THE COMPLEtE GUIDE tO HARVEStINg MAIZE SILAgE

Harvest and feed-out management can inuence maize silage quality, quantity and ultimately the return you get from your maize silage investment. This booklet outlines the key steps that will help you maximise the quality of your maize silage this season.
Dr Jakob Kleinmans PhD (Agr. Sc.)

Contents
1

Plan ahead (pages 3-5)

Compaction (pages 13-14)

Harvest management (pages 6-9)

Sealing (pages 15-16)

Pioneer brand inoculant (pages 10-12)

Feeding out (pages 17-20)

Targets for maize silage (page 21)

Abbreviations that appear in this publication: kg = kilogram mm = millimetre N = nitrogen kgDM = kilograms of drymatter %DM = percentage of drymatter kgDM/m3 = kilograms of drymatter per cubic metre kgDM/ha = kilograms of drymatter per hectare tDM/ha = tonnes of drymatter per hectare MJME/kgDM = megajoules of metabolisable energy per kilogram of drymatter

Plan ahead
Maize silage harvest management starts many weeks before the forage harvester reaches your paddock. It is important to ensure you have a reliable contractor booked, the bunker or stack is ready for the crop, silage making supplies are on hand and there is adequate access from the crop to where it will be stored. Contractors Book in your harvest contractor as soon as the crop is in the ground. Choose a reputable contracting business that has well maintained equipment. Make sure your contractor can vary chop length, plant processor settings and can apply Pioneer brand inoculant at harvest time. Keep in touch with your contractor as your crop nears harvest maturity. Bunkers or stacks If you are using an existing bunker or stack, plan to carry out any necessary maintenance (e.g. drainage) prior to harvest. Remove the residues of last years silage and where necessary recut dirt walls to give a straight, clean edge. If you are building a new bunker or stack ensure that it is large enough to hold your crop and that the size of the face matches the rate of feed-out. Aim to feed across the face of the stack every three days taking at least half a metre from the face. To ensure good feed-out management and operator safety, the top of the face should be easily reached from ground level using the feed-out machinery that is available. For good compaction the bunker or stack must be at least twice the width of the vehicle that will be used to compact it. Build your bunker or stack on a rm base away from hedges, trees and major drains. Choose a site that you will have access to all year round.

If you would like more information on any aspect of silage making, phone the Pioneer Advice Line toll-free on 0800 PIONEER (0800 746 633).

Feed-out costs will be reduced if the bunker or stack is built close to where the silage will be fed out. Maize silage storage requirements New Zealand research has shown that the average density of a maize silage stack (no walls) is approximately 200 kgDM per cubic metre. The average density of a maize silage bunker (with walls) is approximately 225 kgDM per cubic metre. Overseas research has shown that the target drymatter density for both stacks and bunkers is 250 kgDM per cubic metre. Table 1 gives an approximate guide to the amount of stack or bunker space required in cubic metres. Cubic metres = length (in metres) x width (in metres) x height (in metres) Table 1: Approximate stack or bunker space required to store maize silage.
Amount of maize silage (tDM) Approximate storage space required (cubic metres) Stack (no walls) Bunker (with walls)

50 100 150
200 250

250 500 750 1000 1250 1500

222 444 667 889 1111 1333

300

To order your Pioneer inoculants contact your local merchant representative and contractor today.

Silage making supplies Ask your contractor if they will be providing silage making supplies (i.e. a high quality cover, tape for the joins and silage inoculant). If you are responsible for procuring these items ensure they are on farm well before harvest time. Silage inoculant requirements for a range of crop yields and drymatter are shown in Table 2. Table 2: Pioneer brand inoculant requirements per ha (small bottles treat 50MT) for a range of crop yields and drymatter percentages.
Crop yield tDM/ha) Harvest drymatter percentage (%DM) 30 32 34 36

20 22 24
26

1.3 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.9

1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.8

1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6

1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.6

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Access from crop to storage area Discuss with your contractor where the silage will be stacked and who will do the stack work. Where required widen gateways, culverts and races to allow safe and easy access for the silage harvester and the trucks or tractors and trailers that will cart the silage to the stack. Check overhead electric fence, power wires and tree branches have plenty of clearance for these large machines.

