focus on fodderchair’s report welcome to afia’s focus on fodder for spring 2017. at the recent...

Spring 2017

focus on FODDER

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Chair’s Report

Welcome to AFIA’s Focus on Fodder for spring 2017. At the recent AFIA Conference in Queensland, the Pre-Conference Tour and the major industry event AgQuip Gunnedah, changing climatic and seasonal conditions, have been major points of discussion. With most areas of Australia recording record rains in 2016, what a contrast 2017 has been so far. Heading into the key spring fodder production period, much of Queensland and Central and Northern NSW are suffering extremely dry conditions that is impacting on all crops and pastures. Winter rainfall has been close to the lowest ever for these regions. The southern areas of our vast country are experiencing much better seasonal conditions, to the extent that some areas are waterlogged. Many cropping regions have also reported recent frost damage to broadacre crops. It is early days in assessing this frost damage but cutting these crops for hay may be the best management option.

Of particular relevance to AFIA, is the relaunch of the Rural Industries Research & Development Corporation (RIRDC) as AgriFutures Australia to reflect new direction and commitment to the future of Australian agriculture to ensure the long-term prosperity of its rural industries and communities.

As this is my first report as Chair of AFIA I would like to thank all AFIA sponsors, speakers and attendees at the recent 2017 National Fodder Conference for your enthusiasm and commitment to our industry. I look forward to working closely with all sections of the fodder industry to help maintain profitable and sustainable businesses.

Finally, thank you to Ann Collins for her leadership, direction and encouragement during her time as Chair of AFIA.

Frank McRae

Spring 2017

In This IssueIn Brief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Export Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Conference 2017 . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Pre-Conference Tour. . . . . . . . . . . 10Baling Products: Venus Packaging . . . . . . 10NHVR Heavy Vehicle Classes . . . . . . . 12Our Place . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14AFIA Photo Comp Winners . . . . . . . . 14Our Place: What Do End Users Really Want? . . 15Tapex Agri . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Women in Fodder . . . . . . . . . . . . 17Women in Fodder Facebook Group . . . . . 17Machinery Innovation: Kuhn . . . . . . . . 18Silage Wrap: Integrated Packaging. . . . . . 21Silage Wrap: It's Crystal Clear . . . . . . . 22Bale Film for the Dairy Cow: Lallemand . . . . 25

Australian Fodder Industry Association LtdThe Australian Fodder Industry Association Ltd (AFIA) is the peak body for the Australian fodder industry covering all sectors of the supply chain, from seed to feed.

Since it was established in 1996, AFIA has worked to help the fodder industry grow through sharing information, assisting trade and promoting research and development. It also works closely with government regulators to ensure its members have a favourable environment in which to do business.

Its members are the Australian fodder industry—farmers, contractors, transporters, fodder testing labs, researchers, service providers, domestic hay traders and exporters—all committed to growing the fodder industry together.

AcknowledgementsEditor: Jesse Lourey

Industry Development Officer, AFIA T 03 9670 0523 or E [email protected]

Design and layout: Di Holding AnDi Communications www.andicom.com.au

Cover photo: Supplied by Jenharwill Baling Pty Ltd

Photos: by AFIA staff or article author unless otherwise noted.

AFIA Focus on Fodder Spring 2017 [1]

Message from the CEOWelcome to the Spring 2017 edition of AFIA’s Focus on Fodder publication. It has been a month since our 2017 National Fodder Conference; enough time to look back objectively on the event and to have heard enough feedback from members and sponsors to make an assessment. The report card on the event from my perspective is very good, including:

■ An excellent venue with very good conference facilities. I particularly appreciated the opportunity to have the machinery display at the front door to our conference every day and because of that, it was a daily drawcard during the session breaks for delegates. I am certain our sponsors appreciated the attention their machines received because of this, made even more conducive and enjoyable due to the wonderfully warm Queensland weather.

■ A diverse and stimulating program of speakers. It was an honour to have welcomed Professor Mark Howden from ANU, Dr Andy Shepperd from CSIRO and Dr John Reich from Alforex Seeds in the USA to be part of our program this year. Their respective presentations challenged us all to lift our thinking from the here and now and for a moment at least, to think about the future and what might be. We also had terrific contributions from Dairy Australia, MLA, New Holland, Vomax, Krone, AFEX, TPC Agriculture and Patricia Chant. There was the one “Our Place” session in 2017 thanks to Brett Priebbenow from Priebbenow Silage Contractors and that, from some of the feedback I have received, is not enough. AFIA members like to hear from their fellow AFIA members via the Our Place conference sessions, so for 2018 we will look to add more of these to the program.

■ Excellent social functions. The social opportunities at every National Fodder Conference are well understood by all us in AFIA to be important and this year I felt that the Welcome Cocktail Function and the Conference Dinner achieved their objectives. My measure of success of these

is quite simple: firstly, the level of interaction, conversation and laughter from those attending and throughout the duration of the events and secondly, how many people are still there once the official event has concluded. On those two measures alone, both social functions this year were extremely successful.

■ Happy sponsors. I know it was mentioned often during the conference because it is very important and it is true: AFIA can only continue to exist and function with the support of our members and our sponsors and our sponsors foot a considerable proportion of the cost of the conference thanks to their sponsorship. On top of that, they need to achieve a return on that sponsorship investment and that means staff attending to man trade displays, marketing materials being produced and shipped to the conference, setting up the trade display, etc. etc. I was pleased to hear from many of our sponsors that they once again felt their investment in AFIA via sponsoring the 2017 National Fodder Conference was returning value to them. Further to that, you think you must be doing something right when companies who are not currently sponsors approach you during the conference stating that they want (and need) to be involved as sponsors in coming years.

In Brief

On behalf of the AFIA Board, staff and members, thank you to all of our sponsors for their support

of our 2017 National Fodder ConferenceWe appreciate your time, effort and participation in making the event the great success it was and

we look forward to working with you all again at the 2018 National Fodder Conference at the

Adelaide Convention Centre from 6–8 August 2018

Growers share ideas at an AFIA Our Place Workshop earlier this year.

It would be arrogant of me to suggest the AFIA score card from the 2017 National Fodder Conference was an A+ but I certainly have no problem in assigning a B+. There is always room to improve and we look forward to doing just that in 2018 in Adelaide. A note of thanks again for all the hard work of the AFIA staff, Pru Edmonds and Jesse Lourey, in making this year’s conference such a success.

Thank you to everyone who attended the conference: AFIA members, sponsors and stakeholders. AFIA appreciates your ongoing support and looks forward to continuing to work to achieve even better outcomes for the industry over the next twelve months and beyond. ■

RIRDC Relaunched as AgriFutures AustraliaTo reflect a new direction and the commitment to the future of Australian agriculture, the Rural Industries Research & Development Corporation (RIRDC) has relaunched as AgriFutures Australia. AgriFuture Australia’s Managing Director John Harvey had this to say about the change:

This is much more than a simple name change. This is a thoroughly considered, strategic decision for our organisation to remain relevant and at the forefront of agriculture for the stakeholders we serve. We have learned from all that has come before (RIRDC) and are now building on those strong foundations to forge a bold new direction.

