Transcript The Relevance of Silage to AFIA Members

Condah Silage Grower Update,
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Lockington Silage Grower Update,
hosted by
The Relevance of Silage to AFIA
Members
And how to get it more right if you
are in the game….because we as a
nation are CRAP AT SILAGE .
Its too mature and too dry
Why would you as an AFIA member
be into silage ?
It’s a hay organisation right ?
( oh OK , silage is fodder for sure !)
1- You make and trade It :
• Ideally you are cutting early , to conserve the
best low maturity fodder, that makes
premium silage, the most animal output, and
you get a premium for your efforts
• Or…You see a big front coming and want to
wrap it before it fully curred down
• Or…Its already wet and you wrap it before its
snot
2- You are serving , advising and
working for a client
• Ideally you are cutting early , to conserve the
best low maturity fodder, that makes premium
silage, the most animal output, and you get a
premium for your efforts
• Or…You see a big front coming and want to
wrap it before it fully curred down
• Or…Its already wet and you wrap it before its
snot
3- Spread your season and “utalisation”
• Silage often gets going earlier than hay , that is
good.
• Early silage( quality) gets going earlier …spreads
the work load a bit
• Hay runs till Xmas or there abouts
• Summer crop pit silages ( maize / sorghum) run
well after Xmas….that is spreading it further
• Just more work overall in a season
The upsides !
• Quality and animal performance , based on
earlier cutting date and less maturity
• Flexability earlier in a season or with a higher
moisture
The down sides !
• It costs more than hay to make silage
• It is a lot more tricky with extra steps and risks
to go wrong
• If selling it , You transport water around the
countryside on a truck…silage is less smart on
a truck
General Forage Conservation:
Some principles apply in both silage and hay production:
centrally….plant maturity is crucial to outcomes
• A huge pile of hay or silage may lend a warm
inner glow , but does it make any money if its
crap?
• Would I rather 300T of good fodder or 500T of
rubbish ?
• Lets stick it in front of 100 Beef steers at 300kg
The seasonal progression
•
Feed type
Better silage/hay
Worse silage/hay
•
• ME
9.5
8.2
• NDF%
• ADF%
50
36
65
45
130
100
$/t
1
The numbers on 300kg steer growth
• Hay type
OK
Poor
• Intake KGDM/d
• Energy intake
7
66
5.5
45
• Growth rate g/d
520
70
• Days to gain 50kg
96
700
• Kg Feed/kg gain
13
77
300T of good vs 500T poor hay/silage
• FCR = 13kg feed per 1kg
meat gained
• FCR = 77 kg feed per
1kg meat gained
• 300,000kg/ 13=23,000
kg weight gain
• $46,000 of weight with
input of 300T at $130/t
= $39,000
• +$7000
• 500,000/77 =6450 kg
weight gain
• $12,900 of weight with
input of 500T at $100/t
= $50,000
• -$37,000
The Outcome in $ Beef
• Feed
Good
• Growth rate g/d 1300
• % of feed making meat
56%
• Kg Feed/kg gain
• Feed cents/kg
6.8
10
• Cost to gain1kg
$0.68
OK
Poor
520
70
31%
3%
13
10
$1.30
77
10
$7.70
• (So how good is that overly mature bulk of hay or silage now )
WHAT EVER YOU CUT :CUT FOR QUALITY
NOT CRAP
• Quality drives production, volume is a false
economy and false confidence
• If you need crap , buy straw .That is often
there, you can nearly always find crap if you
need
• If cutting things in your control…cut early and
cut quality.
• Its harder to BUY quality
The special wonders of silage
(and a few extra challenges)
WHO WERE THE FIRST SILAGE MAKERS?
Some comments on silage
• The british and northern Europeans or some
bugger “invented” it to do forage when hay
was impossible… you reckon Victoria is wet and
cold . Think of Ireland and Scotland mate !
• Gives the ability to Cut early in the season for
quality without 5 dry days. Wilting helps for
sure , but don’t cut late just to get a wilt….no
one in Ireland has real vision of getting a big
wilt, but they make good silage still
• Cut early and compact the billy-oh out of it
with a big tractor , water in the wheels and just
singles not duels…it’s about weight driving
down to get rid of oxygen. Compaction is king
• Time of cut drives maturity , thus
compactability and thus performance and
preservation in the end…not just Nutrients
from a less mature fodder
• Better feed quality and less spoilage risk : Cool
What makes good silage outcomes
• 1- Time of cut, not mature (we can put this
into numbers)
• 2- Good fermentation (we can put this into
numbers)
• 3- Managing secondary fermentation
• 4- managing toxins production
• 5- Low wastage at feed out
Silage follows same rules of nutrients as
other fodders, + some
• Hay and pasture quality can be measured with
protein, ME, NDF ...all pretty straight forward,
and about maturity as we said
• Silage needs those numbers , but it needs
more to measure how it “ferments” and
pickles and preserves...and feeds out !
