Adapt silage cutting strategy to make the most of weather windows

The spell of warmer weather at the end of May, followed by rain and rising temperatures, has encouraged grass to move from vegetative to reproductive growth.

At this stage, the plant begins to put more energy into stem development – and as stem length increases, so do neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and lignin levels. This reduces digestibility and can lower the energy value of the crop, leading to poorer quality silage. 

Take a cut as soon as possible

To limit this loss in quality, take any realistic cutting opportunity when conditions allow to help reset the plant and encourage leafy regrowth for subsequent cuts. 

Even if conditions are not ideal, taking a crop as soon as possible if the grass has recently bolted will help stimulate vegetative growth again. This encourages the plant to grow leaves rather than stems and will improve the quality of later cuts. 

However, it’s also important to focus on preserving as much quality in the crop as possible once it has been cut, which can be more challenging when grass is mature and stemmy. 

These crops pose a double challenge because they can be lower in readily available sugars, the main fuel for fermentation and are often harder to consolidate effectively in the clamp, meaning oxygen can be left within the layers.  

If either of these things happen, fermentation can be slower and the risk of yeast and mould growth, heating and spoilage increases. This means inoculant choice and application are particularly important this season. 

How a specific inoculant can help

A crop- and condition-specific inoculant containing homofermentative and heterofermentative bacteria, alongside specific enzymes, can help accelerate fermentation, release sugars and improve aerobic stability at feed-out. 

Each component plays a specific role in helping maintain the nutritional quality of the crop through to feed-out. 

The homofermentative bacteria make the most of the available sugars to produce lactic acid, helping to drive a rapid pH drop, while enzymes help make more sugars available from the crop.  

Heterofermentative bacteria also use sugars but support aerobic stability by helping to inhibit yeasts and moulds, reducing the risk of heating and spoilage once the clamp is opened.

Together, these components help protect the nutritional value of the crop and maintain silage quality once the clamp is opened.

Practical steps

While this season will present challenges, farmers can still take practical steps to protect silage quality.  

Ultimately, taking a flexible approach to cutting, while supporting fermentation with the right inoculant, will help farmers protect forage value and minimise losses in a variable silage season.

Consistent, high-quality silage

The crop- and condition-specific Magniva forage inoculant range has been developed to deliver consistent, high quality silage year after year.

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For more information on the Magniva inoculant range, visit: MAGNIVA | Take control of silage quality

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