Corn silage is made by preserving the whole corn plant through anaerobic fermentation. It is a very important food for ruminants because it has a high nutritional value, especially in terms of energy content.
But there are a few things that need to be taken into account to make sure that the corn silage has the right amount of nutrients to make the most milk or meat.
In this article, we'll talk about some important things you need to know to make good silage.To start the conversation, we need to know how silage is made and what the main steps are so that ruminants can get the nutrients they need from this food. Continue reading and find out more!
The type of plant to grow and when to plant it
At the moment, there are several types of corn on the market that are grown specifically for making silage.
It's important to remember that a good hybrid should be able to make a lot of green mass (VM) and have a high percentage of grains and green leaves that are easy to digest.
There are some clues in the literature about how to choose a good hybrid for making silage, such as:
Have few dry leaves on the lower part of the plant (less than five leaves is a good sign); be between 1.9 and 2.6 meters tall; have an MV production of more than 55,000 kg/ha and a DM production of more than 18,000 kg/ha.
Neumann and other authors say that plants must have less than 25% stem, more than 15% leaves, less than 20% straw and corn on the cob, and more than 40% grain in silage. The planting time is pretty much the same as when a grain-harvesting hybrid is put in the ground.
For silage to be made, the right kind of fertilizer must be used, since the whole plant is taken from the ground and nothing is left behind. So, to fertilize correctly, we need to look at the soil analysis and the needs of the chosen hybrid.
What is the process for making silage?
The process of making silage is called silage, and even though it's simple, it needs to be strong so that the nutritional value of the material from the field doesn't get lost in the silo. Because of this, during the ensiling process, producers must stick to certain rules.
Harvest point
When harvesting corn for silage, dry matter (DM) and grain filling must be taken into account. A good DM is between 33 and 35%, with grain filling that is 2/3 of the milk line in the farinaceous stage and 1/3 of the milk line in the milky stage.
At this point, there will be enough dry matter, starch, and soluble sugar for fermentation.
But you might be wondering what happens if I harvest corn for silage when it's not in the "sweet spot."
In general, when we get ready for the corn harvest, we lose green mass (VM), lose more nutrients through effluents (silo cries), and reduce the total starch concentration in silage because the grains aren't as full.
Also, when the DM content of the ensiled material is very low, the chances of acetic fermentation and mostly butyric fermentation go up. This decreases the quality of the material and makes animals less likely to eat it because it smells bad.
In the case of a late harvest (DM content of more than 35%), there is an increase in MV production and a higher concentration of starch, but the producer will have a harder time packing down the silo. This makes it harder to get air out of the ensiled mass, which slows fermentation and makes the silage harder to digest.
Another thing to think about is the guarantee that the grain will break. As the plant and ear get older, the grains change from being floury to being hard.
If this grain isn't broken down properly, it will move through the animals' digestive systems much faster, and the producer will see the grains in the animals' poop. This will make it harder for the animals to make milk or gain weight if they are beef cattle.
Harvest height and method of harvesting
The silage cutting height depends on the production target and how the property is structured in terms of food stocks. Generally, a cutting height of about 20 to 40 cm is recommended.
Podo et al. (2009) evaluated four cutting heights for off-season corn silage (20, 45, 70, and 90 cm), and the authors found that DM content between the lowest and highest heights increased by 20%.
When the cutting height went from 20 cm to 95 cm, the amount of lignin in the ensiled material went down by 38.5%.
In practice, we can see that when we raise the height at which we harvest maize, we concentrate the energy because there is a higher proportion of grain and less fiber in this material.gives what will be instilled, that is, a dose.Better nutritional quality than silage cut close to the ground.
On the other hand, when we increase cutting height, DM/ha yield decreases. Therefore, the height at which silage is cut should meet the requirements of each property and animal category for which it is intended.
Regarding harvesting methods, the most common forage harvesters are trailed (coupled with a tractor) and self-propelled forage harvesters with grain processing rollers.
When it comes to self-propelled forage harvesters, we have the benefit of being able to process more grain, which greatly improves the quality of animal nutrition and the use of silage.
However, regardless of the type of forage cut used on the property, producers should keep in mind that the ideal particle size should be between 0.5 and 2.0 cm.
In this way, the ensiled material will be easily accommodated inside the silo, there will be good conditions for air release, and the fermentation and preservation of the ensiled mass will be improved.
It is worth remembering that to ensure the proper size of the knife, cattlemen should pay attention to the maintenance of their forage machine, checking that the knives are properly sharpened and, whenever necessary, making adjustments to the countersunks whenever there is a change. Cut or processing size of grain.
Compacting and sealing silos
For the silage fermentation process to be carried out efficiently, silage compaction must be done very well. This requires that MV be spread within 20-cm silage layers and tractors driven over the material to remove as much air as possible and provide the necessary conditions for fermentation in an anaerobic environment. (without the presence of air).
Studies done in 1997 show that the weight of the material used to pack down a silo should be equal to or greater than 40% of the weight of the material that goes into the silo.Using lighter machines will increase compaction time and increase fuel costs.
After completing the filling and compaction of the mass, the silo must be sealed using a specific canvas. The literature indicates the use of canvas with 150 to 200 m bilateral thickness and mechanical resistance.
It is important to use a quality canvas that resists the sun and is very well attached to the ground (buried edges). Thus, we will have ideal conditions for the fermentation process and the preservation of the ensiled mass.
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