Harvest Management
The ideal time to harvest your maize silage crop is when the whole plant drymatter is between 30-38%. Estimating the kernel milk line score, the plant cob to stover ratio and the plant drymatter content will help you determine if your crop is ready to harvest. Please note that the following guidelines should only be used to determine if the crop is ready to harvest. There is a Code of Practice for the Trading of Maize Forage available free of charge from www.far.org.nz. Milk line The whole plant drymatter can be estimated by looking at the milk line of the grain. To check whether your crop is in the range of 30-38% drymatter: 1. Take a cob from a plant that is at least 20 rows into the crop. 2. Break / snap the cob in half and discard the end of the cob that was attached to the plant. 3. Hold the point of the cob downwards and remove a kernel from the snapped end. 4. Slide your ngernail along the length of the kernel starting at the at (dented) end of the kernel. 5. Note the point where the solid starch ends and the liquid milk begins. The hybrid will be ready for harvest when the milk line is two thirds of the way down the kernel.
1/3 Liquid milk

2/3 Solid starch

The milk line test is only indicative that harvest time is near. The only sure way to test plant drymatter is by sending a plant to a suitable laboratory or conducting a microwave drymatter test.
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Harvest drymatter chart The table below uses basic eld observations to make a more accurate prediction of maize silage drymatter percentage. This table should be used as a guide as to when to harvest your crop only.
MEDIUM GRAIN CONTENT (52.5%) HIGH GRAIN CONTENT (55%) VERY HIGH GRAIN CONTENT (57.5%) 35A30, 36B08, 36M28, 37Y12, 38B85, 38P05, 38H20, 38V12, 39F58, 39T45, P0021, P0791, P0891, P1234, P9400

HYBRID

33G26 & 34B23

33J56, 33M54, 34P88, 34F95, 34D71 34K77, 36H36, 39G12, 39V43

25% YELLOW/BRONW

25% YELLOW/BROWN

23% YELLOW EDGES

25% YELLOW/BROWN
29 33 35 36 38

23% YELLOW EDGES

23% YELLOW EDGES

HUSK COVER COLOUR 21% GREEN STOVER DRYMATTER CONTENT (%)

27% BROWN

27% BROWN

GRAIN DRYMATTER %

DESCRIPTION OF KERNELS

ANTICIPATED WHOLE PLANT DRYMATTER (%)

34 42 48 54 60

Milky, starchy cap only 1/3 Milk-line 1/2 Milk-line 2/3 Milk-line No milk left, solid starch

26 28 30 31 32

28 30 32 33 34

29 32 33 35 36

30 33 35 37 38

27 29 30 32 33

28 31 32 34 35

29 32 34 35 37

30 34 36 37 39

27 29 31 32 34

28 31 33 34 36

NOTE: This table is a GUIDE ONLY and is NOT FOR TRADE USE. This table should not be used for frosted, nutrient or drought stressed crops.
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27% BROWN
31 34 36 38 39

21% GREEN

21% GREEN

Chopping Precision chopping is necessary to achieve top quality maize silage. The ideal chop length is 10-15 mm. This is a theoretical chop length and you will nd some particles that are shorter or longer in your silage. Some longer particles are benecial as they stimulate the rumen of the animal that is being fed. If your silage is very dry (greater than 38% drymatter), decrease the chop length to 5-9 mm. In the case of very wet crops (less than 30% drymatter) chop length may be increased up to 20 mm. A good method of testing whether the chop length that you are using is correct for the moisture level is to take a handful of the harvested maize and squeeze it. The palm of your hand should feel moist. If you can wring water out of the material, you are almost certain to have run-off from your silage stack. Either increase the chop length or delay the harvest. On the other hand, if the maize silage does not stay compressed after squeezing, the maize is too dry. Chop length should be shortened.

