Why wilt grass before ensiling
INTRODUCTION
Grass silage is the main form of conserved forage (approximatley eight million tonnes produced per annum) for Northern Ireland farmers to feed to ruminant livestock. Consequently the requirement to produce a high quality feed with minimal negative impact on the environment is essential.
Research work carried out during the 1970s and 80s demonstrated that while pre-wilting of grass prior to ensiling resulted in increased dry matter intake, the influence on animal performance was generally negative. It was acknowledged that this was due to the relatively long wilting periods, causing excessive field losses.
Hence the research and development work during the 90s has concentrated within the area of "Rapid Wilt". The objective of this work was to develop systems to ensile grass 25 – 30 hours after mowing at a dry matter percentages of 25 - 30.
The advantages to be gained from such systems of silage making are:
- Improved animal performance;
- Reduced effluent production; and
- Extended life of silos
The following provides an informative, practical and balanced view of the implications for the rapid wilting of grass on Northern Ireland farms, taking into consideration the many factors which affect its feasibility.