We need to ensure the long-term prosperity of rural industries and communities. To do that we had to upend our thinking on how we operate. AgriFutures Australia is firmly focused on the future because it’s our job to anticipate what is coming next and – through research, innovation, technology and collaborations – prepare our rural industries for what’s ahead.

The needs of the sector moving forward are vastly different to when RIRDC first began. This relaunch reflects the changing face of agriculture – where technology is transforming the sector and there is a new breed of highly skilled young professionals who are dynamic, entrepreneurial, commercially savvy and strongly connected.

We are confident about the future of Australian agriculture and that confidence is reflected in our relaunch as AgriFutures Australia.

The re branding process started in December last year and has been a rigorous and extensive process for our team. It involved consultations with the Board and senior executive staff, and interviews with stakeholders at an individual and organisational level. We examined perceptions of the RIRDC brand and its values, considered our future brand values and brand aspirations and then developed the corporate renaming strategy. It was important to us that we consulted with the people and organisations that would be directly affected by these changes to ensure that we were making decisions that would ultimately serve their best interests.

AgriFutures Australia is the new trading name for Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation. In practical terms, all new research, programs and publications will adopt the new name and reflect the new branding.

I encourage you to visit our website and to sign up to our newsletter to receive our latest information. You can find us at www.agrifutures.com.au. Additionally, please follow us on Facebook and Twitter via @AgriFuturesAU ■

Lallemand Animal Nutrition with AFIA Offers Future FundIn support of future generations in the fodder industry, Lallemand Animal Nutrition in association with the Australian Fodder Industry Association (AFIA) is excited to announce the introduction of the Gen Ag Future Fund.

Launched at the 2017 National Fodder Conference, the Lallemand Gen Ag Future Fund will be awarded to an outstanding Gen Ag individual who is deemed able to make a demonstrable long-term contribution to the Australian fodder industry and more broadly, Australian agriculture.

The 2018 fund offers a Gen Ag member $3,000 to assist with further education or costs to undertake a specific project that will benefit the industry.

“The Lallemand Gen Ag Future Fund was initiated to recognise a new generation of agriculture students who are excelling in their chosen field," said Alex Turney, Lallemand Animal Nutrition Country Manager.

"Lallemand supports the advancement of agriculture’s current and future generations. This is an exciting opportunity to advance the knowledge and resources of tomorrow's scientists and leaders."

The requirements for Gen Ag members to apply are: ■ Must be a student, or currently working in agriculture industry

■ Must be 18-30 years of age at the time of application and a current, financial Gen Ag member of AFIA

In Brief

2017 Field Days CalendarHere’s a list of upcoming Fields Days for your calendar. Let the AFIA team know if you’re heading along as some staff, board members or sponsors may be attending.

October3–5 Elmore Field Days, Elmore VIC13–14 Wandin Silvan Field Days, Wandin East VIC25 National Hay Safe Day

26–28 Australian National Field Days, Orange NSW

November7 Melbourne Cup

continued on page 6 »»


keys toproducingquality oat hay

Chapter 1 why grow oat hay?

Chapter 4variety selection

Chapter 7 weeds, diseases & pests

Chapter 2 oat hay planner

Chapter 5 establishing the crop

Chapter 8 making oat hay

Chapter 3 market requirements

Chapter 6crop nutrition

Chapter 9 transport & storage

Oat hay provides enterprise diversity bringing financial and agronomic benefits.

Select varieties to meet market, region and disease resistance requirements.

In-crop weed and disease control options are limited. Plan ahead.Abide by all product labels.

Paddock selection and pre-seeding weed control are essential for quality oat hay.

Calculate seeding rate on 1000 grain weight.More seeds generally increase quality, yield and weed competition.

Bale when 12-14% moisture.Different variety maturing extends cutting date more than spreading sowing date of the same variety.

Know your market.Talk to your hay buyer before sowing.

Soil test: sow in paddocks with low nitrogen (N).Understand variety N requirement and importance of potassium.

Store export hay in sheds.Monitor hay moisture.Know and implement transport laws.

credit Emma Leonard, AgriKnowHow

‘It pays to make hay’

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Export ReportPeter Gillett Bodiam - Export & Domestic Feed Supplies

A couple of days ago I was accused, with all other exporters, of being the cause of the oversupply of baled hay in Australia this current season. The reason was that we were paying too much for hay and the gross margins were better than all the grain alternatives. I did point out that soaring oat grain prices a couple of years ago had a big impact on oat plantings (certainly in WA). I then explained that prices this year would almost certainly be lower, not because I agreed that we had been paying too much, but for many other reasons, namely:1. The AUD is stronger than all predictions by banks,

economists etc. Yes, I know that if you ask two economists a question you will get five different answers,

but the scary thing is that all of the economists have been predicting a lower AUD. We would hope that eventually the predictions come true and we see our currency at 75¢ or lower.

2. Shipping rates are increasing mainly due to the record yields of hay and grain last harvest. Obtaining shipping space has been somewhat difficult for some months and the increase in rates was inevitable.

3. Whereas our fairly stable and more established markets of Japan, Korea and Taiwan are chugging along all right, China has seen great expansion over the past six to seven years but its expects very good quality at very competitive prices. Some of the big dairies tend to buy on a tender basis and this can put downward pressure on prices when the market is well supplied, which it has been.


Export Corner

Australian Hay and Straw Export History 1988 – 2017

YearDestination

Total tonnesJapan China Korea Taiwan Other

1988 31,968 0 27 46 69,545 101,586% of total 31.47% 0.03% 0.05% 68.45% 100.00%

1990 53,517 0 24 76,423 129,964% of total 41.18% 0.02% 58.80% 100.00%

1995 138,319 19 1,185 100,984 240,507% of total 57.51% 0.01% 0.49% 41.99% 100.00%

2000 385,811 226 8,434 9,785 92,268 496,524% of total 77.70% 0.05% 1.70% 1.97% 18.58% 100.00%

2005 610,220 26 53,921 24,245 85,711 774,123% of total 78.83% 6.97% 3.13% 11.07% 100.00%

2010 554,295 9,220 134,781 54,607 24,692 777,595% of total 71.28% 1.19% 17.33% 7.02% 3.18% 100.00%

2011 494,903 13,836 125,477 40,346 41,504 716,066% of total 69.12% 1.93% 17.52% 5.63% 5.80% 100.00%

2012 449,117 18,960 168,371 37,444 35,866 709,758% of total 63.28% 2.67% 23.72% 5.28% 5.05% 100.00%

2013 512,781 46,730 157,434 46,228 52,349 815,522% of total 62.88% 5.73% 19.30% 5.67% 6.42% 100.00%

2014 486,936 128,069 175,545 50,591 56,619 897,760% of total 54.23% 14.27% 19.55% 5.64% 6.31% 100.00%

2015 491,038 161,575 160,882 63,448 59,386 936,329% of total 52.45% 17.24% 17.19% 6.78% 6.34% 100.00%

2016 480,340 221,141 160,814 66,700 59,296 988,291% of total 48.60% 22.38% 16.27% 6.75% 6.00% 100.00%

2017# 220,886 120,903 104,821 35,731 17,922 500,263% of total 44.16% 24.17% 20.95% 7.14% 3.58% 100.00%# five months only

It appears, weather permitting, the new season will, with the considerable carryover, be well supplied and one would hope China continues to increase its imports of hay and maybe the Middle East or other markets will start to import increased volumes of Australian oaten hay. That said, every exporter knows that if growers don’t get good prices for hay, it is very easy to switch to grain, and not grow hay. Therefore, there is a definite incentive to keep prices up as much as possible.