Plant processing Maximising maize grain digestion is important since maize grain contains 70% more metabolisable energy than stover (the green part of a maize plant). The yellow brous outer covering of the maize kernel (the pericarp) is one of the least digestible parts of a maize kernel. Fracturing the kernels allows the rumen bacteria access to the highly digestible starch inside the grain. Research has shown that, over 22 trials, cows fed diets containing processed maize silage produced an average of 0.5 kg more milk per day than cows fed diets containing unprocessed maize silage1. While all crops will benet from plant processing that breaks up maize kernels, gains are even greater in crops where the grain is mature. Currently the New Zealand recommendation is to have 99% (with a target minimum of 80%) of the kernels broken into at least four pieces.

Maize silage energy content

Maize silage maturity Unprocessed Processed

Harrison J.; van Wieringen, L. 2011. Processing corn silage.

Pioneer brand inoculant

During silage making, bacteria ferment sugars producing acid which preserves the pasture or crop. Nutrient and energy losses occur during silage fermentation so silage is always slightly lower in feed value than the material which was ensiled. The type and number of silage making bacteria present in your pasture or crop will inuence the amount of drymatter and nutrients you lose in the ensiling process. The Pioneer brand inoculant range provides patented strains of fermentation bacteria in ideal numbers. It includes products that deliver a fast, efcient fermentation as well as products that reduce heating and spoilage at feed-out time. Only Pioneer inoculants offer a complete range of benets which include: - Products that reduce heating and spoilage at feed-out time - Maize silage specic products - Patented bacterial strains - Comprehensive, global, product-specic research* - Quality assurance with IS09001:2000 accredited quality control system - Guaranteed bacteria levels on the label of every bottle - Exclusive Appli-Pro inoculant applicator technology for more consistent and precise inoculant application - Extensive local technical back-up including Forage Specialists, Animal Nutritionists and a Veterinarian
* Trial results available on request

To order your Pioneer brand inoculants contact your local merchant representative and contractor today.

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New Zealand inoculant research Maize silage contains a high concentration of starch and sugars. This makes it more prone to heating when the stack or bunker is opened at feed-out time. When silage heats it loses valuable nutrients which could have been used by the cow to produce milk. By applying the right silage inoculant and using good harvest, storage and feedout management techniques you can reduce heating in your maize silage. A recent paper presented at the New Zealand Grasslands Association conference2, compared the aerobic stability of eight different maize silages inoculated with a range of commercially available silage inoculants. Time before maize silage heats 2,3
100 Time before heating (hours) 80 60 40 20 0 Untreated Brand A Brand B Pioneer brand 11C33

94.8

39.3

38.7

38.3

Pioneer brand 11C33 inoculated silage stayed cooler 55.5 hours longer than the untreated control. There was no signicant difference between other products and the untreated control.

2 Kleinmans et al, 2011. Using silage inoculants to improve the quality of pasture and maize silage in NZ. Proceedings of the NZ Grassland Association 73: 75-80.

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Choosing the right silage inoculant

Farming challenge Product solution Product benet

I want to reduce silage heating at feed-out time. I want to feed-out my silage up to one day in advance3.

11C33
Maize specic inoculant

PIONEER BRAND

Maize silage specic inoculant that helps improve silage quality and drymatter recovery3.

I want to improve bre digestibility and increase cow intake.

PIONEER BRAND
My goal is very high per cow performance. I want to feed-out my silage up to one day in advance3.

11CFT
Maize specic inoculant

Revolutionary new maize specic inoculant for high feed value and improved drymatter recovery3.

I want to maximise the return on my silage investment. Silage heating at feed-out isnt normally an issue for me.

