So that the food is not contaminated and its nutrients preserved as much as possible, it is important that the rancher knows the most suitable options for conditioning, after all, this process is totally linked to a good milk production.
The rancher always seeks the highest productivity of his herd and all factors that influence this result need to be on his radar. Animal feed is one of them, so it must be of high quality. Corn silage is one of the most used for several reasons, such as its high nutritional value, good digestion for high-yielding dairy cows, an already defined production system, ease of cultivation because it is mechanized, adequate production of dry matter and ease of fermentation. However, adequate storage is necessary to ensure the conservation of its nutrients and avoid contamination by bacteria.
The ensiling process, that is, cutting the forage and compacting it for proper storage in the types of silo available today, aims to waterproof and protect the food, preventing gas exchange, especially the entry of oxygen. Due to the seasonality of the production system, silage is carried out at the end of the harvest, and then consumed by the animals during periods of drought and food shortages, which occurs mainly in winter.
During this period of approximately six months, the food cannot be contaminated by bacteria and this can be avoided with the use of silage canvas, whose function is to waterproof the product to protect it from external contact with the environment. It also prevents the entry of oxygen to ensure the anaerobic environment, reducing the loss of nutrients caused by aerobic and undesirable microorganisms.
Silage contamination is a very serious factor, as it can interfere with the animal’s palatability, compromising milk and meat production. In more severe cases, digestibility problems can lead to death.
More important factors
According to the doctor in agronomy, Sueyde de Oliveira Braghin, agro market intelligence at Nortène, a company specializing in products for silage storage, the accumulation of dry matter in the forage plant is one of the factors that interfere with the quality of the food. “The dry matter content has a great effect on the final quality of the ensiled material, since above 35% it makes compaction difficult and increases the oxygen levels between the forage mass, which allows greater development of aerobic microorganisms and loss of nutrients from the forage. silage”, explains the specialist.
The doctor also reinforces the importance of proper compaction, a process that aims to remove as much oxygen as possible from the material to be ensiled, ensuring an anaerobic environment more quickly. “The compression rate is directly related to the silo density. The benefits of adequate compaction on the fermentative characteristics and losses in corn silages are obtained with minimum values of 225 kg of DM/m3”, completes the professional.
Finally, the choice of silo type is also a fundamental part of silage quality. In the past, ranchers used slope and aerial silos, traditional in dairy farms. Over the years and the need to technify the properties of the sector and reduce the fixed cost with these models of structures, surface and trench silos gained space.
Nortène’s HP silage tarpaulin line has numerous benefits, has exclusive manufacturing and Israeli technology. It is a product in the form of white/black canvas, made with 100% virgin material, without porosity, and contains raw materials such as metallocene, titanium dioxide and Hals additives.
Hals additive is an amine-based light stabilizer and protects the canvas against the action of ultraviolet rays, responsible for photo-oxidation, prolonging its useful life and increasing the warranty. The additive based on the metallocene catalyst provides greater strength, shine, transparency and sealing. “Metallocene has excellent impact and puncture resistance, in addition to offering thermal sealing benefits”, adds the Nortène agro market intelligence professional.
The white and black colors of the line are also important for the protection of the silage, as the doctor explains. “The white, on the outside of the tarpaulin, is responsible for the reflection of light, and prevents the heat from passing to the inside, increasing the use of the silo and reducing losses. The black color, on the inner side, prevents the passage of light, ensuring greater protection of the food, in addition to guaranteeing greater mechanical resistance to the canvas”, she says.
Transport and storage
Among the options of the silage line, Nortène makes available to the market the Silage Box HP, also called Silo Box, which has the advantage of being sold in a boxes. “The Silo Box is folded and packed in cardboard boxes, which favors greater protection of the material, ease of storage and handling, which can be done on pallets. It greatly reduces the chances of damaging the plastic, as we know that when handling traditional tarpaulins in rolls, damage is common,” says Sueyde.
In addition, it comes with a repair kit consisting of an adhesive tape, a differential that leaves the rancher calm in case of any damage caused by animals, such as birds or the flock itself. “As the ideal silage environment is without oxygen, any hole can cause damage, so the repair kit is very important”, concludes the professional.