A number of growers, on different occasions, have said that to build some on-farm storage, they have to be paid extra by the purchaser. This is a fair assumption but one of the biggest advantages of having some on-farm storage is the ability to get baled hay under cover immediately if rain is imminent, whereas it may not be possible to transport the hay quickly enough to the purchaser who could be a considerable distance away. This in itself could mean the hay is still export quality whereas no on-farm storage could lead to considerable downgrading of the hay if it is rained on and therefore may no longer be export quality.

Please see the charts that show the hay and straw export history (as shown at the AFIA Conference). This clearly shows the importance of China as the new growth area for oaten hay. Whether this will continue or not is a vexed question. China produced approximately 450,000 tonnes of oaten hay domestically this year and I have been advised that some Chinese end users clearly prefer domestic oaten hay. That said, the majority of exporters think that China will continue to increase its imports of Australian oaten hay. (Please see the Winter 2017 edition of Focus on Fodder.) ■

Export Corner

■ Must submit a résumé with references, work experience, transcripts and a 500-word essay describing how you would apply the funds from the Gen Ag Future Fund if you were the successful applicant.

Applications will open at the beginning of 2018 and individuals will be assessed based on their essay, resume and career vision and will be reviewed by AFIA. Participation in an interview panel assessment comprising of Lallemand and AFIA-appointed representatives may be required.

Lallemand Animal Nutrition uses its resources to better serve customers and partners — from our production facilities; to our experienced network of specialists, to the energy and innovative spirit of our people. Lallemand supports the advancement of agriculture’s current and future generations.

More information will be released closer to the date. ■

AFIA Subcommittees UpdateThe 2017 National Fodder Conference witnessed a renewed focus and impetus behind the establishment, participation and direction of AFIA’s subcommittees.

As way of background, a new AFIA Subcommittee Policy has been developed, which states:The Board of Directors of the Australian Fodder Industry Association (AFIA) can, as required, establish various Subcommittees to further develop key areas of concern/interest within the Australian fodder industry. The Constitution of the Company outlines a number of considerations regarding the formation and activities of a Subcommittee, including:

11.1

(e) The Board may delegate one or more of the tasks or functions of the Board to a Subcommittee of the Board, to an employee or officer of the Association or may contract such tasks or functions to an external provider.

11.9 (a)-(j) - please refer to the AFIA Company Constitution on these sections.

Subcommittee Operation1. All AFIA Subcommittees are to be approved by the Board

of AFIA annually with a clear and succinct statement of intention of the function of that Subcommittee to be established and agreed.

2. All AFIA Subcommittees are to have an elected Chair from within the Subcommittee. The Chair may be from the AFIA Board but this is not mandatory. However it is a requirement that all Subcommittees have at least one AFIA Board member. A Vice-Chair for every Subcommittee should also be nominated by the Subcommittee and will act as required as the Chair of that Subcommittee in the absence of the appointed Chair. It is not mandatory for the Vice-Chair to be a Board member of AFIA.

»» continued from page 5

Georgie Troup from 2017 National Fodder Conference, @Georgie.Troup, 8 August

[6] AFIA Focus on Fodder Spring 2017

CONGRATULATIONS

Charlie WilliamsAFIA LIFE MEMBER

3. All AFIA Subcommittees are to have a nominated Secretary to take meeting minutes. In the absence of a Secretary, the AFIA CEO becomes the Secretary.

4. AFIA Subcommittee meetings can be called by the Chair as required although it is expected that a Subcommittee should meet at least twice per year. Meetings can be face-to-face if the opportunity is available otherwise these meetings can and should be conducted as a teleconference using the AFIA teleconferencing facilities.

5. Minutes from a Subcommittee meeting will be developed and circulated to Subcommittee members by the Secretary. Once approved by the Subcommittee, Minutes will then be circulated to the full AFIA Board. Minutes will be taken as approved by the AFIA Board within five (5) working days of distribution unless a query/objection to any aspect of the Minutes is lodged (via email) to the Chair and/or Secretary within five (5) working days of distribution.

6. AFIA Subcommittee meetings should adhere at all times to proper meeting conduct and process. Minutes must be recorded for all Subcommittee meetings. Motions should be clearly and concisely recorded within the Minutes and must have been moved and seconded by approved Subcommittee members. Actions, responsibilities and time frames should also be clearly minuted.

7. The Minutes must also record attendance and absenteeism for all Subcommittee meetings. Board representation on Subcommittees may be recorded and disclosed within the company’s Annual Report to

members every year and may be subject to scrutiny under the annual audit of the company.

8. All AFIA Subcommittees are to be reviewed annually at the first available Board meeting following an Annual General Meeting (AGM). This also includes the appointment (or re-appointment) of AFIA Board representative(s) on that Subcommittee.

At the conclusion of the 2017 National Fodder Conference, four AFIA subcommittees were reaffirmed including Chairs and a number of participants have already nominated to be part of the operations of these subcommittees for the next twelve months:1. Export –

Chaired by Mr Peter Gillett2. Transport –

Chaired by Mr Charlie Williams3. Contractors –

Chaired by Mr David Cossar4. QEC/Ring Test Program –

Chaired by Mr Rick Stadler

Whilst the Export and QEC/Ring Test Program subcommittees have been in operation for some time now and continue to pursue a work program that is already well in place, a number of new and exciting initiatives have now commenced with the Transport and Contractors subcommittees. Still under consideration and discussion by the AFIA Board is the establishment and operation of potential subcommittees for Women in Fodder and Gen Ag.

In Brief


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AFIA, in association with our subcommittees, looks forward to communicating the direction and outcomes of these subcommittees and their work programs over the coming months. If you have any questions relating to these subcommittees, your enquiry is welcome via the AFIA office. ■

ALFA SMARTBEEF 2017The program for the Australian Lot Feeders’ Association (ALFA) SMARTBEEF 2017 has now been released, with a range of speakers who will inform and inspire grass root members of the feedlot community and the beef supply chain.

The focus of the conference is on being SMART – whether that be in production or business essentials, using data, developing global and domestic market relationships or applying research.

Keynote speaker Carolyn Miller, of ABC’s Gruen Planet, will headline a range of excellent speakers including:

■ Don Mackay, Red Meat Advisory Council - Australia’s shift from being a commodity trader to one built on brands to meet the needs of the global consumer.

■ John Langbridge, Teys Australia - Carcase value discovery and the role that DEXA plays.

■ David Hill, Cattle Council of Australia - A comparison of feedback systems currently used in the industry, how they are put into practice and what will be available in the future.

■ Steve Blake, GrainCorp Liquid Feeds - Balancing the nutrient requirements of livestock with pasture quality - benefits of an integrated supply chain.

■ Rob Banks, Animal Genetics and Breeding Unit, UNE - Designing the perfect feeder steer with genetics.

SMARTBEEF 2017 will be held at the University of New England, Armidale NSW, 1 – 3 November 2017. It will include a tour of Sundown Pastoral, as well as demonstrations of new technologies and products.

