Maize silage beneficial
Maize silage beneficial
PRODUCING high quality maize silage can save up to 3.3kg/day of concentrate in a grass silage-based ration, according to one Irish researcher.
In Northern Ireland, its difficult to achieve maize silage crops with a starch content of more than 20%, said Tim Keady of the Agricultural Research Institute Northern Ireland at the BSAS meeting. "Without plastic mulches, high quality maize crops are only achieved once every five years."
However, producers need to know the result of maize silage quality on milk yield and composition before deciding to grow maize under plastic, particularly when already consistently producing high quality grass silage.
"Adding high quality maize silage containing more than 20% starch into the ration increased milk yield by 3.5 litres/day. This is despite cows already being fed high quality grass silage with a D-value of 77. To maximise production, high quality maize silage is essential."
Even with poorer quality maize silage, there was still a response in milk yield and fat and protein output, said Dr Keady.
"At Hillsborough, growing maize under plastic boosts dry matter yields by 5t/ha dry matter, increases dry matter by 9% and starch content by 7%. This is at a cost of £72/t on non-arable aided land."