Silage Quality Results Reported At Lancaster Dairy Day
DAVE LEFEVER
Lancaster Fanning Staff
LANCASTER (Lancaster Co.)
Dairy producers heard the lat
est information on forage quality
at an update exposition provided
by the capital region dairy team
here last week.
Results were released from a
2001 com silage quality project,
including com silage sampled
from 35 farms in the seven-coun
ty capital region.
A major goal of the project is
to help farmers better anticipate
the right time to harvest their
com silage, according to Glenn
Shirk, Lancaster County dairy
agent.
Harvesting at optimum plant
moisture is key to quality silage,
Shirk said.
“Forage quality starts in the
field.”
The com silage quality project
monitored the effects of harvest
ing practices and growing condi
tions on forage quality and feed
value.
Dry-down rates and various
heights of cut at harvest were
also monitored on com grown at
Penn State’s Landisville research
farm.
Observations and results gath
ered from the study include:
• Milk line progression and
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stalk moisture levels are general
ly more reliable than percent “fir
ing” of plants to indicate harvest
date. In the earlier stages of fir
ing, plants could still be making
more top growth.
• When kernels are well devel
oped and milk line begins to re
gress, whole plant moisture levels
drop about 0.65 percentage units
per day. If the current moisture
level is taken, optimum harvest
date can then be calculated.
• Harvesting outside the opti
mum 61 to 70 percent moisture
range can have negative effects
on forage quality.
• Sugar levels were too low for
optimum fermentation when
whole-plant moisture levels
dropped too low. Desired min
imum plant sugar levels are
about four percent for com silage
with 40 percent dry matter. Low
moisture levels in the silage also
reduced digestibility, lowered en
ergy levels, and reduced dry mat
ter intake. Poorer packing also
increased risk of spoilage and
mycotoxins.
• In silages that are too wet,
fermentation is prolonged and
can deplete energy and protein
content.
Com silages cut at 6 inches
and 18 inches were compared to
evaluate cutting height effects on
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dry matter yield, nutrient con
tent, and milk yield.
This study found that increas
ing the harvest height 12 inches
decreased dry matter yield per
acre by five percent; decreased
nitrate levels; increased in-vitro
digestibility; increased percent
dNDF, DM, starch, and CP; and
increased milk yield per ton of
dry matter.
Net economic gains could be
boosted by higher cutting and
risk of nitrate toxicity may be re
duced, the study found. Drought
stunted com or specialty hybrids
may behave differently.
The report concluded that
chopping at the right moisture
MIDDLETOWN (Dauphin
Co.) More than 40 participants
attended the kick-off meeting to
launch a watershed group dedi
cated to the protection of the
Conewago Creek. The next meet
ing is scheduled for Wednesday,
Feb. 27, at 7 p.m. at the London
derry Township Building, 783
South Geyers Church Road, Mid
dletown.
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Tri-County Conewago Creek
Association To Meet Feb. 27
“We were extiemely
pleased at the amount of in
terest in our first meeting,”
said Matt Royer, who is
heading the initiative to
form the group. “Obviously,
this is an issue that many
local citizens think is impor
tant. We had a full house
and representation from
local government, small
business owners, conserva
tion organizations, educa
tional institutions and inter
ested farmers and
other landowners.
Many individuals pro
vided input as to how
they would like to see
the group reach goals.
This will be an ambi
tious organization ”
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level is key to good fermentation
and silage quality. Growers were
advised to monitor com dry
down frequently after kernels
begin to dent by testing four or
five stalks for moisture and cal
culating harvest date.
Optimum alfalfa moisture lev
els are about five percent less
than that of com silage, when
storing in a conventional upright
silo, bunker, or trench, according
to Penn State data.
Farmers were urged to monitor
silage pH to determine proper
fermentation. The only tools
needed are litmus paper, a cup,
and a little water, the report
noted.
The citizens voted on a name
for the watershed group Tri-
County Conewago Creek Associ
ation and agreed to organize as
a non-profit corporation. They
have applied for a Pennsylvania
Department of Environmental
Protection “Growing Greener”
grant for start-up costs. If award
ed, the money will help achieve
the group’s goal of preserving,
protecting and enhancing the
water quality of the streams with
in the watershed.
The Conewago encompasses
more than 50 square miles in
parts of eight different munici
palities in Lancaster, Dauphin,
and Lebanon counties. Its head
waters are in Mt. Gretna and it
discharges into the Susquehanna
near the village of Falmouth. Al
most the entire headwaters area
is forested, and much of it runs
through the State Game Lands
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Lancaster Farming, Saturday, February 23,2002-A37
If com silage pH is between 3.5
and 4 percent, the silage likely
underwent a good fermentation,
according to the report.
Farmers also heard presenta
tions on com and alfalfa diseases
and an update on available pesti
cides.
While silage additives are
available for aiding fermentation
and preservation of forages in
storage. Shirk said they serve
mainly as insurance measures.
Good growing, harvesting, and
storage practices are the most im
portant, he said.
For more information on for
age quality or to see study results,
call your extension office.
surrounding Mt. Gretna. The
middle and lower portions of the
stream flow through many active
farms and rural residential devel
opment.
Nearly all of the watershed has
been recently assessed by Susque
hanna River Basin Commission
aquatic biologists on behalf of the
commonwealth, and the majority
of the watershed is impaired. It is
too polluted to sustain the kind of
fish and other aquatic life that it
could if it was a healthy stream.
Increased sediment and nutrients
from agricultural runoff have
been identified as the major
cause of impairment.
Jennifer Hoffman, aquatic bi
ologist from the SRBC, will be
speaking at the Feb. 27 meeting
about the stream assessment con
ducted for the Conewago. All are
invited to attend.
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