Silage Season
As we roll into the heat of the summer, it’s never too early to think about fall harvest for stored forages. Now is the right time to take inventory on what is left over from last year (if any), how much stored feed might be needed for next year, and how much needs to be fed to empty that silo!
It's also important to understand what will make this silage season a success, especially if there have been some hiccups along the way. By now, the corn should be growing well, and any replants should have taken place. Depending on your region, taking advantage of some short season varieties may increase your harvest and allow you to stretch your silage inventory.
Silage production is as much of an art form as it is maximizing the science behind it. Being able to combine these two aspects will help create the perfect fermentation and the right amount of inventory. In order to achieve the right environment for fermentation to occur, we need to ensure a few things. First is moisture. The corn needs to be at the right dry matter content to allow the microorganisms to ferment the plant material. Regular dry matter checks should occur until the corn tests 32-37% DM (63-68% moisture). Too dry or too wet can produce undesirable byproducts. Maturity of the corn will also contribute to the overall moisture. Taking an ear and checking the milk line will ensure that there is plenty of starch available. Ideally you want to see ½ milk line when an ear is snapped in half. It is also important to note how many kernels have reached the dent stage. If the majority of the kernels are at dent, the milk line is over ½, and the plant is too dry, then the rest of the ensiling process will not have the desired results.
Second, an anerobic or oxygen free environment needs to be created for fermentation to occur. This is achieved by packing the silo at the right density to remove all oxygen and prevent air pockets from forming. The dry matter of the corn plays a factor in this, but so does knowing the dimensions of the silo and how much corn fodder is needed to properly fill the silo. Incorrect packing density can lead to yeast and mold growth that will disrupt the fermentation process and lead to possible mycotoxin production.
Third is a rapid drop in the pH of the corn being ensiled. Most of the pathogenic microorganisms found in and on the plant cannot survive acidic environments. By dropping pH quickly, these microorganisms do not have time to digest the sugars found in corn and make unfavorable byproducts. Yes, acid is produced during fermentation, but it takes a long time for the acid to build up and significantly drop the pH. This is where using a high-quality inoculant can be beneficial. Fertrell’s Nutri-Sil contains a blend of lactic acid bacteria to help with this drop in pH. In particular, the addition of Lactobacillus buchneri makes this drop happen faster. There is plenty of research behind the benefits of L. buchneri and how it contributes to the initial drop in pH and subsequent aerobic stability of silage.
If a proper fermentation has occurred, a desirable amount of VFAs will have been produced, starch levels will be maximized, and the silage will not heat more the 4oF for an extended period of time, once opened (aerobic stability). Not much compares to the smell of a good silage that both you and your cows can enjoy.