• Intake , energy yield etc all impacted by these
more unusual paremeters
Some extra parameters
•
•
•
•
•
•
Dry matter: aim 30-40% pit 35-45% bales
pH: aim 4.0-4.7 (How stable)
Lactic acid: aim over 5% (the preserving acid)
Acetic acid: aim low (under 2%, wrong acid)
L:A ratio : aim high is best, at least over 3:1
Ammonia: aim low , under 1% (protein good quality
,not degraded)
• WSC: more is better , aim for 5-15%. Sugars!
• Butyric: Any is bad , aim for zero !
Good silage tests, with only hay numbers
Silage number
1
2
3
4
NDF%
Protein
Treatment
46
19
Innoc
39
17
innoc.
50
17
Innoc
48
20
nothing
All look pretty good on the face of it , based on maturity as it were !
Good silage tests- watch your dry matter
even with good forage
Silage number
NDF%
Protein
Treatment
1
46
19
Innoc
3
50
17
Innoc
4
48
20
nothing
30
4.29
2
39
17
innoc.
Silage parameters
36
4.0
Dry matter%
pH
40
4.3
25*
5.1
Lactic%
Acetic%
Lac/Acet ratio
6.87
3.39
2.03
8.61
0.97
8.91
4.03
0.43
9.37
2.78
6.20
0.45
Ammonia%
WSC%
0.93
9.6
0.25
11.6
0.35
15
2.4%
6.5
Silage from more challenging stuff
silage
5
58
12
6
63
9
7
58
19
8
56
20
9
60
15
Treatment
Siloguard
Innoc
Innoc
Innoc
Innoc
DM%
27
4.4
5.95
0.03
188
1
7.1
46
5.2
0.52
0.26
2
NA
13
40
5.9
0.3
0.15
2
1.06
9.5
49
6
0.65
0.12
5.4
1.4
7.7
27
8.7
2.62
0.18
14
0.45
2.4
NDF%
Protein%
pH
Lactic%
Acetic%
Lac:acet
Ammonia
WSC
The two big things that I reckon commonly
make it damn hard to get it right
• 1- Excess maturity: less sugars to ferment to
acid , more fibre and lignin to impede
compaction ( less than 50% NDF )
• 2- Too dry: If we want bugs to grow and
ferment , it needs to be damp enough to grow
bugs properly
• ( 25-35% DM for pit , 35-40% Bale)
The right tool for your silage type,
inoculants are not always the optimal tool in Australia
Silage NDF
or
Maturity
or
difficulty
to
compact
or
oxygen
retained
Silage Dry Matter
If you know its not “silage”
gear….ponder on how you manage risk
• Knowledge on this simple wee matrix makes
things more clear
• Probably half the time preservatives are a
better bet than innoculants, as it was never
going to ferment and all we can hope is to
ensure spoilage doesn’t occur…as that brings
on a whole raft of further challenges
• Or do it as hay !!!!
Understand the process !
• Silage is complex , and we can cock it up in
nearly all the ways we can cock up hay…and
then some extra ones !
• 6 stages of silage management are generally
seen….yep 6!!!
Stage1- Aerobic run down
• Still air in stack/bale
• Aerobic oxidation = heat
gain
• Short pahse , just a fewe
hours with good delivery
and compaction
• If longer = more spoilage
risk as mould and yeast
persist with air
• pH still high
Stage2- Air gone. Fermentation starts
• Heterofermenters kick in ,
eg Enterobacteria and
Peddicocci. Handle the
high pH and the heat.
• Acid starts forming from
plant sugars Acetic and
lactic acid
• Lasts 1-3 days as things
“kick off”
• Gets pH down to about
pH 5
Stage3: Transition to full fermentation
• Transition to proper lactic
acid bugs and more good
strong acid.
• Enterobacteria die back
with pH drop
• Change occurs over 1-2
days as bug populations in
the forage change
Stage4- Classic period of lactic acid
accumulation
• If we get it right , we get
ongoing conversion of
sugars to lactic acid in a
stable bug population.
• Terminal pH determined
by sugars on offer ,
moisture and natural acid
buffering ( eg legumes !)
• Terminal pH doesn’t mean
it GOT THERE
IDEALLY…but it’s a guide !
Stage 5- Its stable silage
• Its now pickled grass !
• No oxygen , lots of acid
• no spoilage bugs as they
cant live with the acid or
without the oxygen
• Cooler now too
Stage6- Feed out and oxygen
penetration again
• Oxygen is back in, and
with that comes potential
spoilage agin
• Yeasts can live on lactic
acid !
• Manage the pit face
…clean face not crusty
guys !
• Potential for L buchneri or
L Brevis to help. Like wise
preservatives
Whats important
•
•
•
•
Get in it fast
Get it in tight
Get it immature enough to compact
Get it in immature enough to have some
sugars
• Get it in with some moisture
• Pack the crap out of it
What do innoculants do if they then ?
• If you can get a fermentation going they get the
bug numbers growing and get the pH down to
terminal pH faster…and some times at a bit
lower pH
• This can be a really good thing I assure you !