Visit the website for more details or to register your interest at www.smartbeef.com.au or email [email protected] for further information. ■

In Brief

AFIA 2017 National Fodder Conference Wrap-upThe Gold Coast sun shone bright and warm on August 7 to 9 at the RACV Royal Pines Resort to welcome over two hundred delegates to the annual Australian Fodder Industry Association’s (AFIA) 2017 National Fodder Conference. With a theme of ‘Feeding Innovation, Growing Success’, delegates were treated to an outstanding program of speakers who shared information and expertise on a wide range of topics. Opened by Mrs Kay Hull, the Chair of the Rural Industries Research & Development Corporation, the conference program unfolded with key note addresses from Dr Jonathon Reich from Alforex Seeds in the USA talking about the global breeding program for Lucerne, and Professor Mark Howden from Australian National University on adapting Australian agriculture systems to a changing climate.

Massey Ferguson, as major conference sponsors, went all out with a world exclusive appearance of its new ultra-high density baler, the MF2370UHD. This machine generated a lot of interest, parked on the lawn amongst a range of other equipment from Krone,

New Holland, John Deere, Lely, JCB and Manitou. The MF2370UHD is not available just yet but by the number of delegates looking over it, interest is certainly peaked for its arrival in 2018. As always, the machinery display at this year’s conference was a real draw-card for delegates and proved a remarkable backdrop to pre-dinner drinks on Tuesday evening.

On Wednesday, delegates heard from both Meat & Livestock Australia and Dairy Australia on the situation and outlook for both the red meat and dairy industries. Following these presentations, Dr Andy Sheppard from CSIRO spoke about the future opportunities for using gene technology in pest and weed management.

On Wednesday afternoon, Lallemand Animal Nutrition and AFIA launched their new partnership program, the Lallemand Animal Nutrition Gen Ag Future Fund, which will see $3,000 awarded annually by Lallemand Animal Nutrition in association with AFIA to an AFIA Gen Ag member to assist with further education or costs to undertake a specific project that will benefit the Australian fodder industry.

And this is just a few of the many highlights from a packed two day conference.

The conference social functions were highlights for many, providing relaxed opportunities to catch up with friends and colleagues and to celebrate the success of the fodder industry.

In 2018, the National Fodder Conference returns to South

Australia to the Adelaide Convention Centre from 6-8

August 2018. Put it in your diary now.

Conference 2017

Feed Central Pty Ltd @FeedCentralPL, 9 August


Pre-Conference Tour


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The annual AFIA National Fodder Conference was again this year preceded by the equally anticipated Pre-Conference Tour. Led by AFIA Industry Development Officer Jesse Lourey, the tour was a three day journey through Queensland’s southeast, Darling and southern Downs regions.

Along the way the group of 30 AFIA members stopped in on some of the state’s most interesting and diverse agricultural ventures. Departing from the Royal Pines on Friday 4 August, the first day included stops at Aquis Farm, one of Queensland’s leading thoroughbred racehorse facilities, Ag Junction Test and Evaluation Centre where we saw the future of autonomous and GPS controlled machinery, and BEC Feed Solutions where we spoke to experts in feed and animal nutrition.

Friday night the group was treated to a luxurious dinner and accommodation in Brisbane at Rydges Fortitude Valley. Following the meal, John Lever from Grevillia Ag gave a presentation on his business, its strong history supporting AFIA and what lies in store for the future.

The following day was no less jam-packed as the bus headed west for Toowoomba. Unfortunately, some horrendous Brisbane traffic prevented us from making our first stop at AFIA member Lance Pollock’s place and we were forced to push on to Jondaryon to keep time. Once there the group enjoyed lunch in the world’s oldest and largest operational woolshed. A guided

tour of the property followed lunch, then it was back on the bus and down the road to Wainui Feedlot. The feedlot was a favourite with members, wowed by the sheer size of the operation.

Saturday night’s dinner and accommodation were at Eastgate on the Range in Toowoomba and dinner was again accompanied by an evening presentation. This time, local hay trader and fodder expert Neville Janke of Feed Central gave the group an insight into the state of Queensland’s hay market.

On Sunday, the bus retraced its tracks a little to visit the Northern Oat Breeding facility at the University of Queensland in Gatton. Then heading south, the group stopped in at Stuart Judd’s, an AFIA member and respected lucerne grower in Glengallan. After the tour and a good catch up with Stuart, the group toured a beautiful old homestead beside his farm and then made their way towards the coast.

As has become customary on the Pre-Conference Tour, the final stop was at a local winery (Mt Nathan) where the AFIA group all raised a glass to the three days. All in all, it was another terrific tour thanks to some great sights along the way and even better company. ■

Pre-Conference Tour participants visited a field site of the Northern Oat Breeding facility at the University of Queensland, Gatton.

Netwrap: Ensure it Has Sufficient Tensile StrengthTensile strength is largely determined by the construction technology and weight per linear metre. The higher the weight per linear metre, the higher the tensile strength (or break force). Venus’ Totalcover brand comes in weights of 12, 13 and 14 g per linear metre (1.23 m width) with respective industry leading tensile strengths of 290 kgf, 310 kgf and 330 kgf. Venus’ premium economy netwrap, Totalcover Gold, is available in 11 g per linear metre with a tensile strength of 270 kgf. This information is critical when purchasing netwrap.

Any good quality netwrap should also provide complete bale coverage and Totalcover is well known for covering right to the edge with 1.23 m wide netwrap, and over the edge with 1.3 m wide netwrap.

Silage Film: Layered Construction, High Stretch, Tack, Puncture, Tear and UV Resistance are ImportantVenus’ brands Powerstretch and Venus Power are both made to the highest standards in Europe using five layer construction resulting in 55% to 70% stretch. They have high instant tack, for an airtight seal, and provide

high puncture and tear resistance. UV stabilised specifically for Australia, Powerstretch provides 160 kilolangley resistance and Venus Power 180 kilolangley resistance.

Venus also supplies a range of round bale, small square and sisal twines, as well as its range of silage pit covers – all clearly detailed and labelled with essential information enabling buyers to choose the best products for their application. ■

Baling Products

Baling with Venus Ultimate HD twine in the Northern Territory.

June was a busy time for the AFIA Our Place days with two great on farm days. AFIA headed first to Will Conheady’s farm in Noorat, south west Victoria, where there were discussions about hay buying and feeding better quality, in the shadow of big square bales piled high in a new purpose-built shed. Later in the month, we travelled to Chris and Sharon Hughes’ farm in Koonwarra where attendees huddled around a roaring shed pot belly and discussed high production cows and how Chris gets such great production by balancing his diet.

Will Conheady is involved in a 2,500 cow dairy operation over five milking farms with an autumn calving pattern to make the most of the spring flush of grass. He runs a low input system and has an average production of around 580 kg milk solids (kgMS).

A primarily grazing based system provides the best economical returns for the business while the bulk of the feeding out occurs during the summer months when the cows have been dried off. The Conheady’s produce a lot of their own fodder and given the weather conditions, they generally only produce silage as they struggle to cure hay properly.

