Silage 2025: Wilt fast, roll well and always consider an inoculant

Irish Examiner

29-04-2025

Rapid wilting is key to minimise excessive sugar and protein losses. The longer the wilting time, the more spoilage microorganisms will compete with lactic acid producing bacteria, leading to poorer fermentation, less stable silage and nutrient losses.
In cutting, aim for a minimum dry matter of 30% and a 24-hour wilt. Water loss is greatest in the first two hours after cutting, so aim to leave a wide swath behind the mower, or consider tedding straight after the mower.
Another key element of making high-quality silage is achieving a rapid fermentation. This process requires the silage clamp to be filled efficiently, achieving high levels of compaction to squeeze the air out of the clamp.
A major issue we are seeing is pits being filled too fast and not rolled well enough. Silage is made in the pit, and all air must be squeezed out, as any remaining air will affect fermentation and negatively impact silage quality.
Aim for a chop length of 18–25mm when the grass dry matter is above 30%. The dry matter of the crop will greatly influence the chop length required for rapid fermentation.
The wetter the crop, the longer the chop length can be. Wetter silage under 25% dry matter can have a chop length of 30-50 mm. Getting the chop length right leads to a strong beginning for the fermentation process.
Inoculant
Though no silage additive can compensate for poor management, using a high-quality additive can bolster quality significantly. In fact, the right additive can not only preserve the silage but also improve animal performance.
Fresh-cut grass will contain some beneficial bacteria, but they tend to be in low numbers and are not the best types for achieving a fast, efficient fermentation.
To improve fermentation, you want to provide plenty of beneficial bacteria that are highly efficient at fermentation, such as Lactobacillus plantarum and Pediococcus pentosaceus. These produce mainly lactic acid from the crop's sugar, so the pH drops rapidly to inhibit the growth of undesirable bacteria and moulds.
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How to choose and set your 2025 silage goals
To use it as an example, Alltech's Egalis Ferment supplies one million beneficial bacteria per gram of forage treated, when applied correctly. By applying a proven additive such as Egalis Ferment, you are putting yourself in greater control of the fermentation process.
You are also improving the silage's potential for metabolisable energy, digestibility and animal dry matter intake, which maximises milk yield and liveweight gain. Across a range of forages, milk yield can be improved by up to 1.2L/cow/day on silages, with an improvement from 69% to 75% DMD.
Reaping the benefits year on year, it has become evident good-quality grass silage plays a crucial role in all production systems across dairy and beef farms. Without a doubt, it is important to have enough silage to meet the demands of your herd, but not all silage is created equal.
By staying informed about best practices in silage-making and by planning well and taking a few extra steps as described here, you can make silage that will bring huge benefits to your herd throughout the year.
To learn more about making the most of your silage, including easy options for testing and analysis, reach out to your local Alltech representative or independent nutritionist.