Take the right path in the maize harvest

So to maximise its use we need to ensure the relevant topics are looked at. Farmers need to plan ahead and ensure all people involved in the harvest know their responsibilities and the requirements of the farm and the relevant pre-harvest checks are made.

Here's a check list:

Pre-harvest dry matter check – helps to determine harvest date

Supervising chopping – who makes the changes based on the following measurements

Measuring dry matter – can affect packing quality and starch digestibility

Check chop length – longer chop may be more difficult to pack but may be needed by the cow

Monitor kernel processing – if changes are needed, report back to chopper driver

Apply an NWF Sila-Maize additive, either for faster fermentation and/or to minimise heating losses during feeding out

Supervise packing of the clamp

Supervise fast and effective sealing of the clamp post-harvest – consider using an added oxygen barrier underneath the main sheet

What is the right harvest time?

High forage quality drives intake and in turn, this drives production. Maize silage should be harvested when the whole plant is at about 33 per cent dry matter, plus or minus two per cent. Depending on the conditions, corn plants will dry down at a rate of about 0.5 percentage units per day (clearly less if raining).

Harvesting maize silage that is too wet (typically less than 28 per cent DM) results in excessive fermentation that often produces high concentrations of total silage acids and may result in excessive seepage losses.

Specifically, these wet silages are often characterised by high concentrations of acetic and butyric acid produced from “wild” fermentations.

A common problem when feeding large quantities of wet maize silage is a reduction in DM intake because of the high acid content. In contrast, extremely dry maize silage (more than 40 per cent DM) should be avoided because the low moisture restricts fermentation and this material is more difficult to pack which often leads to poor aerobic stability.

Kernel processing is key, ideally a kernel should be broken into four pieces. However a more conventional split down the middle is acceptable.

Poor kernel processing will result in poor starch digestibility and result in waste. Simply take a one litre cup full of silage, spread it over a clean surface and check the processing quality. Overall, a key component to achieving a successful crop is good communication and an action plan in place to quickly react to whatever may occur during harvest.

Adam Clay is NWF Head of Technical