Will spoke of how the economics are important and they aim to fill up the cow while balancing the ration; 70-80% of the diet is fixed and primarily pasture and then it is balanced with fibre to hold them together and grain fit the ration. Currently the grain ration is higher in

wheat with a focus on the cents per litre for energy. Depending on the time of the year the Conheady’s will target protein or energy and will talk to their feed mill for nutritional advice.

Fodder purchases are made from growers the family have been buying from for multiple years which helps ensure they have a secure feed source. These relationships are very important for both a secure fodder source and known quality. There is an emphasis on quality of hay. “We believe buying quality hay is paramount,” Will said.

The Conheady’s use feed tests but also like to do visual assessments. Will’s father will head up to northern Victoria before buying to look at, smell and feel the hay before putting it to the ultimate test- the cows, to get an idea if it is worth purchasing, particularly when they are looking at a new supplier.

Across the state, AFIA headed to Chris and Sharon Hughes’ property where high production and good feed conversion is key at their farm near Leongatha in Gippsland. They run a 210 cow autumn calving herd and last year the cows managed an average production of 8,000 L and 650 kgMS on a diet of mainly grass, grain in the bale and silage when grass supplementation was required.

Chris rolls his own pasture silage with a McHale baler and likes the control he has over bailing time so he can produce better quality fodder and not be at the whim of the contractor. The ultimate

aim is to make the best quality fodder for the cow and when it comes time to feed out the fodder, he balances the grain inputs to manage any deficiencies.

With the support of his consultant Dan Hoch from TPC Agriculture, the diet is always under assessment; when the diet is primarily grass he will add starch to soak up excess protein and when fodder is being fed out, there will be more protein and energy in the grain ration to balance and make the most of the fermentable fibre in the silage.

Chris also employs biological fertiliser programs, shorter than industry average rotation lengths, feeds lots of minerals and maximises dry matter intake. A focus on soil health was demonstrated during conversation about his cover crop over the summer months in two paddocks with a large variety of seed in a mix devised by his agronomist for soil health that included rye grass, clover, sunflowers, vetch, tillage radish and wheat, to name a few. He said not only did the cows milk well off the crop but the soil has improved out of sight which will help future pasture production.

Watch out for upcoming Our Place days in the AFIA weekly emails and social media and come along and support this great initiative to bring informative material to our fodder end users. If you sell hay to end users or know some farmers that would benefit from hearing about feeding better quality feed, we encourage you to bring them along. The more, the merrier! ■


Our PlaceJune 2017

The winners of the 2017 AFIA Photo Competition proudly sponsored by Integrated Packaging. Congratulations to Phil Snowden and Rob Saint

"New Rake's Maiden Voyage!", Rob Saint, Balaklava"Hay Off Water On", Phil Snowden, Tocumwal


What Do End Users Really Want?Earlier this year AFIA partnered with TPC Agriculture to run a series of events targeting end users to improve their knowledge of fodder production and feeding.

AFIA and TPC have run three successful events in a series of ten. During the recent AFIA conference Renata Cumming, TPC Agriculture gave a presentation about these days and the information available to farmers. This is a summary of Renata’s presentation.

Please note diets used are an example only and not necessarily recommended.

Feed ConversionFeed conversion is the art of turning feed into meat and milk and the aim is to do this as efficiently as possible. Some feeds are considered expensive but when you look at the conversion rates they are actually producing a relatively cheap meat. For example, chickens are fed a diet that generally costs around $400/ton but even though the feed is expensive they convert 1.7 kg of feed into 1 kg of meat. Beef cattle in a feedlot will convert around 5.5 kg of feed into 1 kg live weight and the same animal grazing on poor pasture will need to consume about 9 kg of feed to gain 1 kg.

Animals have maintenance requirements that need to be met before energy can be put into meat or milk production. Maintenance is the energy required to live; walking, digestion, managing heat and cold, etc. No matter how well or poorly you feed an animal they will always look after maintenance before production gains are made. This is why feeding well is so important.

Weight Gain in BeefNDF and metabolisable energy (ME) are great predictors of how an animal will perform on a diet. NDF is the Neutral Detergent Fibre and is the most common measure of fibre used in feed analysis and influences the dry matter intake of an animal.

For example: ■ A beast can eat around 1% of its body weight in NDF ■ If the NDF of spring grass is 40% the animal can eat 2.5% body weight

■ If the animal is 300 kg it can consume 7.5 kg grass per day

■ 7.5 kg @ 11 MJ/kg = 82.5 MJ/day intake ■ 82.5 MJ − 44 MJ (for maintenance) = 38.5 MJ/day for growth

■ 38.5 MJ ÷ 42 MJ (42 MJ required to produce 1 kg weight gain) = 0.92 kg/day growth rate, likely

100 cattle from 300 kg to 400 kg weight gain

Below are two example diets of ad lib hay and the difference hay quality can make in terms of production.

Average Hay Good Hay

NDF (%) 55 40ME (MJ/kg) 9.5 10.5Hay cost ($/t) 175 195Hay intake (kg/day) 5.5 7.5Growth rate (kg/day) 0.22 0.92Days to 400 kg 454 108Hay required (kg/cow) 2,497 810Total hay required (t) 249 81Total cost ($) 43,575 15,795Total revenue ($) @ $3.5/kg 140,000 140,000Margin ($) 96,425 124,205

What you can see from this first table is that although the ‘Good Hay’ is more expensive the lower NDF and higher energy results in a substantially faster weight gain. This means ultimately less hay is required and the margin is far greater.

520 kg dairy cow and milk production potential

Below are three example diets of 5 kg wheat in the dairy and ad lib hay and the difference hay quality can make in terms of production.

NDF (%)

ME (MJ/kg)

Intake (kg/cow)

Total ME (MJ)

Milk produced

(L)

Wheat 13 13.0 5.0125 11.5

Poor hay 65 7.0 8.6Wheat 13 13.0 5.0

146 15.6Average hay 55 8.0 10.1Wheat 13 13.0 5.0

198 25.0Good hay 40 9.5 14.0

What the table above is demonstrating at a very basic level is that the quality of the hay dictates the amount she can eat; the lower the NDF, the more she can eat. And the more she eats the more energy she consumes. Higher energy levels will result in more milk after taking the maintenance requirement out first. (Please note: maintenance = 65 MJ; 5.2 MJ is the energy required to produce each litre of milk.)

Product Cost ($/t)

Intake (kg/cow)

Cost ($/

cow)

Cost ($/

cow/day)

Milk (L)

Cost (¢/L milk)

Wheat 250 5.0 1.252.45 11.5 21

Poor hay 140 8.6 1.20Wheat 250 5.0 1.25

2.96 15.6 18Av. hay 170 10.1 1.71Wheat 250 5.0 1.25

3.98 25.0 16Good hay 195 14.0 2.73

Our Place


AN IMPRESSIVE LINEUP, HAY!Need hay equipment? Think John Deere.With an extensive range of mower conditioners, windrowers and balers, John Deere has all angles covered so you get the most out of hay season.

Visit your local John Deere dealer to learn more. Nothing Runs Like a Deere™JohnDeere.com.au/Hay

Our Place

Tapex AgriYou may have heard on the grapevine, Tapex’s agricultural division was acquired by Tama in April 2017 and have taken on a new appendage to their name – Tapex Agri.

