Making Silage Without Bunker | Profitable Food For Live Stock | Desi Agriculture

#silagekaisebanaye #silagemaking #silage_cattle_feed #silage_for_cows #silageindustry #silagebags #silagem #silagemakingmalayalam #silagemakingvideomalayalam #silage21Maize
silage (Zea mays L.) is made out of whole ensiled maize plants. It is one of the most valuable forages for ruminant livestock and it is used wherever maize can grow, from temperate regions to the tropics. The popularity of maize silage is due to several factors. It is a consistent source of palatable and high-energy forage for all classes of ruminants, including dairy cattle, beef cattle, sheep and goats (Roth et al., 2001). It is one of the most high-yielding forage crops, requires less labour (since it is harvested in a single operation) and is generally less costly (per t DM) to produce than other forage crops (NASS, 2015; Arvalis, 2011; Roth et al., 2001). Maize silage is also a good way to secure the crops as it is possible to turn a maize grain crop damaged by frost, rain or drought into maize silage (Arvalis, 2011; Roth et al., 2001). Though relatively easy to produce, maize silage requires good crop and harvest management as well as careful ensiling practices (see Processes and Forage management below) (Arvalis, 2011).

Baby corn silage

Baby corn is a much appreciated vegetable that is increasingly consumed worldwide. Baby corn consists of immature cobs of maize plants harvested young, 2-3 days after silk emergence and before pollination. Baby corn can be obtained from the same hybrids as other maize crops, or from adapted hybrids that are shorter and develop several stalks (Indriani et al., 2015; Kaiser et al., 2011). Baby corn is a fast growing cash crop requiring only 55-60 days between planting and harvest (Srichana et al., 2014). Because it is harvested at an early stage of growth, the crop residues including stalks, leaves, husks and silk provide very good quality forage palatable to livestock (Indriani et al., 2015; Srichana et al., 2014). In the tropics, it can be grown all year round. In Thailand, baby corn production was over 276 000 t in 2013. As edible baby corn cob accounts for no more than 15% of the production, it can be assumed that the remaining 85% could provide more than 1 million t of forage (green matter) (Srichana et al., 2014). Baby corn forage can be fed fresh or ensiled.

Distribution 

The technique consisting in preserving green crops in silos, similar to the sauerkraut process, has been used since the early 19th century in Germany, Scandinavia and the French Alps. In 1877, the French agriculturist, Auguste Goffart, popularised the technique in a book (Goffart, 1877) that was later translated into English (Brown, 1880). Shortly after this, ensiling green maize was introduced into the USA. In Northern Europe, however, the process only took off in the 1970-1980s after early maize hybrids were developed, enabling maize cultivation in cooler areas (Renoux, 2016).

Today, maize silage is the major source of maize forage for livestock, largely replacing green maize forage. In France, for example, maize silage accounted for 20% of cattle diets in 2015 (for both dairy and beef cattle). The worldwide area used for maize forage is about 16.8 million ha (AGPM, 2015). The EU-28 was the major producer in 2015, with 6.1 million ha maize forage that included 1.2 million ha dedicated to biogas production (CEPM, 2015). European production of maize forage has steadily increased since 2000 from 4 million ha to 6 million ha in 2015 (AGPM, 2015). In the USA, the maize silage area was 2.51 million ha in 2015 (NASS, 2016).

Processes 

Harvesting and chopping operations

Maize forage should be harvested at 30-35% DM. The choice of harvesting time is a trade-off between yield, nutritive value and silage quality (Arvalis, 2011). The ideal harvesting time is when the plant has reached physiological maturity and is in the full dent stage. This generally occurs 50-55 days after cob silking and corresponds to a DM of 32-38% in the whole plant. This can be correlated with two visual indicators in the grain, the milk line (limit between the dent part and the liquid part of the grain), and the black layer (that is visible at the base of the kernel once complete maturity has occurred). Optimal time is when the milk line of the grain is situated between 1/3 and 2/3 of the grain from the top (see seed figure below) (Ashley, 2001). Once the black layer appears, the DM content is higher than 37% and the grain should be ground to prevent loss of digestibility (Ashley, 2001). 

Silage management

Silage management should result in a low oxygen concentration with an augmentation of carbon dioxide, leading to the creation of an acidic environment, in order to prevent microbial and fungal growth. Under optimal conditions, undesirable spoilage microorganisms will not grow. Good silage management is very important for preventing moulds and mycotoxins. There is a wide variety of silo types and ensiling practices.