Silage waste or spoilage is a problem on many farms. Over the winter season, waste can build up considerably. A few simple measures have been put in place on UCD’s Lyons Research Farm to improve silage quality and to avoid spoilage.
Silage making might be a few months away, but now might be the time to have a look at these pictures to compare your own silage and methods of sealing the pit.
Silage Covers
Silage pits on the UCD farm have been covered in different ways in order to find the best method of preventing spoilage. The walls of the pits are always covered with plastic. The sides and the top of the pit are also fully covered in polythene.
This year, Silostop Wall Film was used on the sides of the pit instead of the regular polythene. Silostop Orange Oxygen Barrier Film was placed on top of the pit – over the regular polythene (main picture above). There is a minimal amount of spoilage on the pit. The picture below shows the oxygen barrier on the side of the pit and the low level of spoilage.
Silostop Wall Film on the side of the pit
The silage pit beside this pit is covered with regular black silage polythene – on the sides and on the top.
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