• L. Buchneri or L Brevis both impede re growth
of spoilage bugs when we feed out the bale or
open the pit
• Silage stays cooler after opening
• All innoculants are not the same !!
FERMENTATION PROFILE
Don’t just assume its about lactic
acid bugs…remember they are
about stage 3 of the bugs in
action !
Secondary Fermentation
• After opening , microbes come back and grow,
consuming further nutrients
• Silage heats at the face
• Lactic acid can be a food for some !
• Mould growth and toxin production can then
occur AFTER the pit is opened
• Undoes some good work
• Manage your face carefully
Mycotoxins: a common problem if we get silage
wrong
• All about oxygen,with oxygen comes problems
from mould and fungi
• With this comes possible toxins
• Take home point…no mould is OK mould !
• If you have it , then look at Mycotoxin
management products eg Elitox = 6c/day
• My arvo today- Cobram Vets with Dodgy sorghum
silage. Lets count how it went wrong !!
Mould colours in conserved forage
Major Classes of Fungi and related Mycotoxin groups
MOLD
COLOR
TOXIN PRODUCER
COMMENTS
Penicillium
Green to
green
-blue
Yes - Ochratoxin, Citrinin, Patulin
Several potential toxins associated with certain
species. Most common toxin producer in silage.
Aspergillus
Yellowgreen
Yes - Aflatoxin, Ochratoxin
Found in drought, heat-stressed conditions or insect
infested fields.
Fusarium
White to
pinkis
hwhite
Yes- Zearalenone, Vomitoxin
(DON), T-2 Toxin,
Fumonism
Common in cold, wet seasons. Certain strains
produce extremely potent toxins.
Mucor
White/gray
None
Found especially in sealed corn. Grows at low
temperatures. Also found in manures and soils.
Rhizopus
Black/whit
e
None
Requires high moisture and an advanced decay
mold. Common bread mold.
Cladosporium
White
None
Produces yeast like symptoms. Grows at low
temperatures.
Reference: Dr. Bill Mahanna, "Prevention And (If Necessary) Management of Moldy Silage."
Danger levels for Mould growth- a context for risk
Interpretation Guidelines for Mold Counts
Guideline
Mold Count
10 - 10,000*
Relatively Safe
10,000 - 100,000*
Transition Zone
100,000 - 10,000,000*
Caution Advised
Over 10,000,000*
Feeding may not be recommended
* col/gm (colonies per gram)
Favoured temperature ranges for moulds
that make Mycotoxins
Aflatoxins
Zearalenone
Don
T2
Some Innovation That I think is handy
• 1- Understanding what product type has a
application when
• ( not just…” maaate… I ‘noculated it mate !”)
• Use the right stuff …..some times an
innoculant , some times a preservative…some
times just don’t do it as silage !!!
2-Understand which innoculants are
well designed
• You can spend from $2-5/t
• You cant judge value by cost alone, but don’t
just use lactic acid bacteria
• Understand what will get things going
properly
• Understand what seems to manage secondary
fermentation better
FERMENTATION PROFILE
Don’t just assume its about lactic
acid bugs…remember they are
about stage 3 of the bugs in
action !
Understand the “ counts”
• You are looking for numbers of bugs basically,
more is essentially better
• 8 X 10 to power 8 = a ride on mower
• 8 X 10 to power 10 = a bloody good tractor
• The “10” bit is the important bit ...not the first
number
3-ENZYMES
ROLE OF ENZYME COCKTAIL
 Silage has a pH in the region of 4.0
 Enzymes for silage need to have an optimum pH
between 3.5 and 4.5 to be effective. Most are not.
 Enzymes can have beneficial effects but need to
be applied evenly with the inoculant .
 Enzymes work slowly and need time to have an
effect. This is typically 30 – 60 days.
ENZYME RESEARCH
Micron, in collaboration with Professor Roy Fawcett
at the University of Edinburgh has: 1. Determined the quantity of enzyme required to
add nutritional value to the silage.
2. Determined the nature and formulation of those
enzymes.
3. Described a new enzyme and included it the latest
products.
4. Formulated a crop specific range of enzyme
packages based upon fibre types and levels.
Enzymes Improve Digestibility by Breaking Fibre Bonds
100
Effects of Enzymes on Fibre
90
80
Perceentage %
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
NDF
Control
30 hr Digestibility
Feed value
Enzyme
Percentage Difference
FORAGE CONDITIONING
12
Effects of Enzyme Treatment on
Metabolisable Energy
Control
11
Enzyme Treated
21%
P<0.01
Paired T test
(one tailed)
12%
10
19%
ME KJ Kilo-1
33%
9
8
12%
7
6
5
Grass
Grass
Grass
Maize
Mean
Enzymes driven on Biofuels
• If we have big cellulytic fermenters like in EU ,
enzymes will make energy production more
efficent
• That makes BIG BIG companies get involved eg
DUPONT and the petrochemical dudes
• It will help silage making…go figuare !!!
4- Better covering wrap
• Keeps oxygen out better …simple, boring but
important
• Better people than me to explain it
People who’s slides I ripped off
brazenly !!!