The best AGRAVIS recommendations for harvesting technology, cutting time, silage additives and more.
Grass silage must be of the highest quality – this is particularly important in times of feed shortages. To help you achieve this, we give you eight valuable tips on harvesting and storage.This and all other important terms can be found in the glossary
Cut at the beginning of panicle or ear emergence. The right timing determines how nutritious and energy-rich the forage is at the end – and how well the grass can be ensiled. Every day you wait, these parameters deteriorate and the crude fibre content increases. If you cut ten days too late, the milk production value of the grass silage drops by two kilograms of milk.
Forage grasses such as ryegrass and meadow grass store their energy reserves in the stubble to sprout again later. If you cut too deeply, the grasses are weakened and are no longer competitive. Species and weeds such as couch grass and dock then spread and the quality of the grassland declines. The risk of contaminated cuttings also increases. Two per cent more crude ash (RA) means less dry matter (DM). This results in a minus of 0.1 MJ NEL/kg dry matter (DM) or five per cent less milk.
Our advice: Mow meadows at a stubble height of six centimetres and arable grass at eight centimetres.
The length of the chopped material influences the compaction. The higher the dry matter content or crude fibre content of the grass, the shorter it needs to be chopped. Three to five centimetres are ideal for the forage harvester and five to eight centimetres for the loader wagon.
The cut grass must wilt as quickly as possible. The optimum degree of wilting is at least 30 and a maximum of 40 per cent dry matter (DM). Higher dry matter content means higher losses. If the grass withers for too long, undesirable microorganisms such as yeasts, which break down nutrients, multiply. In addition, problems such as crumbling losses, compactability and reheating increase. As a general rule, the shorter the time in the field and the more favourable the weather conditions (hours of sunshine), the lower the losses.
Our advice: Aim for silage in 24 hours.
By consistently using tested silage additives, you improve the quality of your silage. You also ensure its aerobic shelf life.
We recommend using Siloferm up to a dry matter content of 35 per cent and BioCool from 35 per centDesign your silo system in good time and observe the specifications for the minimum weekly feed rate. In winter it should be greater than 1.50 metres, in summer more than 2.50 metres. If necessary, create two silos or plan for bale silage. If this is not possible, we recommend using BioCool to ensure aerobic stability.
The longer the cut surface of the forage is exposed to the air, the more germs develop. They contribute to increased nutrient degradation. The silage does not spoil as quickly due to a rapid feed feed.
Store the silage in layers of no more than 20 to 30 centimetres. If the layers are thicker, compaction is also poorer. Always use a silage spreader. Layer thicknesses of 40 centimetres mean only 30 percent of the rolling force. You should also adjust the rolling weight to suit the harvesting capacity. For the forage harvester, the following applies: harvesting capacity 4 = rolling weight. And for the loader wagon: recovery capacity 3 = roller weight. Ensure that the tyre pressure is at least two bar, do not use dual tyres and roll at a maximum speed of three to four kilometres per hour. Do not roll for too long, otherwise air will be pressed back into the silo (air pump effect).
Cover the silo airtight immediately after storage. Use edge film, underlay film, silage film, silage protection grids or silage bags. The choice of materials is decisive for the losses under the film. Opt for higher-quality silage films with better gas density.