Tama are recognised globally as the leading manufacturer of Round Bale Netting and have a proud history in Australia with Tapex over many decades.

Philip Rossi, owner to Tapex said "The Agricultural business has been in our Group for over 50 years, I am very proud of our achievements in building the business to be the largest crop packaging product supplier in Australia and I am very proud to know that the new owner, Tama, as the world’s leading crop packaging supplier, will continue to build and invest in the business in Australia to ensure continued success into the future."

So what does this mean for the largest crop packaging company in Australia? Business as usual.

Jason Amos, General Manager comments "We’re thrilled to continue bringing the latest technology crop packaging products to Australia, backed up with service from the long standing territory managers, and a dedicated support team in the Melbourne office. Tapex and Tama have a long-standing relationship working together for over 20 plus years, and

The table above looks at the same diets from the previous table and the associated feed costs. There is a difference of $55 between the cheapest and most expensive hay but there is also a difference of 13.5 litres improvement by feeding the more expensive hay. Where the opportunity lies is in the dilution of the feed costs by improved production. It costs 21¢ per litre to produce 11.5 litres on the first diet and by comparison it only costs 16¢ per litre to produce 25 litres.

This is then extrapolated out in the next table that demonstrates the margin over feed costs. Assuming a milk price of 40¢ per litre the cow on the first diet only makes a margin over feed costs of $2.19 while the cow that is eating a more expensive diet, and more of that diet, is also far out-producing the first cow and making a margin over feed costs of $6.00.

ConclusionUltimately when trying to get the best feed conversion we need to understand what we are feeding to get the best outcomes. Forage quality can have a massive impact on the efficiency of feed conversion.If you know someone who could benefit from this information AFIA and TPC encourage you to invite them along to one of the ‘Our Place’ days. Keep an eye on the weekly AFIA update emails for more information. ■

through that we are committed to only best products and services."

Tama have been investing in Research and Development within Australia for more than 10 years.

Every year Tama trial new products in development and benchmark against competitors’ products to ensure Tama’s nets will withstand our harsh environment and are a step above the rest. Working alongside farmers they wrap hundreds of bales to measure product performance. Testing for strength, UV stability and any signs of degradation with different crops, different balers, and at different locations to ensure the data is consistent. Tama is the only netwrap manufacturer to test their products in Australia before their netwraps are offered to the market, and is the only true Edge to Edge netwrap.

In addition to the exciting internal changes, Tapex Agri’s crop packaging product range has a bright future as well.

In 2017 Tapex Agri completes the loop of supporting the rural family by teaming up with the Children’s Cancer Foundation to raise much needed funds to enable children with cancer the access to the world’s best treatment and support and to build awareness of childhood cancer in the communities throughout Australia. The Children’s Cancer Foundation supports families through treatment, partners with hospitals to deliver clinical excellence and builds world-class paediatric cancer clinical research.

Jason Amos comments "We are extremely proud to continue our work

with the McGrath Foundation and Australian Prostate Cancer Research. To date, through your support we have raised more than $65,000 in two harvest seasons, directly helping families in rural communities.

By supporting our distinctive coloured Balewrap, Net, and Silage Covers, you will be part of our community in raising funds and awareness within rural Australia.

Our contribution does much more than raising funds, the eye-catching colours raise awareness in rural communities and bring much needed publicity to these cancers, which effect each of our families and colleagues alike."

Tapex Agri are proud to be the Australasian distributors of the world’s leading crop packaging manufacturers, Tapex with Tapex and Kinnears branded baling twines, RPC-BPI Group with brands ®Silotite Pro and Silotite® balewrap’s, Baletite® Pro net replacement film and Grainflex™ 7 layer grain tubes; Trioplast with brands Trioplus™, Triowrap™ balewraps and Balecompressor™ net replacement film; Tama™ Plastic Industry with brands TamaNet Edge to Edge™, Marathon™ and Bale +™ technology net wraps; RKW Pro Agri with brands Rondotex™ Evolution bale net and Polydress® O2 Barrier 2 in 1 Silage Covers. For further information on our full range of twines, netwraps, balewraps, silage covers and grain tubes, please visit www.tapexagri.com.au or phone (03) 9361 8100 ■

Women in Fodder


Funding Grants for Women’s Leadership DevelopmentIn association with AFIA, Women & Leadership Australia (WLA) is administering a national initiative to support the development of female leaders throughout the fodder sector.

AFIA women members are able to access a range of highly regarded part-time leadership development courses via a dedicated pool of funding.

The fee support opportunity provides women with grants of between $3,000 and $8,000. Scholarship funding will be awarded based on a set of selection criteria being met.

Should you wish to discuss the initiative in more detail, please contact Alistair Young at the office of the National Industry Scholarship Program, WLA on (03) 9270 9032 or via [email protected]

For more information or to register visit http://www.wla.edu.au/associations.html

Women in Fodder Facebook GroupFollowing the Women in Fodder workshop at the AFIA conference, the group has decided to use Facebook as a platform for ongoing communication. In response to this AFIA has created the AFIA Women in Fodder Facebook group.

The group will serve as "a platform for the AFIA Women in Fodder community to discuss ideas, ask questions and keep in contact with one another between events".

To join, simply log into Facebook and search AFIA Women in Fodder. You will then be accepted by a group admin and granted access. Easy!

Join the AFIA Women in Fodder Facebook page, a platform for the AFIA Women in Fodder community to discuss ideas, ask questions and keep in contact with one another between events.

Machinery Innovation

The GA 15131 Four Rotor Gyrorake – 100% hydraulically driven and superior swath formationWith its Masterdrive gearbox, KUHN VT50 control box and innovative hydraulic rotor drive, the KUHN GA 15131 Four Rotor Gyrorake is an unrivalled machine in this sector of the market.

Being 100% hydraulically driven, the GA 15131 is synonymous with high work rates, flexibility and superior quality of work. It boasts reduced maintenance and operating costs thanks to its high output and list of innovative features, including the ability to ‘boost’ the drive of the rakes.

With the ‘boost’ drive, front rotors can rotate 20% faster at the touch of a button helping eject forage further, with more drive toward the centre of the machine and no long drive shafts to grease. This ensures forage becomes less twisted and to the driver’s delight creates perfectly formed windrows,

providing the base for a high-performance harvesting chain.

Windrows can be tailored to crop quantity and pick-up width continuously and hydraulically from the tractor seat. The GA 15131 rakes 9.50 to 14.70 m respectively of forage in a single pass, proving that high field output is one of the many advantages of the KUHN GA 15131 Four Rotor Gyrorake.

Another advantage of the KUHN GA 15131 is the exclusively designed Masterdrive gearbox that offers superior performance and tolerances that are tightly controlled. The Masterdrive gearbox has proven its effectiveness for a long time on other KUHN Gyrorakes, so drivers can be certain of the robustness of the whole assembly and its ability to rake high volumes of difficult crop.

Also exclusive to the KUHN GA 15131 Gyrorake is the coupling device with an integrated suspension that provides increased flexibility whilst driving and greater stability between the tractor and the rake during turns, on slopes and for transport, despite its impressive size.

