harvesting guide 2013

8/13/2019 Harvesting Guide 2013

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THE COMPLETE

GUIDE TO HARVESTINGMAIZE SILAGE


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Harvest and feed-out management

can influence 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 KleinmansPhD (Agr. Sc.)


3/23

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

2

Contents

2 5

Harvest management

(pages 6-9)

Sealing

(pages 15-16)

3 6

Pioneerbrand inoculant(pages 10-12)

Feeding out(pages 17-20)

7

Targets for maize silage(page 21)

1 4Plan ahead(pages 3-5)

Compaction(pages 13-14)


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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 thecrop 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 Pioneerbrand 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 firm 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 ofsilage making, phone the Pioneer Advice Line toll-free on0800 PIONEER (0800 746 633).


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44

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)

50 250 222

100 500 444

150 750 667

200 1000 889

250 1250 1111

300 1500 1333

To order your Pioneer inoculants contact your localmerchant representative and contractor today.


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5

Table 2: Pioneerbrand inoculant requirements per ha (small bottles treat 50MT) for a range of crop yields and drymatter percentages.

Silage making supplies

Ask your contractor if they will be providing silage making supplies (i.e. a high qualitycover, 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.

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.

Crop yieldtDM/ha)

Harvest drymatter percentage (%DM)

30 32 34 36

20 1.3 1.3 1.2 1.1

22 1.5 1.4 1.3 1.2

24 1.6 1.5 1.4 1.3

26 1.7 1.6 1.5 1.4

28 1.9 1.8 1.6 1.6


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6

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 fingernail along the length of the kernel starting at the flat

(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.

Harvest Management

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 microwavedrymatter test.

1/3 Liquid milk

2/3 Solid starch


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7

Harvest drymatter chart

The table below uses basic field observations to make a more accurate prediction of maizesilage 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%)

HYBRID 33G26 & 34B23 33J56, 33M54, 34P88,34F95, 34D71 34K77,

36H36, 39G12, 39V43

35A30, 36B08, 36M28,

37Y12, 38B85, 38P05,38H20, 38V12, 39F58,

39T45, P0021, P0791,

P0891, P1234, P9400

HUSK COVER

COLOUR

STOVER DRYMATTER

CONTENT (%)

21%G

REEN

23%YE

LLOWE

DGES

25%YE

LLOW/BRONW

27%B

ROWN

21%G

REEN

23%YE

LLOWE

DGES

25%YE

LLOW/BROWN

27%B

ROWN

21%G

REEN

23%YE

LLOWE

DGES

25%YE

LLOW/BROWN

27%B

ROWN

GRAIN

DRYMATTER

%

DESCRIPTION

OF

KERNELSANTICIPATED WHOLE PLANT DRYMATTER (%)

34Milky, starchycap only

26 28 29 30 27 28 29 30 27 28 29 31

42 1/3 Milk-line 28 30 32 33 29 31 32 34 29 31 33 34

48 1/2 Milk-line 30 32 33 35 30 32 34 36 31 33 35 36

54 2/3 Milk-line 31 33 35 37 32 34 35 37 32 34 36 38

60No milk left,solid starch

32 34 36 38 33 35 37 39 34 36 38 39

NOTE:This table is a GUIDE ONLY and is NOT FOR TRADE USE. This table should not be usedfor frosted, nutrient or drought stressed crops.


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Chopping

Precision chopping is necessary to achieve top quality maize silage. The ideal chop length is10-15 mm. This is a theoretical chop length and you will find some particles that are shorter or

longer in your silage. Some longer particles are beneficial 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-offfrom 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.


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9

Plant processing

Maximising maize grain digestion is important since maize grain contains 70% moremetabolisable energy than stover (the green part of a maize plant). The yellow fibrous 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 benefit 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.

Unprocessed Processed

M

aizesilageenergycontent

Maize silage maturity

1Harrison J.; van Wieringen, L. 2011. Processing corn silage.


