What goes wrong in silage making & what you must look out for.

Farmers and smallholders have embraced silage to enhance their animals’ genetics, incorporating it into their feed to provide additional energy and starch. The emergence of large-scale silage production by companies has opened opportunities for those without farmland to purchase silage. Additionally, many farmers are adopting the practice of creating small quantities of silage in manageable containers for their livestock. However, it’s essential to remember that the success of your silage hinges on achieving high-quality feed from your land, yielding high energy and starch content that aligns with its intended role in the diet. Since soil and weather conditions vary, it’s crucial not to blindly replicate another farmer’s practices.

Crop Management

Achieving high-quality silage begins with meticulous farm-level management. Understanding your farm’s soil is paramount – select seeds suitable for your soil type and follow recommended land preparation practices to preserve soil moisture and value. Once the crop is growing, there’s no turning back from poor seed choices, soil mismanagement, or improper spacing. It’s essential to calculate available rainwater or irrigation for your crops to avoid crop failure.

Proper Fertilization

Proper fertilization – both during planting and top dressing – significantly influences yield. Vigilant pest and disease management is vital to prevent crop loss or diminished quality, particularly threats like army worms. Effective weeding is equally crucial, either done before planting or when the maize is still young, as managing weeds in taller maize can be challenging and labor-intensive.

In conclusion, achieving high-quality silage relies on effective management across various stages. Understanding your soil, making appropriate seed selections, careful land preparation, wise water management, proper fertilization, pest and disease control, and timely weeding practices all contribute to successful silage production. Remember that a

Sequence from	Sequence to	Description
00:00	00:52	Introduction
00:53	02:20	The three stages where silage could go wrong include the farm level which is the production level, after harvest and before feeding. To determine the quality of silage you can either look or take it to the lab but the real proper guide of quality silage is the the cow through its production or body condition improvement .
02:21	03:50	To match or get a good value of improved genetics the farmers and smallholders have introduced silage into their ration as an additional fodder. Silage adds energy and starch to the diet
03:51	05:19	Silage production in large volumes by companies which is relatively new is a chance for farmers without a farm to buy silage. Also farmers are adopting preparing small quantities of silage in small tubes for their feeds.
05:20	06:20	Summary
06:21	07:27	Summary
07:28	08:58	As long as you are a user of silage you are looking at getting high quality of silage where the land give you high yield. Also looking at getting high levels of energy and starch so that silage in diet plays intended role.
08:59	10:29	For good quality silage at the production level one has to consider their farm soil i.e. how well do you understand your soil and the agro ecological climate if they both support the growth of maize. In the event soil cannot grow maize one can put other forage protein that the land can support but only when the soil cannot be corrected to support maize farming.
10:30	11:47	Seed planted is also important for quality production check that you get seed suitable for your are of planting. Also inquire and learn about all requirements to develop that particular seed chosen for your farm.
11:48	12:40	How you do land preparation is also key avoiding practices that expose the soil loosing its moisture hence its value reduces which in the end may not support maize farming yet it would have. Any method of tillage that exposes the soil actually reduces the ability of the soil to support a good crop.
12:41	14:10	When it comes to planting it is a matter of spacing which can be either spacing between one row and the other or one plant and the other within a row. To have a higher crop production yield the you need to have narrower spacing but also consider your farm for not all farms/ soil nutrition can support narrow spacing.
14:11	15:23	There is no way of reversing the effects of getting it wrong on the seed, soil and spacing when the crop is growing. Also on your farm you have been able to determine how much water from the rain or irrigation you can be able to get for your crops not to fail.
15:24	16:51	Fertilization that comes with growing or when top dressing is a good crop management practice that will determine your yield production. Pest and diseases can lead to lose of crops or a very weak crop with low value the biggest threat is the army worm which need to managed well.
16:52	17:33	Weeding is also key in crop management and can be dealt with either before growing or control it when the maize it at its early stage. When the maize are much taller weeding becomes harder either doing manually or using mechanical methods.
17:34	18:39	The cobs is the one that mostly form the weight of the crop and with double cobs gives the assurance that at least 70% the maize quality is from the cob. Then 20% will be from the stem which at the time of harvest will be a bit succulent.
18:40	19:40	When the maize is too tall there is a huge part from the root up to near middle with difficult fiber for the cow to digest thus you have quantity but not quality. Its important to note that when you have a tall variety you likely so have some waste because the materials of fiber that the cows digestive system may not digest.
19:41	21:08	A plant with a small cob or is not well developed/matured cannot give you enough starch because its milky meaning it has lots of sugar hence the purpose of silage is not attained. Good earning from the crop is from a healthy crop with good maize cobs whereas underdevelopment is an effect of pests or poor fertilizing.
21:09	21:55	Maize crops with more than one cob helps in avoiding loosing on the mix of sugar and starch. Do not copy another farmers practice since farm soil can be different and a different weather.
21:56	22:46	Summary

