Green beats black when wrapping bales

Wrapping bales with green wrap – rather than black – results in higher quality silage and lower losses, and switching to green could offset the increase in wrap costs this year.

Research at ADAS Pwllperian shows bales wrapped in Volac”s Topwrap Eco-green film achieved more stable fermentation than bales wrapped in black, says research centre manager Owen Davies.

“Bales wrapped in black had greater temperature fluctuations than green ones, resulting in higher lactic acid levels in green-wrapped bales. This improved silage intake and animal performance.”

Previous research work at CEDAR found spoilage in black wrapped bales was 9%, while there was no spoilage in green bales, says Volac”s David Neville. “With that 9% worth about 1, wrapping bales in green will offset increases in film costs this year.