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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 typeand number of silage making bacteria present in your pasture or crop will influence the

amount of drymatter and nutrients you lose in the ensiling process.

The Pioneerbrand inoculant range provides patented strains of fermentation bacteria

in ideal numbers. It includes products that deliver a fast, efficient fermentation as well

as products that reduce heating and spoilage at feed-out time.

Only Pioneer inoculants offer a complete range of benefits which include:

- Products that reduce heating and spoilage at feed-out time

- Maize silage specific products

- Patented bacterial strains

- Comprehensive, global, product-specific research*

- Quality assurance with IS09001:2000 accredited quality control system

- Guaranteed bacteria levels on the label of every bottle

- Exclusive Appli-Proinoculant 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

Pioneerbrand inoculant

To order your Pioneerbrand inoculants contactyour local merchant representative and contractortoday.


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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.

New Zealand inoculant research

Maize silage contains a high concentration of starch and sugars. This makes it more prone toheating 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 feed-

out 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.

Pioneerbrand 11C33 inoculated silage stayed cooler 55.5 hours longer than the untreated

control. There was no significant difference between other products and the untreated control.

Time before maize silage heats 2,3

0

100

80

60

40

20

Brand B Pioneer

brand 11C33

Untreated

Timebeforeheating(hours)

39.3

Brand A

38.7 38.3

94.8


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

Choosing the right silage inoculant

I want to reduce silage heating atfeed-out time.

I want to feed-out my silage up to oneday in advance3.

Maize silage specificinoculant that helps

improve silage qualityand drymatter recovery3.

11C33PIONEERBRAND

Maize specificinoculant

I want to maximise the return on mysilage investment.

Silage heating at feed-out isnt normallyan issue for me.

Produces top qualitymaize silage for highproducing dairy cowsand specialised beef

production.

1132PIONEERBRAND


I want a lower cost multi-crop productwhich will improve silage quality.

Improves drymatterrecovery and silage

quality of allforage crops.

1174PIONEERBRAND

multi-cropinoculant

Product solutionFarming challenge Product benefit

I want to improve fibre digestibility andincrease cow intake.

I want to feed-out my silage up to oneday in advance3.

My goal is very high per cowperformance. 11CFT

PIONEERBRAND


Revolutionary newmaize specific

inoculant for high feedvalue and improveddrymatter recovery3.


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13

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 difficult 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).

1 2 3 4 5 6


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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 finished continue compacting until the surface is firm.

1414


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15

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 flat 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 anyspoilage 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

No loose material

Straight face


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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 miceRats 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 fingers into the stack any further than the depth of your

finger 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 first

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.

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.

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


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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 eachanimal 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 first 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 specific 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 fill your feed-out wagon or bins is immediately prior to the time that you will feed

the silage to your cows.

19


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Methods of feeding maize silage

Feed padAn 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 outFeed pads are a significant 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 fighting 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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Neutral detergent fibre (ndf) (%DM) 35-50

Starch (%DM) 25-35

pH 3.7-4.2

Ammonia N (% of total N) 0-10

Lactic acid (%DM) 4-7

Acetic acid (%DM) 1-3

Butyric acid (%DM) 0

21

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.

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.

Table 3: Target values for maize silage

Factor measured Target values My silage

Drymatter (%) 30-38

Metabolisable energy (MJME/kgDM) 10.5-11.1

Crude protein (%DM) 6-9

Acid detergent fibre (ADF) (%DM) 25-35


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Pioneerbrand products are provided subject to the terms and conditions of purchasing, which are part of the labeling and purchase documents. , TM, SM, Trademarks and service marks of Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc.

7 4 6 6 3 3

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

Genetic Technologies Limited

Gisborne Office:328 Lytton Road, PO Box 214, Gisborne 4040.

Phone: 06 869 0660 Fax: 06 867 0083

Auckland Office:

PO Box 105303, Auckland City, Auckland 1143.

Phone: 09 307 0000 Fax: 09 307 3300

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 profit by running short of feed. Secure your supply of maize silage today.SM

harvesting guide 2013

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