PIONEER BRAND

1132 1174
multi-crop inoculant

Maize specic inoculant

Produces top quality maize silage for high producing dairy cows and specialised beef production.

PIONEER BRAND
I want a lower cost multi-crop product which will improve silage quality.

Improves drymatter recovery and silage quality of all forage crops.

For maximum aerobic stability benets, silage must ferment at least 30 days before feeding.

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Compaction
Rapid silage fermentation will reduce drymatter and energy losses associated with ensiling. Fermentation is an anaerobic (oxygen-free) process. The aim of the compaction process is to remove all the air out of the maize silage. To achieve a good compaction: Harvest at 30-38% drymatter. Very wet or very dry crops are more difcult to compact well. Match the chop length to the harvest drymatter. See page 8 for chop length recommendations. Spread the chopped material into 100-150 mm layers. Thin layers compact to a higher density than thick layers. If large loads are being delivered to the stack or bunker site, dump it in front and spread it in thin layers. Fill the bunker or stack in a wedge shape. This will give good compaction and minimise the amount of time that maize silage is exposed to the air. Start compacting at the back of the bunker (1) and progress to the front of the bunker (6).

13

Ensure that the compaction capacity matches the harvest rate. Compaction is a function of vehicle weight, rolling time and the depth of the chopped maize layers being compacted. Remember that wheeled vehicles have a higher weight per surface area and achieve better compaction than tracked vehicles of an equal weight. Increasing the weight of vehicles or the number of vehicles will help to avoid silage pile-ups. After the harvest has nished continue compacting until the surface is rm.

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Sealing
Silage fermentation does not begin until the forage in the stack or bunker is under oxygen-free conditions. Compaction removes air from the forage and sealing keeps it out. There are several key steps to achieving a good seal on your stack or bunker: Smooth the surface. This allows the cover to be laid at without any creases or folds. Apply salt. Some farmers choose to apply 1-2 kg of agricultural salt per square metre to the surface of the stack or bunker before covering. This eliminates any spoilage of maize silage immediately under the cover. This should be considered as an optional step. Cover quickly. Ideally the stack should be covered and sealed immediately after harvest as this will speed the fermentation process and reduce losses. Consider safety aspects (e.g. power lines, the risk of falling off the top) especially when the weather is windy. Tape holes and joins. When taping joins avoid a large overlap as condensation can form between the layers and drip into the silage causing spoilage.

Weigh the cover down. The cover needs to be held tight against the silage. You can weigh down the cover using tyres that are touching, sand bags or lime.
Tyres touching

Straight face

No loose material
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Seal the edges. Sand or limestone should be used to seal around the edges of the bunker or stack. Keep stock out of the stack or bunker area. Check the cover regularly. Patch any holes as soon as they develop.

Rats and mice Rats and mice can cause considerable damage to stored maize. As well as making holes in the cover which exposes the silage to the air causing spoilage, they also carry a number of diseases. It is much easier to keep them out of silage stacks and bunkers than to control them once they are in the silage. To keep rats and mice under control: Keep the area around the stack or bunker tidy and free of long grass and weeds. Place rat bait in bait stations on the ground around stored silage.

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Feeding out
Aim to keep the face of the maize silage stack tight throughout the feed-out period. You should not be able to push your ngers into the stack any further than the depth of your nger nails. Maize silage that is loose allows air to penetrate into the stack. Aerobic (oxygen loving) bacteria break down plant material, producing waste products including carbon dioxide, heat and water. Silage quantity and quality are decreased. Maize silage that is well compacted and sealed will not contain mould. Mould grows once the silage has been exposed to the air for a few days or more. Although not all moulds are harmful, some can cause animal health problems. Never feed mouldy or rotten silage to your cows.