Sequence from

Sequence to

Description

00:00

00:52

Introduction

00:53

02:20

The three stages where silage could go wrong include the farm level which is the production level, after harvest and before feeding. To determine the quality of silage you can either look or take it to the lab but the real proper guide of quality silage is the the cow through its production or body condition improvement .

02:21

03:50

To match or get a good value of improved genetics the farmers and smallholders have introduced silage into their ration as an additional fodder. Silage adds energy and starch to the diet

03:51

05:19

Silage production in large volumes by companies which is relatively new is a chance for farmers without a farm to buy silage. Also farmers are adopting preparing small quantities of silage in small tubes for their feeds.

05:20

06:20

Summary

06:21

07:27

Summary

07:28

08:58

As long as you are a user of silage you are looking at getting high quality of silage where the land give you high yield. Also looking at getting high levels of energy and starch so that silage in diet plays intended role.

08:59

10:29

For good quality silage at the production level one has to consider their farm soil i.e. how well do you understand your soil and the agro ecological climate if they both support the growth of maize. In the event soil cannot grow maize one can put other forage protein that the land can support but only when the soil cannot be corrected to support maize farming.

10:30

11:47

Seed planted is also important for quality production check that you get seed suitable for your are of planting. Also inquire and learn about all requirements to develop that particular seed chosen for your farm.

11:48

12:40

How you do land preparation is also key avoiding practices that expose the soil loosing its moisture hence its value reduces which in the end may not support maize farming yet it would have. Any method of tillage that exposes the soil actually reduces the ability of the soil to support a good crop.

12:41

14:10

When it comes to planting it is a matter of spacing which can be either spacing between one row and the other or one plant and the other within a row. To have a higher crop production yield the you need to have narrower spacing but also consider your farm for not all farms/ soil nutrition can support narrow spacing.

14:11

15:23

There is no way of reversing the effects of getting it wrong on the seed, soil and spacing when the crop is growing. Also on your farm you have been able to determine how much water from the rain or irrigation you can be able to get for your crops not to fail.

15:24

16:51

Fertilization that comes with growing or when top dressing is a good crop management practice that will determine your yield production. Pest and diseases can lead to lose of crops or a very weak crop with low value the biggest threat is the army worm which need to managed well.

16:52

17:33

Weeding is also key in crop management and can be dealt with either before growing or control it when the maize it at its early stage. When the maize are much taller weeding becomes harder either doing manually or using mechanical methods.

17:34

18:39

The cobs is the one that mostly form the weight of the crop and with double cobs gives the assurance that at least 70% the maize quality is from the cob. Then 20% will be from the stem which at the time of harvest will be a bit succulent.

18:40

19:40

When the maize is too tall there is a huge part from the root up to near middle with difficult fiber for the cow to digest thus you have quantity but not quality. Its important to note that when you have a tall variety you likely so have some waste because the materials of fiber that the cows digestive system may not digest.

19:41

21:08

A plant with a small cob or is not well developed/matured cannot give you enough starch because its milky meaning it has lots of sugar hence the purpose of silage is not attained. Good earning from the crop is from a healthy crop with good maize cobs whereas underdevelopment is an effect of pests or poor fertilizing.

21:09

21:55

Maize crops with more than one cob helps in avoiding loosing on the mix of sugar and starch. Do not copy another farmers practice since farm soil can be different and a different weather.

21:56

22:46

Summary

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What goes wrong in silage making & what you must look out for.

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Proper Fertilization

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