Maximise second cut
How good is silage this year?
Sarah Hardman at P & L AgriConsulting replies: Those who managed to cut early should have better quality than most but quantity may be down. This will mean focusing on maximising second cut to ensure cost-effective winter rations.
It has been a different start to the silage season for most, with the mild winter requiring many to cut as early as mid-April. Although lower than average yields have been seen, it’s looking to be the right decision for many with high quality analyses already recorded.
Many dry matters have been at 30% from young grass, with D-values of around 70, this will have helped to get high metabolisable energy (ME), with results from 11.0-13.0 MJ/kg dry matter (DM).
However crude protein levels look to be low at 12-13% in most early cuts. The target for these needs to be over 14% to balance low level protein crops such as maize and wholecrop, with extra protein supplementation expensive. As always, getting the right dietary balance during the winter will make the best use of both silage and expensive purchased concentrates for optimum yields.
With some first cut yields being as low as 12t/ha, a larger second cut will be a consideration but maintaining the quality is still important. Second cut quantity and quality will depend on the field management now and focus should be on nutrients (slurry and FYM), application rates, timing and fertiliser products.
Many are seeing an up-lift in overall production overall with increased sulphur rates, with some trials are also showing an increase in crude protein levels. Slurry applications are key, with potash being essential for nitrogen utilisation.
Calculate your slurry and fertilisers applications carefully, especially those looking to 5 week harvest windows to achieve high quality cuts.
