Make the most of second-cut silage

The onset of some hot, dry weather following a particularly hard winter has reduced the amount of first-cut silage being made this year. This now makes the quality and preservation of the second cut even more important.

Silage produced in drier conditions has more of a tendency to warm up at feed-out, thus wasting energy, reducing intakes and allowing mycotoxins to develop, explains Bob Kendal, field sales manager for Alltech.

“With first-cut yields low this year, the second cut has never been more important. The hot dry conditions have the potential to give rise to overly dry silages, which can be difficult to keep cool at feed-out.

“However, there are measures farmers can take. My experience on UK farms bears out the research on bacterial/preservative combinations. I would urge farmers to consider using a recommended additive, which will help keep clamps cooler by dominating the initial fermentation with lactic acid bacteria fuelled by enzymes; then at feed-out, moulds are inhibited by preservative salts. It’s literally a winning combination.”

Some naturally biological silage inoculants can convert crop sugars into lactic acid to create a stable, low pH environment. This in turn reduces wasteful by-products such as acetic acid, alcohol and carbon dioxide and keeps costly dry matter losses to a minimum.

Mr Kendal also suggests that aerobic spoilage can be reduced by cutting shorter to pack more tightly, using thin layers, well rolled and covering with clear airtight sheets. He also recommends making silage from high-quality, weed-free swards, and allowing adequate time between cuts to ensure nitrogen uptake.