surface unit and extend the time during which the pressure is exerted.

The dimensions of the roller tractor should always be adjusted to the ensiling chain to ensure smooth and trouble-free operations and to avoid bottlenecks. Agricultural contractors nowadays work very efficiently and also have large-volume tippers. A silage spreader attached to the tractor can be very useful to spread the heaps of grass into thin layers.

Ensiling must take place expediently and in a well-planned manner; ensiling for more days must be avoided if possible.