While fully ISOBUS compatible, the KUHN VT50 control box is standard equipment with GA 15131 rakes. The VT50 allows the driver to control raking height, rotor speed, and count hectares covered, all from the cab. This is, in part, thanks to the easy use of the colour display touch screen.

Raking height can be easily adjusted simultaneously for the two front or the two rear rotors, as well as individually for each single one. The current height is indicated both on the VT50 display and the rotor undercarriage. The working width of the front rotor

GA 151314 Rotor Rake

Even windrows for an efficient harvest chain

20% boost function of front rotors

Workings width 9.5m to 14.70m

In cab windrow width adjustment

Reliability and robustness for reduced maintenance costs

Individual rotor lift

3D pendulum suspension of rotors

www.kuhn.com.au

The GA 15131 hydraulically driven rake is synonymous for high performance, great flexibility and higher work quality.

Hydraulically driven rake

can also be set from the cab due to the hydraulically powered motor and with the ‘boost’ drive, the front rotor speed can be controlled by a touch of a button. The VT50 control box also allows for smart headland management through an automated, pre-programmed headland sequence ensuring easy and efficient headland turns at the end of the field.

Also synonymous with high work rates, flexibility and superior quality of work is the KUHN SW 4014 square and round bale wrapper.

Providing fast, cost efficient and operator-friendly wrapping, the SW 4014 is true innovation in bale wrapping and features a unique, patented AutoLoad function that provides nonstop fully automatic loading, wrapping and unloading of the square and round bales without interference from the driver.

The innovative AutoLoad function detects approaching bales, automatically scans the length of the bale and sets the loading arms into preload position resulting in accurate loading, wrapping and unloading of the bale on the go. Based on Category II Laser technology, the SW 4014 has a laser sensor situated inside the top cover at the front side of the machine which scans the area ahead of the wrapper, and a wheel sensor placed

on the left wheel which measures the speed and distance toward the bale.

In addition to the innovative AutoLoad function, the SW 4014 offers outstanding stability thanks to its solid design and incorporated hydraulic sliding frame that achieves an extreme wide track. The SW 4014 has an operational width of four metres in the field and only 2.5 metres during transport. It also boasts a unique ‘drive through’ operation that enables easy loading of the bale and excellent visibility of the wrapping process.

The smart design of the SW 4014 not only guarantees easy (un)loading of the bales both forward and backwards; it provides optimal versatility with its ability to wrap large square, medium square, and round bales up to 1500 kg, without any optional equipment or mechanical adjustments for the round bales. Because of its limited oil flow requirement at 40 litres/min maximum of 60 litres/min, the SW 4014 can be operated with a broad range of tractors. The two patented pairs of steel rollers ensures all bales are (un)loaded without the risk of damage or soil contamination and film damage is prevented during transport by the SW 4014’s large mud guards.

When it comes to maintenance and accessibility the large side doors of the SW 4014 provide excellent accessibility

and, like the top cover, can be opened without the need for tools.

Being ISOBUS compatible means the SW 4014 does not require a separate control box for the wrapper in ISOBUS compatible tractors, providing optimal working convenience. An additional smart feature enables choice of automatic unloading of bales in a selected position.

For those seeking greater management and control of the wrapping process, this can be achieved by combing the use of ISOBUS with IntelliWrap, which uses sophisticated electronics and hydraulics to monitor the wrapping process and continuously control film overlap, allowing total flexibility. IntelliWrap provides excellent distribution of the film applied around the bale with further film savings and increased silage quality.

For KUHN, harvesting high-quality fodder and return on investment is at the core of all innovations and the KUHN GA 15131 Four Rotor Gyrorakes and SW 4014 square and round bale wrappers are comprehensively equipped to fulfil these requirements.For more information and to learn more about the KUHN difference visit www.kuhn.com.au ■

Wrapper and Rake


KUHN SW 4014 square and round bale wrapper.

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Silage Wrap


Integrated Packaging, Australasia’s leading manufacturer of engineered film products, marked the beginning of a new chapter in 2016 after unveiling its bold new corporate identity- one that better reflects the company as it is today and the tremendous evolution in its value offering.

IP has expanded its InteFarm family of agricultural products and has introduced its new premium brand “Great White” in time for the 2017 season.

Following the successful launch of Great White Big Square Twine, IP’s strongest twine, the range now includes a Small Square Twine, catering for higher density small square balers and bale accumulators.

The newest addition, a white five [5] layer Silage Film with flexible stretching options of 55% to 75% has been introduced, along with a green five [5] layer film. Both premium, genuine products will be produced on the company’s newest asset, a specialised five [5] layer extruder that has been installed at their Kewdale manufacturing facility.

“This film maintains Integrated Packaging’s superior puncture and

tear properties. As a result of the new equipment, the output will be a softer film with premium roll edges, allowing for high-speed application,” said Andrew Makin, National Agricultural Sales Manager for Integrated Packaging.

Rounding off the new additions to their silage film range is a new Tubeline specific film.

“Silatube is the latest film to join our fodder conservation category, and has been specifically designed to give greater bale movement on sausage wrappers,” says Andrew.

If it’s pit covers you’re after, Integrated Packaging is now able to accommodate wider length requirements. Made with the latest technology resins and with dual layers that reflect heat and maintain ideal storage conditions, 20 m to 24 m lengths in their 200-micron range can be purchased.

New to the range of fodder additives is Sil-All LV which has been developed to improve the rate and efficiency of fermentation and in turn, reduce dry matter losses and spoilage.

“Sil-All LV has four different organisms that are specifically selected to improve fermentation and stability throughout

the entire ensiling process. Combined with its flexible volume application, Sil-All LV is a great choice for your additive needs.”

The take-away message from Integrated Packaging this year is “NEW, NEW, NEW”. New products, new production machinery, new focus!

“Integrated Packaging has listened to its customers and is excited to introduce several new products to its already innovative and exciting range,” Andrew said.

“Integrated Packaging has ten specialised Field Support Staff across Australia who are equipped to assist with any of your requirements. IP looks forwarded to a busy and productive upcoming season.” ■

Silage Wrap


Contact us today on 1300 669 556 or visit www.grevilliaag.com.au for more information

Get the best quality products for your best quality feed

rystaC lAgri Stretch®Agri Stretch®

rystaC l

Keep a CLEAR eye on your silage

SI-LACSilage & Hay Inoculant

extra

AFIA Spring Advert 2017.indd 1 01-Sep-17 11:23:53 AM

It's Crystal ClearTwo farmers in the Goulburn Valley, Ashley Dempster and Hamish Bill, understand and know only too well how to make quality silage. They have noticed there is very little to no bird damage in the clear (crystal) plastic compared to other bales in the paddock. The other silage film was full of holes.

While carting the bales in, it was also discovered that the bales were quite tough and didn’t tear as easily as other silage with different silage film.

Normally, carting bales of silage back to the stack, can result in holes being made by machinery or rough handling, however it was found that the clear plastic was a lot stronger and tougher when carting bales.

“When feeding the bales out, we noticed when cutting the plastic off the bales that the plastic was still quite taut and when cut off the bale, it sprung

back as it was tightly wrapped to hold it in. The plastic retains a good memory for stretch,” Ashley said.

“We found the cows enjoyed the silage more due to the better quality and you could see the silage through the plastic which is beneficial.”