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Careful use of the tractor bucket at feed-out time will minimise the loosening of silage. If possible, use the bucket to chip down silage and then scoop it up from the ground. Avoid digging into the stack as this loosens silage that will not be fed for several days. The diagram below shows a good bunker or stack management technique. The rst step is to work out how far into the face you need to feed. Next, scoop out the lowest section of the silage. Then using the bucket blade, chip down the silage one section at a time starting at the bottom.

Depth and width set for amount of feed needed for 1 day Then - chip down with bucket blade one section at a time starting from bottom

First - scoop out lowest section

Another alternative is to move sideways across the bunker face removing small amounts of silage from the whole face. Silage grabs and block cutters will assist in keeping the face of the stack or bunker tight. It is not necessary to lower the silage cover if maize is being fed on a daily basis however it may be advisable during periods of heavy rain. If birds are a problem, use shade cloth over the front of the stack.

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Starting to feed maize silage Introduce maize silage into the diet over a period of 5-10 days. Start by allocating each animal 1-2 kg drymatter and increase the amount that you feed each day. A slow introduction will allow starch digesting bacteria levels to increase and will improve utilisation and minimise the risk of acidosis (grain overload). Animals that have not been fed maize silage previously may take a few days to acquire a taste for it. Feeding out large quantities of maize silage in the rst few days may result in unnecessary wastage. Feeding maize silage in advance If you wish to feed out your maize silage up to one day in advance, use Pioneer brand 11C33 (see page 12) maize silage specic inoculant and ensure that silage has fermented for at least 30 days prior to feeding. If you have not used 11C33, the best time to ll your feed-out wagon or bins is immediately prior to the time that you will feed the silage to your cows.

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Methods of feeding maize silage Feed pad An increasing number of farmers are feeding maize silage on a feed pad that doubles as a stand-off area. The advantages of building a feed pad include: Reduced supplement losses Better pasture utilisation less pugging in wet weather Less overgrazing resulting in faster pasture growth rates Lower labour requirement for feeding out Feed pads are a signicant investment. Your local Pioneer Forage Specialist can help you determine whether building a feed pad will pay dividends for you. For more information see page 22. In the paddock Where a feed pad is not available maize silage can be fed-out in the paddock using a feed-out wagon. Maize silage can be dumped in piles (by remaining stationary and allowing the silage to feed-out) or in a line in the paddock. Feeding along a fence line will improve utilisation as the animals cannot walk (and dung) in the silage. The important point to note with either system is that there needs to be room for the entire herd to feed at once. Considerable wastage can occur if animals are ghting for a space. Typically maize silage has a pH of 3.8-4.2 whereas fresh pasture has a pH close to 6.0. Acid burn of the pasture can be minimised if the maize silage is fed-out onto the fresh break of pasture rather than onto a paddock that has been grazed out.

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Targets for maize silage

High quality silage is produced when high quality maize is ensiled well. Submitting a representative sample of your maize silage to a commercial feed testing laboratory will provide you with important information on the nutritional value of your maize silage and will also help identify ways to improve feed value next season. The targets for high quality maize silage are shown in the table below. Record your own maize silage results in the last column. Table 3: Target values for maize silage
Factor measured Drymatter (%) Metabolisable energy (MJME/kgDM) Crude protein (%DM) Acid detergent fibre (ADF) (%DM) Neutral detergent fibre (ndf) (%DM) Starch (%DM) pH Ammonia N (% of total N) Lactic acid (%DM) Acetic acid (%DM) Butyric acid (%DM) Target values My silage

30-38 10.5-11.1 6-9 25-35 35-50 25-35 3.7-4.2 0-10 4-7 1-3 0

High quality maize silage will have a tobacco smell and be green to greenish-yellow in colour. It should be cool and free of mould.

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SM

100% New Zealand grown feed is grown on NZ farms, for NZ livestock. It keeps jobs at home, pays taxes and saves overseas funds. Dont compromise production and prot by running short of feed. Secure your supply of maize silage today.

For more information go online or phone the Pioneer Advice Line toll-free

7 4 6 6 3 3

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