In order to be able to produce high-quality silage, all ensiling requirements must be met correctly. In terms of fermentation, corn does not cause any problems. The plants usually ensile very well. They contain a lot of sugar and are sufficiently populated with lactic acid bacteria for low-loss ensiling. It often only becomes problematic when the silage is removed from storage, especially when the necessary minimum advance cannot be guaranteed. Due to their very high nutrient density, many corn silages tend to have a reduced aerobic shelf life. This means that the silage quickly warms up and molds when it is removed from the silo. These conversions are associated with high losses up to unfitness for feeding. So that the aerobic durability does not become a problem, the use of the biological silage additives BioCool (feed) or PlantaSil (biogas) is strongly recommended.
Maize ensiling at a glance
silo maturity
- DM content in the whole plant 30 - 35%
- Dry matter content in the cob 50 - 60% (beginning of dough ripening
ensiling technology
- Chop length 3 - 5 mm, the drier the plant is, the shorter the chop must be, pay particular attention to compaction when shredding
- Align the silo system according to the requirements for the minimum advance per week (winter > 1.5 m, summer > 2.5 m)
- Store evenly thin layers, maximum layer thickness 20 - 30 cm, adjust rolling capacity to recovery capacity (recovery capacity: 4 = rolling weight), if necessary create 2 silos, tire pressure > 2 bar
- Cover the silo airtight with suitable materials (underlay film, edge film, silo film, silo protective grid, silo bags) immediately after storage is complete
risk
- Reheating and mold at the time of storage. If you have found problems with reheating / moulding, our scheme will help you to find the cause
use of ensiling agents
- Use of BioCool or PlantaSil to ensure aerobic durability
yield
- 30 – 50 t fresh mass/ha (depending on the cut)
harvest time
- 28 - 33% dry matter in the whole plant, chopped length: 5 - 7 mm
risk
- Easy to ensile risk of reheating and moulding
ensiling agent