“If we can associate silage plastic wrap to beer, we would realise how important it is for both of thee to be sealed properly in order to maintain its quality,” he added.

Farmers contend with harsh weather, vermin and bird life that has an impact

Hamish Bill (left) and Ashley Dempster, Goulburn Valley Victoria.

on profitability and quality of silage, however, with Ashley and Hamish’s discovery, this may be a way of reducing bird damage as a thing of the past.

This coming season, Ashley and Hamish plan to use clear plastic wrap for all of their silage as they had good results last year, and are of the strong belief that it is the best for producing the best quality baled silage.

As this revelation about clear plastic wrap has spread, external researchers Sebastian Wieser, Florian Trummer and Reinhared Resch from Austria have made the following observations.

Many silage bale producers face having the stretch film of their round bales riddled with holes by birds and other animals. Such damage can become a huge qualitative problem, as exposure to air has a negative impact on the anaerobic fermentation process and silage stability. Once the multiple stretch film layers have been damaged, the only way to seal the hole hermetically is to use special adhesive tape. That is why it is particularly important to protect the wrapped silage bales. Stretch films are available in many colours. Farmers frequently choose the film colour for aesthetic reasons, to enable, say, the bales to blend in better with the surrounding landscape, or they use the colour to support a charity event.

Ashley and Hamish did this in 2016 with pink bales to support breast cancer awareness.

Observations NeededAnimal activity is governed by many environmental factors. In order to be able to draw reliable conclusions about the protective effect of a stretch film, it is absolutely essential to carry out multiple exact observations under different conditions. Two sites in Austria, at which seven field trials in total were carried out with systematic observations for several grassland growths, were selected for the experiment. The trial sites were in Puch near Paldau in Southeast Styria and in Pichi near Robleithen in Upper Austria. In order not to over-challenge the birds and animals, on the one hand,

and to ensure exact observations and evaluations on the other hand, only two stretch film colours were tested: the green standard film most frequently used in Austria, and the transparent “Agristretch Crystal” stretch film. Both films had a strength of micrometres and were wrapped with 70% pre-stretching.

Once the round silage bales had been wrapped, the animals were observed at a safe distance for two hours at a time in the morning, at midday and in the evening, with the activity close or on the bales being logged exactly. At the end of the observation period – usually after two days – the extent of the damage to the silage bales was determined. This final inspection focused, in particular, on peck-holes, claw damage and bird droppings.

Crows Outed as Being Responsible for Damage to BalesThe individual observation trials revealed that carrion crows, in particular, were active in the vicinity of the round bale group. The activity of the crows was

heavily influenced by the site and the season. Other bird and animals species were of minor importance. The summary evaluations of the seven observation trials confirmed the activity of the crows varied considerably between individual trials. The control groups (bales with a green wrapping) differed widely from the round silage bales with transparent wrapping in terms of the extent of damage. As the activity of the crows increased, hole damage in the case of the green silage bales tended to rise significantly. By contrast, hole damage in the case of the “Crystal” variant remained constantly low when the activity of the crows increased. The most severe damage to the control groups was observable in the second trial on the site near Robleithen. Scientists from Ireland have observed much more severe hole damage due to birds.

On investigation of the extent of the damage, the example of the first growth field trial on the Puch site near Paldau clearly shows the difference between the two stretch films and the position of the bale groups on the trial area Figure 2. In both bale groups, on average, a reduction in claw damage and peck-holes was observable. The bird droppings on the bales indicated that the crow had visited them. Extracted blades of grass provided evidence of carrion crow peck holes, while other small holes were judged to be claw damage.

Transparent Future?Following initial extensive observations regarding silage film damage in Austria, it is safe to maintain that the bird or animal activity and influences that cause damage in relation to, and on, the round silage bales, depends on a multitude of factors. The aim was to demonstrate that bird damage to silage bales can be reduced by using transparent stretch film. In future, transparent stretch film might be a good alternative to shooting crows and might also make various protective measures (scarecrows etc.) prior to transportation, redundant. ■

Silage Wrap

The extent of the damage to the silage bales was determined by a final inspection focused, in particular, on peck-holes (as seen above), claw damage and bird droppings.



OXYGEN IS THE ENEMY OF GOOD

SILAGE....HOW MUCH IS SEEPING

INTO YOUR BALES?

For more information on Silostop Bale Wrap email [email protected] or call (07) 5451 0125.

P R O V E N B Y S C I E N C E P R E F E R R E D B Y F A R M E R S

STOPTHE ROT

Silage Wrap


Oxygen Barrier Bale Film Made for the Dairy CowSilostop’s Bale Wrap is designed to stop the entry of oxygen into any baled silage crops.

The film’s unique ability to be 100 times more effective at limiting oxygen entry into silage – when compared to conventional PE plastic film – makes it a must for producers worried about the quality of the forage being fed to their stock.

“The unique patented oxygen barrier properties of Silostop Bale Wrap prevents air from entering silage through the film,” says David Lewis, Technical Service Manager, Lallemand Animal Nutrition.

Aerobic spoilage of silage has been shown to reduce feed intake in dairy cows leading to reduced milk production. At a time when challenging margins means farmers are looking to make the most of home-grown resources, getting the conservation process right is vital with sealing and storage.

“Farmers need to be able to make the most of every kilogram of feed produced for milk production,” David said. “Spoiled silage in the diet of livestock poses a hazard to animal health and can reduce animal performance. Yeasts and moulds reduce the nutritional value of the silage and can produce mycotoxins that can reduce feed intake and increase digestive upsets.”

Research has shown that because of the oxygen barrier properties of Silostop Bale Wrap Film, there is less mould on the bale surface and outer layers compared to bales wrapped with conventional PE bale wrap, especially after more than six months of storage.

“Quality silage is the key to dairy cow performance as this is one of the larger inputs,” said David. “Spoilage of the outside 57 mm is 25% of the bale affected. Having this amount of waste or spoilage is like getting rid of one in every four bales.

“Don’t underestimate the cost of waste silage.”

Dry matter analysis following storage using Silostop Bale Wrap Film has shown a reduction in DM losses of over 40% per bale compared to conventional films. Combined with better palatability and animal intake, lower risk of rumen upset cause by mould and yeast and lower labour costs, this translates to a significant saving for producers.

Silostop Bale Wrap is multilayered for superior strength and can be run at 70% stretch on round bales wrapped individually and in-line wrapped. The oxygen barrier technology has been proven in independent trials to be 100 times more effective than leading conventional brands of wrap.

This product complements the patented Silostop Orange Oxygen Barrier Film used to cover silage pits and stacks, along with the woven UV protection covers and gravel bag sealing weights.

Lallemand Animal Nutrition is committed to optimising animal performance and well-being with specific natural microbial

product and service solutions. Using sound science, proven results and knowledge, Lallemand Animal Nutrition develops, produces and markets high value yeast and bacteria products – including probiotics, silage inoculants and yeast derivatives. Lallemand offers a higher level of expertise, leadership and industry commitment with long-term and profitable solutions to move our partners forward. Lallemand Animal Nutrition is Specific for your success.

For more information, please visit http://lallemandanimalnutrition.com ■

This faba bean and oat crop wrapped in Silostop Bale Wrap has high nutritive quality and palatability.

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