Grass silage film is now used widely in making high-quality silage. Along with several other influencing factors, a good silage film is essential to be considered in silage making. Those factors and silage film itself should be known in detail.
In a review of analytical grass baleage produced in West Virginia, most of the samples had higher pH values than expected. To determine why this is the case, a regional agency from West Virginia University extension evaluated baleage management practices of 39 farmers by working with them.
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Factors that Affect Silage Quality
They analyzed the management effect on fermentation quality and forage nutrition. They collected baleage of 162 fields over three years to be analyzed. The figure shows the relation between moisture and pH baleage. In this study, to explain the effect of management on the pH, they can be divided into four regions.
Moisture Levels
The single greatest influence on grass bale pH is moisture. The average pH of the baleage in the 50 to 60% humidity range is 5.27. PH increases when humidity decreases from 50%. The TDN (total digestible nutrient) content is higher in less mature forage.
It also had lower pH and better fermentation. Forage that had a subsequent maturity index (neutral detergent fibers) and had high N fertility index (higher in crude protein) had higher pH. Moreover, several other factors affect the baleage quality.
Heat Damage
There is often overheating on blocks that are poorly fermented, resulting in NDICP (neutral detergent insoluble crude protein). NDICP generation decreases in underripe forages and increases in low humidity forages.
Forages with high CP are more susceptible to heat damage, perhaps because more CP is available for NDICP formation. Therefore, it is imperative to properly manage high CP so that the heat damage in this potentially high-quality straw can be prevented
Cutting Time
No effect occurred on baleage pH from time of day when moisture was more than 50%. However, late afternoon cutting resulted in pH over 6 when the moisture was below 40%. This may be due to fermentable carbohydrates that are used for overnight respiration, resulting in poor fermentation.
Baleage pH and Baler Technology
On average, lower pH baleage resulted by variable size bale chambers chamber with newer silage type balers. The variable chamber baler is 0.23 pH units lower on average. In contrast, chamber balers remained an average of 0.64 pH units higher than the moisture-adjusted pH averages of all balers.
However, when the model was used in different farms, even hard-core ballers had their pH adjusted for moisture, varying from 0.34 pH units lower, until 0.65 pH units higher than average. This pH was observed between baler types, and this is the same pH range.
What does this mean? It is not just about the baler build and model, but the management itself is the important thing to make a high-quality baleage. Farmers should know how to use and adjust the balers they have so that they can get the best quality balers.
Moisture Meter
The windrow moisture can be measured by using a moisture meter. The range of moisture needed to make a baleage can be measured by this meter. The water levels measured in the laboratory versus in the lab had some bias.
When the moisture was less than 50%, it would be estimated and underestimated by the meter when more than 50%. The most accurate moisture meter was at 50%; in this, the laboratory reading 66 percent of the time.
Make High-Quality Silage Baleage by Using Grass Silage Film
Farmers can produce stored forage cost-effectively by using baleage. Instead of making haylage from dry hay, producers can make haylage with a lower risk of brain damage and also get excellent protection from storage loss by using plastic film.
Here is the instruction for use the plastic film for grass silage.
- Don’t overstretch the pasture film when using it.
- When you wrap the silage, the former film should be covered 50% by the latter film and wrap it tightly. After you wrap it, the end of the tail must be put into a layer of straw bales film. It is recommended to wrap 3-4 layers comprehensively.
- If the wrapped surface of the silage bales is completely damaged, it is recommended that they be repaired immediately with suitable adhesive tape.
- Don’t roll the silage bales on the ground.
- Keep away the silage bags from livestock and plants, toxic chemical dangerous substances, and checked frequently for bites by rodents such as rats. Cover the silage bags immediately with suitable tape.
- When putting the pasture film on the machine, it must be checked whether the lower and upper ends are damaged or not. Small cross-section damage can cause film damage in the process of use.
- Store the unused grass silage film in a dark and cool environment, and pay attention to mechanical damage and moisture resistance of the film surface.
Instead of using preservatives, using plastics cover over a curing agent is that you can get the main advantage that can preserve bales in any moisture range. Get the best grass silage film from Silopak manufacturer to keep your forage nutrition and quality.