How to harvest maize successfully

Extreme weather conditions pose enormous challenges for farmers. UV radiation and soil erosion caused by weather events have also increased significantly. For maize crops, this means stress and an increased susceptibility to yeast and mould infestation. The apparently healthy-looking crops turn out to be veritable breeding grounds for yeasts and moulds in the laboratory. It is therefore advisable to have fresh maize samples analysed. Sampling can help you decide on the optimum harvest date, the right cutting height and, of course, the right Silasil Energy product.

In addition to choosing the right silage additive, the time of harvest, cutting height and chop length also play an important role.

The optimum harvest time for silage maize is when it reaches dough maturity. At this stage, starch storage in the grain is complete. The DM content of the entire plant should be between 28 and 35 %, the DM content in the grain between 56 and 60 %. The time of ripening can be narrowed down more precisely with the help of the variety, sowing date, soil type and regional climate, temperature and precipitation data. Another tool for determining the optimum harvest time is the sampling of fresh maize.

The cutting height has a decisive influence on the contamination of the crop with dirt, yeasts and moulds. For hygienic ensiling, a minimum height of 30 cm is aimed for. The influence of the chop length on the contamination of the maize silage by yeasts and moulds is enormous, as a large proportion of the fermentation pests reside in the lower stem area. The crude fibre and ash content also increase when cutting in the lower plant area, while the energy content decreases.

The correct chop length is the prerequisite for precise compaction, better silage space utilisation and low losses. The optimum chop length is between 4 and 8 mm. As a general rule, the drier the silage, the shorter the chop length.

In addition to the basic rules of ensiling, the Silasil Energy silage additives support the fermentation process with their different directions of action (see diagram 1). The selection depends on the individual operational requirements.

Oxygen ingress leads to reheating and thus to energy and DM losses. The better the silage is compacted, the less oxygen from the air can penetrate during removal. From a silage capacity of 20 t DM (e.g. 66 t FM with 30 % DM), optimum compaction can no longer be achieved even with continuous rolling with a vehicle.

Tip: For larger harvest quantities and smaller silo windrows, it is advisable to work in two silos in parallel with several rollers.

The silo must be correctly covered immediately after re-rolling is complete: Underlay film, gas-tight main film, silo protection grid to weigh down and protect against damage, silo bags as weighting and airtight barrier, side wall film for side walls.

Tip:In addition to the thickness of the silage film, gas density, elasticity, UV and acid resistance are important quality features.

To avoid reheating, the minimum feed rate should be 2 metres per week. In principle, a removal technique should be used that leaves a smooth and, above all, hardly loosened cut surface so that only a small amount of oxygen penetrates into the silage stock and the reheating process is prevented. For this purpose, the silage film should be weighted down at the cut surface with an additional longitudinal bar (sardine technique) made of silage bags to prevent the ingress of oxygen.